Critics: Waterloo Road | Critics

“As well as presenting his afternoon quiz show The Answer Run on BBC1, comedian Jason Manford has joined the cast of school soap Waterloo Road. Previous directors have included Amanda Burton, Angela Griffin and Neil Pearson, while Georgie Glen, Neil Morrissey, Sarah Hadland and Mark Benton are among the many familiar faces who have appeared as teachers. Add Martin Kemp, Jenna Coleman, Jill Halfpenny and Denise Welch and the show starts to resemble a directory of popular TV stars.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“All this shake-up is supposed to be an attempt to make things feel ‘fresh’. But there’s only so much that can be done and it feels like it might be running out. The teacher-student drama feels dull and repetitive, even with the show’s big coup, comedian – and Waterloo Road mega-fan – Jason Manford joining the cast as headmaster Steve Savage. Manford is funny, of course, but here his role is serious in a way that doesn’t suit him, and his likable personality is undercut by his character. He doesn’t quite succeed in breathing new life into the show in the way I (and I’m sure the producers) had hoped.”
Kia Elise-Green, The i

“In many ways, this is a Kemp documentary that sticks to the familiar blueprint. It carries with it a faint hint of Cunk-ness that it never quite shakes off. Still, you know what you’re getting from a series like this, and it delivers what it sets out to do: tough guys versus tough guys, mob-style.”
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian