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Waterloo Road - has it improved since it moved to Scotland?


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Old 21-02-2013, 11:52
enudzio
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title says it all really - has the shows move to Scotland made it a better show than when it was in Rochdale and what are your general thoughts on Waterloo Road at the moment?
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Old 21-02-2013, 11:54
bob321
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I don't watch it anymore - watched a few episodes in scotland but couldn't really get into it so watch emmerdale at 8 instead
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Old 21-02-2013, 12:15
.exe
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Has it moved? I didn't realise there were so many scousers and mancs in Scotland.
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Old 21-02-2013, 12:54
Glendarroch
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No, it's terrible now.

The token gestures to show that the school is in Scotland -some nice scenery, and a few very well spoken kids and teachers, because presumably the BBC thinks that no one would understand the Greenock accent.

I don't know Greenock at all, but it is a large town. why do we never see any of it? The school could be anywhere.

The school is completely unbelievable. Scotland doesn't have that system of academies, started by businesses and multi-millionaires. Also, most schools in Scotland, state or independent, follow the scottish Curriculum for Excellence. I've heard no mention of Highers or Standard Grades.

Finally, as I pointed out in another thread.It's not so very long since we had a school shooting in Scotland. To disregard this, and have a scene where a gunman threatened pupils was in very bad taste. It was the point at which I decided not to watch again.

It's like they have completely disregarded the fact that there are in another country, and a different community. If all the production company wanted to do was use Greenock for filming, there was no need to 'relocate' the school. They could simply have said it was being housed in a new building. There are plenty of housing estates throughout Scotland which look like the ones in Rochdale, for outside shots. As for the kids, most of the cast are from the North of England anyway, so there seems to have been little trouble in getting actors to relocate, and they could have explained away the odd Scottish accent by having a scottish family moving into the area.
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Old 21-02-2013, 13:03
misslibertine
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I'd watched it from the start so I thought I'd stick with it after the Scotland move, but I finally gave up and stopped watching a few weeks back.

I know reality and continuity has never been Waterloo Road's strong point but in the past I didn't mind too much because the majority of SLs and characters were good enough to keep me watching. But since the Scotland move, and possibly a bit before, I can't seem to care about the newer characters that have been brought in and the SLs seem even more disjointed, unbelievable and recycled.
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Old 21-02-2013, 13:51
TheGraduate2012
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It's hilarious now! Every character has a different accent! Who knew Greenock was so diverse because it is much smaller than Rochdale, basically a coastal town. I also find it so stupid that they are still doing A-Levels and that it's a private, but public school as well. Eh?
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Old 21-02-2013, 13:55
dannyl1989
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Waterloo Road is AWFUL now! It is such a shame to say that, as I am/was such a huge fan. I always knew the move would ruin the show.

I have recently started watching the show from the beginning again and series 1 is in a complete different league to what it is now. In the first few series' they managed to have a number of storylines going on in each episode, which kept the viewer hooked, but now each episode normally focuses on one storyline, which is usually resolved by the end of that episode.

The characters in the current series I don't seem to care about. I have never warmed to Michael Byrne at all. As for Grantly and Tom, they feel like complete different characters to what they were in the beginning. Then you have Sian, she has hardly ever been given a storyline, apart from her affair with Michael and it looks like her exit is also going to be very slap dash. Don't even get me started on exits of characters.

Viewing figures have declined since the move, so once they film series 9, I am confident in the fact that the show will be axed. I don't think the move should have happened in the first place. They should have finished it at the end of series 7 (Autumn term).
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Old 21-02-2013, 14:52
dantay24uk
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Sian's exit is going to have something to do with Barry Barry, clearly. Either a rape or relationship, which both would end in her leaving, one broken the other disgraced.
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Old 21-02-2013, 14:54
thejoyof_pat
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No, it's terrible now.

The token gestures to show that the school is in Scotland -some nice scenery, and a few very well spoken kids and teachers, because presumably the BBC thinks that no one would understand the Greenock accent.

I don't know Greenock at all, but it is a large town. why do we never see any of it? The school could be anywhere.

The school is completely unbelievable. Scotland doesn't have that system of academies, started by businesses and multi-millionaires. Also, most schools in Scotland, state or independent, follow the scottish Curriculum for Excellence. I've heard no mention of Highers or Standard Grades.

Finally, as I pointed out in another thread.It's not so very long since we had a school shooting in Scotland. To disregard this, and have a scene where a gunman threatened pupils was in very bad taste. It was the point at which I decided not to watch again.

