Ant & Dec confirm return of Byker Grove after 17 years

Wey aye man – Byker Grove is finally coming back to our screens!

The classic children’s drama was one of the biggest shows of the nineties and noughties, with the show centring around a youth club in Newcastle.

It’s launched the career of some huge stars, including Ant & Dec – who announced the news on social media.

Getty/Karwai Tang

Originally airing between 1989 and 2006, the reboot will be named BYKER, with the ITV presenters acting as executive producers on the new series.

Ant and Dec will also work as creative consultants on the shows, which is set to have both hard-hitting story lines with a mix of nostalgic nods to the original series.

Joining them will be the producers of Sunderland Till I Die and The Kardashians, Fulwell 73 – who will oversee filming in the North East.

In a video uploaded to Twitter, the Geordie duo made the announcement and wrote: "We hope you’re as psyche(d) as us for this comeback", referencing their iconic 90s track.

Donnelly excited told fans: “Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited to be working together with Fulwell 73 on bringing it back.

"We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do.“

"As proud Geordies, we’re looking forward to helping shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it."

To which McPartlin replied: “We owe such a lot to Byker Grove and the North East so we can’t wait to start working with Fulwell 73 and the team to bring this iconic series back to life.

"Already talking characters and storylines has us all buzzing at the possibilities ahead. The original series was the starting point for a lot of North East talent so we're excited to see what the new team will bring."

BBC

The new series is also helping to train the talent of tomorrow both in front and behind the camera, with work placements and other incentives.

Ant & Dec are also looking to use trainees from their Prince's Trust Making it in Media course in the production – helping local young people to gain experience in the film and TV industry.

A statement from their production company, Mitre Studio, read: "The show obviously holds a very special place in the heart for Ant and Dec as it was where it all started for them.

"The North East is a hotbed of emerging talent both on and off screen, so we’re extremely proud to be able to tap into that and help give something back to the region.”

Well, we’re pretty psyched already!