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 known as TDG) is a popular British children's TV drama. It shows the lives of young people living in a care home with their care workers. The show has been on CBBC since January 4, 2013.

This series continues the story from Tracy Beaker Returns. The first season had thirteen 30-minute episodes. Later seasons grew, with the third and fourth having twenty episodes each. In 2016, two more seasons were confirmed, each with 24 episodes. The Dumping Ground aired its 100th episode on March 16, 2018. An eighth season started in January 2020 and finished in February 2021.

Part of season 8 was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The remaining episodes were shown in early 2021, except for a Christmas special in December 2020. Filming for the ninth season began at the end of 2020.

What is The Dumping Ground About?

The show follows the lives of children living in the Ashdene Ridge care home. It was previously called Elm Tree House. Each episode usually focuses on one or more characters. It also includes smaller stories about other characters.

The Dumping Ground explores important topics related to the care system. It also covers social issues like friendships and family. The series discusses relationships, mental health, and growing up. It also touches on LGBT parenting.

Episodes of The Dumping Ground

To find out more about all the episodes, check out the main list:

Meet the Characters

Want to know more about the kids and staff? You can find a full list of characters here:

Other Shows and Web Series

The Dumping Ground has created four other shows, called spin-offs.

• The Dumping Ground Survival Files aired for two seasons in 2014.
• Liam's Story was a web series in 2014. It followed the character Liam O'Donovan, played by Richard Wisker, after he left care. It also aired as a full TV episode.
• In November 2015, a five-part mini-series called The Dumping Ground Dish Up came out. It featured five past cast members. They showed how to make different dishes while in character.
• The Dumping Ground: I'm... was another web series. It showed young people and staff talking about living and working in care. It aired for two seasons from 2016 to 2017.
• On April 6, 2018, a five-part web series called Sasha's Contact Meeting was released. It followed Sasha as she planned for when she would leave care.

Awards and Nominations

The Dumping Ground has won several awards and been nominated for many more. These awards recognize the show's quality and its actors.