The Teacher: who is in cast of Channel 5 drama with Sheridan Smith, trailer, and when is it on TV?

Sheridan Smith stars in Channel 5 drama The Teacher, about a teacher accused of sleeping with a student
Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey in The Teacher (Credit: Channel 5)Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey in The Teacher (Credit: Channel 5)
Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey in The Teacher (Credit: Channel 5)

Sheridan Smith is starting strong in 2022 – she began the year with a role in the acclaimed Four Lives, and soon she’ll be starring in the highly anticipated ITV drama No Return.

This week, she’s headlining Channel 5 drama The Teacher, a four-part miniseries which is airing on consecutive nights from Monday 31 January.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Teacher.

What is it about?

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The series stars Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey, a teacher accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one her students.

Not remembering the night, Garvey must confront her own repressed trauma as she tries to uncover the truth while also navigating the repercussions from the allegations.

The series tackles a similar subject matter and themes to the similarly-named Kate Mara/Nick Robinson drama A Teacher.

Who stars in The Teacher?

Sheridan Smith stars as Jenna Garvey, the teacher with a difficult personal life accused of sleeping with a student. Smith is a prolific actor, who you might have recognised from recent drama Four Lives, or from previous roles in The Royle Family and The Moorside. She can be seen next in No Return on ITV.

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Samuel Bottomley plays Kyle, the student Garvey is accused of sleeping with. Bottomley has previously starred in Ackley Bridge, and had a supporting role in last year’s film Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

The other teachers are played by Kelvin Fletcher (Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure), Cecilia Noble (Small Axe, Black Mirror), and Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary). Meanwhile, David Fleeshman (It’s a Sin) appears as Jenna’s father.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is a trailer, and you can watch it right here.

Where did the series film?

Interestingly, even though the series is set in Bradford, near West Yorkshire, The Teacher was actually filmed in Hungary.

The series shot for six weeks in Budapest, which creator and executive producer Mike Benson explained was a budgetary decision. “We had to film in Budapest for funding reasons, and the team has done a fantastic job making it look like Bradford!” explained Benson to Wales Online.

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Sheridan Smith explained that it was a strange experience after lockdown, commenting “all the actors said we found the flight quite nerve-racking, because it had been two years since we had taken a plane anywhere. But once we got to Budapest all the anxiety went away, and it was a lovely job.”

Why should I watch the series?

Because Sheridan Smith is a talented actor, and this sort of not straightforwardly likeable character isn’t one you often see on television.

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