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Waterloo Road fans unhappy with binge format on iPlayer

To binge or not to binge?

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Waterloo Road is finally back on our screens after a 7-year break, but viewers of the new reboot of the series are full of complaints about one element of the new series.

The whole series is available to watch.

The popularity of streaming services since Waterloo Road first aired has massively grown. But that doesn’t mean fans want to binge it all in one go!

Waterloo Road originally aired on a week-by-week basis when it first began back in 2006.

But with the new reboot, BBC has dropped all seven episodes in one go on BBC iPlayer.

While many fans have binge-watched the whole series already, lots are complaining that they miss waiting each week for the next episode!

Here’s why Waterloo Road viewers don’t want to binge watch the series on iPlayer…

Chlo, Izzy, Donte and Tommy pose together on Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road got a big storyline involving Chlo and Donte spoiled by binge watchers… (Credit: BBC)

Waterloo Road viewers are complaining that the whole series is on iPlayer

Waterloo Road returned to BBC One last night (Tuesday, December 3) but the whole series had already dropped on iPlayer at 8am that morning!

Many viewers have complained that they just want to watch the series the way it originally aired – week by week.

With the whole series dropping as a boxset on iPlayer, many fans got a big storyline about Chlo and Donte spoiled before they had even watched the first episode!

One Twitter user wrote: “iPlayer did the wrong thing putting all the episodes of #WaterlooRoad on before the premiere.

“I’m [bleeped] off because someone has already spoilt the second episode for me before I’ve had a chance to see the first!”

Another added, “It was spoiled for me like 10 mins before it happened but I’m still absolutely devastated.”

For lots of fans, the boxset format has ruined the new reboot for them. One tweeted: “I’m so excited for #waterlooroad to finally come back but NOT AS A BOXSET!”

Another fan missed the “good old days” of “waiting a week after a cliffhanger”.

And many other viewers have shared the same thought: “Why do they release everything on BBC iPlayer early. Just show it live.”

One viewer summed up the frustration from Waterloo Road fans: “This means that people have to avoid all social media platforms until all the episodes are shown weekly on the TV schedule. #stupidity.”

BBC may be trying to appeal to a younger audience who are used to binge-watching, but it seems like the decision has not gone down well with fans of the original Waterloo Road.

Read more: Waterloo Road fans ‘switching off’ after Chlo dies in first episode of reboot

Some fans love that they can binge watch on iPlayer

It’s not for everyone, but some fans love that they can binge watch the whole series and that they don’t have to wait! One binge watching fan tweeted: “I love the fact that BBC iPlayer dropped all episodes of new series!”

Another shared “Have just binge-watched all 7 new episodes of #WaterlooRoad and I’m honestly so impressed!”

And plenty of fans just can’t help but watch the series all in one go: “I said I wasn’t going to binge #WaterlooRoad despite all episodes being on iPlayer but it is SO good.

“I have really missed this show.”

BBC’s Happy Valley has returned with its third series, and it is still airing on a week-by-week basis so there is proof that it can still work!

Seems like the debate about binge watching versus traditional linear airing isn’t going to end any time soon…

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Waterloo Road continues on Tuesday, January 10 with episode 2 at 8pm on BBC One. All episodes are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Did you binge watch Waterloo Road? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.

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