The Story of Tracy Beaker (series 3)
| The Story of Tracy Beaker (series 3) | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Release | |
| Original network |
CBBC CBBC HD (repeats) |
| Original release | 25 September 2003 – 1 April 2004 |
| Series chronology | |
The third series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker aired in 2004 on CBBC and continued to air repeats on CBBC and CBBC HD. The series follows the lives of the children in care the fictional children's care home of Stowey House, and is the last series to feature this house. It consists of twenty-six fifteen-minute episodes and is the third series in the Tracy Beaker franchise. It began on 25 September 2003 and finished the following year on 1 April 2004.
Cast
Dani Harmer (Tracy Beaker), Montanna Thompson (Justine Littlewood), Nisha Nayar (Elaine Boyack), Clive Rowe (Duke Ellington), Lisa Coleman (Cam Lawson), Ciaran Joyce, Ben Hanson, Chloe Hibbert-Waters and James Cartwright all returned to their main roles. Stephen Crossley and Caroline Bunce returned to their guest starring role as Justine's father, Steve Littlewood and his wife, Carrie respectively. Adele Azupadi (Rochelle Gadd), Amber Hurst (Alicia Hooper), Ben Batambuze (Luke Youngblood) & Jenny Edwards (Sharlene White) did not return for this series. Padley, who left the main cast last series, made seven guest appearances. Jack Edwards, Kristal Lau, William Tomlin, Darragh Mortell, Abby Rakic-Platt, Nicola Reynolds and Cara Readle all made their debuts as main characters, Marco Maloney, Hayley, Michael Grys, Liam "Crash" Daniels, Jackie Hopper, Shelly Appleton and Layla respectively. Howell Evans began appearing as a guest character and Jackie's grandfather, Jack and Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins appeared as Wilson for two episodes. This was the last series to feature Cartwright, Padley, Tomlin and Hibbert-Waters. Thompson left her main cast role, but made a guest appearance in series four and a main cast return in the final series. Reynolds also left her main cast role, but returned in the final series. Crossley and Bunce left their guest starring roles, but the characters, Steve and Carrie, returned in the final series, played by Morgan Hopkins and Kathryn Dimery.
Main
- Dani Harmer as Tracy Beaker
- Montanna Thompson as Justine Littlewood (Until Season Finale)
- Clive Rowe as Duke Ellington
- Nisha Nayar as Elaine Boyack
- Lisa Coleman as Cam Lawson
- Ciaran Joyce as Lol Plakova
- Ben Hanson as Bouncer Plakova
- Chloe Hibbert-Waters as Dolly (Until Episode 11)
- James Cartwright as Nathan Jones (Until Season Finale)
- Darragh Mortell as Crash Daniels
- Cara Readle as Layla
- Jack Edwards as Marco Maloney
- Abby Rakic-Platt as Jackie Hopper (From Episode 3)
- Kristal Lau as Hayley
- William Tomlin as Michael Grys (Until Season Finale)
- Nicola Reynolds as Shelley Appelton (Until Season Finale)
Guest
- Howell Evans as Jack Hopper
- Chelsie Padley as Louise Govern
- Kerry Joy Stewart as Mrs Morris
- David Charles as Mr Bygrave
- Rachel Atkins as Mrs Bygrave
- Vivienne Rowdon as Estate Agent
- Jennifer Robinson as Vicki
- Gareth Piper as James
- Angus Alexander Brown as Philip
- June Campbell as Cathy
- Rebecca Walker as Sophie
- Lynn Hunter as Maureen
- Mark Flanagan as Dave
- Jude Mitson as Zara
- Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins as Wilson
- Richard Pask as Adam
- Paul Mohan as Logan
- Sophie Sherrington as Kelly
- Krupa Patel as Sofia
- Caroline Bunce as Carrie
- Dan Winter as Charlie Kean
- Ryan Nelson as Jake
- Matt Zarb as Tom
- Morgan Hopkins as Ron
- Sara McGaughey as Gwen
- Gareth Wyn Griffiths as Dave
- Debra Glazer as Jemima
- Stephen Crossley as Steve Littlewood
- Dafydd Wyn-Roberts as Steward
Episodes
| No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" | Delyth Thomas | Mary Morris | 25 September 2003 | 3.1 |
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Tracy reckons she's top dog at the DG, but new head care worker Shelley Appleton has other plans. Fearing that Tracy has become too settled, Shelley suggests it's time for Tracy to move to another home. She packs her bags and heads over to her best friend Cam's house, only to find that she's leaving for New York. Back at the DG, both the staff and the kids stage a mutiny against Shelley's decision - even Justine Littlewood. Note: First appearance of Marco Maloney (Jack Edwards), Hayley (Kristal Lau), Michael Grys (William Tomlin), Liam "Crash" Daniels (Darragh Mortell), Layla (Cara Readle) and Shelley Appleton (Nicola Reynolds). | |||||
| 2 | "Supernatural Shelley" | Delyth Thomas | Laura Summers | 2 October 2003 | 3.2 |
| Shelley opens her office door – eager to hear suggestions for improvements to the DG. She's soon faced with a barrage of requests for sweetie machines and a giant swimming pool! Without a sensible idea in sight, Shelley sets about doing things her way. But her new healthy eating policy, interior design changes and bedroom swaps, go down like a lead balloon. Meanwhile, Tracy is jealous that Justine has had her ears pierced and accidentally dyes her hair green, whilst new boy Michael instigates a food fight when he angers bad-tempered Crash. | |||||
