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Rocky O’Rourke

GROTTY KIDS grimeathon serial, based on “A Pair Of Jesus Boots” (sandal-related kids’ novel) set in Liverpool. Eponymous leather-jacketed hero (MICHAEL MILLS) lives in a boarded up building with a dysfunctional family (brother Joey in prison) and ne’er-do-well mates. When not busy dreaming about becoming a professional footballer ((c) every child’s drama of the 1970s), our kid runs mouthy street gang The Cats, peopled by Nabber (JAMES HOEY), Chan (PETER CHAN) and wheelchair bound Billy who always rode a trike and kept watch. Rival gang peopled by Chick and Spadge. Climax comes when Rocky gets kidnapped by mob in grey Jaguar and gets framed for vandalising a gym, who left one of Rocky’s new gloves (a Xmas present) at the scene. Typical Scouse hard-done-by, angry-letters-to-Radio-Times, heart-in-right-place fare.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Glenn A

    October 31, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    Goodo and must have been an inspiration for countless hard up loveable rogue scouse dramas. Traditional BBC middle class disgusted of Tunbridge Wells viewers not impressed with Liverpool council estate setting and accents.

  2. Glenn Aylett

    March 3, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    Just a thought, did this influence the Channel 4 drama from the eighties, One Summer, which explored some similar thenes, poverty stricken and semi derelict Liverpool council estates, gangs and their petty rivalries and a sense of wanting to escape( in this case to rural Wales rather than professional football). Also the main characters had mothers whose only escape was bingo and smoking.

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