Autumn's fast approaching which means only one thing: Waterloo Road is back for a new term — and it's all change at the popular BBC1 school.
Here's everything we know about Waterloo Road season 14 so far...
Waterloo Road season 14 release date
Waterloo Road returns for its 14th series on Tuesday, September 10. All eight episodes of the new series will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am, with episode 1 airing on BBC1 at 8pm. Each episode will then air in the same slot each week.
What's changed at Waterloo Road?
The first big difference is that, after plans were put in place at the end of last series, Waterloo Road now has Academy status. And with that comes a shiny new, state-of-the-art school building for staff and pupils to navigate.
A new school also paves the way for a new headteacher as Waterloo Road welcomes comedian, presenter, actor and singer Jason Manford as Steve Savage, who is described as "a charismatic charmer who impresses everyone he meets and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to achieve the results he wants".
How do we first meet Steve?
Well, with former head Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) now working for the Academy Trust, the series opener sees deputy Joe Casey (James Baxter) getting his time to shine as he takes the reins as acting head. With experience of Academy schools under his belt, Steve is acting as mentor to Joe, insisting he'll observe from afar but is there if Joe needs him.
And Joe's SOS call comes sooner than expected as he has the absolute day from hell - involving wayward students and disgruntled staff - and Steve’s drafted in by the Trust to save the day. But is he really the man for Waterloo Road’s top job?
What else is new at Waterloo Road this term?
Alongside Jason Manford, joining the show this series are Saira Choudhry (No Offence, Life) as Maths teacher Nisha Chandra, who's described as 'a lazy genius with a lot of charisma who isn’t beyond bending the rules to suit herself' and Olly Rhodes (The Last Kingdom), who plays Steve Savage's son Billy and who soon discovers that, being the headteacher's son is harder than any maths test!
Which members of the teaching staff are returning?
As well as the afore-mentioned James Baxter as deputy Joe Casey, the returning parent and teacher cast includes Adam Thomas, who plays caretaker Donte Charles, Jo Coffey as secretary Wendy Whitwell, Rachel Leskovac as English teacher Coral Walker and Neil Fitzmaurice as history teacher Neil Guthrie, alongside Katherine Pearce and Shauna Shim, as drama teacher Amy Spratt and music teacher Valerie Chambers, respectively.
Kym Marsh returns as troubled dinner lady Nicky Walters, with Hollie-Jay Bowes as her warring sister Debs Rafferty.
And which students are returning for this series?
The students returning to wreak havoc in the corridors of Waterloo Road include, among others: Preston Walters (Noah Valentine), Tonya Walters (Summer Violet Bird), Kelly-Jo Rafferty (played by Alicia Forde), Dean Weever (Francesco Piacentini-Smith), 'Schuey' Weever (Zak Sutcliffe), Libby Guthrie (Hattie Dynevor), Noel McManus (Liam Scholes) and Stacey 'Stace' Neville (Tillie Amartey).
Is Angela Griffin no longer part of Waterloo Road?
Popular cast member Angela Griffin may have stepped away from playing Waterloo Road headteacher Kim Campbell on-screen - but Angela is still very present behind the scenes as she turns her hand to directing some episodes of this series. Here she is in action:
Is there going to be a Waterloo Road season 15?
Yes! Fans are in for a treat as it was recently announced that Waterloo Road has been recommissioned for two more series, meaning the BBC will air new series of Waterloo Road until at least 2026, bringing the total number of 'new era' episodes to 54.
Is there a trailer for Waterloo Road season 14?
There is indeed. After being announced as Waterloo Road's new headteacher, Jason Manford filmed a playful skit introducing his character Steve Savage. Here's a first look:
Waterloo Road returns to BBC1 and BBC iPlayer on Tuesday 10 September, 2024.
