Waterloo Road returns to the BBC

The new series of will be set and made in Greater Manchester and produced by Wall To Wall (The Windermere Children, Man In Room 301, New Tricks) in co-production with Rope Ladder Fiction, the new Manchester-based label from Cameron Roach, who executive produced the previous series of Waterloo Road in both Rochdale and Greenock.

Originally airing on the BBC from 2006 to 2015, it 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 and 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 BBC has deemed it timely, as:

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 even more pronounced amidst the ongoing pandemic. Waterloo Road will use its rich history of telling entertaining and gripping human stories while tackling the important issues of the day.

We also note this quote from Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama

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.”

You can read more in the press statement.