ITV announces streaming date for Ant and Dec teenage drama Byker Grove

Byker Grove, the teenage drama that launched TV stalwarts Ant and Dec to stardom, will be made available on ITVX from November.

All 18 series of the trailblazing show, which also made stars of actresses Jill Halfpenny and Donna Air, will be made available from November 16.

The programme ran between 1989 and 2006 on BBC One but is currently not available on BBC iPlayer. It is currently available to watch for free on STV Player.

It will come to ITVX as part of a deal with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s production company Mitre Studios, which owns the rights to the series.

Byker Grove followed the lives and relationships of young people at a youth club called the Grove in the Byker area of Newcastle.

The show was known for tackling social issues, such as drug addiction, child abuse, homophobia and abortion, and in 1994, the series featured what is thought to be the first gay kiss on UK children’s TV, when character Noddy Fishwick kissed Gary Hendrix at the back of a cinema.

McPartlin and Donnelly played PJ and Duncan respectively in the series, and went on to enjoy chart success under their characters’ names with eight UK top 20 singles, including the number one Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble.

The show was also the starting point for former writer Catherine Johnson, who went on to pen hit musical Mamma Mia!, and Tom Hooper, who directed episodes of the show in 1997 and went on to win an Oscar for best director for his work on The King’s Speech.

Craig Morris, director of channels at ITVX and acquisitions, said: “ITV audiences have grown up with Ant & Dec, so we are delighted to whisk viewers all the way back to the moment they first shared the screen together. Enjoy every moment from this iconic coming-of-age series on ITVX this November.”

Ed Sleeman, MD at Mitre Studios, added: “Byker Grove on ITVX marks the return of a legendary series which made TV history, launching the careers of Ant & Dec and helping shape a generation of viewers.”