Tracy Beaker Returns is a British television programme. Based upon the novels by Jacqueline Wilson, it is the sequel series to The Story of Tracy Beaker. The series stars Dani Harmer who reprised her role as protagonist Tracy Beaker. The third and final series ended on 23 March 2012. A sequel spin-off, The Dumping Ground, started airing on 4 January 2013 and it is the longest-running CBBC show.

Premise When author Tracy Beaker is arrested for using her adoptive mother Cam's credit card to publish her autobiography, she seeks refuge at Elmtree House, a care home nicknamed "The Dumping Ground" where she used to live as a child. She meets the children who are intrigued by her and her story. Wanting to pay Cam back, Tracy asks the head care worker, Mike (Connor Byrne), for a job. As Mike is short-staffed, he agrees to hire her as an assistant care worker since she knows so much about life in care. Tracy then uses her background as a former child in care to become fully involved in the children's lives.

Production

The first series was produced in summer 2009, then provisionally known Beaker's Back. Set designers revamped buildings of the former La Sagesse convent school in the Jesmond area of Newcastle-upon-Tyne into the children's home, retaining the Elm Tree House name from series 5 of The Story of Tracy Beaker, despite the original series being filmed in Cardiff. The father's house was developed into the exterior of Elm Tree House, whilst the show's interior scenes were filmed in a grander building elsewhere on the same site. Classroom buildings and the Jesmond Towers were also used for scenes, as well as local landmarks such as the MetroCentre shopping centre. Production continued at La Sagesse through series two and three and into the first series of The Dumping Ground until property owners Barratt Homes decided to redevelop the school buildings into a luxury housing estate. The recognisable exterior of Elm Tree House was demolished in mid-2013 though the building used for interior scenes partially remains intact.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Ratings Episode ratings from BARB. SeriesEpisode No.AirdateTotal ViewersSeries AverageCBBC Weekly RankingBBC iPlayer requestsSource118 January 2010828,000547,0001565,0002315 January 2010699,0001422 January 2010564,0001529 January 2010594,000165 February 2010485,0001712 February 2010550,0001819 February 2010432,0002926 February 2010423,0001105 March 2010503,0001 324,000 1112 March 2010512,00011219 March 2010447,00021326 March 2010524,0001217 January 2011548,000519,0001451,0002314 January 2011426,0001421 January 2011374,0001528 January 2011482,000164 February 2011498,0001 636,000711 February 2011567,0001 580,000818 February 2011583,0001477,000925 February 2011623,0001104 March 2011611,0001556,0001111 March 2011596,0001625,0001218 March 2011463,00011325 March 2011453,0001316 January 2012856,000727,0001756,0002313 January 2012874,0001688,000420 January 2012856,0001612,000527 January 2012748,000163 February 2012781,0001831,000710 February 2012704,0001980,000817 February 2012646,0001730,000924 February 2012631,0001676,000102 March 2012608,0001802,000119 March 2012728,0001723,0001216 March 2012631,0001596,0001323 March 2012659,0001607,000

Development and production In March 2009, the BBC announced the new 13-part series under the working title Beaker's Back!. The series was filmed in the old La Sagesse School in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne in the summer of 2009, and directed by Neasa Hardiman, Craig Lines and Michael Davies.

In February 2010, it was announced that Tracy Beaker Returns would be renewed for a second series to air in 2011. Filming took place throughout summer and autumn of 2010 and premiered on 7 January 2011.

On 6 April 2010, it was announced that Classic Media's UK division (formerly known as Entertainment Rights) had picked up worldwide distribution rights to the series, with the exception of UK television rights which were retained by the BBC.

It was announced on 12 March 2011 that a third series has been commissioned to be filmed entirely in the North East. The third series later premiered on 6 January 2012.

A fourth series of Tracy Beaker Returns was supposed to be released in 2013 but, owing to Dani Harmer's decision not to return as Tracy, it was instead scrapped and reworked into The Dumping Ground, which was commissioned by CBBC in 2012, filmed over the summer of that year, and took the January 2013 release date, beginning on 4 January.

Home media All thirteen episodes of Series 1 were released as part of a two-case boxset titled "Complete Series 1 Collection", released by Universal Pictures UK and Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics) on 23 March 2011. Series 2–3 have not seen any DVD releases.

Awards and nominations It won the Children's BAFTA award on 28 November 2010 for best drama. On the same night, Dani Harmer and Richard Wisker received nominations in the performer category. It also won a Royal Television Award in 2011, in the Children's Drama Category.

Ceremony Award Nominee Result2010 Children's BAFTA AwardsBAFTA Kids' Vote TelevisionTracy Beaker Returns2010 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's DramaTracy Beaker Returns2010 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's PerformerDani Harmer2010 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's PerformerRichard Wisker2011 Children's BAFTA AwardsBAFTA Kids' Vote TelevisionTracy Beaker Returns2011 Royal Television AwardsChildren's DramaTracy Beaker Returns2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsBAFTA Kids' Vote TelevisionTracy Beaker Returns2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's DramaTracy Beaker Returns2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's WriterElly Brewer

Notes

References

External links