Byker Grove (1989)

The Brits are always a step ahead of the US when it comes to liberal thinking, so it’s no surprise that this was the first kids show to feature a gay character. Set in Newcastle in the North of England, Byker Grove dealt with the kids that frequent a youth center, complete with their long list of ‘issues’ to be dealt with like drinking, drugs, sex… you name it. And there must have been something to it, since the show ran for a decade plus. The delectable Donna Air, the UK’s answer to Jenny McCarthy, was a series regular until 1995.