Screw: release date of Channel 4 series, how many episodes are there, and who is in cast with Riley Carter?

Screw, a new drama set in a prison, began on Channel 4 on Thursday 6 January.

It stars Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls) and Nina Sosanya (His Dark Materials) as two prison officers with different, and often conflicting, perspectives on the work they do.

Here’s everything you need to know about Screw.

What is Screw about?

Screw is a drama about life in prison, told specifically from the perspective of the prison officers rather than the inmates.

It’s about the relationship between Leigh, a lifelong prison officer who’s grown frustrated with the system, and Rose, a trainee officer only just entering this world.

Writer and creator Rob Williams (The Victim) said that he hopes viewers will realise “that prison isn’t what they thought it was, because it’s far richer than it’s given credit for”.

How many episodes of Screw are there?

There are six episodes, each around 45 minutes.

Who is in the cast of Screw?

Screw stars Jamie-Lee O’Donnell as Rose Gill, a young trainee officer new to working in prisons. You’ll recognise O’Donnell from Derry Girls, where she plays Michelle. The beloved sitcom is set to return to Channel 4 soon.

Nina Sosanya stars as Leigh Henry, a woman who has worked as a prison officer her entire life and becomes something of a mentor to Rose. You’ll recognise Sosanya from all sorts of things – the prolific actor has starred in Love Actually, Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, Good Omens, and Doctor Who. Most recently, she’s appeared in Little Birds and Staged.

Riley Carter, who you might know as Kyle Slater in Eastenders, appears throughout Screw as inmate Troy Walker. Carter has a particularly big role in the second episode, which focuses on his character Troy.

Making up the rest of the cast is Faraz Ayub (Line of Duty, Bodyguard), Stephen Wight (I May Destroy You, Manhunt), Ron Donachie (Titanic, Game of Thrones), and Laura Checkley (King Gary, Detectorists).

Where can I see the trailer for Screw?

You can see the trailer for Screw below. It shows Rose’s (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) first days on the job as Leigh (Nina Sosanya) introduces her to prison life.

When is Screw on and how can I watch it?

Screw began on Channel 4 at 9pm on Thursday 6 January.

All six episodes of the series are available on All4 as a boxset.

Where was Screw filmed?

Screw was filmed in and around Glasgow. It’s not filmed in a real prison – a three-storey set was built inside Glagow’s Kelvin Hall.

What do the reviews for Screw say?

In National World’s review, we criticised the series for being a little underwritten, but hailed Nina Sosanya and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell’s performances.

You can read our review here.

Why should I watch Screw?

Because it stars one of the most reliable dramatic actors working, as well as a brilliant comic actor moving into a new genre.

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