Wasn't impressed with the Drew/Jade storyline, there was too much focus on this. It should have focused more on the aftermath of the crash, cos apart from Tariq being in a wheelchair hardly anything was mentioned about it. Also we need more storylines for the familiar characters like Josh, Tariq, Scout, Tom Clarkson, Grantley.
I don't think it was the idea of the scriptwriters to change location. The BBC moved production to Scotland, as part of their policy to make more use of certain regions. Inevitably, this would be inconvenient for certain actors, hence they have left. Being a school story, characters inevitably come and go (pupils and teachers) I'm sorry that the new teacher in the last series, from a military background has gone (can't remember her name) as she seemed ideal for installing the discipline so lacking at Waterloo Road.
Yes, the stories are far-fetched but if Waterloo Road was like a real school, it would be like watching paint dry!
Agreeing with an earlier correspondent, I was sorry to see Amanda Burton go, but she found the commuting was affecting her family life. She would certainly not have relished the move to Scotland!
To be honest, I'm not sure If I'll get used to the new location, or there being SO MANY new characters, and the new ones they've shown us so far are in the later years of school, so won't be there much more than a series or two at the most.
I'll stick with it at least till Josh and Scout leave as they are my main reasons for watching because they are long running characters we've sorta grown to love. Least Scout seems to have a big storyline going on, Josh has become a bitpart like he was in the middle of series 7.
Next weeks episode looks so ridiculously outlandish, with that Lulu I think her name is, with the over the top acting. Least the story of Tariq trying to come to terms with his disability is a interesting story, and I kinda liked the short scenes of Josh and Tariq's friendship, Its kinda like a role reversal of last series because Tariq was there when Josh was having his mental breakdown and at least they kept continuity by having Josh mention his time in the psychiatric unit.
I'm willing to give it a chance, but I'm 60/40 on if I really like the new location or not, wish they'd have just stayed in Rochdale tbh.
Oh and don't get me started on how angry I am they've killed Denzil off, Why TPTB? Hasn't his mum gone through enough, a son in prison for murder, a daughter who died of cancer, now a son dead because of a drunk lorry driver.. Poor Rose Kelly.
Did they have a choice? Didn't the young actor want to leave to concentrate on his real life school work? That's often the reason why younger actors leave - and if that coincidentally happens to actors who are part of the same family there's not a lot the TPTB can do about it!
Because its not particularly good escapism, i want good escapism i dig out my prisoner cell block h i have watched that time and again but i'd never watch an episode of waterloo road more than once, once is definately enough!!
I don't think it was the idea of the scriptwriters to change location. The BBC moved production to Scotland, as part of their policy to make more use of certain regions. Inevitably, this would be inconvenient for certain actors, hence they have left. Being a school story, characters inevitably come and go (pupils and teachers) I'm sorry that the new teacher in the last series, from a military background has gone (can't remember her name) as she seemed ideal for installing the discipline so lacking at Waterloo Road.
Yes, the stories are far-fetched but if Waterloo Road was like a real school, it would be like watching paint dry!
Agreeing with an earlier correspondent, I was sorry to see Amanda Burton go, but she found the commuting was affecting her family life. She would certainly not have relished the move to Scotland!
Oh believe me, it can be exactly like WR! Ok, maybe not all happening/solved/resolved in one school day, but some of the things that happen are variations on things that I've experienced, albeit in a 16-19 F.E. college where it's basically the ne'er do wells from secondary schools who didn't do any good at school because they mucked up their chances, so it is rather like having all the bad eggs in one basket! Maybe that's why we have so many 'interesting' experiences with our students!
Did they have a choice? Didn't the young actor want to leave to concentrate on his real life school work? That's often the reason why younger actors leave - and if that coincidentally happens to actors who are part of the same family there's not a lot the TPTB can do about it!
!
thats why Sam left the show because she wanted to concentrate on her school work but when Waterloo Road started filming in April , the guy who played Denzil was filming a film called The Knife that killed me and also has had a few other roles so couldnt do Waterloo Road as a result of that.
I thought it was so ridiculous last night that I don't think I am going to bother watching it again. I can't see it having another series with the way it is going.
