Ackley Bridge (Channel 4 2017, Jo Joyner, Paul Nicholls)

A new six-part schools drama series starring Jo Joyner, Paul Nicholls, Sunetra Sarker, Arsher Ali, Liz White, Adil Ray, Poppy Lee Friar and Amy-Leigh Hickman.

Ackley Bridge is a Yorkshire mill town, home to a largely divided white and Asian population. Like the communities, the school systems have also become segregated. However as two formerly isolated comprehensives are merged into a brand new academy, Ackley Bridge College, the lives and cultures of each are set to collide.

It’s the first day at the newly integrated school, and best friends and neighbours Missy (Lee Friar) and Nas (Hickman) are now attending the same school for the very first time. Nas’s more conservative school friends take against Missy. Nas sides with her school friends and Missy, fuelled by anger, decides to play dangerous liaisons.

Meanwhile English teacher Emma Keane (White) gets a shock when she finds out that she’ll be working with her ex-boyfriend Sami (Ali). She then gets a further surprise when her 15-year-old daughter Chloe (Fern Deacon) drunkenly bursts into her classroom, having caught a cab from Peckham.

Elsewhere, Head Teacher Mandy (Joyner) has problems of her own and puts her husband, PE teacher Steve (Nicholls), in charge of troubled pupil Jordan (Samuel Bottomley), but Jordan might prove too much for him to handle – especially when he crudely points out how close Mandy’s getting to school sponsor Sadiq Nawaz (Ray).

cast
Jo Joyner as Mandy
Paul Nicholls as Steve
Sunetra Sarker
Arsher Ali as Sam
Liz White as Emma Keane
Adil Ray as Sadiq Nawaz
Poppy Lee Friar as Missy
Amy-Leigh Hickman as Nas
Samuel Bottomley as Jordan
Fern Deacon as Chloe

key behind the scenes crew
Malcolm Campbell as Writer
Anya Reiss as Writer
Penny Woolcock as Director
Alexander Lamb as Producer

show type
Drama

broadcast from
Wednesday 7 June 2017
6×50 minute episodes

network and production companies
Channel 4 – The Forge