School-based drama Waterloo Road comes to BBC ONE, Thursday 9 March 2006, 8.00pm (BBC ONE Scotland, Sunday 12 March, 8.00pm)
Introduction
From the makers of Footballers' Wives and Bad Girls comes a new primetime drama, Waterloo
Road. Airing on BBC ONE from Thursday 9 March, Waterloo Road is set in the chaotic world of a failing northern comprehensive school.
Waterloo Road Comprehensive is on the scrap heap. It can be found very near the bottom of every league table there is.
Its despondent teachers have given up trying to make a difference as they struggle to cope with their own personal problems as well as their nightmare day jobs.
When the current Headmaster has a nervous breakdown, Jack Rimmer (Jason Merrells) is thrown into the hot seat – very reluctantly.
Jack is only too aware of the fate Waterloo Road will suffer if it doesn't improve – and fast.
He takes a huge gamble in recruiting optimistic, educational zealot Andrew Treneman (Jamie Glover) who wants to give up his comfortable private school job to bring the benefits of his elite educational experience to Waterloo Road.
Oxbridge educated Andrew is convinced strict discipline is the only way to save the kids and Waterloo Road Comprehensive from closure but he underestimates the massive size of the task.
To his dismay, he also discovers a big part of his job is to re-enthuse Jack whose solution to most management problems is a drink down the pub.
Together with feisty Guidance Head Kim Campbell (Angela Griffin) the three teachers – all committed in their very different ways – set to turn round Waterloo Road, painful step by painful step.
Meanwhile English teacher Tom Clarkson's (Jason Done) life is in a mess. He's about to be married to live-in girlfriend and fellow teacher Lorna Dickey (Camilla Power) and can't face telling her he is no longer in love.
But much worse, he has fallen for Lorna's closest friend – drama teacher Izzie Redpath (Jill Halfpenny).
Man-eating French teacher Steph Haydock (Denise Welch) is delighted Jack Rimmer has been promoted – she's always fancied him but now he's headmaster, his powerful, manly charms are impossible to resist.
Out in the playground teachers' nightmare Donte Charles (Adam Thomas) rules supreme. He's cool, a hit with the girls and rebellious.
His girlfriend Chlo (Katie Griffiths), like others, is easily impressed. But when a drunken night out goes terribly wrong, this young ill-fated couple are suddenly thrown into a world out of their control.
Key Cast
| Jason Merrells | 'Jack Rimmer' – Acting Headmaster |
| Jamie Glover | 'Andrew Treneman' – New Deputy Headmaster |
| Jason Done | 'Tom Clarkson' – Teacher |
| Jill Halfpenny | 'Izzie Redpath' – Teacher |
| Camilla Power | 'Lorna Dickey' – Teacher |
| Angela Griffin | 'Kim Campbell' – Teacher |
| Denise Welch | 'Steph Haydock' – Teacher |
| Adam Thomas | 'Donte Charles' – Pupil |
| Katie Griffiths | 'Chlo Grainger' – Pupil |
AF
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