Drew looked in his mid-twenties. Grantley looks far too old to be teaching, and that headteacher from the rival school that came in at the end was stupid. As if a professional man would act like he did.
Oh believe me, it can be exactly like WR! Ok, maybe not all happening/solved/resolved in one school day, but some of the things that happen are variations on things that I've experienced, albeit in a 16-19 F.E. college where it's basically the ne'er do wells from secondary schools who didn't do any good at school because they mucked up their chances, so it is rather like having all the bad eggs in one basket! Maybe that's why we have so many 'interesting' experiences with our students!
Thats what I was going to say. Especially in schools in some parts of London.:eek:
I think PCBH is 'of its time' (I used to watch it in my teens - it was all very 'grey' in terms of sets if I recall!) and so is WR of its time. Whether or not anyone thinks either are 'good' in terms of quality is open for debate - both have their plus points and their minus points.
thats why Sam left the show because she wanted to concentrate on her school work but when Waterloo Road started filming in April , the guy who played Denzil was filming a film called The Knife that killed me and also has had a few other roles so couldnt do Waterloo Road as a result of that.
Fair enough - good on him branching out in a way instead of taking the easy option of staying where he was. He's at a difficult age, making the transition from child to adult via teenage years in terms of making it as an actor, so vital he tries a variety of roles in a variety of mediums.
Because our schools start summer holidays earlier and therefore go back earlier. pretty simple really!
As far as I am aware in scotland we are not introducing these "free academies"? Not really sure what is going on.. also wouldn't all the scottish kids that have moved there who are of exam age be working through their standard grades/highers and so couldn't really just suddenly change to the english system? I understand that many private schools in scotland use a-levels though..however I suppose we have to use our imagination!
I was surprised I didnt hear more scottish voices....
Also on the topic of Jane Beale - she was on Lorraine or daybreak or something the other day and she said she uses her english accent for work interviews because that is how people know her and she finds it easier to get jobs with it basically.
Enjoyed the show as much as before. Just wondering why is whatshername doing this? Why has she set up a free school? What does she get out of it? And are those kids getting free board as well? Seems a bit generous
Thats always been a bit of an issue with waterloo road. I suppose with it being set in a secondary school you are always going to have new characters as pupils come and go. Since this show has an evening slot it has to appeal to adults so i guess thats partly why they focus on the older pupils as you can get more storylines. The younger pupils only tend to stay longer if they have older siblings or come from care.
One thing ive noticed about waterloo road in the last few seasons is that every episode tends to involve a new character weve never seen before who has the major sl and once its resolved by the end of the show they arent seen again.
I thought they'd improved on introducing us to younger cast members last season, Harley/Pheonix/The Twins, and we also had the vets like Finn/Josh/Lauren aswell as the likes of Emily whos been there since series 5, feels like the only new cast was older students who won't be there long. I kinda liked the familiarity of series gone by where you knew, who was who I guess.
& Your second point, I dislike the one shot character idea too. I think the earlier part of Series 7 was awful for that, the girl who hid her baby and that girl who was in witnesss protection, never seen or referred to again.
I think Corrie and Emmerdale are moving to Wednesdays soon anyway
Emmerdale will just stay on Wednesdays, just keep its 7:00pm to 7:30pm slot I'd imagine. Corrie is moving back though, to its original slot on a 7:30pm to 8:00pm. Think they are canning the Thursday episode.
But that'd mean one Ep of Emmerdale will still clash with Waterloo Road, but I guess theres Tivo for situations like that.
Did they have a choice? Didn't the young actor want to leave to concentrate on his real life school work? That's often the reason why younger actors leave - and if that coincidentally happens to actors who are part of the same family there's not a lot the TPTB can do about it!
I understand them needing to write him out if he wasn't to be apart of the show, but the next quote by Andy is what I had in mind with my original post, or maybe even saying Rose either didn't want him to go or couldn't afford it or something. They didn't need to kill him off therefore shutting the door on his character. It was just a shame. I'll just feel sad going back watching any Denzil/Sam scenes now their both gone but I guess their together again in that sense.
...Yes, the stories are far-fetched but if Waterloo Road was like a real school, it would be like watching paint dry! ...