| 3 | "Jackie" | Delyth Thomas | Gary Parker | 9 October 2003 | 3.3 |
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New arrival Jackie Hopper is dragged kicking and screaming to the DG. She refuses to accept that she needs to be in care, and that her beloved Grandpa Jack has Alzheimer's and can no longer look after her. She's determined to escape, collect Grandpa from his nursing home and return to their old house together. Shelley knows there's only one person who can settle Jackie into DG life - Tracy. Note: First appearance of Jackie Hopper (Abby Rakic-Platt) and Jack Hopper (Howell Evans). | |||||
| 4 | "Free Louise" | Delyth Thomas | Laura Summers | 16 October 2003 | 3.4 |
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Louise couldn't be happier with her new foster family the Morris's, but she attempts to spare the feelings of her parent-less friends in the DG by fibbing that they are horrible. But Tracy and Justine are horrified that their friend seems to be in trouble and stage a protest to "Save Louise". Note: Guest appearance of Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley). | |||||
| 5 | "The Bygraves" | Delyth Thomas | Gary Parker | 23 October 2003 | 3.5 |
| Tired of Michael bullying the little ones, snitching on the older ones and constantly sucking up to the staff, Tracy realises that she and Justine could get rid of him for good if they could find someone to foster him. When she stumbles across The Bygraves (ironically funeral directors), she reckons they might just be desperate enough to even consider Michael. | |||||
| 6 | "Down with School" | Delyth Thomas | Laura Summers | 30 October 2003 | 3.6 |
| Jackie has run away from school so many times, that she now has to be tutored at the DG. Faced with another boring Monday morning at school, Tracy and Crash reckon if Jackie can have home schooling, so can they. Meanwhile, Michael plays a cruel trick on Layla. | |||||
| 7 | "Crashed and Thrashed" | Delyth Thomas | Mary Morris | 6 November 2003 | 3.7 |
| Crash and Tracy are both in lousy moods and fall out at breakfast. When Cam sends Tracy an 'I love NY' T-shirt in the post, Tracy can't resist boasting about her exciting new present to Crash. Then, when Nathan accidentally ruins the T-shirt, both Tracy and Crash's tempers reach frightening levels, leaving Nathan certain that he must take action against Crash's temper. | |||||
| 8 | "No-one Quite Like Grandpa" | Delyth Thomas | Othniel Smith | 13 November 2003 | 3.8 |
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Jackie decides that it's finally time to rescue Grandpa, and enlists Tracy's help. The girls sneak out of the DG, and successfully get Grandpa back to his old house. Finding his Alzheimer's really bad Tracy has to make a tough decision. Meanwhile, Michael falls in love with Louise, giving the other kids a chance to get revenge on him for countless snitching and bullying. Note: Guest appearance of Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley). | |||||
| 9 | "Down to Earth" | Joss Agnew | Dan Anthony | 20 November 2003 | 3.9 |
| Tracy can't believe her luck when she wins tickets to a pop awards show. But as Tracy gets ready to leave for the big event, she becomes ill and collapses. Tracy comes round the next morning to discover that she's in hospital, and has had her appendix out. Tracy is furious with how everything has turned out, but cheers up when Cam returns. | |||||
| 10 | "Nothing Happens Here" | Joss Agnew | Mary Morris | 27 November 2003 | 3.10 |
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Michael's big brother, James, arrives at the DG on the run from his care home, and he is discovered by Tracy and Jackie. But his brother's arrival brings out a new, sensitive side that no-one at the DG was prepared for. But will Tracy help him keep his brother a secret from the staff? Meanwhile, Cam announces she is writing a book based on the Dumping Ground, and everyone starts gathering stories for her. But she becomes increasingly exasperated by everyone's eager offers for help. Note: Guest Appearance of Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley) | |||||
| 11 | "The Beaker Club" | Joss Agnew | Simon Nicholson | 4 December 2003 | 3.11 |
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Dolly, Marco and Hayley form "The Beaker Club", pulling pranks on the staff and acting just like Tracy. But when the club dedicated to her nearly costs Dolly her ideal foster family, Tracy tries to put everything right again. Note: Final appearance of Dolly (Chloe Hibbert-Waters). | |||||
| 12 | "Power Cut" | Joss Agnew | Abigail Abben Mensah | 11 April 2003 | 3.12 |
