Waterloo Road repeats on BBC iplayer

[Papergirl1968]

All the series of Waterloo Road are now available on BBC iplayer.
I missed the first few series so it will be good to catch up.
I just watched episode one of series one and enjoyed it although it does show its age - teachers smoking in pubs, the mobile phones they’re using, even the police uniforms.
Some well known faces in it including Jill Halfpenny and Denise Welch.
I’ve forgotten a lot of the storylines apart from the farcical removal of the entire school to Scotland but I do remember how the lovely Tom met his demise and want to warn him to be more careful!

It’s driving me crazy series 8!

All of the characters are so unlikeable;

Tom - he is always there. Fight in the corridor? He’s down the hall. Someone talking about him? He’s listening behind a door. Wouldn’t let Josh have a life, disregarded rules to let Kacey play in the football final and blamed Michael (even though it’s an FA decision). I know he leaves the show and tbh I can’t wait for it to happen.

Lorraine - Yes, the school is hers but she has a constant stream of meetings that she never attends. Has millions of pounds yet is invested in the school.

Barry Family - All absolute idiots. I’ve got nothing more to say on them other than Barry Barry looks double his age on the show.

Finn - He went from bad guy to good guy to the most perfect boyfriend in the world, to a sad Romeo. It’s horrific.

There is literally no character development at all and it’s like they forget what their background is.

There are tonnes of characters on there that are annoying. And there was me who didn’t like Donte and Chlo and all their mucking around, I’d love to have them back.

(Just while I’m saying this, Tom has walked in the toilet just as an argument is going on. Perfect timing!)

Next scene on, Tom has suddenly walked down the corridor and in on a classroom whereby Grantly had a class but hadn’t turned up. So everyone was running all over the place.

There’s coincidence and then there’s this, it’s like forcing him into the show.

He is way too involved, for example when he played Kacey despite her being female. Then kicked off at being suspended which of course you would be for breaching FA regulations! And then they get a new co deputy head and he kicks off about that. It’s not his decisions to interfere with. I know Tom Clarkson is the one everyone seems to love however I can’t stand him and his sanctimonious nature.

@TheTruthAboutLove haha oh dear! You're ahead of me now, I'm still towards the end of series 7. Stopped watching over Christmas and struggling to get back into it tbh!

I remember not liking Lorraine the first time round. Isn't she the same actress that played the awful supply teacher a few seasons back? (The one that took them all to the massive house she was house sitting)

It annoys me so much that they recast actors! Tariq Saddiqui used to play someone else earlier on....and Earl Kelly was previously in it as someone else in series 1 before he reappeared in S4 as Earl. I'm sure there's another few who have cropped up more than once as different people. So lazy!!

I love Tom but I do see what you mean - he's a right busybody and gets way too involved!

I’m halfway through series five. Thank god Max Tyler has gone. He was totally over the top, a pantomime villain. And the actor appeared to have modelled his various sneers and smirks on JR from Dallas.

Oh and Fin Sharkey - I want to slap him. Hard.

@Papergirl1968 I don’t get why everyone loves Finn? He looks like a mouse! But it’s not like he gets better, even when he’s a ‘lovely’ boyfriend and guy he still has no redeeming qualities. I blame the writers as there is zero character development.

I’m up to the last parts of series 8, I mean it’s good, but the move to Scotland killed it! When Michael leaves is when it all goes awry I think, but I do like Christine, she’s one of my favourite teachers. And the Barry’s are okay I guess, even Barry Barry cares about his family which you see towards the end of the series. Dynasty and Kacey are great support roles to the family.

The one character who has really grown on me is Steph Haydock (Denise Welch). I found her so irritating in the first couple of series with her man-eating, gossipy, lazy, incompetent manner, but now I think she’s got a heart of gold!
Budgen on the other hand
The pair of them wouldn’t last five minutes in a real school!

I do like Steph, I think she’s a fab teacher and cares about the pupils. You could just see it with Maxine!

In Series 9, there’s an Apprentice style competition. It’s for student council and also select others invited too, and in the initial meeting in the hall there’s about 15 pupils on each team. Then when doing the task there’s four on each team, and in the boardroom at the end there’s six! Finally at the barbecue at the end it’s for the contestants and also school house pupils and there’s about 30 there. It all makes no sense for continuity! I feel like they’re taking the public for granted like we are all idiots when watching.

It's not designed for binge watching - over 10 years (or however long it lasted) it probably didn't seem that big an issue but I agree that how it is now is so poor from a character development perspective (& it still annoys me that so many characters have disappeared without any reason for leaving!)

Guys...I think I've given up! Since Christmas, when I had no time to watch, I've not been able to get back into it!

What series were you on,,Banana?
I just finished 5.

I was so happy to find it on iplayer! Didnt really watch it first time around but dipped in and out. Really loving it now! (Halfway through series 2)

@Papergirl1968 I'm on series 7 I think! Now love island is back too I have no time haha

I watched it the first time round and it’s one of the reasons I trained to be a teacher binge watched it and am now on season 8 or 9, think this is where I have up last time. I agree, moving to Scotland killed it and I don’t care about it so much. I don’t like any of the characters -pupils or teachers - and think it’s heyday was the Rimmer/Mason Bolton days!

Just started series 6 which is where I think I started watching when it was originally on.
It’s full of holes which I think you notice more when you binge watch.
No staff ever appear to give notice. Rachel decided on the last day of term that she didn’t want to continue as head and that was that. New term starts with a new head already interviewed and in place. Complete with husband and troubled kids, naturally. To join the other troubled kids of staff members.
Other characters just disappear for no apparent reason - Kim Campbell, Steph Haydock, and Rose Kelly to name three who have just vanished in series 6!
But yep, as pp said, it really did lose all credibility when they upped sticks and moved the entire school to Scotland. As you do.
Still enjoying it despite the criticism though. It’s kind of so bad it’s good!