Ackley Bridge

Ackley Bridge is a Yorkshire mill town, home to largely divided white and Asian populations. 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. Lessons are about to be learnt in and out of the classroom, even if education isn’t the first thing on the agenda…

Starring Jo Joyner, Paul Nicholls, Arsher Ali, Liz White, Sunetra Sarker, Adil Ray, Poppy Lee Friar and Amy Leigh Hickman. Ackley Bridge, (6x60’), heralds Channel 4’s return to 8pm week night drama. Created by Ayub Khan Din (East is East), Kevin Erlis (Shameless) and Malcolm Campbell (Shameless, What Richard Did) it’s directed by Penny Woolcock (Tina Goes Shopping, Mischief Night, The Death of Klinghoffer, 1 Day) and written by Malcolm Campbell, Anya Reiss, Ishy Din, Suhayla el-Bushra and Ayub Khan Din.

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} Episode One

It’s the first day at the newly integrated school, Ackley Bridge College, and best friends and neighbours Missy and Nas are now attending the same school for the very first time. Nas’ 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 gets the surprise of her life when she finds out that she’ll be working with ex-boyfriend Sami. She then gets a further surprise when her 15 year old daughter Chloe bursts into her classroom drunk, having caught an Uber from Peckham. Elsewhere Head teacher Mandy has problems of her own and puts her husband, PE teacher Steve, in charge of troubled pupil Jordan, 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.

Episode Two

Jordan finds himself in charge of a baby that he has to sneak into school. It’s harder to conceal than he anticipated, and he blackmails Steve into helping him out. Unable to return it to its mother a stumped Steve ends up taking Jordan and baby back to his house which causes further issues to his already strained marriage to Mandy, leading her to fall into the ready arms of her boss, Sadiq. Missy agrees that if Cory sleeps with Nas she’ll sleep with Cory. However she soon discovers Cory has a loose tongue and that the whole school thinks this is an open opportunity. Missy calls the deal off and blows it open to Nas. Missy and Nas are brought together when Nas is inadvertently drawn into helping Missy recover money that Simone stole. Firm friends again Nas sides with Missy over Alya and confesses to Missy that she’s got a crush on someone Missy doesn’t expect.