La rédac

I'm an addict to television, simply put. I have followed more TV series than I can remember, and some of them were actually very good. So trust my authority on this: Press Gang is the best show I have ever seen. I

don't own many TV videotapes, and honestly don't want to, but PG is the one show I would want to own all episodes of. Most of them are

fabulous. Two or three might be a bit off, but still better than

practically anything you can get from any other half-hour show.

The concept is simple: take a bunch of teenagers, put them in a room,

tell them to write a newspaper. Even describing the characters wouldn't explain much. The leads, Spike and Lynda, are one of innumerable

Hepburn/Tracy ripoffs, but unlike practically everybody else, these two nearly exceed the original. The rest of the cast is in no way inferior. A personal favourite of mine is the glamour bitch Sam, only

participating in one season, but impossible to forget.

The plots can be corny, but never unintentionally. "Issue" stories a bit oversentimental sometimes, but that's a breeze compared to how they're handled in American shows.

And oh, the dialogue, with so many good lines it's hard to choose. Since I'm so fond of Sam, let's have one with her and Lynda.

Lynda: A few wrinkles might give your face some character. Sam: You've got enough character for both of our faces. Lynda: Both of ours or just both of yours? ...brilliant...

I am watching 'The Last Word' episode of PG as I write this. My sister has quite a lot of PG's on video, and The Last Word is my fave.

Press Gang has got to be the best young adult TV series that was ever made. The drama is fantastic, and the comic moments are side splitting (Colin is the funniest character!) I wish they'd make them like this now, but lets face it, this kind of excellence only comes once every so often.......

To say Press Gang was unique in style and acting and writing was an understatment. This was a constantly enjoyable smart funny drama. In america it would have had a Prime time slot like Buffy Dawsons or 90210. But as itv saw it as Childrens tv it was left at 4.40pm though it won bafta awards for best childrens tv.

It pushed boundries with its subject matters, dealing child abuse (the award winning first season), drug abuse, bullying, and suicide and this was in the even from the very first few episodes and its humour was very adult for the time of day but the children watching would not have realised many of the more subtle oneliners.

Set in the news office of a local teen newspaper its follows the lives and loves of its reporters and editor Linda Day (Julia Sawalha) and her star reporter Spike Thompson. This setting allowed for some very funny comedy and top quality acting. Colin and the rabbit suit or the bird infestations or the ping pong balls.

like its audience it grew up very quickly but from the first episode was unmissable and like grange hill it spawned top actors who crop up every where. I was sad when it finished good thing i taped em really!

The chemistry between fiesty,ruthless super-bitch editor lynda, and cocky, wise cracking American Spike was sizzling! makes the likes of joey and pacey seem-dare i say it?-overly melodramatic and fake. One thing that press gang is not is fake. unique and ahead of it's time, yes. But no way is it fake because the characters, though quirky and lovable, are also real and strike a cord with viewers. Again, if u compare it to contemporary shows like dawsons creek (and i was a fan of DC believe it or not!) press gang still comes out tops coz despite being over 10 yrs older the dialogue still seems fresher and more intelligent. And it was press gang who started using self-referential gags first, not kevin-scream-williamson! I also liked the basically mute tiddler (the origional maggie simpson) The hilarious wheeler dealer colin (like a younger boycee but then again a total one-off) and the voice overs at the end (very kevin-from-the wonder years) Basically if u haven't heard of this show (and u probobly haven't coz it's criminally under publicised) then 2 words...watch it! My only regret is not taping the entire lot. I've finally nabbed series 1 dvd's from ebay but if any1 has any old tapes from the rest of the series please, PLEASE email me and let me borrow them! I will pay u whatever is neccesary! xx

Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time an old guy had an idea for a TV series. So he submitted it. Even though it was his very first idea it was picked up, at which point the old guy, remembering his son who was just about to follow him into a teaching career had expressed a desire to write for TV, says that they can only use the idea if his son gets to write an episode. Instead of binning him off immediately they decide to give him a shot and the son submits a script. It's amazing, and he subsequently gets to write the entire series and goes on to marry the programme's producer and write full time for TV. Sounds too good to be true? Welcome to Press Gang, the show that just got lucky.

In addition to breaking one of the best new writers of the age, the show also had two young stars whose chemistry could melt your TV. It couldn't fail except... it was doomed to be a kid's TV show shown at kid's TV show times, and there it might have remained had it not been for a programme planner on a rival network who purchased the show for adult viewing.

There are more original ideas in any one season of Press Gang than you'll find in an entire network season these days. Hey, there's probably more than all the networks put together. Any impartial critique is almost impossible because there's just nothing to compare this show with. There'd been nothing like it before, and there's been nothing like it since, so all I can say is, if you've never heard of it but you like a good ensemble laugh-fest with an occasional serious edge to it, chance your arm and try a season of this show. I'm confident you'll be right out there buying the other 4 seasons within a day.

Believe me, or check my other reviews, it's unusual for me to get this enthusiastic about anything, let alone a TV show, but what else can I say? It really is that good.