If you happen to’ve been watching Waterloo Highway so long as I’ve, you’ll have come to count on a little bit of mayhem on the primary day of a brand new time period. And so it proves as a brand new collection – its 14th – begins, and new appearing headteacher Joe Casey (James Baxter) is confronted with a scholar being pushed down the highway in a trolley filled with stolen grocery store items, and an infinite meals struggle in entrance of the brand new premises. “The pupils, they’re going to be on their greatest behaviour at first,” he had been promised.
Absolutely no mother or father would select to ship their little one to a faculty with the turnover or upheaval of Waterloo Highway. The collection began in 2006 when it was primarily based in Rochdale, the place it stayed for seven collection earlier than shifting, bizarrely, to Scotland in 2012, for 3 extra. Nonetheless, it’s at all times been acquainted, human, and with relatable storylines which have made it extremely watchable, plausibility regardless. That’s what made it a shock lockdown binge-hit, and what led to its revival final 12 months, which took us again to Better Manchester. And now, someway, to yet one more faculty campus.
All these shake-ups should be a bid to attempt to make issues really feel “recent”. However there’s solely a lot that may be completed and by now it feels prefer it is likely to be operating out of, effectively, highway. Its teacher-student drama feels uninteresting and repetitive, even with this collection’s massive coup, comic – and Waterloo Highway mega-fan – Jason Manford becoming a member of the forged as headteacher Steve Savage (that Mr Casey in a short time messes up his first day and steps down). Manford is after all humorous however right here his position is severe in a method that doesn’t go well with him, and his likeable character is shut down by his character. He doesn’t fairly handle to deliver new life to the programme in the best way I (and certainly producers) had hoped.
Final collection noticed previous favorite Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) get engaged, step down as headteacher, and discover scholar Weever within the boot of his abusive father’s automobile. This episode picks his storyline straight again up when he’s seen making £40 from stolen eggs and doughnuts in an try to accommodate him and his sister Portia, who had been cut up up once they moved into care, of their uncle’s caravan.
In the meantime historical past trainer Neil Gunthrie (Neil Fitzmaurice) is suspended after bodily proscribing identified troublemaker Dean Weaver (Francesco Piacentini-Smith) when a struggle kicks off within the canteen after it emerges he was trolling his daughter Libby (Hattie Dynevor) on-line (are you maintaining?). The storylines are dramatic, and a bit too far-fetched for one faculty day, however in typical Waterloo Highway style the episode tackles well timed points.
In addition to Libby’s upset on the cyberbullying, which is certain to resonate with teenagers, and Weever’s hatred of being in care, trainer Amy Spratt can also be struggling to afford her payments after paying off a scholar mortgage, and finds herself needing to promote her automobile and take up a night job. The younger actors impressively discover these hard-hitting matters however, nonetheless, recent concepts are in brief provide, and the present appears extra of a public service than a riveting watch.
Waterloo Highway is one among few locations on TV that feels an obligation to discover points regarding younger folks – corresponding to social media misuse and the price of residing – which are so usually neglected. But it’s arduous to know who this drama is made for – it feels too “protected” to enchantment to these youngsters themselves, compared to collection like Intercourse Training or Heartstopper, and too juvenile to carry the eye of adults. As a 22-year-old viewer I sit proper within the center – and really feel completely out of the loop.
Waterloo Highway is accessible on BBC iPlayer