Sheridan Smith “high stakes” crime drama from The Responder creator has release date confirmed on BBC One

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A new crime drama starring Sheridan Smith has been given its release date by BBC One.

The Cage centers around Smith’s character, Leanne, a casino worker from Liverpool who has been secretly stealing money.

But when she and her colleague, Matty, both start stealing from the company safe, their lives soon become chaotic.

Okay, so the story basically sets up this really tense situation where these two characters are headed for trouble on multiple fronts. They’re not just going to clash with each other, but they’re also stealing from a local gangster, and, naturally, the cops are going to get involved. It’s a recipe for a total showdown, honestly!

A new five-episode drama series from Tony Schumacher, the BAFTA-winning writer of The Responder, begins Sunday, April 26th at 9pm on BBC One. All episodes will also be available to stream as a complete set on BBC iPlayer.

Al Mackay, known for directing shows like Without Sin, Deep Water, and COBRA, will be directing this project.

I’m really excited about the cast they’re building for this! Alongside Socha and Smith, we’ve got Barry Sloane from House of the Dragon, Geraldine James who I loved in Dope Girls, plus Anton Bibby, Freya Jones, Sophie Mensah, and Abby Mavers. It’s a great group of actors and I can’t wait to see them all in action.

The cast also features Shaun Mason (known for Extraordinary), Louis Emerick (The Power of Parker), Ian Puleston Davies (Tin Star), Julia Papp (Baptiste), Katy Carmichael (Malpractice), Dave Hart (The Responder), Eileen O’Brien (Not Going Out), Eithne Browne (Broken), and Mona Goodwin (Black Mirror).

Before the show launched, Schumacher expressed his excitement about returning to the BBC with a new project. He said it was a privilege to collaborate with talented actors like Sheridan and Michael, as well as the teams at Element Pictures and the BBC.

Plus, having a director as talented as Al is the perfect finishing touch to this exciting Liverpool project we’re all working on.

I really hope audiences enjoy it – I want it to be funny and a little bit edgy, but ultimately heartwarming, lively, and a good time. I’m excited for everyone to finally see it!

You can watch The Cage starting Sunday, April 26th at 9pm on BBC One. All episodes will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Don’t miss out on The Cage! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

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Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist who covers a wide variety of shows, from reality TV like Love Is Blind to science fiction series like Fallout. She’s a highly qualified journalist, holding NCTJ Gold Standard accreditation, and has experience as a Deputy TV Editor at both Digital Spy and Daily Express US.

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2026-04-15 18:06