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Annie Roberts

Channel 5 The Teacher: Release date, cast and trailer for new Sheridan Smith drama

Channel 5 are set to air a brand new psychological thriller, The Teacher, with BAFTA-winning actress Sheridan Smith leading the cast.

The new four-part drama follows high-school teacher Jenna Garvey who is accused of sleeping with one of her pupils but has no memory of the night in question.

Sheridan has revealed that her latest role will make viewers feel "incredibly uncomfortable" in a drama that is set to have plenty of twists and turns.

Read more: Sheridan Smith dramas: When are The Teacher and No Return airing and what channels are they on?

But when does The Teacher star? Where can you watch it and who is in the cast? Here's all the details:

When does The Teacher start on Channel 5?

The Teacher starts on Channel 5 on Monday, January 31 at 9pm.

The series will continue each night that week with the final fourth episode on Thursday, February 3 at 9pm. You will be able to catch up on the episodes on My5.

Who does Sheridan Smith play in new drama The Teacher?

Sheridan Smith will be taking on the lead role of Jenna Garvey, who is in her mid-30s and an English teacher at a selective grammar school.

The 40-year-old actress said taking on the role of Jenna was "exciting" as she loves to play "flawed and complex" characters.

Sheridan Smith as teacher Jenna (Channel 5/Galgóczi Németh Kristóf/Chalkboard TV)

"I do want the audience to doubt Jenna and to feel unsure about where they stand," Sheridan said of her character, "I think she is a bit naïve, she's on a mission to save working class kids because that’s where her mum comes from, and she really hates the fact that privileged kids can get further in life.

"She tries to be a mate to her students, which is her undoing in the end. There are teacher-student boundaries and she has maybe let that slip.

Jenna (Sheridan Smith) and Jack (Kelvin Fletcher) (Channel 5/Galgóczi Németh Kristóf/Chalkboard TV)

"There were scenes where I was thinking, 'This is so terrible, you'd be fired immediately'," Sheridan added: "Her actions didn't sit right with me, but I enjoyed playing them as well. It will make incredibly uncomfortable viewing and you won’t know if you like her or not."

Full cast list for The Teacher

There is a star-studded cast lined up for The Teacher including Ackley Bridge star Samuel Bottomley who plays opposite Sheridan as the 15-year-old pupil, Kyle Hope.

Kyle played by Samuel Bottomley (Channel 5/Galgóczi Németh Kristóf/Chalkboard TV)

The following will all star as Jenna's teaching colleagues:

  • Kelvin Fletcher (Moving On, Death In Paradise, Emmerdale) - Jack

  • Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary, Finding Alice, Sherlock) - Nina

  • Cecilia Noble (Small Axe, The Lady in the Van, Black Mirror) - Pauline Booth

Pauline (Cecilia Noble) and Nina (Sharon Rooney) (Channel 5/Galgóczi Németh Kristóf/Chalkboard TV)

The cast also includes:

  • David Fleeshman (It’s a Sin, All Creatures Great and Small, National Treasure) - Jenna’s Father
  • Ian Puleston-Davies (Tin Star, Marcella, Pennyworth) - Arnold/Brian
  • Tillie Amartey (CBBC's Chloe) - Izzy
  • Sarah-Jane Potts (Casualty/Waterloo Road) - Kyle's Mum, Mary

Where was The Teacher filmed?

Although the series is set in Bradford, the cast and crew spent six weeks filming in Budapest, Hungary for this new drama.

Speaking of the experience, creator and executive producer Mike Benson said: "We had to film in Budapest for funding reasons, and the team has done a fantastic job making it look like Bradford! It was challenging and at times felt like a pressure cooker given the Covid restrictions limited how much cast and crew could socialise and relax together.

"There were points when I didn't think we would get through it, but fortunately we had a really professional team and a really good Covid officer, and we managed it."

The Teacher starts on Channel 5 on Monday, January 31 from 9pm.

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