Waterloo Road to return in January

The new series of Waterloo Road will begin on Tuesday 2 January 2024 at 8pm the BBC has confirmed.

Waterloo Road initially ran on the BBC between 2006 and 2015, and following its breakout success on BBC iPlayer during lockdown it returned with new episodes at the start of 2023 with a cast including Angela Griffin, Adam Thomas and Kym Marsh among the school staff, and an ensemble of exciting newcomers and rising stars as pupils. Two new series have aired this year. Waterloo Road remains especially popular on BBC iPlayer, where it is in the top three most-watched titles of the year so far for 16-34 year olds, alongside Happy Valley and EastEnders.

With a track record of launching new talent both on screen and behind the camera, Waterloo Road will continue to cast key roles via open auditions at schools and youth clubs, and will once again offer workshops and production training schemes for newcomers to the industry, further boosting drama production skills in the North of England. So far 20 trainees have gained entry-level, paid work in the industry via six-month placements on Waterloo Road since the start of 2022, across departments including costume, art direction, post-production, camera and sound. A further eight trainees will join the series when filming begins this autumn.

Of the recommission news, Cameron Roach, executive producer of Waterloo Road and Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction, says: “We’re beyond thrilled with the triumphant return of Waterloo Road, and so thankful to the BBC for committing to the show so fully. We love that the show has the potential not only to be a crown jewel for BBC iPlayer, but also serve as a true beacon for training, and inspiring next generation talent. In addition to our open auditions and full-time production trainee placements for industry newcomers, our workshops across Greater Manchester this Summer for 14-16 year olds, in partnership with BBC Young Reporter, have truly demonstrated the infectious power of this show.”

Viewers can stream all episodes of Waterloo Road, including 2023’s two new series, exclusively on BBC iPlayer now. Fans can get behind-the-scenes news and gossip from set via Waterloo Road – The Official Podcast on BBC Sounds, presented by cast members Adam Thomas and Priyasasha Kumari.