''The Paper Lads'' is a

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

produced by

Tyne Tees Television ITV Tyne Tees, previously known as Tyne Tees, Channel 3 North East and Tyne Tees Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV television franchisee for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. Tyne Tees launched on 15 January 1959 from stu ...

and broadcast nationally on ITV from 24 August 1977 to 22 January 1979. It was set in the northern industrial city of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

, although much of the series was filmed in

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

, and recounted the adventures of a group of

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

delivery boys and a girl. There were two series made, each of seven episodes. William Corlett's four scripts for the series won him the Writer's Guild Award for Best Children's Writer.William Corlett, ''The Door in The Tree'', Pocket Books, page 298. The signature tune of the series, "Back Home Once Again", was performed by

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

, and it appears (re-recorded) as a full-length song on their 1978 album '' A Song for All Seasons''. The full series was released on DVD by Network in July 2013. Two

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s by William Humble based on the series were released by children's paperback publisher

Target Books Target Books is a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became wel ...

References

External links

* 1977 British television series debuts 1979 British television series endings 1970s British children's television series British English-language television shows ITV children's television shows Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Tyne Tees Television Television shows set in Newcastle upon Tyne Television shows set in Tyne and Wear {{UK-kids-tv-prog-stub