School’s out for Tucker
What was life like after Grange Hill? MARION MCMULLEN looks at the launch of spin-off show Tucker’s Luck 40 years ago
PETER “Tucker” Jenkins was top of the class when it came to the most popular pupils at Grange Hill.
Todd Carty played the likeable rascal with a talent for getting into trouble and who could always be found hanging out with his mates in the BBC school drama.
In fact, Tucker was such a favourite with viewers that he went on to star in his own
BBC spin-off series, Tucker’s Luck. It launched 40 years ago on March 10, 1983, and followed the fortunes of Tucker after he said goodbye to the classroom and Grange Hill.
It was an era when unemployment was high and Tucker struggled to find his way in the world in the 30-minute episodes.
The opener saw him signing on at the dole office with his mates Alan (George Armstrong) and Tommy (Paul McCarthy) and the series dealt with Tucker’s efforts to make ends meet, hold down a job and find love.
Tucker’s Luck ended in 1985 after 27 episodes and three series, and saw the future looking a little brighter for him as he headed back to night school to train to be a painter and decorator.
Todd himself went on to become one of the longest-serving members of EastEnders, playing Mark Fowler on the BBC soap for more than 13 years. Mark eventually rode off on his motorbike in 2013 and died off screen a year later.
Todd returned to Grange Hill in 2003 to reprise the role of Tucker in one episode and came back for the final series of the school drama in 2008. His last visit was to ensure that his nephew Togger (Chris PerryMetcalf) did not make the same mistakes at school that he did and told him that leaving school without any qualifications was the worst mistake of his life.