History Series / WaterlooRoad

Drama (2006-2015, Revived in 2023.) set in a dodgy version of TheGoodOldBritishComp.

* ReplacedThemeTune: Series 1's theme tune was [[https://youtu.be/l_VnuEIhldA completely different]].

* ReplaceThemeTune: Series 1's theme tune was [https://youtu.be/l_VnuEIhldA completely different].

Drama (2006-2015) set in a dodgy version of TheGoodOldBritishComp.

* Finn faces Tariq's wrath seberal times. Once leads to Finn getting a BJJ mount and smash when he finds out Finn is dating Tariq's sister Trudi and another time when Tariq attacks Finn after Eugene's gang almost burn Naseema (Tariq other sister) alive. [[note]] Finn was involved in the arson but abandons to gang when he realises Naseema is in there. Tariq catches them thinking Finn alone was trying to kill her. [[/note]]

* BigBrotherInstinct: Floyd does not take the news that Justin is sleeping with his sister Tiffany well at all.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: [[spoiler: Danielle and Aleesha got drunk on the way to school in Series 5. However Danielle's drunken behaviour just gotten worst when she drank a dangerous substance called Ethanol (which was brewed by Paul Langley) which she ended up in Hospital due to that.]]

* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Possibly the reason why none of the girls complained when it was created.

** George Windsor takes on this role [[spoiler: after Budgen dies.]] He even resigns when new headteacher Vaughn Fitzgerald introduces a number of community involvement schemes, [[LampshadeHanging Lampshading]] that there's no longer a place for a teacher like him at Waterloo Road.

* AxesAtSchool: Several times, notably in the series 4 opener.

* BadassTeacher: In a school that routinely encounters serious social issues, has a lot of violent pupils, and where a disproportionate of number of teachers and pupils have died in the past decade; this is practically a requirement.

** Tom Clarkson, stood up to Earl Kelly amongst others.

** When Grantly Budgen discovers he has incorrectly accused Harley Taylor of plagiarism, while still on kidney dialysis he does everything in his power to make amends. [[spoiler: Tragically, the physical strain becomes too much for him and [[KilledOffForReal he dies]].]]

* BatmanGambit: When Leo's incompetence leads to Kevin's computer hacking of multinational technology firm Wire-Data being traced back to the school, Kevin enacts one. [[spoiler: Working from a laptop hidden behind the school stage, he hacks into Wire-Data again and releases a [[PoisonAndCureGambit data-corrupting worm]] that acts slowly but is scheduled to rapidly speed up in an hour. He uses this as leverage to get the owner of Wire-Data to sign a contract promising not to press charges.]] All of this is done rapidly and calmly despite the very real threat of prosecution and imprisonment being on the horizon and the fact that he's still recovering from a stroke. [[spoiler: The really amazing thing is [[RefugeInAudacity that it works]] and [[DefeatMeansFriendship gets him a job offer from WireData]].]]

** Josh pushes Finn out of the way when Kyle tries to murder him with a crossbrow, with it narrowly missing Josh and gashing the edge of his arm.

** Barry and Dynasty Barry become this when he [[spoiler: takes a job as a people smuggler and she calls the Police after trying to help the immigrants in Barry's van escape.]]

** Tariq Siddiqui is the same in addition to having been in a young offenders institution but gradually mellows out over time. [[spoiler: Being rendered paraplegic by Series 7's DiabolusExMachina ending]] also contributes to this.

** Bex has one from the time she was missing: [[spoiler: She got sucked into a relationship with an abusive boyfriend who made pornographic videos of her while she was underage.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: Plenty of characters, but [[ApatheticTeacher Apathetic Teachers]] Grantly Budgen and George Windsor are the real standouts. Eddie Lawson is also particularly notable for his dry humour.

* DiabolusExMachina: At the end of series seven, in one of the most bizarre {{Mood Whiplash}}es ever.

