Waterloo Road (TV series)

From 2012 the series setting was the former Greenock Academy, Madeira Street, Greenock.

The first series contained eight episodes and was first broadcast from 9 March to 27 April 2006. The show was subsequently commissioned for a second series consisting of twelve episodes.[2] The second series began on 18 January 2007 and ended on 26 April 2007. A third series was commissioned, consisting of twenty episodes, premiering on 11 October 2007 and ending on 13 March 2008. The show's fourth series contained twenty episodes and aired from 7 January 2009 to 20 May 2009.

Production was scheduled to move locations in 2009, with storylines in the fourth and fifth series designed to coincide with the planned move.[3] However, these plans did not go ahead and the show remained in its original location for three more years. Series 5 and 6 filmed back-to-back from 2009 to 2010.[4] The fifth series started on 28 October 2009 and aired its finale on 15 July 2010. The sixth series ran from 1 September 2010 to 6 April 2011. A seventh series was commissioned in April 2010 and was later expanded to thirty episodes, which began airing on 4 May 2011 and ended on 25 April 2012.[5]

In March 2009 Shed Media confirmed that a 20-part fifth series had been commissioned by the BBC. The new commission brought the total number of episodes to 80. Filming began on 11 May 2009 and the series began airing on Wednesday 28 October (Sunday 25 October on BBC One Scotland). For the first time, the series was also filmed in HD.[6]

Production and filming for the 20-part sixth series started on 9 November 2009 and finished in May 2010.

A seventh series of 30 episodes was announced on 7 April 2010, airing from May 2011 to July 2012.[7] This was the final series to be set in Rochdale. Shed Productions decided to relocate to Scotland as this was cheaper than staying at the original location. The original school was demolished shortly after filming ended in 2011 and is now a housing estate.

Following the seventh series, the show was commissioned for a further fifty episodes to air over two series and relocated to Greenock Academy in Scotland as part of a BBC initiative to produce more programming outside of England.[8] At its new location, Waterloo Road became an independent school as opposed to a comprehensive school in the past seven series.[9][10][11] The eighth series ran for thirty episodes between 23 August 2012 and 4 July 2013. The ninth series ran for twenty episodes between 5 September 2013 and 12 March 2014.

On 19 September 2013, a tenth series was commissioned.[12] It was announced on 2 April 2014 that series 10 will be the final series of the show.[13][14] The final scenes were filmed on 22 August 2014.[15] On 11 December 2014, it was announced that the final 10 episodes would be aired on BBC Three in 2015,[16] however a repeat is aired on BBC One later in the evening. The final episode of Waterloo Road, was the 200th episode, and aired on 9 March 2015 on BBC Three and BBC One. In the story the school remains open after a lengthy battle against a school merger.

The show utilises an ensemble cast, led by the school's staff members. Six Head Teachers were featured over the series' run, beginning with Jason Merrells as Jack Rimmer. After leaving early in the third series, Merrells was followed by Eva Pope as Rachel Mason until series 5, Amanda Burton as Karen Fisher in series 6 and the first part of series 7, Alec Newman as Michael Byrne in series 7 and 8, Laurie Brett as Christine Mulgrew in series 9, and Neil Pearson as Vaughan Fitzgerald in series 10. Brett also stars in series 8 and 10, outside of Christine's tenure as Head Teacher. The longest-running cast members were Philip Martin Brown (Grantly Budgen) and Jason Done (Tom Clarkson), who appeared from series 1 until their exits in series 9 and 8, respectively.

The original teaching characters consisted of headteacher Jack Rimmer (Jason Merrells); deputy head Andrew Treneman (Jamie Glover); Art teacher and Head of Pastoral Care Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin); Head of English Grantly Budgen (Philip Martin Brown); English teachers Lorna Dickey (Camilla Power) and Tom Clarkson (Jason Done); Head of French teacher Steph Haydock (Denise Welch); and Head of Drama Izzie Redpath (Jill Halfpenny). The student characters included Donte Charles (Adam Thomas), Chlo Grainger (Katie Griffiths), Janeece Bryant (Chelsee Healey), Yasmin Deardon (Rhea Bailey), Mika Grainger (Lauren Drummond) and Lewis Seddon (Craig Fitzpatrick).

