| Waterloo Road | |
|---|---|
| Series 13 | |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One BBC iPlayer |
| Original release | 2 January 2024[1] – present |
| Series chronology | |
The thirteenth series of the British television drama series Waterloo Road began airing on 2 January 2024.[2]
The show follows the lives of staff and pupils of the eponymous secondary school in Greater Manchester while tackling a range of social issues. Topics covered include discussions around transforming the school into an academy, grief, catfishing, truancy, cultural identity, teen pregnancy, cancer, child abuse, planning for the future, theft, isolation, student-teacher crushes, abortion, family conflict, and relationship issues.
Previously news reports had revealed that series thirteen would introduce five new cast members as pupils, namely Hattie Dynevor as Libby Guthrie, Zak Sutcliffe as Schumacher "Schuey" Weever, Tillie Amartey as Stacey "Stace" Neville, Maisie Robinson as Portia Weever, and Aabay Noor Ali as Mollie 'Mog' Richardson.[3][4]
| No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215 | "Episode 1" | Vicky Thomas | Davey Jones | 2 January 2024 | TBD | |
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Kim decides to tackle truancy with a new life skills initiative, starting with letters to parents of the most persistent offenders, employing a carrot and stick approach. The carrot being the promise of a free bus to Waterloo Road on the first day of the new term, and the stick highlighting that truancy is a criminal offence with a potential £2000 fine. Tonya is spotted shoplifting at the local off-licence, but an intervention by new pupil Schuey, results in them getting away. Pursued by the shopkeeper, they make it onto the school bus, but when the driver refuses to drive until the kids sit down, Schuey pushes him out and commandeers the bus. When Dean bumps into his cousins Schuey and Portia, despite the shared rebellious streak, it seems that they have little in common. In the meantime aided and abetted by Noel, he creates a fake profile for Coral on social media and proceeds to 'catfish' Neil. Samia, Val and much of the school is still reeling from the death of Danny. Kai proposes the retirement of Danny's basketball shirt number with many signing the framed top. With the frame damaged by the unruly new pupils, Lindon takes the shirt for reframing, but fails to notice it is stolen by Stace. Confronted by Samia and a cohort of Danny's friends, the rival groups trade insults before the all too predictable partisan punch-up, during which Tonya lands a right hook on the loud-mouthed Schuey, resulting in a bloodied nose. Schuey accuses Donte of being his assailant. Feeling neglected, Tonya joins forces with Schuey in an attempt at making Donte's life difficult. Having blocked a toilet to get him out of the way, they enter his office and steal a bracelet belonging to Izzy. When the police arrive, having identified her as the shoplifter, Donte defends Tonya like he would one of his own children, leading to a crisis of conscience. | ||||||
| 216 | "Episode 2" | Vicky Thomas | Jayshree Patel | 9 January 2024 | TBD | |
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Andrew and Kim's personal relationship continues apace, and having highlighted the benefits that Waterloo Road could gain by becoming an Academy, finds Kim gradually starting to come round to the idea. She is keen to join his trust-led group of schools, but decides to keep it under wraps from her staff until Neil, now teachers' representative on the board of governors, reveals all. Some of the staff suspect Kim's judgement may be clouded by her personal feelings for Andrew. Preston is welcomed back to school by Kai, but is surprised to learn that his friend is now basketball team captain. Feeling displaced by Kai, he decides that his future lies at a specialist sports college where he can make a fresh start. Amy convinces him to become a peer mentor to new year 9 student Mog who had been previously home-schooled. Astute and intelligent, she trades barbs with Preston but when he insults her, storms off. Eventually, the two find common ground participating in an online multiplayer game. Kelly Jo discovers Dean's catfishing and becomes part of the conspiracy. Meanwhile, Neil misconstrues conversations with Coral to comic effect. When Kelly Jo suggests that Neil might be the type to have a foot-fetish, the gang send a picture of Dean's feet with painted toe-nails to him. Finding the terrible tootsies a turn-off, Neil eventually confronts Coral in person about their 'situationship' and it finally dawns on him that he has been the victim of some skullduggery by person or persons unknown. In cahoots with Coral, he turns the tables on the culprits. That afternoon as he is leaving for an after work drink with Coral he receives an unexpected visitor. | ||||||
| 217 | "Episode 3" | Angela Griffin | Natalie Mitchell | 23 January 2024 | TBD | |
| Shola tells a white lie that spirals out of control, and when her innocent obsession is exposed, it sends shockwaves through the school. Meanwhile, Mike finds himself in a sticky situation, and Joe struggles to clean up his mess. For Kim, a crucial meeting proves to be a disaster, but when she learns of some life-changing news, she’s forced to make a difficult decision. Elsewhere, Libby is on a mission to stay at Waterloo Road and will do whatever it takes to get her own way. | ||||||
| 218 | "Episode 4" | Angela Griffin | Jayshree Patel & Jessica Barnes | TBA | TBD | |
| It’s a big day for Kelly Jo as she presents her work to the whole school as well as trying to work out who she is and where she is going. Dean’s support leaves a lot to be desired. Whilst proving to be a thorn in Kelly Jo’s side, Libby masterminds a plan to get Amy out of her family home. Meanwhile, Nicky and Donte are presented with a fresh set of challenges, and their situation raises an intriguing topic of discussion. | ||||||
| 219 | "Episode 5" | Mickey Jones | Gareth McLean | TBA | TBD | |
| Schuey fumes at Amy over an innocent mistake, and when he lashes out, they soon come head-to-head. Battling to keep a lid on her emotions, Amy has some choice words for Schuey, but with the school up in arms, Amy’s left regretting her actions. There’s an exciting discovery for Dean and Noel, but Kelly Jo brings Dean crashing back down to earth with a life-changing revelation. For Samia and Libby, their friendship hangs in the balance when their plan to fluke their mocks spectacularly backfires. | ||||||
| 220 | "Episode 6" | Mickey Jones | Julia Kent | TBA | TBD | |
| Kelly Jo makes a momentous decision with the support of Samia, whilst Dean continues to spiral, proving that he’s his own worst enemy. With most of the teachers away on an inset day, year 11 is busy with revision. Leading the pack, Libby coaxes the teens away from their study session, and they soon run riot in school, leading to a dramatic turn of events. Meanwhile, Joe discovers some unsettling news regarding the academy takeover, and Andrew has a setback after pushing himself too hard. | ||||||
| 221 | "Episode 7" | Paulette Randall | Rebekah Harrison | TBA | TBD | |
| Tonya is forced to take drastic action after a scandalous discovery, and the school is plunged into darkness after a blackout. Preston keeps a keen eye on Tonya, but when Schuey continues to cause chaos, Preston takes the law into his own hands. Neil and Coral butt heads, and Libby goes to extreme lengths to keep her dad on side. Elsewhere, Kai’s presented with an exciting idea regarding his future. | ||||||
| 222 | "Episode 8" | Paulette Randall | Neil Jones | TBA | TBD | |
| Donte is rocked by a ghost from his past that threatens life as he knows it. Meanwhile, Kim and Nicky find Schuey in a precarious situation, and when they’re forced to act, anarchy soon strikes Waterloo Road. Coral faces repercussions, and as the rumour mill goes into overdrive, Neil is left wondering how well he truly knows his daughter. Elsewhere, Andrew finds hope in the unlikeliest of places, and Dean pleads his case to Kelly Jo. | ||||||