* DysfunctionJunction
* EconomyCast

* FreakOut: the very first episode starts with the old headmaster, Mr. Vaisey, being driven to a nervous breakdown by the appalling state of the school.
** Josh has one while doing a video project about the school being built on a plague pit. He starts acting erratically and becomes convinced that the staff and pupils could become infected with the Black Death. He's later diagnosed as Schizophrenic.

* TheGoodOldBritishComp

** Jonah and Spanish teacher Francesca Montoya have relationship and almost run away together.

* Music/KatyPerry: Her music is sometimes used as background music.
* KidAnova: Aiden, who manages to get two girls pregnant during series 7.

** Hector Reid may be having an affair with a married woman but he goes to great lengths if pupils are in danger.

* IntergenerationalFriendship: Eventually happens between Rhiannon and Darren, and Grace; an elderly woman who visits the school's community café. They initially see her as a burden who exploits their goodwill but warm to her considerably over time and reunite her with an old flame from her youth.

* LongRunnerCastTurnover: As of the middle of Series 9; none of the original cast remain; and only Maggie Budgen and Harley Taylor are left over from the Rochdale incarnation of the school.

** Rose Kelly, post-straightening herself out.

** Carol Barry

* MySisterIsOffLimits: Floyd. See BigBrotherInstinct. A sentiment he enforces with a hefty punch to the face.
* NiceGuy / NiceGirl: Yes, they do exist, even in this rough-edged school. Tom Clarkson, Matt Wilding, Daniel Chalk and Jo Lipsett are examples among the teachers; while pupil examples include Marley Kelly, Ros [=McCain=] and Lenny Brown.
* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: Averted by filming and setting it in a real town, though they goofed once or twice in the first season.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever Danielle keeps going on about with her friends that involves "a bottle of Diet Coke, some chips and a night out in Rochdale town centre". Also, Karla's background and her Asperger's Syndrome.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: a particularly ludicrous case. Creator/TheBBC decided it needed to make more of its programmes in Scotland, including ''Waterloo Road''. So at the end of series 7 the local authority closes the school. Meanwhile a rich philanthropist and former pupil of headmaster Mr. Byrne has decided to set up a private but non-fee-paying school for local children in a deprived area near Glasgow...so Mr. Byrne decides to move there, along with most of the named teachers and even some of the pupils (the new school will have a boarding house). All this is about as realistic as an episode of ''Series/DoctorWho''.

** Amy Porter gives a fairly vicious one to struggling teacher Helen Hopewell. While Helen hasn't made herself a particularly likeable character, Amy is ultimately even worse, and it's hard not to feel really sorry for Helen as she breaks down in tears in front of her whole class

* RememberTheNewGuy: Mostly this applies to [[OneShotCharacter One-Shot Characters]] but new additions to the cast can also be this.

* RescueRomance: [[spoiler: The Series 8 episode (Series 8 Episode 26) sees Kevin rescuing Dynasty from her other boyfriend (the sightly more evil looking Steve-O Malone). After Kevin discovered that Dynasty was raped by Steve-O, Dynasty has denied the truth in what Kevin is saying. Things turned more serious as Kevin, Connor and Barry go face to face with Steve-O. Eventually Barry decided turned his back on Steve-O because he was hiding the truth that he was raping her. After the police arrived, Steve-O was arrested and both Kevin and Connor are in the Police Station. In the end Dynasty forgives herself for not believing the truth and decided to hug Kevin as an Apology.]]
* RevolvingDoorCasting: Most characters will last around three series at most but there are some exceptions such as Janeece Bryant, Tom Clarkson, and Grantly Budgen who remained for seven, eight, and nine series respectively.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Too many times to count.

* RuleOfFunny: Used too many times to count.
* SchoolBullyingIsHarmless: [[spoiler: The Series 4 episode (Series 4, Episode 12) involves Asperger Syndrome student Karla Bentham being the target of Michela White's GetRichQuickScheme by opening up an Art Exhibition in the Art Room. Things escalated quickly when Karla cannot handle the pressure of students having their sketches to be drawn by her. New student Lauren Andrews managed to expose Michela's scheming plan to go behind Karla's back so she could use her artwork for money. However she went AWOL and was later found on the streets by Kim Campbell. Unfortunately Karla is once again targeted, but this time in a Series 5 episode (Series 5, Episode 3) when she was bullied by several John Foster students and Lindsey James is the worst offender. By Series 5 Episode 4, Michela decides to get revenge on Lindsey after what she done to Karla.]]