Watching paint dry would actually be preferable to this pile of dross. I've only caught a few minutes here and there while waiting for other programmes to start, but every time I see it, I want to give them all a slap - and that includes most of the teachers and some of the parents.
The sad thing is, some kids will see this and think this sort of behaviour is acceptable in schools.
What irritates me is why is put into a soap category? Its not a soap its a drama.
It's a continuing story from week to week with very short term plots in most cases, but an ongoing story, that sounds like a soap more than a drama to me.
Soap opera stories run concurrently, intersect and lead into further developments. An individual episode of a soap opera will generally switch between several different concurrent story threads that may at times interconnect and affect one another or may run entirely independent of each other. Each episode may feature some of the show's current storylines but not always all of them. Especially in daytime serials and those that are screened each weekday, there is some rotation of both storyline and actors so any given storyline or actor will appear in some but usually not all of a week's worth of episodes. Soap operas rarely bring all the current storylines to a conclusion at the same time. When one storyline ends there are several other story threads at differing stages of development. Soap opera episodes typically end on some sort of cliffhanger, and the Season Finale ends in the same way, only to be resolved when the show returns for the start of a new yearly broadcast.
The main characteristics that define soap operas are "an emphasis on family life, personal relationships, sexual dramas, emotional and moral conflicts; some coverage of topical issues; set in familiar domestic interiors with only occasional excursions into new locations".[8] Fitting in with these characteristics, most soap operas follow the lives of a group of characters who live or work in a particular place, or focus on a large extended family. The storylines follow the day-to-day activities and personal relationships of these characters
They are correct to classify it as a soap, it's much more of a soap than a drama really.
It's a continuing story from week to week with very short term plots in most cases, but an ongoing story, that sounds like a soap more than a drama to me.
Soap opera stories run concurrently, intersect and lead into further developments. An individual episode of a soap opera will generally switch between several different concurrent story threads that may at times interconnect and affect one another or may run entirely independent of each other. Each episode may feature some of the show's current storylines but not always all of them. Especially in daytime serials and those that are screened each weekday, there is some rotation of both storyline and actors so any given storyline or actor will appear in some but usually not all of a week's worth of episodes. Soap operas rarely bring all the current storylines to a conclusion at the same time. When one storyline ends there are several other story threads at differing stages of development. Soap opera episodes typically end on some sort of cliffhanger, and the Season Finale ends in the same way, only to be resolved when the show returns for the start of a new yearly broadcast.
The main characteristics that define soap operas are "an emphasis on family life, personal relationships, sexual dramas, emotional and moral conflicts; some coverage of topical issues; set in familiar domestic interiors with only occasional excursions into new locations".[8] Fitting in with these characteristics, most soap operas follow the lives of a group of characters who live or work in a particular place, or focus on a large extended family. The storylines follow the day-to-day activities and personal relationships of these characters
They are correct to classify it as a soap, it's much more of a soap than a drama really.
You wouldnt call it a soap in the first 3 series though. Plus soaps never take breaks.
Comments
Yes, the stories are far-fetched but if Waterloo Road was like a real school, it would be like watching paint dry!
Agreeing with an earlier correspondent, I was sorry to see Amanda Burton go, but she found the commuting was affecting her family life. She would certainly not have relished the move to Scotland!
Why would they put kids in school in August?
It's a different educational jurisdiction in Scotland, that's why. That okay with you?
Did they have a choice? Didn't the young actor want to leave to concentrate on his real life school work? That's often the reason why younger actors leave - and if that coincidentally happens to actors who are part of the same family there's not a lot the TPTB can do about it!
Seriously?!
Oh believe me, it can be exactly like WR! Ok, maybe not all happening/solved/resolved in one school day, but some of the things that happen are variations on things that I've experienced, albeit in a 16-19 F.E. college where it's basically the ne'er do wells from secondary schools who didn't do any good at school because they mucked up their chances, so it is rather like having all the bad eggs in one basket! Maybe that's why we have so many 'interesting' experiences with our students!
Yeah its a much better show than WR.
thats why Sam left the show because she wanted to concentrate on her school work but when Waterloo Road started filming in April , the guy who played Denzil was filming a film called The Knife that killed me and also has had a few other roles so couldnt do Waterloo Road as a result of that.
