Waterloo Road will return to screens for a second series since its revival, the BBC has confirmed.
The seven-episode new season, which will air in May, will bring back Jamie Glover as Andrew Treneman, who last appeared on the show in 2009.
The show was originally axed in 2015, but following an audience revival during the initial COVID lockdown, it returned to screens after an eight-year hiatus.
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said: “We are thrilled to have Waterloo Road return after its successful run earlier this year.
“Having Jamie Glover reprising his role as Andrew Treneman alongside our fantastic returning and new cast is a real treat and we can’t wait to share more stories from the school.”
More to come: Waterloo Road will return to screens for a second series since its revival, the BBC has confirmed
The show, which was set for secondary school, first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous difficult issues throughout its 200 episodes.
In its first return, it addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on school children.
Written by the creators of ITV prison drama Bad Girls, the gritty show was originally set in Rochdale but the series was later relocated to Greenock, Scotland.
The show, again centered around a Greater Manchester high school, tells the stories of the challenges teachers, parents and students face.
It also highlights the issues facing teenagers today, including the cost of living crisis, navigating as LGBTQ+, racism, sexism and mental health.
Angela Griffin returns for another term, portraying teacher Kim Campbell.
She said of the new season of the series: “It’s great to be back on BBC One and to be able to bring some great new episodes to iPlayer fans. We have such a wonderful and talented cast who all contribute so much to Waterloo Road.
“This series has some surprises in store for Kim and everyone around her, and I can’t wait for people to catch up on all the action inside and outside of school.”
Reprise: The seven-episode new season, which airs in May, will bring back Jamie Glover as Andrew Treneman, who last appeared on the series in 2009
And again! The show was originally axed in 2015, but following an audience revival during the initial COVID lockdown, it returned to screens after an eight-year hiatus
Jamie said: “I’m so excited to be returning to Waterloo Road.
“School has been such an important part of my life and it’s wonderful to be able to rekindle the old flame.
“Not to mention the joy of working once again with the incomparable Angela Griffin. I hope people will enjoy seeing Andrew and Kim back at school together. Older? Sure, there’s the gray hairs to prove it…! sage? Who knows?’
Waterloo Road launched the careers of The Capture star Holliday Grainger, 33, and Jenna Coleman, who went on to win awards for her role as Clara Oswald’s companion in Doctor Who and as Queen Victoria in Victoria.
The series, all ten series of which were released on BBC iPlayer before the lockdown, tackled issues such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drug addiction and cancer.
Hard storylines saw principal Rachel Mason (Eva Pope) revealed to be a former prostitute, an explosion rocked the canteen and student Maxine Barlow was shot dead by her boyfriend Earl Kelly.
The program ended in 2014 with BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore saying at the time it was “important to make room for new drama”.
Drama: Set at the secondary school, the show first aired in 2006 and won legions of fans by tackling numerous difficult issues throughout its 200 episodes
Axe: The program ended in 2014 with BBC1 controller Charlotte Moore saying at the time it was “important to make room for new drama”.
The news was announced by BBC1’s Twitter account, which wrote: “Series 10 of #WaterlooRoad will be the final series. We are incredibly proud of the show but believe it has reached the end of its life cycle. (sic)’.
Ms Moore said the BBC was “incredibly proud” of the show, but continued: “We believe it has reached the end of its life cycle and will not be returning after the end of series 10 in 2015.
“Creating space for new drama is important on BBC1 and we are committed to commissioning new drama series at 8pm. There are some really exciting ideas in development right now, but nothing to confirm yet.’
The final episode of the show aired on March 9, 2015.
Adam Thomas (Donte Charles), Kym Marsh (Nicky Walters), Vincent Jerome (Lindon King), James Baxter (Joe Casey), Jo Coffey (Wendy Whitwell), Shauna Shim (Valerie Chambers) and Neil Fitzmaurice return for another season (Neil Guthrie), Rachel Leskovac (Coral Walker), Katherine Pearce (Amy Spratt), Ryan Clayton (Mike Rutherford) and Sonia Ibrahim (Jamilah Omar).
Oops: In January, Kym Marsh accidentally dropped a big hint that Waterloo Road was being renewed for a second series
Filming: Kym, 46, who plays Dinner Lady Nicky Walters, raised questions about whether filming had already started as she shared a behind-the-scenes snap in the makeup chair on set
In fact, back in January, Kym Marsh accidentally dropped a big hint that Waterloo Road was being renewed for a second series.
Kym, 46, who plays Dinner Lady Nicky Walters, raised questions about whether filming had already started as she shared a behind-the-scenes snap on Instagram in the makeup chair on set.
Sharing a table full of beauty products, Kym captioned the photo: “Work hours!!! #WaterlooRoad.”
A source told Web at the time: “It’s no secret that more episodes of ‘Waterloo Road’ are in the pipeline and that filming for the series is continuing.
“There will be news in due course as to when more episodes will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer.”