The Dumping Ground facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Dumping Ground
Genre	Children's drama
Directed by	Various
Starring	Current cast
Theme music composer	Jeremy Holland-Smith
Composer(s)	Jeremy Holland-Smith (series 1) Simon Rogers (series 2–present)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	8
No. of episodes	156 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Foz Allan (series 1) Lis Steele (series 2–3) Lucy Martin (series 4) Kim Crowther (series 4) Jonathan Phillips (series 5–8)
Producer(s)	Louise Sutton (series 1) Simon Nelson (series 2) Philip Leach (series 3–4) Gert Thomas (series 5–7) Emma Bodger (series 8)
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	28 minutes (regular episodes)
Production company(s)	BBC
Distributor	BBC Studios
Release
Original network	CBBC (2013–present) CBBC HD (2013–present)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Original release	4 January 2013 (2013-01-04) – present
Chronology
Preceded by	Tracy Beaker Returns
Related shows	The Story Of Tracy Beaker Liam's Story The Dumping Ground Dish Up The Dumping Ground Survival Files The Dumping Ground: I'm... My Mum Tracy Beaker

The Dumping Ground (also informally referred to as TDG) is a British children's television drama series that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people who live in a care home with their care workers in care, broadcast on CBBC since 4 January 2013. The series is a continuation of Tracy Beaker Returns and the first series, consisting of thirteen, thirty-minute episodes, was commissioned in early 2012. A second series, also with thirteen, thirty-minute episodes, was announced in 2013. The third and fourth series, announced in 2014 and 2015 respectively, both had an increase in episodes: twenty, thirty-minute episodes. In 2016, it was confirmed that two further series, with 24 episodes in each series, would be made.

The Dumping Ground broadcast its 100th episode on 16 March 2018, which was the tenth episode of series six. An eighth series is currently airing from January 2020 to February 2021.

Series 8B started in September 2020. After 5 episodes, it was confirmed that the remaining episodes of The Dumping Ground would be shown in early 2021 excluding the Christmas Special which was shown in December 2020. This is due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay of Series 9 filming. Filming for the ninth series began at the end of 2020.

Plot

The series revolves around the life of children in the Ashdene Ridge (previously Elm Tree House) care home; typically each episode follows one or more characters' life and includes subplots featuring other characters. The Dumping Ground deals with issues related to the care system as well as social issues such as friendships, family, relationships, mental health, adolescence and LGBT parenting.

Episodes

Characters

Spin-offs

Since its inception, The Dumping Ground has had four spin-offs. The Dumping Ground Survival Files aired for two series from 6 January to 12 December 2014. Webisode series Liam's Story aired from 17 January to 14 March 2014 and aired in a full episode on television on 23 March 2014. The series followed the character of Liam O'Donovan, played by Richard Wisker, after his life in care. In November 2015, a five-part miniseries aired, titled The Dumping Ground Dish Up, that featured five former cast members - Joe Maw, Jessie Williams, Chris Slater, Jessica Revell and Saffron Coomber - in character and showing how to make different dishes. The Dumping Ground: I'm..., another webisode series where young people and staff describe living and working in care, aired for two series from 25 January 2016 to 9 February 2017. On 6 April 2018, a five-part mini webisode series was released called Sasha's Contact Meeting, which followed Sasha with her social worker planning her pathway plan for when she leaves care.

Ratings

Ratings from BARB. From series 6b onwards, viewing figures include four-screen data and pre-transmission viewing.

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Awards and nominations