Moving on up into the next instalment of the Tracyverse to Tracy Beaker Returns, set a couple of years after the end of TSOTB. Tracy is still living with Cam but has used her credit card to publish her life story and subsequently ended up in prison. One of the first Tracy scenes we see is one in which Tracy ends up with dumping ground resident Liam as they both get checked into prison, Mike arrives to pick up Liam (the dg child). Tracy tells Mike what has happened, then later that day ends up running back to the place of her childhood.
Back at the DG, we are introduced to Frank who like Layla also has a form of cerebral palsy
Frank & massive Manchester United support who was previously in the care of his Grandad before he became unwell.
There is a really sweet episode called Grandad that Although has nothing to do with Frank's condition there is a really sweet dumping ground Frank episode titled "Grandad" which I think it is really worth mentioning. Frank is planning a fishing trip for his Grandpa's birthday, before just as he leaves he hit with the news that his Grandad has died.
Realizing the funeral has already happened he plots a way to get the money together for a headstone but after selling his prized possession, a pocket watch handed down for generations. Frank soon regrets this decision when he discovers his grandad has been allocated a council grave meaning he is not allowed to have a headstone even if he pays for it out of his own pocket.
Despite only receiving £100 for selling his pocket watch the antiques owner refuses to give it back as she has found a buyer who has offered over £500.
Tracy comes to Frank's aid driving her new wacky car with it's own personalised number plate which the antiques dealer notices & offers to take off their hands in exchange for the watch.
Whilst this is all going on the other DG residents rally round to help create a bench memorial positioned in their favorite fishing spot.
This is one of the sweetest Tracy Beaker Returns episodes just because it shows pure friendship amongst the kids.
Although Frank has a softer side & is predisposed to being scammed when in an emotional situation. He can also be quite the scammer & regularly causes chaos with his best friend Liam.
Some of the scams they commit include burger diving (where you take a half-eaten burger box out of the bin then pretend someone knocks you over causing you to lose what's left, they then feel bad & buy you more)
Trying to sell Tracy's books without permission (even faking signatures) Frank even prints out a new cover pretending it is his book signing them in an attempt to get sales.
Frank & Liam also undertake the challenge of selling Tracy's disgusting
uneaten banana pizzas. In one episode they get caught carried away pretending to be a family along with Toby in order to win a family aimed at families. They get conned by the company resulting in them paying out over a Thousand pounds for flights they thought were free.
What I really loved about Frank & Liam was that they genuinely care for each other, always having each others backs. They might not have been the most innocent of characters but this definitely adds to their charm.
I remember starring secondary school not long after Tracy Beaker returns started I'm not 100% sure but I think it was around its second series.
Something massive really stands out to me from that time. I feel I should mention in this blog & possibly again throughout this series of blogs.
Although I went to secondary school with a bunch of people I knew they were a lot brighter than me, before long I was thrown into a classroom with a bunch of people I had never met.
I've got to say that first day I was terrified, I didn't know them & they all looked so much bigger than me (I've always been really small) I'm not the smartest person in the world, I'm not even going to pretend I am. I've always been the one to get taken off or ended up in smaller groups sometimes with people years younger than me (very embarrassing) as I was unable to keep up with everyone else.
Here I was again in a school set smaller than the rest, in some classes there were only five pupils.
I look back on it now & it seems unfair to categorize people like that, we knew what people thought of us at least most of us did but even through all my school-related problems I wouldn't change meeting these people because it was my first actual experience of being around kids who seemed to be on the same wavelength as me.
No more did I have to be in a classroom full of people who I felt were going to get mad if I didn't know something. It made me feel so much better. I was also able to pick targets that made sense to me in a way that seemed simpler than ever before.
I think you become more understanding when you are able to experience other people's lives, the way they get through their day or what through struggles they may have.
All my friends worked really hard to be where they wherever got to. we had a laugh most of the time.
I bring this up because I spent many hours with one of my friends helping her to read & write, it gave me such a joy only I'm pretty sure the reason I could understand her even from the early days of that classroom was she spoke in the same way Frank did. It might sound ridiculous but I'm positive that it made a difference. I was able to help her in a way I wouldn't of been able to do if I wasn't already partly aware.
She didn't have to be frustrated by me. In return I didn't have to feel awkward about not knowing how to react. So everyone won.
Tracy Beaker has helped me gain friends but clearly not just online through the real world. Purely just through this little piece of story, you can see how important disability in television is. Especially for kids as well as teenagers.
You never know who you are going to meet
If you are predisposed to inclusion, then end up in a situation where you are required to be around it. you'll know how to help you'll be able to teach them,allow them to get better & ultimately allow yourself experience to grow as a person. I suspect that this show can't only have done that for me but I'd like to think it's done it for tons of other people too. It's all about education at the end of the day. I had that, I grew from it, I'm extremely grateful for it & I'll never forget it.
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