A former school building in Greenock is to be the new production base of the BBC drama series, Waterloo Road.
A planned move, from Rochdale, of its production was announced earlier this year, and the drama's new home is to be the former Greenock Academy, which will be leased from Inverclyde Council for the next two series of the show.
Made for BBC Scotland by independent TV production company, Shed Productions, Waterloo Road is currently in its seventh series.
Says the BBC: “Production is moving to Greenock from Rochdale as part of the BBC's network move to increase programming from Scotland and the other nations of the UK.
“Set-up work by Shed is likely to start as early as next month before set design and construction kicks off in January in time for filming to begin in April next year.
“Filming an initial 50 one-hour episodes over two years will provide a significant boost to the Scottish creative sector worth an estimated £20 million, while up to 200 jobs are also likely to be created from the move.”
Adds the BBC: “Set up by Eileen Gallagher, Brian Park, Maureen Chadwick and former secondary teacher Ann McManus in 1998, Shed Productions have been responsible for a number of high-profile dramas including Footballers' Wives and Bad Girls. In 2008 they established an office in Glasgow's Media Quarter, where last year they launched the online spin-off, Waterloo Road Reunited, which followed the post-school lives of some of the show's regular characters.
“Waterloo Road is part of BBC Scotland's thriving drama department, which recently made Case Histories and Garrow’s Law for BBC One and currently has a second series of Lip Service due for transmission for BBC Three. A new series based on vet James Herriot's student days, Young Herriot, will transmit in the next few months. The department's in-house team are also responsible for BBC Scotland's popular weekly soap, River City, which films across the Clyde in Dumbarton.”
