Twenty Years of Tracy Beaker

Whilst I was at home for Christmas, my Dad found an old video camera swaddled in miscellaneous shopping bags, in the ‘all-purpose cupboard of doom’ above the stairs. Miraculously, it still worked. And the final video file, emerging from the mists of time like an ancient sword to the soundtrack of an angelic chorus, was my Citizen Kane. My War and Peace. My Bohemian Rhapsody. ‘They Would Probably Have Died’ is a cinematic masterpiece performed by me and my childhood friend Leah. It is a reimagining of episodes of Tracy Beaker Returns, with what we perceived to be more realistic endings.

This article will refer subsequently to the ‘Tracy Beaker Cinematic Universe’ (TBCU), which includes The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker Returns, and The Dumping Ground television shows. I choose not to include the recent My Mum Tracy Beaker instalments because their existence renders Tracy Beaker Returns non-canonical. Rather, it exists in a separate universe in which Tracy’s (Dani Harmer) life diverged differently following the events of The Story of Tracy Beaker. Take a guess at how many hours I’ve spent thinking about this, then add ten.

It was the most dramatic televisual feast many of our young eyes had ever laid eyes on

The existence of my childhood project is a testament to the ability of the stories told in the TBCU to capture the imaginations of children. I vividly remember the day after the Tracy Beaker Returns episode ‘The Burnywood Menace’ aired on CBBC, in which (spoiler alert) Lily (Jessie Williams) falls off the roof. My Year Five classroom was in a state of shock, unable to talk or think about anything else. It was the most dramatic televisual feast many of our young eyes had ever laid eyes on.

The Lily roof incident is one of many moments that made an impact on young me. Many are comical – Duke (Clive Rowe) plunging his feet into wellies full of cheese sauce and Liam bellowing ‘FREE SAT-NAV TO WHOEVER FINDS THE HAMSTER’ in a crowded service station spring immediately to mind. Some are absurd – I still have fever dreams about the off-piste musical episode, in which a cabaret-styled Elaine the Pain (Nisha Nayar) sings of how rules are not to be ‘brooooken, twihsteeeed or BEHNT’ in a feather boa. As for the other memorable moments – well, let’s just say that ‘They Probably Would Have Died’ isn’t what you’d call a short film. There are trees fallen out of, dual carriageways recklessly crossed, bridges fell through, attics set alight – the list goes on.

You root for them, as they encounter problems that perhaps you’ll only realise the magnitude of later. Having rewatched some episodes as an adult, they take on new dimensions

The TBCU continues a legacy of storytelling bravery begun by its source material – Jacqueline Wilson’s ‘Tracy Beaker’ book series, about a ten-year-old girl growing up in the care system. I was surprised, looking back, at how few of the events and characters carry over from the books to the television show, but a few core elements remain. First is the realisation of Tracy through Dani Harmer, who could have been lifted directly from Nick Sharratt’s illustrations. The second is a few crucial story beats (the infamous worm-eating incident in ‘The Dare Game,’ for example). The third is the presence of a few central characters who hold the stories together, such as Justine Littlewood (Montanna Thompson) and Mike (Connor Byrne). And finally, less tangibly, is the spirit, which breeds such affection for a young girl dealt a difficult hand, through admiration of her fiery determination and heart.

2022 marks the 20-year anniversary of The Story of Tracy Beaker’s first airing on CBBC. It holds a timeless quality (except maybe the semi-frequent references to Busted – no offence, James Bourne and co.) created by the enduring likability of its characters. You root for them, as they encounter problems that perhaps you’ll only realise the magnitude of later. Having rewatched some episodes as an adult, they take on new dimensions. I now understand why Mr Spooner (Michael Jayston) was so hostile and confused towards Liam (Richard Wisker) and the changeability of his attitude, I understand why Jackie (Abby Rakic-Platt) was so unfairly taken from the care of her loving Grandpa. Such is the delicate approach of the show and the sensitivity to its young audience, that the episodes are watchable at so many ages and on so many levels.

The TBCU was formative for me. It helped me to understand people, their differences and the ways they operated. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it distracted me from long division. It has endured for 20 years, secured itself as a modern children’s televisual classic, bred spin-offs and will, I’m sure, endure for 20 years more.