Gritty school drama is a real education...
Ackley Bridge back on our screens to tackle taboos
Joyner, below, returns as ambitious head teacher Mandy Carter and says the drama will delve even deeper into taboo subjects this season.
She revealed: “We’re doing twice as much this year, which is great because we’re getting to really look at lots of other characters and go into their stories.” A Channel 4 spokesman called Ackley Bridge “gritty yet playful, frank yet funny”, as it deals with integration “in its own unique way”. We see Nas continuing to explore her sexual identity while navigating her background, as dinner lady Kaneez (Sunetra Sarker) meets the challenge of her new independence. Sunetra said: “Kaneez is a force of nature, a good mother with a sense of humour but also a strict mother with a protective streak. “She is a voice in the community Lee Ridley and is fair to both white and Asian views. She has built herself from scratch. Arriving in England as a young Pakistani woman and finding her feet with the language and life skills she is a real example of selflearning and independence.”
The ex-casualty star, who has to master an accent that’s part-yorkshire, part Punjab, said the depth of the character attracted her to the show.
She added: “I hadn’t seen an Asian woman written like this for TV before. I knew instinctively that I wanted to bring something of my own to this woman.
“Kaneez shows you westernised ways side by side with her Islamic life and blends both humour and truth in an authentic way.”
Ackley Bridge, Channel 4, Tuesday at 8pm.