I'm never sure what the question is when the answer is Jason Manford. Is it possible that he's on some sort of portfolio contract with the BBC ? His run as Steve Savage, the headmaster at Waterloo Road Academy, has lasted eight episodes. Episode 1 of Series 14, in the new Tuesday slot of 9pm on BBC1, was watched by 930k in the overnights, up against England v Finland. Ms Charlotte Moore prefers seven-day ratings - there's no sign of Waterloo Road breaking into the Top 50 weekly tv shows on that measure, despite all eight episodes being released as a boxset from the start.
The BBC and the show's producers are keen for us to know that this is a wealth-generator, if not an audience-grabber, claiming the first three series produced in Manchester have generated "at least £6.5 million in gross value added (GVA) for Greater Manchester and over £9.5 million for the broader North West area, measure based on spend on crew and suppliers in the region."
Says Ms Moore: "Waterloo Road is a brilliant example of the BBC’s commitment to back the best homegrown storytelling right across the UK. It’s a series that helps nurture and champion local talent and directly supports the economy in the North West."
Says Jessica Schibli, BBC Head of Creative Diversity "Waterloo Road is a lesson in reaching and representing underserved audiences".
Lindsey Coulson is the new head for series 15, coming in the New Year. She's familiar to Eastenders audiences, having played Carol Jackson in 913 episodes over 1993–1997, 1999, and 2010–2015.
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