It’s a new term, so you know what that means: you need some new TV shows to binge while you put off doing your assignments. Look no further, because as well as being the land of great music, Manchester is also home to many brilliant TV shows which are just waiting for you to get stuck into.
Waterloo Road, 2006-present
If you’re looking for something that’s high drama and addictive, then Waterloo Road is the show for you. While your own school days might have felt boring, there is never a dull day at the fictional Waterloo Road school, set in Rochdale. The school staff must contend with rioting pupils, uninspired teachers, and the threat of school closure. The drama doesn’t stop there. Their personal lives are equally as messy: expect love triangles, blackmail, and many, many scandals.
Made in the late noughties, the outfits showcased in the early series of Waterloo Road are certainly questionable. However, the soundtrack has stood the test of time, and many of the songs featured in the show wouldn’t be out of place on a night out at 42’s.
There are 14 series in total of Waterloo Road, but series one is the best – it centres on an incident that tears the school apart, and you’ll definitely be hooked after watching the first episode. (Trust me!)
Waterloo Road is available on BBC iPlayer
Fresh Meat, 2011-2016
Written by the creators of Peep Show, Fresh Meat is a comedy drama series that focuses on the lives of six students studying at the fictional Manchester Medlock University. Watch as JP (Jack Whitehall), Josie (Kimberley Nixon), Kingsley (Joe Thomas), Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), Vod (Zawe Ashton), and Howard (Greg McHugh) navigate key parts of student life, after being thrown together by the gods of student housing.
For Whitehall, this series was a case of art imitating life, as the actor actually studied at the University of Manchester and lived in Fallowfield, before dropping out to pursue a career in comedy. As a result, the plot of Fresh Meat is eerily similar to the student experience. It’s the opposite of escapism, but a great watch nonetheless.
Fresh Meat is available on Channel 4
Shameless, 2004-2013
Set in the fictional Chatsworth council estate, Shameless revolves around the escapades of the dysfunctional Gallagher family (no, not that one). Single-father Frank (David Threlfall) is a raging alcoholic, and so is eldest daughter Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff), who must take over as head of the clan and keep her five younger siblings in check. Don’t worry, though, she still finds the time to have a sneaky romance with Steve (James McAvoy).
The series won a BAFTA in 2005, and there’s even been an American remake (although, as with most things, ours is better).
Shameless is available on Channel 4
Daddy Issues, 2024
Daddy Issues is a new comedy from the BBC starring Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) and David Morrissey (The Walking Dead). It’s about a young woman in Stockport named Gemma (Wood) who discovers she is pregnant from a one-night stand. When her flatmate leaves her, she is left with no choice but to move in with her recently-divorced dad, Malcolm (Morrissey). Together, the father and daughter go through the highs and lows of parenthood and grandparenthood, as well as helping each other with dating problems and toxic friendships.
The show has recently been renewed for a second series, so we’ll be seeing more of this dynamic duo soon.
Daddy Issues is available on BBC iPlayer