It's like they have completely disregarded the fact that there are in another country, and a different community. If all the production company wanted to do was use Greenock for filming, there was no need to 'relocate' the school. They could simply have said it was being housed in a new building. There are plenty of housing estates throughout Scotland which look like the ones in Rochdale, for outside shots. As for the kids, most of the cast are from the North of England anyway, so there seems to have been little trouble in getting actors to relocate, and they could have explained away the odd Scottish accent by having a scottish family moving into the area.
because it's a sh*t hole.
Spoiler
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Old 21-02-2013, 14:58
RuthStar
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Its not "Waterloo Road" to me anymore sadly, and It hasn't been since the final Episode in Rochdale, It is annoying how they had Bolton say "You said I'd always be welcome here" in his return episode, It isn't the same school, It may have the same name, but its not the same school.
Scout and Rhiannon to a lesser degree are the only likable characters left, once Scout leaves, I'm done watching the show on a weekly basis.
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Old 21-02-2013, 15:12
danyell
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I don't watch it anymore - watched a few episodes in scotland but couldn't really get into it so watch emmerdale at 8 instead
Yeah same here. Ever since it moved to Scotland it just hasn't been the same.
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Old 21-02-2013, 22:57
Glendarroch
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because it's a sh*t hole.
Spoiler
Let us not forget it's also the hometown of Richard Wilson. No Greenock, no anguished cries of 'I don't believe it!'
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Old 22-02-2013, 00:07
dillan
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I think I watched about 4 episodes since the move and finally gave up on the show. But, tbh, the show hasn't been great since Karen left and Michael took over as headteacher.
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Old 22-02-2013, 00:12
Sez_babe
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I actually quite like it. It's given it a new feel with the old issues still being there. I really like the new cast as well. I'm not a great fan of 'issue of the week' type plots but they do kind of merge a bit so it's not too bad.

I haven't seen tonight's episode yet but I agree that it's obvious that Sian's leaving has something to do with Barry. Do we know anything yet?
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Old 22-02-2013, 00:34
ElectricBoy171
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I've watched every episode since the move to Scotland and it just isn't what it used to be. However, it's not really down to the setting, it's just more to do with the characters.

I can't stand the current headteacher, especially when you compare him to Jack Rimmer and Rachel Mason. Tom and Grantly are still great as usual but Grantly is underused. The teachers aren't really that likeable apart from Sian and Chalky but their both leaving. Personally, I think it was too big a change especially as we lost so many characters.

The Barry's (new family) are absolutely awful as well.
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Old 22-02-2013, 00:38
dannyl1989
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I actually quite like it. It's given it a new feel with the old issues still being there. I really like the new cast as well. I'm not a great fan of 'issue of the week' type plots but they do kind of merge a bit so it's not too bad.

I haven't seen tonight's episode yet but I agree that it's obvious that Sian's leaving has something to do with Barry. Do we know anything yet?
I'm sure I read that
Spoiler


No doubt it will all happen in the space of a day again. I am on to series 2 now and just seeing how good it used to be makes me frustrated. Back in the day they would have regular pub scenes/night scenes. I don't really remember the last time we saw a night scene in Waterloo Road. They used to show characters home lives, now it is just always set in the school.Such a shame it is so rubbish now.
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Old 22-02-2013, 03:33
SuperAPJ
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I think that the question in the thread title could've been answered in one post, a simple 'LOL'.
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Old 22-02-2013, 03:36
RingoJ739K
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Nope, it's awful. I've watched every episode so far and it's just not as good as it used to be. Most of the characters are very unlikeable now with the exception of some such as Scout and Rhiannon. The new family (The Barry's) are awful! I find them really annoying. The storylines are very cliche and unbelievable. It's just not "Waterloo Road" to me anymore, at least not since Karen's final episode and the last episode in Rochdale. There have been a few decent scenes but it's just not enough I'm afraid. The teachers from Rochdale have also been underused, I would have liked to see more of Sian but she's leaving and so is Chalky too. I just find the show repetitive and boring now.
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Old 27-02-2013, 18:07
enudzio
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Nope, it's awful. I've watched every episode so far and it's just not as good as it used to be. Most of the characters are very unlikeable now with the exception of some such as Scout and Rhiannon. The new family (The Barry's) are awful! I find them really annoying. The storylines are very cliche and unbelievable. It's just not "Waterloo Road" to me anymore, at least not since Karen's final episode and the last episode in Rochdale. There have been a few decent scenes but it's just not enough I'm afraid. The teachers from Rochdale have also been underused, I would have liked to see more of Sian but she's leaving and so is Chalky too. I just find the show repetitive and boring now.
the pupils too , Scout and Harley and Phoenix hardly used.
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Old 27-02-2013, 18:10
QueenAmy
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It's gotten MUCH worse, it hasn't been decent since Karen left to be honest
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Old 27-02-2013, 18:14
Benllech
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The Scotland move was poor, but I think the biggest problem is it has lost it darker edge we saw in the earlier series.

Cannot believe they trashed Bolton's character like that either!

Series 4 will always be the best for me.
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Old 27-02-2013, 18:22
walford-e20
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It's slowly gotten worse, but there have been lots of decent episodes imo. The show is nowhere near what it was in its early days but I've really enjoyed Christine's alcoholism. I tend to take the show episode by episode now as continuity is so poor, but I've accepted that. Particular episodes I've enjoyed are Rhiannon's self-harm, Christine's alcohol relapse, Bolton's return and Chalky's secret abuse (though the court case has been conveniently forgotten).

In short, it's nothing like what it once was, but I still enjoy it enough to watch.
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Old 28-02-2013, 22:16
enudzio
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it is strange though that they moved about half the cast moved to Scotland now about 70% of those have left in the first of the Scotland series.
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Old 28-02-2013, 22:22
ChateauMarmont
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I don't think it's improved, I think it's a completely different show. The show in Rochdale with the Fishers, Vicky, Aidan, Ronan seem like a different show.

Now, they can have one really amazing episode (like the Kacey's storyline last week) then a poor one. I didn't think this weeks was great, everything was expected with Sian leaving. The sooner they realise Barry doesn't have to be the centre of everything the better.
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Old 28-02-2013, 22:46
jimbo23
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its up and down, but i like Christine and the other Scottish women
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