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Allie's art class includes a competition to design a hoody for the fashion company owned by Gabriella's parents. What she doesn't mention is that [[spoiler: the winners get £1,000]] in order to see who is actually taking the competition seriously.
* SexySchoolwoman: As yet averted. It looks wrong for the time slot (8pm) and the people who wear school uniforms are school-age characters, who don't do that sort of thing.

* [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]]: Mika as tree-hugger. Seriously, that woman needs some help.

** Episodes also have their own formula: One that introduces either a one-shot or recurring student will have their {{Jerkass}} tendencies (Gabriella, Kyle etc) or personal issues (such as Lula's abusive uncle) causing a problem that a teacher will either be unaware of or misjudge the severity of, causing a HeroicBSOD and a necessitating a BigDamnHeroes moment. The student will then be added to the main cast, [[PutOnABus written out]], or completely [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse forgotten about]].

* ToBeContinued: Most series end on this...

** Series 4 ends with [[spoiler: Ralph Mellor wrecking the front of the school hallway with an execuvator due to his viciousnes on poor Marley Kelly as well as a restraining order from his daughter Flick Mellor]]
** Series 6 ends with [[spoiler: Multiple events that went wrong. First, the school show called Cinderfella ends in sabotage after Kyle and Denzil sprayed Finn with a Fire Extinguisher that leads to the rest of the performance cancelled. Also, Jonah and Cesca plans to get married but unfortunately it ended in Cesca getting arrested. Lastly Finn has been injured during the rescue of Denzil from a rail bridge]]

* YouMakeMeSic: Sonya is shown to be an appalling speller and fares no better with grammar, somehow managing to spell "Ferocious" with a W. Despite computers having spellcheckers.

* NiceGuy / NiceGirl: Yes, they do exist, even in this rough-edged school. Tom Clarkson, Matt Wilding, Daniel Chalk and Jo Lipsett are examples among the teachers; while pupil examples include Marley Kelly, Ros McCain and Lenny Brown.

** Tom Clarkson (see TeamDad).

** Audrey McFall. Though with a strong dose of ReasonableAuthorityFigure.

* YouLookFamiliar: Daniella Denby-Ashe played an incompetent substitute teacher in one episode and returned at the end of Series 7 in a full time role as businesswoman Lorraine Donnegan.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After [[spoiler: telling Sue that he wants a divorce because of [[YourCheatingHeart her affair]]]], Simon gives her a particularly harsh (though justified) one:

* YourCheatingHeart: Chlo cheats on her husband Donte with Brett, her sister Mika's boyfriend. These are all pupils by the way.
** In Series 10, Sue Lowsley has an affair with PE teacher Hector Reid.

** Michael Byrne managed to stop his ex-pupil from his old school Wayne Johnson from holding Linda hostage. [[spoiler:He also stops a gang from taking Finn away]]. He even stops Kyle Stack from a dangerous crossbow attack during the time the school has permanently closed down [[spoiler:(which the target ran straight into Josh).]]

* VomitDiscretionShot: In Series 5 Episode 1, Lindsay James arrives for her first day at Waterloo Road, and on entering the school rushes off to the toilets and is sick, with realistic sound effects.

** Michael Byrne managed to stop his ex-pupil from his old school Wayne Johnson from holding Linda hostage. [[spoiler:He also stops a gang from taking Finn away]]. He even stops Kyle Stack from a dangerous crossbow attack during the time the school has permanently closed down [[(which the target ran straight into Josh).]]

** Series 4 ends with [[spoiler: Ralph Mellor wrecking the front of the school hallway with an execuvator due to his viciousnes on poor Marley Kelly as well as a restraining order from her daughter Flick Mellor]]