The Teacher: What the Must Watch reviewers think
Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.
This week, Scott Bryan and Hayley Campbell review The Teacher on Channel 5 and My5. Sheridan Smith stars as a teacher who is accused of having a relationship with a student. But she can’t remember the night in question.
Channel 5
Hayley says: “Either side of this story could be believable”
"I quite liked this one. I thought it was interesting because this is usually the kind of story we’d see with a male teacher and a female student. Even in the news that kind of stuff is more common and I think any kind of physiological thriller is more captivating if it’s about a person who cannot even trust their own take on a situation. Not even being able to trust your own mind is one of the most frightening things.
"This story could have been incredibly badly handled in the wrong hands but I think Sheridan Smith is a great actor. She manages to strike the right balance between a woman with a serious drinking problem and an English teacher who is more supportive of her students than most. The other teachers around her are questioning why she’s so interested in these kids, and either side of this story could be believable.”
Channel 5
Scott says: “It’s a good watch”
"We’ve reviewed a lot of Channel 5 dramas, some have been rather good or know exactly what they’re trying to do. There are others which come across as a bad play with TV cameras rolling.
"I see this one as a little bit of both. It does have great plotting, it’s paced well and the premise is interesting. It’s like two sides of a coin: there are two sides to every story and you work out what story is the right one. At the same time, some of the characters are a bit one dimensional.
"There’s a scene in a nightclub where Sheridan Smith is shouting ‘I love this song’ and it’s like they couldn’t get the rights to play any songs we know. It’s like royalty free music you’d hear in a lift. It’s not a Must Watch for me but it is a good watch.”
Channel 5
The Teacher is available now on My5.
Must Watch is released as a podcast every Monday evening from BBC Sounds and all other good podcast providers.
This week, the team speak to BBC Three controller, Fiona Campbell about the channel returning to TV. Plus, reviews of Pam & Tommy on Disney+ and The Tinder Swindler on Netflix.
