The Grimleys (1999–2001)

Comedy series about the unfortunate misadventures of a misfit schoolboy, Gordon Grimley, set in 1970's Dudley.

Creator:

Jed Mercurio

Stars:

James Bradshaw, Ryan Cartwright, Noddy Holder

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
James Bradshaw	...	Gordon Grimley (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Ryan Cartwright	...	Darren Grimley (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Noddy Holder	...	Mr. Neville Holder (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Nigel Planer	...	Baz Grimley (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Amanda Holden	...	Geraldine Titley (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Jan Ravens	...	Janet Grimley (22 episodes, 1999-2001)
Brian Conley	...	Doug 'Dynamo' Digby (17 episodes, 1999-2001)
Ruby Snape	...	Miss Thing (11 episodes, 2000-2001)

Storyline

Comedy set in the 1970s at an English School. Gordon Grimley, a young but misfit schoolboy is in love with his English teacher, Geraldine Titley. Unfortunately Geraldine is in love with sardonic PE teacher Doug Digby. Doug bullies the kids and he & Gordon fights for the attentions of Geraldine with the help of the music teacher Mr Holder. Meanwhile, Gordon's father - Baz Grimley, a steel-worker, has been so long on strike that he's has turned into a slob in front of the TV leaving his lonely wife, Janet starting to look at other men. The first two series tells of Gordon and Darren (the story-teller) struggle to survive in 1975 and then the third in 1978 when Gordon is now a English teacher with Geraldine but is now up against the new woodwork teacher for Geraldine's love, Mr Holder is now the headmaster and Darren is fast turning into a punk...

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Plot Keywords:

english | misfit | 1970s | bully | dudley | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 1999 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min 24 min (21 episodes) 50 min (1 episode)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

Darren Grimley, a science-fiction fan, has SF models which would not have been able at the time the series was set (the 1970s). In particular, a model of Deep Space Nine can be seen in one episode; this was not available until the 1990s.

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Connections

Featured in Drama Trails: 'The Vice' to 'Prime Suspect' (2008)

User Reviews

Nostalgia And Comedy Rolled Into One

Watching the first two series of The Grimley's every Sunday night was an absolute pleasure. It featured stories from a time where I grew up and it just brought back some memories for me.

The Grimley's were a strange family. Gordon Grimley was the young schoolboy who was an intellect and had a major crush on the English teacher Geraldine Titley played by Amanda Holden. There was Darren Grimley who was the brother of Gordon and totally the opposite character to his brother. There was the mother Janet Grimley who kept the house in order. And there was Baz Grimley, a lazy scruffy workshy oaf who spent every episode with his bottom firmly embedded in his chair, not moving but doing plenty of slobbering. That was the Grimley family.

The other scenes were set in the school. Comedian Brian Conley played psychotic P.E. teacher Doug "Dynamo" Digby who was dating Geraldine Titley and who took great pleasure in bullying the pupils. There was also the Music Teacher Neville Holder played by ex-Slade singer Noddy Holder who had some great scenes.

The show didn't have one particular theme. It was all about nostalgia for those like us who had grown up in the Black Country. It was funny but nostalgic at the same time. It was just half an hour of fun each week...until the last series.

The last series was very average. Doug Digby was killed off and the show suffered after that. I'm not saying that one particular character was integral to the show's success. But every character is a cog in a big wheel and if one character leaves, the quality of the show suffers. Digby was replaced by a woodwork teacher who didn't have the same rapport with Geraldine Titley. Also, Gordon Grimley had become a teacher (the third series was set a few years after the end of the second one) and we were seeing less of Baz. To be fair though, the last episode was good. Baz finally left his chair which his bottom had been embedded in and there were other great things too.

All in all, it was good whilst it lasted and gave me plenty of pleasure.