# The Dumping Ground (2013)

> Children living in a care home face everyday hardships and rely on one another to get through them.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/40705

## Facts

- Seasons: 14
- Episodes: 243
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: family, drama
- Network: CBBC
- Cast: Daniel Pearson, Kia Pegg, Sarah Rayson, Stacy Liu, Connor Byrne, Miles Butler-Hughton, Ruben Reuter, Carma Hylton
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2319282/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, earnest, comforting, hopeful, light-hearted

## Synopsis

The Dumping Ground (2013-present) is a British children's television drama created for CBBC and produced as a long-running family series. Set in a children's care home, it follows a shifting ensemble of young residents, with Kia Pegg as Jody Jackson, Sarah Rayson as Floss Guppy, Stacy Liu as May-Li Wang, Connor Byrne as Mike Milligan, and Hannah Moncur as Chloe Reeves, alongside Daniel Pearson as Rick Barber in the early seasons. The engine of the show is ordinary daily life under one roof: school troubles, friendships that wobble, new arrivals, bullying, and the constant question of whether the children can trust the adults and each other. Each half hour resolves its own small crisis while the wider story of the home keeps moving. Across fourteen seasons the series has shifted its cast and format, but it remains a case of kids sticking together. The tone is warm, earnest and reassuring, with humour and emotional honesty about neglect and belonging. Viewers who enjoy Tracy Beaker Returns, Waterloo Road and Grange Hill will find resonance in its blend of youth drama and comfort.

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