BBC Orders More Waterloo Road

The BBC has recommissioned Waterloo Road for two additional seasons, with new episodes to premiere on BBC One and iPlayer until at least 2026.

The school-set drama tackles topics affecting real teens, families and school staff. Filming has just begun on the newly ordered seasons in Greater Manchester. This is in addition to two upcoming seasons that have already been filmed and will air this September and early next year.

The season that debuts in September will feature actor and comedian Jason Manford as the new headteacher of the school. It will also see the arrival of Saira Choudhry (No Offence, Life), Olly Rhodes (The Last Kingdom), Nathan Wood, Sonya Nisa (Damsel), Miya Ocego (Wreck), Danny Murphy (The Parts You Lose) and Matthew Khan (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder).

Among those reprising their roles are Adam Thomas and Kym Marsh, alongside the teaching staff played by James Baxter, Jo Coffey, Shauna Shim, Neil Fitzmaurice, Rachel Leskovac and Katherine Pearce. The returning student cast features Aabay Noor Ali, Alicia Forde, Chiamaka “ChiChi” Ulebor, Francesco Piacentini-Smith, Hattie Dynevor, Liam Scholes, Lucy Eleanor Begg, Maisey Robinson, Noah Valentine, Summer Violet Bird, Thapelo Ray, Tillie Amartey and Zak Sutcliffe.

The two newly commissioned seasons of Waterloo Road will continue the production’s ongoing commitment to investing in creative talent in the North of England through specially curated development programs. This includes the Warner Bros. Discovery Access x Waterloo Road Directors Program, as well as the series’ ongoing production development program, which opens for new applications on August 19. So far, the latter has given 35 trainees paid entry-level work in the TV industry.

Additionally, Waterloo Road has welcomed over 300 students from a range of local schools and youth groups to participate in outreach events across Greater Manchester, including interactive sessions to build their knowledge and skills for TV and film production.

Waterloo Road is produced by Wall to Wall in co-production with Rope Ladder Fiction.

“We’re incredibly thrilled to be recommissioned for a further two seasons of the new era of Waterloo Road,” said Cameron Roach, founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and executive producer of the series. “This commitment by the BBC underlines the show’s ability to not only be a compelling entertaining drama for a younger audience, but to also serve as a true talent incubator across the craft skills for a new generation of crew and cast. We have been so energized by the audience’s reaction to the show, and our firsthand experience of outreach work with numerous partners, and their level of engagement, really demonstrates the continued importance and power of the show. This really is a huge team effort and a tangible result to the brilliant collegiate atmosphere behind the scenes—a genuine thank you to everyone involved in Waterloo Road.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see Waterloo Road go from strength to strength—both creatively on screen, where it remains hugely popular with viewers of all ages, as well as behind the scenes developing the next generation of exciting U.K. television talent. We’re delighted to announce two more series for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.”