As a longstanding fan of the original series of Waterloo Road, I was very excited when I heard that the show was returning. I used to love characters such as Steph Haydock and Tom Clarkson, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched the series from start to finish. I’m not sure what I expected when I heard that they were bringing the show back, but I thought the show would at least be set at the original school.
A trip down memory lane…
If you haven’t watched the original series, the show follows the lives of staff and students of a struggling school in Rochdale. There’s lots of falling off buildings, teenage pregnancies, staffroom politics, and family issues. In season five, the school merges with a private school which has been forced to close, creating lots of tension between staff and students. After eight seasons and changes of head, the Rochdale site closes and the school moves to Scotland. On the way there, a pupil dies after being hit by a drunken lorry driver. To add insult to injury, his sister died of a brain tumour in season seven, his mum is a recovering alcoholic, and his brother shot his girlfriend and was given a life sentence in season four.
Maggie Budgen, an ex-dinner lady, sets up a school house for students who had to move away from their families to attend the school in Scotland. The season concisely ends with the school fighting to be independent from a merger with another school. The current head admits defeat, leaving the students to hold a presentation at a public consultation. The student and teacher who were meant to present have been locked in a freezer by the husband of the deputy head (of course). The outcome of the consultation appears to be successful, as the students convince the panel how important the school is to them. I’ve not done a bad job of condensing 10 seasons into a neat little paragraph, eh?
The series had some very good episodes, as well as some very bad ones. The earlier seasons were definitely better, but they all have the nostalgia-factor for me. My thoughts going in to the new series were also fueled by nostalgia. I wanted to see the school up and running, with a new cast and some familiar faces. Spolier: that’s not quite what I got.
*warning of spoilers for the new series*
The series begins by introducing Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) as the new headteacher of a comprehensive secondary school near Manchester. Students are protesting the school’s name, which was named after a local slave trader, William Beswick.
Adam Thomas and Katie Griffiths reprise their roles as Donte and Chlo, now with two children, a young boy and a daughter who is starting at the school. During the protest, paint bombs are thrown to passing traffic, causing a teacher at the school to have their windscreen view obstructed and hit a parent. Of course, that parent is Chlo. She is given first aid by an eager newly qualified teacher, and appears to be fine.
Kim Campbell announces to the school in an assembly (partially over Zoom, which felt very bizarre), that she would be renaming the school. The first name on the list, somehow, is Waterloo Road. Kim says that this is a school very close to her heart and that the school has been closed for almost ten years. Now, Miss Campbell was head of pastoral care at Waterloo Road, and Chlo and Donte were students. It just doesn’t seem believable that this would happen, in my opinion, especially considering it’s a completely different area to where Waterloo Road was. It’s a really odd choice to write in this line when they could have just said that Kim chose the name of a school she used to work at and leave it there. Anyway, moving on. There are some side plots such as a boy who’s been discovered living at the school with his dog, which are just so poorly written that I don’t think are worth mentioning.
Chlo speaks to Miss Campbell, leading to her realisation that she wants to become a teaching assistant. At home that evening, Chlo complains of a headache and collapses. She is rushed to hospital and Donte and the kids are informed that she has died. Two points here: firstly, this is almost identical to a plot from Ackley Bridge when Missy dies. Secondly, why would they bother bringing Chlo back if only for one episode? Surely, it would have made sense for her to get a job at the school and keep her in the series that way? My main qualm is still the question of why they didn’t choose to continue the series at the original school. It would just make so much more sense on every level.
Waterloo Road replaces Holby City’s spot on Tuesday, 8pm on BBC One. Holby City is another show that I am still processing the loss of so please, don’t ask me how I feel about this being its substitute.
I can answer the question of why they didn’t use the original school – it doesn’t exist anymore. It was demolished not long after it moved to Scotland, and then the Scotland school was also demolished.
Disagree with the hatred. Nice to see the show revived, Chlo should of been kept yes, but generally it’s a breath of fresh air after watching the whole series. Modernising and showing the new generations tackles with homophobia, racism, knives etc. Good start to a revival.
I love Waterloo Road original series and the reboot. I’ve always want to be part of it but I do like seeing similarities within it. I just wish I want to be in it.
They couldn’t use the original school as it was knocked down, completely demolished at the end of the last series before it moved to Scotland. You could actually see it happening in the episode, something I’m sure you’d have seen on your “countless rewatches”.
Showed the school in a weak light and that children was in charge of doing what ever they wanted to do and very disrespectful, disruptive and unruly. For the young viewers who watch this I do not think it was a positive programme and not good for teachers trying to do a good job. I wont be watching it again. A bit disappointing as I always liked watching this and thought the storylines and characters were a bit weak. Both the pupils nor the teachers had no morals in this. I mean hoe can a teacher justify hiding a knife… How can a teacher justify causing a death.. it is too ridiculous for words.