The popular drama series about a troubled comprehensive school is returning to BBC One with fans asking when is the new Waterloo Road coming out and who is in the cast?
If you love school-based shows like Heartbreak High, or Netflix's Never Have I Ever you won't want to miss this Waterloo Road comeback.
Picture this, it's a new school year but it's not long before a peaceful protest turns into a school riot and the events of the day have huge ramifications for everyone involved.
And that's not all, there's plenty more scandals, fractured families and challenging kids for Headteacher Kim Campbell and her team as fire-fighting becomes a way of life.
Who said education was easy? As we look at all you need to know ahead of the Greater Manchester filmed series return...
When is the new Waterloo Road coming out?
The new Waterloo Road is coming out on Tuesday 3 January 2023 at 8pm on BBC One, the BBC has confirmed. The first episode will air at 8pm on BBC One and the full series is available in full as a boxset on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile, on BBC One, the new series will air weekly.
Across the term, Waterloo Road’s teachers and parents are going to have to learn on their feet as they try to navigate the ever changing social landscape - from teen homelessness to the cost of living, being LGBTQ+, racism, sexism, mental health and everything else facing young teens today.
Amongst the chaos, the students, faculty and parents still make time for friendships, fun, and a few romances. The pupils have a lot to contend with this term, but they will learn to lean on one another to survive the year and try to stay out of detention as much as possible.
Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, said, “Waterloo Road is the perfect lens through which to explore post Covid Britain, from the perspective of those who have arguably been affected most: young people in education. We are thrilled to be returning to this brilliant format - its thrills and spills, unmissable characters and high drama - at a time when audiences across Britain need it most. And to be collaborating with the brilliant Cameron Roach and Wall To Wall on its return.”
It’s official! #WaterlooRoad will return to your screens on Tuesday 3rd January at 8pm.Tag a friend to let them know 👇 pic.twitter.com/kpLHnuO4zrDecember 6, 2022
Waterloo Road 2023 cast
Among the cast returning for Waterloo Road 2023 is Angela Griffin (Kim Campbell), Adam Thomas (Donte Charles) and Katie Griffiths (Chlo Charles) are back, alongside Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), Vincent Jerome (Lindon King), James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers), Neil Fitzmaurice (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), Katherine Pearce (Amy Spratt), Ryan Clayton (Mike Rutherford) and Sonia Ibrahim (Jamilah Omar).
And there's a new class of Waterloo Road, with actors playing pupil characters include Adam Abbou (Danny Lewis), Priyasasha Kumari (Samia Choudhry), Noah Valentine (Preston Walters), Adam Ali (Kai Sharif), Alicia Forde (Kelly-Jo Rafferty), Francesco Piacentini-Smith (Dean Weever), Liam Scholes (Noel McManus) and Lucy Eleanor Begg (Caz Williams).
Scarlett Thomas plays Izzy Charles and fellow junior student casting includes Summer Violet Bird (Tonya Walters), Ava Flannery (Verity King), Thapelo Ray (Dwanye Jackson), Inathi Rozani (Zayne Jackson), Chiamaka (ChiChi) Ulebor (Shola Aku) and Sahil Ismailkhil (Norrulah Ashimi).
And fans were recently treated to a glimpse of what to expect from the popular show in first-look images, promising lots of drama and big storylines.
Yes you might recognise her in the photo above, following in the family footsteps, Scarlett Thomas - Adam’s niece and daughter of former Waterloo Road star Tina O’Brien who is playing Izzy Charles - the daughter to characters Donte and Chlo Charles. Adam's son Teddy will also be making an appearance.
Originally airing on the BBC from 2006-2015, Waterloo Road was one of the UK’s most popular and longest-running TV dramas, with an impressive alumni of dynamic characters and award-winning storylines.
Such is the show’s enduring popularity, it has drawn both loyal and new young diverse audiences since it dropped as a boxset on BBC iPlayer in September 2019, consistently among the top five most-watched shows for young audiences on BBC iPlayer.
The spotlight on education in the UK is more intense now than ever before, with awareness of the challenges that teachers, parents and pupils face. Waterloo Road will use its rich history of telling entertaining and gripping human stories while tackling the important issues of the day.
Cameron Roach, Executive Producer added, "I’m really thrilled to be working with the BBC and Wall to Wall, in re-igniting the iconic brand of Waterloo Road. The vital and urgent stories that are playing out in schools across the UK provide incredible and emotionally powerful themes, that we’re excited to bring to a new generation of fans. Waterloo Road will continue its reputation for kickstarting, supporting and enabling careers both in front of and behind the camera, in a truly inclusive way, from our base in Greater Manchester."
The revival of Waterloo Road will boost drama production skills in the North of England and help to reshape the BBC's drama slate to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country. The series will provide a training ground for new and diverse writers which is of significant importance to both the BBC and Cameron Roach. Roach is renowned for his passion for long-running drama series and the power they have to develop and encourage emerging talent.
Waterloo Road season 2 coming soon.
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