The reason behind the move:
It was announced late 2011 that the show will be relocating to Scotland for its eighth series. The 10 episodes starting from 22nd February 2012 were the last ones filmed at the original set in Rochdale. Seven series were filmed at the famous Rochdale set in Greater Manchester from 2006 to 2011, however now filming will start at the former Greenock Academy in Greenock, 25 miles outside of Glasgow. Filming will begin on the 2nd April 2012 and run until December. BBC Scotland offered the show an extra 50 more episode if it relocated to Scotland. The storyline will play out on screen with an ‘explosive’ storyline at the end of series seven then some of the current teachers and students move to set up and independent school I Greenock which will keep the Waterloo Road name.
There has been many doubt and uncertainty among fans that adore the show and many are unsure that the show will maintain its way of realing with real-life situations. However, the show will remain the exact same show that all the fans adore. It will still contain a majority of the old cast along with some new faces. It just has a new location and new story lines.
There has been many doubt and uncertainty among fans that adore the show and many are unsure that the show will maintain its way of realing with real-life situations. However, the show will remain the exact same show that all the fans adore. It will still contain a majority of the old cast along with some new faces. It just has a new location and new story lines.
Current cast CONFIRMED for Series 8:
Alec Newman
(Michael Byrne) Chelsee Healey
(Janeece Bryant) |
Philip Martin Brown
(Grantly Budgen) Mark Benton
(Daniel Chalk) Kane Tomlinson Weaver
(Harley Taylor) |
Jaye Jacobs
(Sian Diamond) Naveed Choudhry
(Tariq Siddiqui) Katie McGlynn
(Jodi Allen) |
Melanie Hill
(Maggie Croft) Georgia Henshaw
(Madi Diamond) William Rush
(Josh Stevenson) |
Jason Done
(Tom Clarkson) Kaya Moore
(Pheonix Taylor) |
New CONFIRMED Series 8 Cast:
Paige Meade
(Jade Fleming) Year 12 Adiza Shardow
(Liberty Gordon) Year 12 |
Laurie Brett
(Christine Mulgrew) English Teacher Marlene Madenge
( Lula Tsibi ) Year 11 |
Alex Norton
(Gerald Findley) Rivarly School Head Kirstie Steele
(Imiogen Stewart) Year 12 |
Shane O'Meara
(Connor Mulgrew) Year 12 Benjamin Gur
(Gus Hanock) Year 12 |
Rebecca Craven
(Rhiannon Salt) Year 12 |
Google maps view of the location:
Storyline Following the Move:The new term in Scotland in a school funded by businesswoman and philanthropist Lorraine Donnegan (played by Daniela Denby Ashe) is an ex pupil of Michael’s who she credits with her desire to succeed and now she wants to pay something back by headhunting Michael to run a new school in a deprived area of
Glasgow. Together, Michael and Lorraine open a new type of independent school, open to all but without payment, free from the ‘ball and chain’ years of prescribed initiatives and counter-productive focus on league tables and box ticking. Lorraine is the sole investor and is able to run the school as she and Michael see fit. The school is based on the belief that all children are capable of anything given the proper teaching. It’s going to be a school of hope, of inspiration and creativity but also of hard work, competition and personal and academic high standards. See some images and video's of the Series 8 Filming in the 'Filming' tab. |
School Reporters at the new Waterloo Road set.School Reporters from Inverclyde Academy look around the new set of hit BBC TV show Waterloo Road, which has moved from Rochdale near Manchester to the Scottish town of Greenock.
The students ask what viewers can expect in the new series, and consider what impact having such a major show in Greenock will have on the town |