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The DG residents are thrown into chaos when there's a sudden power cut. Tracy and the others aren't impressed at the prospect of an evening with no TV, music, computers or cooking, so Tracy decides to entertain everyone by telling ghost stories. Note:Guest appearance of Louise Goven (Chelsie Padley) | |||||
| 13 | "Just Desserts" | Joss Agnew | Othniel Smith | 18 April 2003 | 3.13 |
| Aspiring chef Bouncer takes a small step towards achieving his ambition: by getting a Saturday job in a bakery. Lol can't help feeling at a bit of a loss without his brother around. Tracy is also feeling sidelined when she discovers that Cam's got herself a snooty literary agent, Zara, so Tracy and Lol take a trip to Bouncer's bakery and clash with his boss, who really dislikes them. Meanwhile Marco drives Crash, Jackie and Layla mad with his imaginary friend. | |||||
| 14 | "Mind Your Own Business" | Joss Agnew | Holly Lyons | 8 January 2004 | 3.14 |
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It's a busy day at the DG, as Elaine finds herself running the house single-handed. But Michael and Crash come to blows when she announces that a new kid Wilson is arriving, and one of them will have to share with him, so Bouncer starts a championship to see who will be sharing with Wilson. Tracy reckons it's about time Louise got her own back on her prankster boyfriend, Adam. All goes to plan until Tracy realises that she's got the wrong guy -Wilson, and with Elaine keeping a close eye on her, the house's biggest troublemaker, will Wilson cover for her? Note: Guest appearance of Wilson (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins) and Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley). | |||||
| 15 | "I Am Not In Love" | Joss Agnew | Holly Lyons | 15 January 2004 | 3.15 |
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Tracy develops a crush on Wilson, but is loath to admit it. however, it becomes clear to the whole DG when she accepts an invitation to visit Wilson's mother with him in hospital, and whilst out with Cam, she cannot stop talking about him. Is Tracy in love? Meanwhile, Duke gets a new phone, and Lol and Crash plot to cause mischief by sending Duke romantics texts from Shelley's phone, leaving Duke convinced Shelley is in love with him. Tracy then kisses Wilson and doesn't notice that Justine is watching. Note: Guest appearance of Wilson (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins). | |||||
| 16 | "Time Capsule" | Joss Agnew | Marvin Close | 22 January 2004 | 3.16 |
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Tracy is in a foul mood when Wilson's left without saying goodbye and Justine is teasing her rotten about the kiss. Meanwhile, the other kids dig up a time capsule from the previous owners of the house. They attempt to put together a Dumping Ground time capsule of their own – preparing video diaries, recipes, collages and photographs. Note: In Tracy Beaker Returns, the capsule is found, even though it takes place in a different house, and at some point during Tracy's life, she made clues to the time capsule. | |||||
| 17 | "Football Trial" | Joss Agnew | Andy Walker | 29 January 2004 | 3.17 |
| Lol is fast turning into the next David Beckham, and Tracy is quick to notice. Before Lol knows it, Tracy is acting as his manager, and has snuck him into a professional football ground demanding that the manager give him a trial. Meanwhile, Elaine begins Sports Day at the DG, with Jackie and Bouncer as team captains after Shelley fakes an injury to get out of the event. | |||||
| 18 | "We Are Family" | Joss Agnew | Tracy Brabin | 5 February 2004 | 3.18 |
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Tracy and Lol turn detective to try to get to the bottom of Bouncer's strange behaviour. Marco is also on a mission; to find out where babies come from. Note: Montana Thompson as Justine Littlewood is absent for this episode. | |||||
| 19 | "Be Prepared" | Laurence Wilson | Laura Summers | 12 February 2004 | 3.19 |
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Layla is determined to get enough cub scout badges to secure a place on the camping trip, and Tracy and Jackie are put in charge of supervising her, but quickly fall out when Tracy suggests that it's time for some Beaker-style assistance. Refusing to cheat, Jackie and Layla struggle on without Tracy, and Michael also plots to ruin her work. Note: Montana Thompson as Justine Littlewood is absent for this episode. | |||||
| 20 | "Sufia The Silent" | Laurence Wilson | Ariane Sherine | 19 February 2004 | 3.20 |
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Tracy's nose is put out of joint when she's forced to share her room with new arrival Sufia, who doesn't speak English. However, when Sufia finds herself on the receiving end of Michael's bullying, Tracy is forced to step in and come to her defence. Meanwhile, Bouncer, Lol and Jackie get carried away with a game of football, and end up breaking a picture in the lounge, which results in an art competition at the DG. When they three are forced to pay for it, they attempt to scam Nathan with a game of cards Note: Montana Thompson as Justine Littlewood is absent in this episode. | |||||