Series 2 featured a number of new main characters: pupil Brett Aspinall (played by Tom Payne), sponsor governor Roger Aspinall (played by Nick Sidi) and school secretary Davina Shackleton (played by Christine Tremarco).

Series 3 introduced several new characters, including new Deputy Head Eddie Lawson (Neil Morrissey) and, in the seventh episode, new Head Teacher Rachel Mason (Eva Pope). Other staff arrivals include NQT English Teacher Jasmine Koreshi (Shabana Bakhsh) and Head of Music and Drama Matt Wilding (Chris Geere). Pupils introduced in the third series include Aleesha Dillon (Lauren Thomas), Danielle Harker (Lucy Dixon), Karla Bentham (Jessica Baglow), Paul Langley (Thomas Milner), and Bolton Smilie (Tachia Newall).

The fourth series introduces several new characters who become focal points of the subsequent episodes. For example, the Kelly family seems to be the epitome of the "Family from Hell" and consists of an alcoholic mother Rose Kelly and her five children: eldest son Marley, borderline psychopath Earl, daughter Sambuca, 11-year-old Denzil, and baby Prince. New Head of PE Rob Cleaver begins a relationship with English teacher Jasmine Koreshi and becomes the boxing mentor of pupil Bolton Smilie. He is later sacked by Rachel and Eddie Lawson when it transpires he is giving Bolton pills to help him win an important match, ultimately ending his and Jasmine's relationship. Rachel Mason's sister Melissa Ryan and nephew Phillip are also introduced. Characters from the previous series who have left the school include: Mika Grainger, Brett Aspinall (both of whom left for University having graduated) and Celine Dixon.

Series 4 marked the exit of long-term characters Davina Shackleton (who eventually qualifies as a teacher but later leaves Rochdale following Tom's new-found relationship with Rose), Donte Charles, Chlo Grainger and Janeece Bryant. Marley Kelly, Eddie Lawson (Neil Morrissey), Matt Wilding (Chris Geere), Flick Mellor (Sadie Pickering), Jasmine Koreshi (Shabana Bakhsh) and Andrew Treneman (Jamie Glover) also made their final appearances in episode 20.

Long serving characters Steph Haydock (Denise Welch), Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin), Rachel Mason (Eva Pope), Paul Langley (Thomas Milner), Karla Bentham (Jessica Baglow), Danielle Harker (Lucy Dixon), Aleesha Dillon (Lauren Thomas), Bolton Smilie (Tachia Newall) and Michaela White (Zaraah Abrahams), as well as Phillip Ryan (Dean Smith), Siobhan Mailey (Phoebe Dynevor) and Jo Lipsett (Sarah-Jane Potts) left at the end of Series 5.

For series 6, former Silent Witness actress Amanda Burton joined the cast as new headteacher, Karen Fisher.[17] Linzey Cocker played alongside Burton as on-screen daughter, Jess Fisher and Ceallach Spellman played her on-screen son, Harry Fisher, Coronation Street actor Lucien Laviscount was cast as rebellious teenager Jonah Kirby[18] and Chelsee Healey (Janeece Bryant) also reprised her role, not as a pupil, but as the new school secretary.[19] On 21 December 2009, it was announced that former Coronation Street actress Tina O'Brien had been cast as Bex Fisher, and that Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson would be joining the cast as a new Year 11 student, Kyle Stack – his scenes aired from episode 11.[20] Also from episode 11, Scott Haining played Nate Gurney, a love interest for the newly homosexual Josh Stevenson,[21] Spandau Ballet member and former EastEnders actor Martin Kemp guest starred as Mr Burley, new character Ronan Burley Ben-Ryan Davies's [22] father,[23] and Karen David portrayed new Head of Spanish, Francesca Montoya. Wil Johnson portrayed new Geography teacher, Marcus Kirby, Jonah's father, and the family was further expanded by the addition of Anna Jobarteh, who played his daughter and new pupil, Ruth. Elaine Symons also reprised her role as Rose Kelly in episode six. Series 6 saw the last appearances of Francesca Montoya (Karen David), Ruby Fry (Elizabeth Berrington), Jonah Kirby (Lucien Laviscount), Ruth Kirby (Anna Jobarteh), Marcus Kirby (Wil Johnson), Adanna Lawal (Sharlene Whyte) and Nate Gurney (Scott Haining). It ended on 6 April 2011.

