Viewers absolutely devoured series one of The Teacher, which saw Sheridan Smith star as Jenna, a teacher whose life unravels after being accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her students. The drama proved so popular that it was renewed as an anthology, with series two introducing Kara Tointon as Dani, a teacher who embarks on an affair with colleague Jimmy (Will Mellor) during a school trip. When a student goes missing, their relationship becomes entangled in a web of lies, a police investigation, and a deeper murder mystery.
While the second instalment didn’t quite hit the same heights as the first, it still performed well enough to earn a third season.
If those idyllic towns are calling to you, it's time to pay them a visit.
The latest chapter of the school-based anthology launched on Monday, 30 March, featuring a strong ensemble cast including Victoria Hamilton, Steve Edge, Alice Grant, Olly Rhodes and Peter Ash.
New teacher, new faces, new scandal in the schoolyard, but can this third instalment live up to the first two? Here’s what fans of The Teacher are saying.
What is the plot of The Teacher season 3?
Victoria Hamilton (The Crown, Unforgotten, Doctor Foster) stars as Helen Simpson, a drama teacher with 30 years’ experience who openly dismisses the “woke” ideologies embraced by younger generations.
The synopsis reads: “Influential female student Cressida Bancroft dislikes Helen for accusing her of being a woke warrior to gain popularity. After this clash of ideals, Cressida sets out to turn the world against Helen, before focusing her attention on Helen's family, including her son Sam.”
“As Helen investigates Cressida’s past, she uncovers a life marked by sadness and neglect. But has she learned enough to prevent Cressida’s final, devastating act of revenge?”
Is The Teacher season 3 worth watching?
Episode one opens with Helen and Cressida clashing over the correct pronouns of non-binary student Dee Rainford-Thomas (Ellis Jupiter) and the devastating consequences.
Minutes into the new season, fans took to social media to express disappointment. Many felt the storyline rehashed ground that had already been covered in previous seasons.
A fan complained on X, "Is this a repeat? I feel I've already seen this before! #theteacher."
Another added, "Five minutes in and I seriously am not gonna be able to watch this."
“The other 2 series were great. Not feeling this one as much #theteacher,” a third wrote.
Some viewers took issue with the storyline itself rather than its familiarity.
“Why do these dramas feature hard-working parents who don't understand or have time for their rude, stroppy teenage children? Tiresome. #theteacher,” one fan wrote on X.
The “anti-woke boomer” angle feels a bit tired, and a fresh twist, like flipping the dynamic to explore the radicalisation of youth through a woke teacher versus a bigoted student, might have been far more compelling.
What is The Teacher season 3 exploring?
However, not all viewers have been critical; many praised the first episode.
One fan exclaimed, "This is brilliant #TheTeacher," and another said, "Tuned in @channel5_tv for #TheTeacher new drama looks great."
Director Dominic Leclerc explained the approach, "The story explores queer culture from the perspective of younger and older generations. The impact of words on representation and identity is a cultural conversation that is alive right now, and we wanted to continue that in a sensitive way.”
He added, “From the very beginning, we were looking at ideas around gender identity and how young people have brought pronouns into our culture. The story is nuanced; we didn’t want to pit our groups of characters against each other with a single point of view because that’s not real.
Without giving too much away, the first episode sets up a juicy storyline that promises to unfold over the season, and we’ll be keeping a close eye to see how it resolves.
The Teacher airs every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday on Channel 5.