| 21 | "Babies Suck!" | Laurence Wilson | Mary Morris | 26 February 2004 | 3.21 |
| Justine is desperate for her Dad and Carrie to ask her home with them for good. However, when they cancel taking her out for the day, Justine begins to doubt that it'll ever happen. Justine fears the worst when she hears that Carrie is on her way round to speak to her. When Carrie arrives and announces that she's pregnant, Justine is certain that her dream will never come true. | |||||
| 22 | "Exploited" | Laurence Wilson | Marvin Close | 4 March 2004 | 3.22 |
| Everyone is in high spirits when the TV company arrive at the DG, for the launch of Cam's book 'The Dumping Ground Kids'. Tracy tries to steal the limelight at every opportunity – convinced that she's the inspiration for the star of the book 'Trudy' – a tough no-nonsense kid who is queen of the scammers. But Tracy's in for a nasty surprise, when she finally reads the last chapter. Meanwhile, Justine glamorizes herself for the TV, and Bouncer and Jackie get revenge on an arrogant TV producer who refuses Jackie a photo. | |||||
| 23 | "Be Quiet" | Laurence Wilson | Dan Anthony | 11 March 2004 | 3.23 |
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Tracy goes through the motions with three sets of hopeless potential foster parents on a trip to the science museum, until she befriends Jake and Tom, a father and son. Meanwhile, Hayley is tired of being called quiet and plots to show everyone how loud and destructive she can be. Note: First appearance of Jake(Ryan Nelson) & Tom(Matt Zarb) | |||||
| 24 | "Dad Trouble" | Laurence Wilson | Gary Parker | 18 March 2004 | 3.24 |
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Tracy is determined to win Jake and Tom over. She realises that if she's going to impress them, then she needs to brush up on her skills at being around little brothers and dads. Meanwhile, Justine is tired of everyone talking about Steve and Carrie's baby, and tries to train to be a good big sister. Note: Guest Appearance of Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley), Jake (Ryan Nelson) & Tom (Matt Zarb) | |||||
| 25 | "The Big Race" | Laurence Wilson | Gary Parker | 25 March 2004 | 3.25 |
| Jackie is caught off guard when she gets a letter from her Grandpa telling her that they're both entered in a charity race tomorrow. Tracy gets busy signing up sponsors, whilst Crash helps Jackie to train for the big day. Meanwhile, Cam comes round to see Tracy in a desperate attempt to make amends. But Tracy is sticking to her guns and Cam finds herself out in the cold. | |||||
| 26 | "Good As Gold" | Laurence Wilson | Mary Morris | 1 April 2004 | 3.26 |
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There's a BBQ party to celebrate Justine leaving. Jackie goes to collect Grandpa to join the party, and is devastated to discover that he is in a wheelchair. Marco dresses up as a magician for the party but can't seem to do anything magic, until he pinches Duke's flip-flops while he is asleep and sends them up high into the sky tied to helium balloons! Jackie is determined that her Grandpa will still be the fastest Grandpa in the land and soon gets him wheeling at top speed. As Justine heads off to begin her new life, Tracy has to face the fact that she's the last kid from the old Dumping Ground gang to be left behind. Note: Final appearance of Michael Grys (William Tomlin), Louise Govern (Chelsie Padley), Nathan Jones (James Cartwright), Jake (Ryan Nelson) & Tom (Matt Zarb). | |||||
Production
Cas Lester left the production team after the previous series and was replaced by the former producer, Jane Dauncey. Dauncey was then replaced by Mia Jupp. Filming took place after series two had aired, in 2003. The series 2 directors, Delyth Thomas and Joss Agnew, returned, but were joined by Laurence Wilson. Thomas directed eight episodes, Agnew directed ten episodes and Wilson directed seven episodes. Mary Morris is head writer of this series. Ian Carrey, Rob Gittins, Lucy Flannery and writing duo, Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong did not return to write any episodes of series 3. They were replaced by Dan Anthony, Simon Nicholson, Holly Lyons, Marvin Close and Ariane Sherine. Returning from writing episodes of series 1 and series 2 are Morris, Laura Summers, Othniel Smith and Andy Walker while returning from writing episodes of only series 2 are Gary Parker, Abigal Abben-Mensah and Tracy Brabin. Morris wrote five episodes; Summers and Parker wrote four episodes each; Smith, Anthony, Lyons and Close wrote two episodes each; and Nicholson, Mensah, Walker, Brabin and Sherine wrote one episode each.
Awards and nominations
| Ceremony | Award | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Children's BAFTA Awards | Children's Writer – Adapted In | Mary Morris | Nominated |
Ratings
| Episode no. | Total viewers | CBBC weekly ranking |
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