I agree Grantley looks ancient, but apparently the actor is only 56!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Martin_Brown
Thats what I was going to say. Especially in schools in some parts of London.:eek:
Are they, that could explain it then i guess.
I think PCBH is 'of its time' (I used to watch it in my teens - it was all very 'grey' in terms of sets if I recall!) and so is WR of its time. Whether or not anyone thinks either are 'good' in terms of quality is open for debate - both have their plus points and their minus points.
Fair enough - good on him branching out in a way instead of taking the easy option of staying where he was. He's at a difficult age, making the transition from child to adult via teenage years in terms of making it as an actor, so vital he tries a variety of roles in a variety of mediums.
True. I wonder if it was a mutual decision or just a knee-jerk solution by the producers to shut the door on WR for the actor?
Because our schools start summer holidays earlier and therefore go back earlier. pretty simple really!
As far as I am aware in scotland we are not introducing these "free academies"? Not really sure what is going on.. also wouldn't all the scottish kids that have moved there who are of exam age be working through their standard grades/highers and so couldn't really just suddenly change to the english system? I understand that many private schools in scotland use a-levels though..however I suppose we have to use our imagination!
I was surprised I didnt hear more scottish voices....
Also on the topic of Jane Beale - she was on Lorraine or daybreak or something the other day and she said she uses her english accent for work interviews because that is how people know her and she finds it easier to get jobs with it basically.
That's what I thought.
Yeah sure just wondered why.
I thought they'd improved on introducing us to younger cast members last season, Harley/Pheonix/The Twins, and we also had the vets like Finn/Josh/Lauren aswell as the likes of Emily whos been there since series 5, feels like the only new cast was older students who won't be there long. I kinda liked the familiarity of series gone by where you knew, who was who I guess.
& Your second point, I dislike the one shot character idea too. I think the earlier part of Series 7 was awful for that, the girl who hid her baby and that girl who was in witnesss protection, never seen or referred to again.
Emmerdale will just stay on Wednesdays, just keep its 7:00pm to 7:30pm slot I'd imagine. Corrie is moving back though, to its original slot on a 7:30pm to 8:00pm. Think they are canning the Thursday episode.
But that'd mean one Ep of Emmerdale will still clash with Waterloo Road, but I guess theres Tivo for situations like that.
I understand them needing to write him out if he wasn't to be apart of the show, but the next quote by Andy is what I had in mind with my original post, or maybe even saying Rose either didn't want him to go or couldn't afford it or something. They didn't need to kill him off therefore shutting the door on his character. It was just a shame. I'll just feel sad going back watching any Denzil/Sam scenes now their both gone but I guess their together again in that sense.
Agreed, 100%.
The sad thing is, some kids will see this and think this sort of behaviour is acceptable in schools.
I quite enjoyed the first ep. bit of light entertainment
It's a continuing story from week to week with very short term plots in most cases, but an ongoing story, that sounds like a soap more than a drama to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera
Soap opera stories run concurrently, intersect and lead into further developments. An individual episode of a soap opera will generally switch between several different concurrent story threads that may at times interconnect and affect one another or may run entirely independent of each other. Each episode may feature some of the show's current storylines but not always all of them. Especially in daytime serials and those that are screened each weekday, there is some rotation of both storyline and actors so any given storyline or actor will appear in some but usually not all of a week's worth of episodes. Soap operas rarely bring all the current storylines to a conclusion at the same time. When one storyline ends there are several other story threads at differing stages of development. Soap opera episodes typically end on some sort of cliffhanger, and the Season Finale ends in the same way, only to be resolved when the show returns for the start of a new yearly broadcast.
The main characteristics that define soap operas are "an emphasis on family life, personal relationships, sexual dramas, emotional and moral conflicts; some coverage of topical issues; set in familiar domestic interiors with only occasional excursions into new locations".[8] Fitting in with these characteristics, most soap operas follow the lives of a group of characters who live or work in a particular place, or focus on a large extended family. The storylines follow the day-to-day activities and personal relationships of these characters
They are correct to classify it as a soap, it's much more of a soap than a drama really.
You wouldnt call it a soap in the first 3 series though. Plus soaps never take breaks.