The Teacher

Channel 5 have made some good dramas lately - but this isn't one of them. Normally excellent Sheridan Smith plays a teacher accused of having sex with one of her 15 year old pupils after a drunken night out.

Production values were OK but nothing special, lots of strange filters... If you're trying to work out the location it was shot in Budapest but set in Bradford.

The show had a few problems for me. The setup and pacing was very slow and the storyline was dull with lots of clunky dialogue. Characters were all one-dimensional including the 24-hour party protagonist Jenna who I failed to bond with.

Plot had a lot of loopholes, behaviour of the Head to her after she's been accused, police arresting her so quickly, her solicitor who seemed to have taken a vow of silence etc. Acting by the cast wasn't great all round and no-one shone through, even Smith was below par. Won't be back for more, there's better out there.

Sheridan Smith is a great actress but this series was a little odd. The plot was there and it was good but the character was weird in the way that I couldn't tell whether she wanted to have a relationship with him as she seemed infatuated with him in a way. Still worth a watch but yeah, a little odd.

What a ridiculous story line. So unbelievable and far fetched. 'A teacher' on BBC does this story line so much better and is way more compelling. Really disappointed.

The first 2 episodes nailed it with the terror and consequences of accusation.

Everything that could've happened in a situation like this happened.

Realistically portrayed terror directed at the accused.

A rarity for a show to use every last drop of potential.

Brilliant acting all round especially from lead actress Sheridan Smith. Very likeable character, so selfless. How the producers of the show showed how seriously she took her role as teacher with regards her pupils.

The first 2 episodes would have me scoring this 10 stars but after the fallout of the accusation the show became just watchable with the investigation leading to one of those 'make it up as you go along' poor endings.

Well worth watching for what the teacher went through being accused.

Not the worse thing I have ever seen. Bizarrely set in Bradford but filmed in Hungary. Acting is mediocre and I struggled to sympathise with Sheridan who has either a drink or a cigarette in her hand in nearly every scene and portrays the stereo typical party girl - given her antics, it should not have come as shock when she found herself in trouble. I work in a private school and this school was more like a low rent state school. The whole thing felt rushed and why Hungary...must have been cheap!!