Desperately Seeking Information on TV Series ‘Going Out’

I’m not usually one for nostalgia. Don’t believe the music or the telly was, ’much better when I were a lad’. I love contemporary popular culture and believe that what’s happening today is most important and more interesting than what happened yesterday. There is however one TV programme I remember watching which was the first TV drama featuring young people who spoke in a way I recognised, who did things I did and who had the same hopes and fears as most of my peers. In short it was one of the most realistic programmes I’ve ever seen. At that time there was little on the telly for young adults and teenagers which managed to reflect their lives and the issues they were dealing with. So this one stood out like a fanny fart at a funeral.

Problem is I can remember very little about it except that it was called, ‘Going Out’. It was set in the suburbs of London and was about a group of school leavers who were all searching for some direction whilst dealing with personal and family problems. It was set in that summer we all remember. The first summer we felt truly free. The summer after you had left school and were waiting to decide your next move. College? The dole? Dead end job? One of the characters lived in a nice area and his parents were lower middle class (he had peroxide blond hair with a wicked centre parting), another wore a long donkey jacket, drank in the morning and was physically abused by his father who used to beat him up on a regular basis. As a result he was rather monosyllabic and occasionally violent. I’m sure there was a token geek with thick glasses. I don’t remember much about the female characters except there was an quirkily attractive tall girl with braces (on her teeth, not holding up her trousers) who fell in love with the blond guy (I think). She was later in some kids’ TV serial about a radio station.

I loved ‘Going Out’ beceause it was gritty, realistic and the plots weren’t in any way contrived. In a few of the episodes not much happened. They were bored, they walked around a lot, smoked, flirted and got into trouble. There were parties while parents were away. It seemed to be about friendship, about a group of teenagers who were not the popular kids at school yet who managed to form a fragile but affirmative alliance of some sort. Within this peer group they found support, fun, companionship and understanding. It was brutal on occasions, but then so is life.

So here is my appeal. Am I mad? Does any one else remember this programme? I think it was on ITV but I’m not sure who made it. Are any of the actors still working? They could all act … there wasn’t a weak link in the cast! I’ve searched You Tube … nothing. I’ve Googled … to no avail. I may have missed something, so stand to be corrected if there is stuff out there. I’d love to hear from anyone who has information or just other fans who might remember something about the programme. It was called ‘Going Out’ … it was brilliant … it was the first time I felt I was watching real life … my life … in the form of a drama. I loved it! Any help gratefully received. By the way, if any of the writers, actors, technicians or directors who worked on the show are out there I’d be thrilled to hear from you and to find out what you thought of the experience as well as what you are up to now.

Oh there was a specially written theme tune entitled, ‘Going Out’. Can’t remember who by. Anyone got a copy? 

I’m not staying in tonight …. I ‘m going out.