Waterloo Road season 16 is here - and the big news for the new series is that stand-up comedian Jon Richardson is joining the cast.
Here is everything you need to know about the show as a new term at Waterloo Road gets underway...
Waterloo Road release date
Waterloo Road season 16 opens its doors for a new term on Tuesday, 23 September, when eight brand-new episodes land on BBC iPlayer.
Those who want to watch the series terrestrially are in for a treat as, each Tuesday, two episodes will be shown on BBC1 at 9pm, then again at 10.40pm. That's Tuesday nights sorted!
Waterloo Road season 16 cast
The big news for Series 16 of Waterloo Road is that stand-up comedian Jon Richardson is joining the cast.
The star of Meet the Richardsons and 8 Out of 10 Cats had everyone stumped when he announced via his social media earlier this year that he’d be quitting comedy to become a teacher.
There was some truth to his April Fool’s Day prank, however, when the BBC later revealed Jon was going back to school as media studies teacher, Darius Donovan.
"I'd mentioned to producers that I'd found a genuine old diary entry where, aged 15, I’d written: 'I'd love to be a comedian, but I'll probably end up being a teacher' and that’s how that prank video came about,’ Jon, 42, tells What To Watch, who joins regular cast members Lindsey Coulson as head teacher Dame Stella Drake, Adam Thomas as caretaker turned PE teacher Donte Charles, with Jason Merrells back as show favourite Jack Rimmer, in his new position as school counsellor.
"My first day on set was the most scared I've been since I started doing stand-up - but Lindsey, Jason, Adam and others were so kind. What a privilege to be in that cast - it’s like warming up for five-a-side and getting straight into the England team!"
Alongside Jon, Waterloo Road's other new faces include Fintan Buckard and Savannah Kunyo will play Stella's grandchildren, Ben and Hope, while Christine Bottomley appears later in the run as their mum - and Stella's troubled daughter Sam Drake.
The Other One's Christopher Jeffers jumps on board as Mitch Swift, the new SenCo (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator) lead.
Which other show favourites are returning?
Returning staff include James Baxter as languages teacher Joe Casey, Jo Coffey as Stella's PA Wendy Whitwell, Kym Marsh as dinner lady Nicky Walters and Hollie-Jay Bowes as Nicky's sister Debs Rafferty.
They're joined once again by Neil Fitzmaurice as history teacher Neil Guthrie, Rachel Leskovac as English teacher turned deputy head Coral Walker, Shauna Shim as music teacher Valerie Chambers and Ryan Clayton as resident police sergeant - and Joe's husband - Mike Rutherford.
Back for another term of trials and tribulations are Liam Scholes as student Noel McManus, Tillie Amartey as Stace Neville alongside Summer Violet Bird as Tonya Walters, Thapelo Ray as Dwayne Jackson, Scarlet Thomas as Izzy Charles and Cory McClane as Ashton Stone.
Also back are Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie, Lucy Chambers as Libby's sister Cat plus Zak Sutcliffe as reformed bad boy Schuey Weever and Niamh Blackshaw as Schuey's Christian girlfriend Agnes Eccleston.
What do we know about the plot for Series 16?
Well, it seems new boy Darius is marking his territory the minute he arrives at Waterloo Road.
"We first see Darius taking drugs in his car then walking into school - that tells you all you need to know about him as a person," explains Jon. "A womanising sociopath, Darius comes from a military background and sees Waterloo Road as somewhere to put roots down. Early on, however, he’s caught up in a dog-eat-dog scenario that could go one of two ways: either he loses his job or someone else does, so Darius does what he needs to do to survive - and doesn’t feel guilty about it."
Surely that kind of behaviour will come back to bite him?
"Darius always believes he’s just a good guy trying to make the best of bad situations," reveals Jon. "But, later, something truly awful happens - he makes a huge mistake and doesn’t mean for it to spiral as badly as it does. He’s then chasing his own tail, trying to cover it up. Darius is fun to play because he’s confrontational, direct, brave and bold - all things I don't think I am."
What's happening elsewhere?
Stella is distracted as she struggles to integrate her estranged grandkids, Ben and Hope, at the school. With their mother Sam still in hospital, Stella is under pressure to bring her A game at home and at school - but runs into problems when Hope makes a decision that has life-threatening consequences...
"As a grandmother myself, I know you must be extra vigilant when caring for somebody else’s child," says Lindsey Coulson, who plays Stella. "For Stella to know she hadn't been, isn’t a place you’d ever want to go to. Filming those scenes was emotional."
Meanwhile, Cat Guthrie and Izzy Charles lock horns over new boy Ben, as Schuey Weever and Agnes Eccleston cause uproar when they rebel against Stella’s 'inclusive' new rules. And as Jack Rimmer returns as School Counsellor, does he have what it takes to tackle the troubles of a new generation on his first day.
Does Jack form a friendship with new boy Darius?
Darius and Jack bond, yes, over their shared histories of dealing with addiction, as Jon explains...
"Jack has had his problems with addiction and has gone away and dealt with them, Darius feels he’s on top of his own demons, so sees Jack as a kindred spirit - but the pair eventually clash," he says.
"People might be able to understand Darius defending himself when backed into a corner - but what he does to Jack is unforgivable and they’ll begin to hope Darius gets a taste of his own medicine."
Is there a trailer for Series 16 of Waterloo Road?
There certainly is. Here's a teaser to whet your appetite...
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