Waterloo Road (series 1)
# Waterloo Road (series 1)

The first series of Waterloo Road, a British television school drama series, created by Ann McManus and Maureen Chadwick and produced by BBC Scotland and Shed Productions, commenced airing in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2006 and concluded after 8 episodes on 27 April 2006.

Waterloo Road's first series aired in the United Kingdom on Thursdays at 8:00 pm GMT on BBC One, a terrestrial television network, where it received an average of 4.54 million viewers per episode.

## Premise

The show follows the lives of the teachers and the pupils at the eponymous school of Waterloo Road, a failing inner-city comprehensive, tackling a wide range of issues often seen as taboo such as drink driving, underage driving, bullying, homosexuality, marital problems, exclusion, Huntington's disease, teenage pregnancy, abortion, bereavement, sexual harassment, mental illness and suicide.

### Plot

The first series focused on the new Head Teacher Jack Rimmer's attempts to keep the school of Waterloo Road open, following the school being threatened with closure by the LEA, owing to falling pupil numbers, bad behaviour and the bad publicity the school had been receiving following the previous Head Teacher's mental breakdown. In order to improve things around the school, Jack Rimmer employs enthusiastic Andrew Treneman as Deputy Head. However, Andrew struggles to connect with both the staff and the pupils at first, having come from a more successful upper class school and background.

One of the major plots this series focused on the death of student Adam Deardon, who dies in a car crash. Classmate Donte Charles was driving the car when it happened, both underage and under the influence of alcohol. Another central character in the first series is Lewis Seddon, who bullies fellow student Rory Bears for being homosexual and who does not behave well in class. His out of control behaviour culminates in him sexually harassing Pastoral Care teacher Kim Campbell.

The first series also explored the break-up of English teachers Tom Clarkson and Lorna Dickey's short-lived marriage, due to Tom's love for the school's Drama teacher and Lorna's best friend, Izzie Redpath. The series ends with Lorna taking a step towards the edge of a canal in an attempt to end her own life.

## Production

Waterloo Road was commissioned by Shed Productions alongside BBC Scotland for a run of 8 sixty-minute episodes. The series was set in Rochdale, England, with filming based in the same location and starting from the autumn of 2005. Regularly, music was taken from bands Kaiser Chiefs, Gorillaz, The Killers and Oasis during the first series. Due to copyright issues, some music is unavailable on the DVD release in all regions.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (million) |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Barnaby Southcombe | Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick | 9 March 2006 (2006-03-09) | 5.03 |
| Jack Rimmer is put in charge of failing, inner-city comprehensive Waterloo Road after the previous Headmaster has a mental breakdown after 30 years at the school. Jack takes a big risk by employing Andrew Treneman, a man more familiar with the upper class, to help him turn the school around. English teacher Tom Clarkson is having second thoughts about his marriage to Lorna Dickey, instead finding himself falling for Drama teacher Izzie Redpath. Donte Charles, a rebellious pupil, strikes up trouble for Izzie's daughter, Chlo. Note: First Appearance of Jack Rimmer, Tom Clarkson, Andrew Treneman, Lorna Dickey, Donte Charles, Izzie Redpath, Mika Grainger, Chlo Grainger, Kim Campbell, Steph Haydock, and Grantly Budgen. ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Barnaby Southcombe | Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick | 16 March 2006 (2006-03-16) | 4.56 |
| Waterloo Road is in mourning following a fatal car crash that killed one of its pupils and has left another in a deep coma. When rumours circulate about what happened the night of the crash, Donte, the driver, faces the wrath of the entire school. Elsewhere, Izzie is still reeling after Tom kissed her at his wedding reception and Andrew and Kim begin to settle their differences. Note: First Appearance of Janeece Bryant. ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Julie Edwards | Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick | 23 March 2006 (2006-03-23) | 4.47 |
| Heavily pregnant, fifteen-year-old Zoe Ramsden starts school at Waterloo Road, but even before she has had her first lesson, Andrew predicts trouble. Lorna is driving Tom away from her and both of them find comfort in best friend Izzie. Chlo is terrified that Holly will wake up from her coma and reveal what really happened the night of the car crash. Note: First appearance of Lewis Seddon. ||||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Julie Edwards | Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick | 30 March 2006 (2006-03-30) | 4.59 |
| Izzie is in for a shock when she finds out her that ex-husband is parading around on top of the school dressed in a rabbit costume, protesting for fathers to have fair and equal rights to see their children. Steph's marking is under fire and Andrew reprimands Lewis Seddon by making him scrub graffiti. Tom and Lorna's marriage is in a rut. ||||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Ian Bevitt | Steve Griffiths | 6 April 2006 (2006-04-06) | 4.86 |
| Lorna remains surprisingly upbeat despite the breakdown of her marriage, while her best friend Izzie is being chased by Tom, the man Lorna has just broken up with. Izzie has feelings for him too and may not be able to deny them any longer. Pupil Zak continues to be late to his classes, prompting Head of English Grantly Budgen to keep a closer eye on him, and Chlo goes to extreme lengths to prove to Izzie that she was the one who caused the car crash. ||||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Ian Bevitt | Harry Wootliff | 13 April 2006 (2006-04-13) | 4.07 |
| Jack panics about the impending visit by an inspector, but the inspector turns out to be both attractive and sympathetic to the pressures the school is under. However, she has a secret that could pose the end for Waterloo Road. Meanwhile, Chlo visits the school psychologist, after confessing that she was driving the limo the night Adam Deardon was killed. ||||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Jim Loach | Shaun Duggan | 20 April 2006 (2006-04-20) | 4.33 |
| Jack, Andrew and Kim organise an Open Day at Waterloo Road to impress the Local Education Authority, in a last attempt to keep the school open. Kim is put in a terrifying situation when she is cornered by bully Lewis Seddon. Izzie warns Tom that he needs to be honest with Lorna about what he feels for her. ||||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Jim Loach | Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick | 27 April 2006 (2006-04-27) | 4.47 |
| The Local Education Authority make a decision that will impact the school of Waterloo Road forever. Kim has doubts that she can remain at the same school as Lewis following her attack. After the breakdown of her marriage, Lorna puts on a brave face in the staff room. ||||||

## DVD release

The first series of Waterloo Road was released on DVD in the UK on 26 March 2007, published by 2entertain. The release includes all eight episodes on a three-disc set and does not include any special features, unlike later series. It was released with a "12" British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) certificate (meaning it is unsuitable for viewing by those under the age of 12 years). Later, in Australia, the box set was released on 7 October 2010, and in the US and Canada on 16 October 2012.

## Footnotes

* ↑ Drummond was uncredited in episode six, thought she did appear.
