Waterloo Road Series Four - Autumn Term   Starring: Eva Pope, Neil Morrissey, Denise Welch, Jason Done and Philip Martin Brown Acorn Media UK RRP: £24.99 AV9740 Certificate: 12 Available 21 September 2009

Waterloo Road is a series set in a Rochdale school detailing the lives and loves of both teachers and pupils. Series Four: Autumn Term has been released as a three disc set containing the first ten episodes of the show's fourth series. The show is presented with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a stereo audio track, all the discs have English subtitles.

Like most soap operas, disguised as drama, the show does have an ongoing storyline, which is made up of hyper reality stories; in truth nobody’s experience of school was this interesting or deadly. I have to admit that shows like this are not my cup of tea, though my daughter loves the series, maybe its a generational thing. That said the show is well written and well acted by its core group which include Neil Morrissey, Eva Pope, Dennis Welsh and Philip Martin Brown.

Series four opens with an hour and a half special, following the fire which closed series three, with the usual round of problems for both pupils and teachers. Head teacher Rachel Mason returns to face the New Year and almost immediately runs into trouble with a new family, the low life Kellys and their pride and joy Earl. What follows are a predictable number of unlikely experiences, including a murder.

Like most soaps Waterloo Road will become addictive viewing, if you let yourself get trapped, though I couldn’t help but feel that this is an adult version of Grange Hill.

The discs have a couple of extras thought these are in the form of photos only, so you get a scrap book, shots from the stories and both a teachers and students profile. Useful if you haven’t seen the show before.

The series does score high for acting, which is done with enough conviction to carry the stories and character development. The absurdity in the storylines is no worse than that found in Casualty or Eastenders.

Overall fans of the show will lap this up, but given the series was so successful it’s a wonder that the odd commentary or meaty extra couldn’t have been provided.

7

Charles Packer