Press Gang

To say Press Gang was unique in style and acting and writing was an understatment. This was a constantly enjoyable smart funny drama. In america it would have had a Prime time slot like Buffy Dawsons or 90210. But as itv saw it as Childrens tv it was left at 4.40pm though it won bafta awards for best childrens tv.

It pushed boundries with its subject matters, dealing child abuse (the award winning first season), drug abuse, bullying, and suicide and this was in the even from the very first few episodes and its humour was very adult for the time of day but the children watching would not have realised many of the more subtle oneliners.

Set in the news office of a local teen newspaper its follows the lives and loves of its reporters and editor Linda Day (Julia Sawalha) and her star reporter Spike Thompson. This setting allowed for some very funny comedy and top quality acting. Colin and the rabbit suit or the bird infestations or the ping pong balls.

like its audience it grew up very quickly but from the first episode was unmissable and like grange hill it spawned top actors who crop up every where. I was sad when it finished good thing i taped em really!

The first series of Press Gang was released on DVD in the UK on February 2nd 2004. I believe it's Region 0, so anyone anywhere can view the DVD.

Press Gang is my favourite TV show of all time. Top notch writing and brilliant acting; funny, moving, thought-provoking - it was a show that excelled in all areas. Highly recommended.

Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time an old guy had an idea for a TV series. So he submitted it. Even though it was his very first idea it was picked up, at which point the old guy, remembering his son who was just about to follow him into a teaching career had expressed a desire to write for TV, says that they can only use the idea if his son gets to write an episode. Instead of binning him off immediately they decide to give him a shot and the son submits a script. It's amazing, and he subsequently gets to write the entire series and goes on to marry the programme's producer and write full time for TV. Sounds too good to be true? Welcome to Press Gang, the show that just got lucky.

In addition to breaking one of the best new writers of the age, the show also had two young stars whose chemistry could melt your TV. It couldn't fail except... it was doomed to be a kid's TV show shown at kid's TV show times, and there it might have remained had it not been for a programme planner on a rival network who purchased the show for adult viewing.

There are more original ideas in any one season of Press Gang than you'll find in an entire network season these days. Hey, there's probably more than all the networks put together. Any impartial critique is almost impossible because there's just nothing to compare this show with. There'd been nothing like it before, and there's been nothing like it since, so all I can say is, if you've never heard of it but you like a good ensemble laugh-fest with an occasional serious edge to it, chance your arm and try a season of this show. I'm confident you'll be right out there buying the other 4 seasons within a day.

Believe me, or check my other reviews, it's unusual for me to get this enthusiastic about anything, let alone a TV show, but what else can I say? It really is that good.

"Press Gang" is probably the best TV series I have seen. It has all the elements of good entertainment. This includes brilliant acting and realistic plots. This series is set at the office of the Junior Gazette, a newspaper run entirely by teenagers. The paper is funded by the Gazette with two purposes: a) to encourage people to read the Gazette and b) to keep some trouble makers off the street. The series runs through stories about what happens to the newspaper team while trying to put the Junior Gazette out for the week. I loved this series and found it very addictive. By using young actors it relates to teenagers better than most TV series. I hope that everyone gets a chance to see this series soon.

Oh, God, why did I write that. No-one will read any further; people make similar claims so freely about any old rubbish. -But in this case it's TRUE, dammit.

Hilariously funny in every episode, seriously emotional in some, tautly dramatic in most, with great performances from a very young cast (Julia Sawalha is more famous for other shows, but she has never had a better role)... look, trust me, everyone who has watched this show loves it. It represents the triumph of the script by an individual (Steven Moffat) over the script by committee.