Sheridan Smith to Star in New Channel 5 Thriller

Sheridan Smith (Cilla, Cleaning Up, The C Word) has been cast as the lead in the new Channel 5 and Clapperboard psychological thriller Teacher.

Created by Barunka O’Shaughnessy (Motherland, Alabama, Hitmen) and Mike Benson (Cold Call), the drama follows Jenna, a state schoolteacher, whose life unravels after being accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her pupils. With no memory of the night in question, Jenna’s only hope of redemption lies in uncovering the truth about a dark event in her past that returns to haunt her.

O’Shaughnessy will also serve as lead writer and Dominic Leclerc (From Darkness, The A Word, Babs) will direct with Benson as executive producer. Entertainment One (eOne) will manage the international distribution for the series, outside of the U.K.

The cast also includes Samuel Bottomley (Get Duked!, Ghost Stories, Ackley Bridge), Cecilia Noble (Small Axe, The Lady in the Van, Black Mirror), Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary, Finding Alice, Sherlock), David Fleeshman (It’s a Sin, All Creatures Great and Small, National Treasure) and Ian Puleston-Davies (Tin Star, Marcella, Pennyworth).

Mike Benson, managing director of Clapperboard, commented: “When we first developed Teacher we had Sheridan in mind as someone who could bring empathy and complexity to the character of Jenna—so the fact she has agreed to come on board is hugely exciting. With eOne now attached, we also have a partner who shares both ours and Channel 5’s ambition for Teacher—to explore the challenging and provocative themes thrown up by these types of cases.”

Noel Hedges, eOne’s executive VP of acquisitions, international distribution added, “The international appetite for gripping, contemporary serials continues to be high and Teacher promises to be a must-watch title for later this year, especially with the incomparable Sheridan Smith taking the lead role in this highly anticipated series.”