Waterloo Road series three
Producer interview – Lis Steele
What can viewers look forward to this series?
There will be a host of new characters as well as the return of some old favourites – which will be put through a collective wringer of drama, entertainment, pathos and all-round mayhem.
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Has it been good having 20 episodes this series?
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"Yes. It's enabled us to broaden the scope of storytelling, both in terms of one-off guest stories per episode and stories for our regular characters. We've been able to expand the type of personal stories for our regular characters (relationships and personal lives) as well as show their professional lives within the school and the impact on their characters from more school-based stories."
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Will viewers see any differences in this series compared to series two?
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"We have a host of new characters joining the show this series – Neil Morrissey plays the new deputy head, Eddie Lawson, and Eva Pope joins in episode seven as new head Rachel Mason. Other new adult characters include a newly-qualified teacher, Jasmine Koreshi (played by Shabana Bakhsh), and drama and music teacher Matt Wilding (played by Chris Geere).
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"There are also additions to our school kids. Returning Sixth Form characters Chlo (Katie Griffiths), Donte (Adam Charles), Mika (Lauren Drummond) and Brett (Tom Payne) are joined by a host of younger school kids – resident bad boy Bolton Smilie (played by newcomer Tachia Newall), Karla Bentham, a young girl with Asperger's syndrome (played by Jessica Baglow) and the bright, but minxy, duo of Danielle Harker (Lucy Dixon) and Aleesha Dillon (Lauren Thomas).
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"The nature of the stories being told are shifting away from emphasising traditional themes of education to reflect a more vocational approach. As a result, we have been able to tell more stories away from the normal environment of the school and use more locations in the community. A prison, a museum and a residential care home are just some of the environments our teachers and pupils find themselves in.
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"Viewers will also notice that the contemporary and modern feel of the Waterloo Road episodes have been enhanced by featuring up-to-the-minute commercial music tracks, instead of a traditional composed music score.
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Waterloo Road is embracing "inclusion" at the school – what will this mean?
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"'Inclusion' is the principle by which every child has the right to be a part of a school, irrespective of that child's needs and/or disabilities. For the series it means we can show characters of great diversity, and so reflect the themes currently existing in society – in particular those of acceptance and prejudice.
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"Our main character that illustrates this is Karla Bentham, a young girl in Year 10 who has Asperger's Syndrome, and how teachers and pupils alike react to her and embrace or are challenged by the qualities that she brings to the school."
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Do you think Waterloo Road is realistic?
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"What Waterloo Road successfully achieves is to dramatise stories which touch on real contemporary issues that everyday people have to face – either in education, society and/or family life in general – but in an entertaining, accessible and ultimately poignant way.
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"In this way, the series is able to put the human condition under the spotlight but with wit, warmth and optimism."
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What is your favourite storyline this series? Why do you think it works?
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"My favourite on-going story throughout the series is Karla's story, because it shows how an institution and its inhabitants cope with someone who is different and doesn't conform to the norm.
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"And the story works because it shows our characters being challenged, but ultimately shrugging off their initial preconceptions and reactions to Karla's character and helping Karla to realise her potential, thrive and be loved by those around them.
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"My favourite one-off story features Eddie taking the "bad boys" of the school on a trip. Eddie, an idealist and an optimist, passionately wants a group of bad boys to realise that education can provide a way out for them rather than be the day-to-day hindrance it seems to be in their lives.
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"He hopes that the experience will instil the values of collective responsibility, teamwork and focussed competition and so make them more amenable to learning and self improvement.
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"I think the story works because it touches on the theme of why education is important for kids, but also shows a bitter sweet ending in that nothing is resolved overnight, and, while Eddie is successful with some of the kids, there are those that are not so easily converted."
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What are you most proud of?
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"Maintaining the quality of the storytelling and keeping the visual ambition high over 20 episodes, so that each episode is as strong and as entertaining as the other 19. And, on a production level, keeping good ties and relationships within the local community where we are based."
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Has Waterloo Road reminded you of your own school days?
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"No. I think I'd much prefer to be a pupil at Waterloo Road where the atmosphere is vibrant, energetic and irreverent and the teaching borders on the inspirational but where there's always the hint of a salacious scandal to provide the entertainment."
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What was your favourite school dinner?
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"Shepherd's pie and peas."
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What was the Waterloo Road school catering like – what was your favourite dish?
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"Catering is really important to a film unit – when everyone on the unit is working so hard the catering becomes a focal relaxation point for the cast and crew. And with so many people on a film unit it is always challenging for the caterers to come up with a broad range of options so everyone can always get something to their taste or dietary requirements."
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You are a successful television producer – but could you teach?
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"No, I don't think so. I always imagine that to be a teacher requires the most amazing mix of characteristics and qualities ranging from empathy, compassion, the ability to inspire and to tap into what makes the most difficult of kids to respond and engage. Shaping and dealing with kids' futures is an immense responsibility."
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