simonc13

I wonder if the BBC realise what a mess they have made of this show?! I think the high amounts of viewers comes from predominantly younger viewers now. I can't imagine many young adults tuning in for this anymore! I'll dip and out and see if it improves but I doubt it will. Also - looks as though a potentially good storyline with Nikki and her girlfriend has been wrapped up in record time! I guess now they're engaged that'll form the basis for Nikki's exit.

This is so good! It's great to see a series be relaunched and actually work. I think it's because the chemistry between Lesley, Linda and Pauline is great. It was a bad idea having a lot of extra characters though, as others have said. I think it would have worked with just the younger son (and maybe a few appearances by Garth), but the Australian girlfriend is awful! Luckily that doesn't detract too much from the main show. Really really enjoying this!

It needs to be axed now. It's turning into a bad daytime soap. I don't think the BBC will though!

Did anybody watch this last night? Tried for ten minutes but it was just so dull!

Hmm, 9.12 looks good - Zoe Lucker was great in Footballer's Wives, so it's nice to see her actually get a storyline of her own away from her children. Her character actually has a lot of potential, so fingers crossed they don't mess this one up! I honestly think the key to getting this show back on track is to cast some brilliant new teachers. Let's face it, the show was more or less focused on the adult's lives in the earlier series, and it worked. The problems started when too much focus was put on the kids (hence the show resembling something from CBBC!) and the teachers/adults fell into the background of the drama. All they need to do is cast quality actors and get in some good writers who can think up new and exciting stories (I'd volunteer myself for that one!) The show can still be saved, but if the rest of Series 9 is as bad as the first half then the end may be nigh after Series 10! That 'historical' episode will surely go down as the worst episode ever..

Definitely looking forward to Nikki's new relationship with Sue's sister - this show desperately needs a good adult relationship! They had a good chemistry. Too much focus on the kids recently. One request from me: less cringe, more believable drama. That's it! Thanks for posting the info Calum :)

Well, colour me impressed! Just caught up on iPlayer. Definitely, like Calum said, one of the best Scotland episodes so far. Steven is a great new addition. Kacey had a great last episode. Liking the possible new relationship for Nikki. Simon has grown on me, too. To compare this to that awful 'history' episode we had a few weeks back - well, let's just say to forget about that one forever! Glad to see this show can still pull off a semi-decent episode.

Oh yes he's very beautiful! I imagine that he's Connor's replacement (as he is slightly similar looking...) for when Connor goes off to cookery school or whatever. The sooner him and Imogen have left it, the better. There is a serious lack of good pupils in it at the minute, they need to bring in some genuinely interesting ones soon. And please let them stop with the dramatic introductions that then lead to nothing... Lula's crazy family haven't been heard of or even mentioned since her opening few episodes, the twins barely talk about their older brother after all the fuss at the start of this series. The connections between episodes as far as these storylines go are seriously weak. I keep on saying all this, but it does seem a little pointless now as the show is way past its sell-by date. In hindsight it should have just ended after Series 7, with something like a 2-hour special tagged on the end in which the legendary characters returned for the finale. The whole Scotland thing just isn't working and I can't see how it will suddenly pick up and return to former glories!

This week's episode was much better... but the cringe-o-meter rocketed back up to 100 when Shaznay said to Darren "when you mess with one sister, you mess with us all!" Possibly the worst and most lazy feminist line I've heard in a while! Also - when the show tries to do more controversial storylines now (such as the whole Lenny and the supply teacher etc.), it sits quite awkwardly amid all the jolly, childish atmosphere the show has these days - like it's just been copied and pasted in as a token gesture. At least they're trying though. That Steven pupil looks interesting!

You've convinced me to give it a go! Nothing can be as bad as last week.. I think!

Not entirely sure if I dare to attempt tonight's episode. I almost died of cringing at the last one! I guess it's still good for a laugh or two though (or I might just stick on the end of the Series 2 boxset).

Yay for round two! FAVOURITE SERIES: 5 (Rachel, Steph, Kim and Ruby all in one series = amazing) FAVOURITE DEPUTY: Eddie Lawson FAVOURITE TEACHERS: Steph Haydock, Izzie Redpath, Ruby Fry, Grantly Budgen FAVOURITE PUPILS: Chlo, Mika, Janeece, Maxine, Sambuca, Jodie FAVOURITE SECRETARY: Janeece FAVOURITE OTHER: Candice Smilie FITTEST MALES: Kevin and Josh FITTEST FEMALES: Mika and Sian BEST DRAMATIC EPISODE: Maxine dies FUNNIEST: Steph Haydock (her comedy was one of the best things about the show!) FAVOURITE COUPLE: Grantly and Fleur

I agree with both your posts. I'd also say that Waterloo Road would probably work best as a daytime soap now - something akin to Doctors. It's just far too weak to be in the prime time position it is now. I think one of the reason's behind the show's change is that it's now aimed at a different audience - primarily kids. I mean, goats inside the school and playing dress up?! But the really weird thing about this show is that, amid all the childish elements, writers will chuck in themes such as rape (Dynasty) and drugs (Barry in the last episode), which just does not work at all. I just had to laugh when they played dubstep music to represent the mental affects of taking drugs :rolleyes: There's nothing particularly shocking or dark in the show now. The earlier series were aimed at adults and late-teens, I would say, hence the much grittier themes. Does anyone know if it's always aired at 8pm? I might have read somewhere that Series 1 & 2 aired past the watershed but I'm not sure.

True - the image of a mini-bus heading to Scotland wouldn't have exactly been a fitting end to the show. They could have chosen a better location, though. Greenock just looks too picturesque on camera (no idea what it's like as a place though!) whereas Rochdale was a more fitting setting. If they do want to salvage this show (and surely losing 2.5 million viewers in the last one or two years is an incentive to do something!) then I definitely agree that they need to get new writers and producers on board. It was obviously a conscious decision to send the show down this new route, but maybe they'll do a U-Turn now. They need to remember that the show started out as a drama, not a children's TV show!

Series 7 is the most-watched of all the series?! Didn't expect that. It makes the move to Scotland even more idiotic - the show was doing just fine and then they went and ruined it. Had it stayed in Rochdale it could have easily returned to its former glories, but there's just no point to the show anymore now it's in Scotland. None of the old cast can realistically return on a regular basis, and that's a real killer. The kebab shop episode was pretty bad, but I can honestly say that this week's episode is probably the worst there has ever been in the show's history. I actually feel quite embarassed watching this show now, and to think just three years ago it was my favourite show on TV!

Viewing figures up this week from 2.61m to 2.97m according to Digital Spy.

Just seen the preview and it does look a lot better. However, like you said, it's just more repetitions. There is a serious lack of originality with this show now - pretty much everything has been seen or done before in some way or another. And I know they made a conscious effort to up the 'humour' in this series, but it really doesn't work! It's so cringeworthy most of the time. The humour in the early series worked so well because it was set against the gritty storylines so it created a nice balance. Last night's episode really was the worst I can ever recall seeing.

Good point, actually. I didn't see the preview for the next episode - what's it looking like? I'm so undecided whether to carry on watching this show or not. I feel like I should out of duty haha. I might dip in and out - let's hope this kind of episode was a one-off and never happens again!

What on earth was that episode all about? I admit, I switched off after 15 minutes... too cringey for words! I instead watched more of Series 2 :P This show really needs to end. Sad times but true! Or, alternatively, maybe they could carry on making it but just transmit it on CBBC or something haha.

Or for Miranda to randomly appear from nowhere! I liked Linda, it was a shame she wasn't in it for long, but she was only really used for comedy (even the attempted murder of Michael was humorous!) So, I watched Series 2 Episode 8 last night and it was so good. Loving the relationship between Steph and Maxine, especially the scene in the car at the rubbish dump. Watching Series 2 and Series 9 together really is like watching two different shows!

Great idea Calum! FAVOURITE SERIES: 4 FAVOURITE HEAD: Rachel Mason FAVOURITE DEPUTY HEAD: Andrew Treneman FAVOURITE TEACHERS: Grantly Budgen, Steph Haydock, Ruby Fry, Kim Campbell, Izzie Redpath, Tom Clarkson FAVOURITE PUPILS: Mika Grainger, Chlo Grainger, Janeece Bryant, Lewis Seddon, Maxine Barlow, Sambuca Kelly, Lauren Andrews, Bolton Smilie, Ros McCain, Phillip Ryan, Josh Stevenson, Finn Sharkey, Jodie Allen, Kevin Chalk, Dynasty Barry FAVOURITE SECRETARY: Janeece Bryant FAVOURITE OTHER: Candice Smilie FITTEST MALES: Connor, Kevin and Josh FITTEST FEMALES: Mika, Sian and Dynasty BEST DRAMATIC EPISODE: Lorna falls in the canal FUNNIEST CHARACTER: Steph Haydock FAVOURITE COUPLE: Grantly and Fleur

Oh dear me :( The preview for next week's episode looks pretty dire. It won't let me post a link but you can find it on the BBC Waterloo Road website. Evidently Waterloo Road is now aimed at primary school children!

You've hit the nail on the head there - in the earlier series, the general running of the school was only really in the background and the personal lives of both staff and pupils was at the forefront. Now the show seems to centre on how a school should be run, with the odd personal story popping up here and there. For instance, the whole episode with Nikki's daughter took place inside the school - why wouldn't her daughter have gone to Nikki's house instead? It would have been nice to see Nikki away from the school and in her own environment, but that whole mother/daughter story fell flat because it all took place in school. (In fact, we've never even seen where Nikki lives, have we?!) That's probably why the show seems to insist on 'reinventing' itself, because that's essentially what happens in schools, but producers don't seem to have realised that the reason viewers tuned in each week was to see certain characters - I fell in love with it because of Steph, Rachel, Kim, Tom, Grantly, Sambuca both at work and at home etc. etc. I didn't fall in love with it because I wanted to see the inside of a school the whole time and see silly class projects and budget meetings! The running of the school now seems to be bigger than the characters. There's still a lot of potential with the show, but it doesn't show any signs of reverting to how it used to be, in fact it seems to be running in the complete opposite direction!

I agree with all these points you guys have raised! I think the main problem with the show Series 6 onwards is that it has become lazy. Around the time it won the National Television Award, it seems the BBC became complacent and assumed that fans would stick with the show just because of its past popularity. I takes a lot more thought, effort and creativity to create a show which was as high quality as Series 1 & 2. Developing believable characters who we actually care about is much harder than writing for one-dimensional characters like Simon and Sue. I suppose, if a show still attracts 4-5 million viewers regularly after four series, then it's not surprising that the quality will drop off a bit because of complacency. Hence the situation the show has found itself in now! The significant drop in viewing figures will probably result in one of three things: 1) it will carry on as it is and figures will probably level off at around 2 million 2) producers will aim to improve the show in order to raise viewing figures or 3) it will be axed. I think option 3) is best in Waterloo Road's case. It all seems a bit pointless now... starting off as a seriously run-down school in the middle of Rochdale to now being a Scottish school which does rather well and doesn't seem anywhere near as rough! And, even though Tom and Grantly weren't given much to do from Series 8 onwards, their loss - and the fact that there are not only no originals left but also no characters pre-Series 7, just makes it feel very empty.

No idea! So many pupils randomly disappear from series to series that I lose track. All I can remember about her is that she had a crazy personality change in the space of one series.