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Award-winning children's channel CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú has commissioned a third 13 x 30-minute series of its hit drama series Tracy Beaker Returns, it was announced today (Saturday 12 March) by Director Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú North, Peter Salmon, at the Royal Television Society North East Centre Awards held at The Sage Centre in Gateshead.

Filmed entirely in the North East, Tracy Beaker Returns was devised by multi award-winning children's author Jacqueline Wilson and the drama team at CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú and stars talented young actress Dani Harmer.

The series following the ups and downs of a group of children and staff at a care home, known by the residents as The Dumping Ground, continues to be a huge ratings and critical success for CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú.

The first ever episode in 2010 was the highest-ever average audience for a programme on the CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú channel, reaching 379,000 6- to 12-year-olds and 828,000 individuals. And the second series, shown earlier this year, received the largest number of weekly requests on the CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iPlayer for seven consecutive weeks. In January alone the series received over 2.6 million requests to the iPlayer in total.

The new series promises more twists and turns for the Dumping Ground's inhabitants. Some unwelcome new arrivals threaten to change the care home's status quo forever, Tracy's leadership skills are tested to their limits on a dark and stormy night and Liam lands himself in trouble again. But can he convince Tracy and the rest of the staff that it was not his fault?

After the success of winning the BAFTA for best children's drama, Tracy Beaker Returns is also nominated in the best children's drama category of the national RTS Awards, to be held in London on Wednesday 15 March.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society's North East Centre Awards, held at The Sage in Gateshead, Peter Salmon said: "I am delighted that a third series of Tracy Beaker Returns will be filmed in the North East this summer. Since the series started filming here in 2009, Tracy Beaker has put down firm roots in the region and is incredibly popular with audiences across the UK. I am sure that they will enjoy a return visit to the North East with Tracy in the new series later this year."

Tracy Beaker Returns is commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú, for early 2012. It is a CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú in-house production produced by Gina Cronk and executive produced by Josephine Ward.

VT