Geordie TV shows you may have forgotten about

When it comes to Newcastle-based TV shows, our minds are drawn to the likes of reality TV show Geordie Shore or fictional children’s drama Byker Grove. However, there have been more geordie TV shows than you realise!

We take a look at the best yet forgotten TV shows that were set in Newcastle, and focussed on the lives of geordie people.

Breeze Block

Breeze Block was so short-lived that it is no surprise that it has been forgotten. However, the main star of the show was the unforgettable geordie icon Tim Healy. Set in the Byker area of Newcastle, the show focussed on the life of main character Ralph, and how he copes after he loses his job.  The show aired on BBC Choice (a channel that closed in 2003 before being replaced by BBC Three) in 2002.

Finney

A spin-off of the movie Stormy Monday, Finney focused on a criminal family from Newcastle. The show had big actors such as Andy Serkis (who played the role of Gollum in Lord of the Rings), all acting with a terrible over-exaggerated geordie accent. The show aired on ITV in 1994.

The Paper Lads

Taking it right back to the late 70s now, The Paper Lads was a Newcastle TV show about (you guessed it) young boys and girls who deliver newspapers. The show aired for two series, and was released on DVD in 2013.

Quayside

Quayside was a soap opera set on the Quayside of Newcastle, about those who lived there, which aired in 1997. TV producers had hopes of it becoming the North East’s answer to Eastenders, but unfortunately it was cancelled after one series due to a lack of viewing figures.

Although most of these shows were incredibly short-lived, it is great to see how much representation the North East had on TV in the past. Let’s hope to see the return of geordie TV shows!