'Ackley Bridge' is set to resume filming in September.
Sunetra Sarker
The Channel 4 school drama will return for a fourth series in 2021 and is to adopt a new format. Ten half-an-hour episodes will air across two weeks in an earlier evening slot, as opposed to the hour-long episodes in the previous series. The show had been due to air in September but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A number of new faces have joined the cast for the new series, such as Kayla (Robyn Cara) a funny, mixed-race pupil torn between the family of her white mother and her father's traditional Pakistani family and her fiercely intelligent best friend Fizza (Yasmin Al Khudhairi).
Ryan Dean also joins the cast as Johnny, a cocky, good-looking member of the travelling community who suspicious of school. Former 'Coronation Street' star Conor McIntyre will make a guest appearance as Johnny's grandad.
Further new pupils include Marina (Carla Woodcock), Kayla's 'mean girl' sister and smooth-talking Tahir (Shobhit Piasa).
They join returning cast members including Jo Joyner, Sunetra Sarker and Rob James Collier.
Rebecca Holdsworth, Channel 4 Commissioning Executive, said: "Refreshing the format to half hours not only reflects the viewing habits of our young audience, but gives the show a new look and feel as we welcome a brand new cast of characters to our screens."
George Ormond, Executive Producer at programme makers The Forge, added: "We are thrilled to be starting this new chapter in the Ackley Bridge story and we can't wait to introduce our new characters to the audience."
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