The school bell is ringing again, although the staff and pupils have a little longer to enjoy the peace and quiet. The BBC has confirmed ‘Waterloo Road‘ will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in January 2027 for Series 18. Better still for fans, the broadcaster has also recommissioned the drama through to Series 20, so the school isn’t closing its doors any time soon.
The announcement comes in the show’s 20th anniversary year. The original drama first opened its doors in 2006, before returning to screens in 2023 with a new generation of pupils, teachers and the sort of problems that make an ordinary school day look positively relaxing.
Janeece Bryant Is Back, And She’s Bringing Family
One of the biggest draws for the new series is the return of Chelsee Healey (Hollyoaks) as Janeece Bryant, one of the show’s original characters. Janeece was among the pupils when the drama began in 2006, and made a brief appearance when the series was revived in 2023.
This time, she’s bringing the next generation with her. Newcomer Lauren Hylton joins the cast as Janeece’s daughter, Cheryl Bryant, who will be attending Waterloo Road as a new pupil. Given Janeece’s own colourful history at the school, it should be interesting to see how she handles being on the parental side of things. She’s certainly got plenty of experience of what not to do in a classroom.
New Pupils, New Teachers, Same Old School Problems
Cheryl won’t be the only new face in the corridors. Joining the student cast are Leo Ashton as Liam Shaw, Callum Broome as Nathan Clark, Yousef Naseer as Ibrahim Azzi, Lewis Pemberton as Cane Morris, and Keelan Wright as Marshall Clark.
And because a school full of teenagers apparently wasn’t challenging enough, there are also three newly qualified teachers ready to discover what they’ve signed up for. Tashinga Bepete plays Edward Connell, Cora Kirk plays Leah Merchant, and Mollie Winnard plays Gemma Tully.
The BBC has released a first-look image of the trio, looking impressively composed for people about to take on the pupils of Waterloo Road. Give it a few weeks of marking, staff meetings and classroom surprises, and we’ll see how they’re doing.
Specific storylines remain under wraps, but the new episodes will continue to tackle real-life issues affecting teenagers, their families and school staff. As ever, the heavier subjects will be balanced with friendships, romance and some much-needed humour. After all, there is only so much misery you can squeeze into a school timetable.
More Waterloo Road Is Already On The Way
The BBC has also confirmed that the revival has now reached its tenth commissioned series, taking ‘Waterloo Road’ through to Series 20. Filming for that series is already underway in Greater Manchester, even though Series 18 is the next one viewers will see. So, no, the BBC hasn’t suddenly decided to skip a couple of school years.
Cameron Roach, founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and executive producer of the drama, said: “When we brought Waterloo Road back, we were hopeful of a long-term future, so to be commissioned for a tenth series of the reboot really is an incredible achievement and testament to the exceptional creative team, cast and crew.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “We’re so pleased to announce a new series of Waterloo Road, giving audiences the opportunity to follow the drama of the characters they’ve come to know and love. We look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds for the pupils and staff of Waterloo Road, and can’t wait for the series to return this January.”
The production also continues to support the television industry in Greater Manchester. As part of the BBC’s Made of Manchester campaign, the drama works with Screen Manchester to create training and development opportunities for new talent, while introducing local young people to careers both in front of and behind the camera.
There is no exact January premiere date just yet, but at least fans know when the next term begins. And with more episodes already in production, it looks like the school will be keeping its doors open for quite a while.
‘Waterloo Road‘ Series 18 premieres in January 2027 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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