Waterloo Road 

A contemporary drama series set in a challenging comprehensive school.

Creators:

Ann McManus, Maureen Chadwick

Stars:

Philip Martin Brown, Jason Done, Chelsee Healey

6 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Philip Martin Brown	...	Grantly Budgen 150 episodes, 2006-2015
Jason Done	...	Tom Clarkson 148 episodes, 2006-2013
Chelsee Healey	...	Janeece Bryant 104 episodes, 2006-2012
Denise Welch	...	Steph Haydock 80 episodes, 2006-2010
Melanie Hill	...	Maggie Budgen / ... 79 episodes, 2012-2015
Kane Tomlinson-Weaver	...	Harley Taylor 77 episodes, 2011-2014
Darcy Isa	...	Lauren Andrews / ... 76 episodes, 2009-2012
Reece Douglas	...	Denzil Kelly 74 episodes, 2009-2012
Laurie Brett	...	Christine Mulgrew 69 episodes, 2012-2015
Georgie Glen	...	Audrey McFall 68 episodes, 2012-2015
Rebecca Craven	...	Rhiannon Salt 66 episodes, 2012-2015
William Rush	...	Josh Stevenson 65 episodes, 2009-2013
Victoria Bush	...	Sonya Donnegan 61 episodes, 2012-2015

Storyline

There's a school like Waterloo Road in every town in Britain. The staff are overworked and underpaid, the budgets only ever seem to get tighter, and the kids more troublesome. It's a melting pot of class and race where the day-to-day troubles of its students spill out in dramatic ways. However, every pupil knows that at Waterloo Road they'll always be cared for by the staff and given every chance to achieve an education. The teachers themselves are often far from perfect, but as any pupil with a problem soon discovers, a few motivated and inspiring individuals can make a massive difference.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK] Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2006 (UK)

Also Known As:

Szkola na Waterloo Road

Filming Locations:

Manchester, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shed Productions,British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

53 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 11 May 2011 (2011)

User Reviews

For a school, the staff don't seem to be very clever

I like the BBC, a lot of my favorite shows over the years have been broadcast on BBC America. One of my favorite aspects of BBC productions (At least those broadcast here in the U.S.) is a series season is short, and rarely does a show outlive it's time, lingering on because the characters have become a part of our routine.

Another aspect I enjoy is the character development. With such short seasons, the pace of shows are generally much quicker and the characters fleshed out early on. However, in the case of Waterloo Road, I fear there is little direction as to what the show is about, who the characters are, and surprisingly the staff appears to be more dysfunctional then the student's. This isn't meant as a criticism of the actors, but rather of the writing and concept of the show. Were it not airing during the bleakness of U.S. summer reruns and never ending "reality shows" I'd have probably quit watching some time ago. However, unlike great BBC shows like SPOOKS *MI5) or many of the "Mystery Monday" line up like Wire in the Blood, or Night Detective, which require my attention, Waterloo Road allows me to serve the internet, check google news, or play spider solitaire while it plays in the background.

The situations of the kids, are their moronic thought processes are easily waived off, as let's face it, kids always think they are much more clever then they really are. (I know I knew more at that age then I know now)Part of adolescents is learning just how much we still have to learn.

The teachers however are another story. One would expect they would have outgrown both their hormonal imbalances and emotional insecurity. The old adage about "not dipping your quill into the company inkwell" seems to have been a missing component of their education. Having your own kids in the school you teach certainly doesn't seem to be a very good idea.

The silliness and absurdity far outweighs the occasional dramatic moment or insightful instance which stumbles off the tepid script.