Byker Grove Returns: Classic Teen Drama Finds New Life on STV Player and ITVX

Image ITV Press

By Jon Donnis

Nearly two decades since it left UK screens, Byker Grove is finally making a comeback. Not with a reboot or a reunion special, but in its original form. From this week, classic episodes of the iconic teen drama are available to stream for free on STV Player, with ITVX set to follow later this year. For a certain generation, this isn't just good news. It's a time machine.

Launched in 1989 and set in the Byker area of Newcastle, Byker Grove quickly became essential after-school viewing for British teenagers. Long before streaming or binge-watching existed, it found a loyal following by offering something that felt real. The storylines were messy, raw, and often far ahead of their time. Relationships, identity, class, grief, it didn't sugar-coat the world, but it didn't exploit it either.

At the heart of it all was the Grove, a local youth club that doubled as a safe space, drama hotspot and social battleground. It was a show that knew its audience and didn't talk down to them. It gave young people credit for having brains and feelings, and it trusted them to handle difficult subjects.

Ant & Dec's early days as PJ & Duncan are part of Byker Grove legend now. They didn't just act in it, they became pop stars off the back of it. Even today, that part of their career still gets a nostalgic nod, especially when "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" somehow finds its way back onto playlists. But it wasn't just those two. The show launched careers across the board. Jill Halfpenny, Donna Air, and plenty more actors cut their teeth here. Behind the camera, Catherine Johnson went on to write Mamma Mia! and Tom Hooper, who directed episodes in the late nineties, eventually won an Oscar.

This revival has come through a partnership between STV Player, ITVX and Mitre Studios, the production company owned by Ant & Dec. That connection brings it full circle, really. The duo who once starred in it are now helping bring it back. For fans, the chance to revisit those early episodes is more than a hit of nostalgia. It's a reminder of how much British youth TV used to challenge, not just entertain.

The tone might be softer in parts now, the pacing a little slower than what we're used to. But the heart of Byker Grove is still there. It was always about young people trying to make sense of themselves and the world around them. And that doesn't really go out of style. Whether you're reliving it or discovering it for the first time, it's worth a look. Even just to remind yourself how bold children's TV used to be.