For a while the show shared its signature tune (Alan Hawkshaw's 1975 track "Chicken Man") with the ITV charades gameshow Give Us a Clue (1979).
The series proved controversial during the late 1970s and early 1980s for addressing real-life issues such as bullying, racial harassment, eating disorders, broken families and poverty. The BBC received many complaints from outraged adult viewers and some newspaper critics who thought the show too bleak for a 5pm television show but nonetheless the viewing figures remained good. The writers were determined to give a realistic portrayal of comprehensive school life that older children could relate to and refused to give in. Eventually the show would slowly gain praise for its 'warts and all' story-lines and characters.
Future Oscar Winning director Anthony Minghella wrote and directed many of the episodes in the 1980s.
The show spawned a spin-off called Tucker's Luck (1983) which followed popular character Peter "Tucker" Jenkins (Todd Carty) after leaving school and his struggles growing up and finding work.
In the first episode, Alan Hargreaves is called Alan Turner when being assigned to class by the headmistress.
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