The seventh series added several new cast members, including new Head Teacher Michael Byrne (Alec Newman), school site manager Rob Scotcher (played by Robson Green), maths teacher Daniel Chalk (Mark Benton), new Head of English Linda Radleigh (Sarah Hadland), school benefactor Lorraine Donnagan (Daniela Denby-Ashe) and pupil Jodie Allen, A.K.A "Scout" (Katie McGlynn). Guest stars in the seventh series included: Gemma Atkinson, Dominique Jackson, Alicya Eyo, Margi Clarke, Jodie Prenger, Lisa Riley, Tupele Dorgu, Tracy Ann Oberman, Kai Owen and Jane Asher.

Series 8 shows the start of Greenock's Waterloo Road. Laurie Brett and Georgie Glen join the main cast as English teacher Christine Mulgrew and History teacher Audrey McFall respectively.

The tenth and final series[13] began in October 2014, with Neil Pearson's Vaughan Fitzgerald taking over as the new headmaster of Waterloo Road. An extensive set of new characters joined him, including his new partner, Art teacher Allie Westbrook (Nicola Stephenson), his two children and her two children. Pooky Quesnel joined the cast recurringly in the first half of the season as Vaughan's ex-wife.[24]

Laura Aikman joined the cast as new deputy headteacher Lorna Hutchinson, as well as Broadchurch star Charlotte Beaumont appearing as new student Kenzie Calhoun.[25] Quesnel became part of the main cast in the second half of the series.

The series 10 characters consisted of Head Teacher Vaughan Fitzgerald (Neil Pearson), Deputy Head Lorna Hutchinson (Laura Aikman), Head of English Christine Mulgrew (Laurie Brett), Head of Modern Languages George Windsor (Angus Deayton), Home Economics Teacher and Housemistress Maggie Budgen (Melanie Hill); History Teacher Audrey McFall (Georgie Glen), GPD Teacher Guy Braxton (Regé-Jean Page), Science Teacher Marco D'Olivera (Stefano Braschi), Geography Teacher Olga Fitzgerald (Pooky Quesnel) and School Secretary Sonya Donnegan (Victoria Bush). An extensive set of pupils were prominent in the final series, including Rhiannon Salt (Rebecca Craven), Lenny Brown (Joe Slater), Lisa Brown (Caitlin Gillespie), Darren Hughes (Mark Beswick), Shaznay Montrose (Je'Taime Morgan Hanleyand), Justin Fitzgerald (Max Bowden), Leo Fitzgerald (Zebb Dempster), Kenzie Calhoun (Charlotte Beaumont), Scott Fairchild (Andrew Still), Carrie Norton (Tahirah Sharif), Bonnie Kincaid (Holly Jack), Dale Jackson (Finlay MacMillan) and Abdul Bukhari (Armin Karima).

The final episode of series 3 attracted 6 million viewers.[30]

The final episode of series 4 attracted 4.5 million viewers.[31]

The last episode of series 5 aired on 15 July 2010 with an audience of 4.5 million viewers.[32]

Series six started airing on BBC One from 1 September, with the second episode following the next day with a strong audience of 5.1m.[33] The series took a mid-term break from 27 October 2010 and resumed with episodes 11–20 beginning on 2 February 2011[34]

The second half of series ten was moved to BBC Three.

The final episode aired on 9 March 2015, nine years after the first episode aired on 9 March 2006.[35]

Series one and two were released by 2entertain, whilst series three to eight were released by Acorn DVD. Series nine and ten still have not been released on home media.

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Waterloo Road (TV series)

• Official website – web archive
• Waterloo Road at BBC Programmes
• Waterloo Road at Shed Media (web archive)
• Waterloo Road on IMDb
• Waterloo Road at TV.com