The Teacher (2022 TV series)

Not to be confused with A Teacher (miniseries).

The Teacher
GenreDrama
Created byMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Written byMike Benson
Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Jon Gilbert[1] (series 1)
Michael Crompton
Rebecca Wojciechowski (series 2)
Directed byDominic Leclerc
Starring
ComposerEdmund Butt
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerMike Benson
ProducerJyoti Fernandes
Production locationHungary
CinematographyBenjamin Pritchard
EditorJohn Phillipson
Running time60 minutes
Production companyClapperboard Studios
Original release
NetworkChannel 5
Release31 January 2022 (2022-01-31) –
present

The Teacher is a British anthology drama, produced by Channel 5, created by Mike Benson and Barunka O'Shaughnessy. The first four-part series stars Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey, a secondary school teacher accused of having sex with a pupil.[2][3] The episodes were shown over four successive evenings from 31 January 2022.

The programme was renewed for a second series, which began airing on 9 September 2024.[4]

Plot summary

Series 1

Jenna Garvey is an English teacher who is good at her job and popular with her pupils but has a shambolic personal life. She is charged with having sexual intercourse with one of her pupils, 15-year-old Kyle, after a drunken night out.[5]

Jenna decides to plead guilty since she was too drunk to remember what happened on the night in question, and she wants to avoid forcing Kyle to give evidence. She receives a suspended sentence and a community service order. Soon after, she discovers that the evidence against her was fabricated.

Series 2

The series focuses on a new teacher, Dani, whose life spirals out of control when a pupil goes missing on a school trip.

Cast

Series 1

Series 2

Production

Although the first series is set in Bradford, it was mostly filmed in Budapest, Hungary, due to the financial savings offered by both cheaper overseas operating costs, and the financial support of the Hungarian Government and the Hungarian Film Institute.[6] The final editing process combined the Hungarian material with a smaller number of scenes filmed in and around Newcastle/Gateshead for the addition of scene-setting local landmarks.

Episodes

Series 1 (2022)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Dominic LeclercMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy31 January 2022 (2022-01-31)5.63
2"Episode 2"Dominic LeclercMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy1 February 2022 (2022-02-01)5.37
3"Episode 3"Dominic LeclercMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Jon Gilbert2 February 2022 (2022-02-02)5.23
4"Justice"Dominic LeclercMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy3 February 2022 (2022-02-03)5.59

Series 2 (2024)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions)
1TBADominic LeclercMichael Crompton9 September 2024 (2024-09-09)N/A
2TBADominic LeclercRebecca Wojciechowski10 September 2024 (2024-09-10)N/A
3TBADominic LeclercRebecca Wojciechowski11 September 2024 (2024-09-11)N/A
4TBADominic LeclercMichael Crompton12 September 2024 (2024-09-12)N/A

Reception

Series 1

Carol Midgley of The Times gave the first series four out five stars, dubbing it "highly entertaining" thanks to Smith and the lurid plot elements.[7] Sean O'Grady of The Independent also gave it four out five stars, praising Smith's performance.[8] Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph gave it three out of five stars, also commending Smith but questioning the script and direction.[9]

Series 2

Emily Watkins of i News was critical of the series' writing and characters, dubbing it 'heavy handed silliness'.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Speakers | Jon Gilbert | London Screenwriters' Festival". Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ "My5". www.channel5.com. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  3. ^ Geall, Kayleigh Dray & Lauren (1 February 2022). "Sheridan Smith's The Teacher is coming to Channel 5 this week". Stylist. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-teacher-season-2-air-date-newsupdate/
  5. ^ "The Teacher cast: Meet the characters of the Sheridan Smith drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. ^ "How Channel 5's The Teacher turned Budapest into Bradford". The Independent. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ^ Midgley, Carol. "The Teacher review — Sheridan Smith turns in a class act". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Sheridan Smith's performance in The Teacher balances flair with vulnerability: review". The Independent. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  9. ^ Singh, Anita (31 January 2022). "The Teacher, review: Sheridan Smith excels as the tutor you wouldn't let near your teenage sons". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  10. ^ https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-teacher-review-if-you-liked-the-first-series-i-have-very-bad-news-3258911