‘Waterloo Road’: BBC Commits To Teen Drama With Rare Double-Season Order

The BBC has shown serious commitment to teen drama Waterloo Road by putting in a double-series order.

Returning earlier this year after eight years off air, the show’s second season has already been filmed, meaning that three new seasons are now on their way. Rope Ladder Fiction and Wall to Wall North produce Waterloo Road out of Manchester.

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The show follows goings-on in a school in the north of England and was a huge hit between 2006 and 2015, before old episodes began amassing big numbers on iPlayer during lockdown. The BBC said Waterloo Road remains especially popular on 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. Double-series orders are rare at the BBC and tend to be reserved for long runners such as Call the Midwife and Death in Paradise.

“It’s been a joy to see Waterloo Road return to the BBC this year, delighting new and returning fans with its fantastic ensemble of relatable characters and a winning mix of heart, humour and high drama,” said BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt. “It’s been especially exciting to see the new boxsets prove so popular on iPlayer, and for the next brilliant generation of acting and production talent to break into the industry via their work on the series.”

Lindsay Williams is the series producer, with Adam Leatherland and Nasreen Ahmed as producers and Si Wall as story producer. Waterloo Road is executive produced by Cameron Roach for Rope Ladder Fiction, Leanne Klein for Wall To Wall, and Gaynor Holmes and Jo McClellan for the BBC.

Producers cast roles via various programs and open auditions in order to tap into the local talent base.

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