The Teacher (2022 TV series)

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The Teacher
GenreDrama
Created byMike Benson & Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Written byMike Benson
Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Jon Gilbert[1]
Directed byDominic Leclerc
Starring
ComposerEdmund Butt
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4 (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 (2022-01-31) –
3 February 2022 (2022-02-03)

The Teacher is a 2022 four-part drama produced by Channel 5, created by Mike Benson and Barunka O'Shaughnessy. It stars Sheridan Smith as Jenna Garvey, a secondary school teacher accused of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old pupil.[2][3] It consists of four episodes, which were shown over four successive evenings from 31 January 2022.

Plot summary[edit]

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 sex with one of her pupils, Kyle, after a drunken night out.[4]

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.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Although the 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.[5] 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[edit]

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

Reception[edit]

Carol Midgley of The Times gave it four out five stars, dubbing it "highly entertaining" thanks to Smith and the lurid plot elements.[6] Sean O'Grady of The Independent also gave it four out five stars, praising Smith's performance.[7] Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph gave it three out of five stars, also commending Smith but questioning the script and direction.[8]

References[edit]

  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. ^ "The Teacher cast: Meet the characters of the Sheridan Smith drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ Midgley, Carol. "The Teacher review — Sheridan Smith turns in a class act". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.

External links[edit]