{"id":2389912,"date":"2026-04-26T12:13:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T12:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2389912"},"modified":"2026-04-26T12:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T12:13:26","slug":"what-to-watch-tonight-sheridan-smiths-new-crime-drama-the-cage-will-have-you-gripped-from-the-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/what-to-watch-tonight-sheridan-smiths-new-crime-drama-the-cage-will-have-you-gripped-from-the-start\/","title":{"rendered":"What to watch tonight: Sheridan Smith&#8217;s new crime drama The Cage will have you gripped from the start"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-4f1973ac-7ecb-46e2-a4cd-521298980eac\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.womanandhome.com\/life\/news-entertainment\/exclusvie-sheridan-smith-i-fought-the-law\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.womanandhome.com\/life\/news-entertainment\/exclusvie-sheridan-smith-i-fought-the-law\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.womanandhome.com\/life\/news-entertainment\/exclusvie-sheridan-smith-i-fought-the-law\/\">Sheridan Smith<\/a> fans are in for a treat. Anything the actress stars in turns to gold, and BBC&#8217;s <em>The Cage<\/em> is no different.<\/p>\n<p>Also starring the equally talented Michael Socha, <em>The Cage<\/em> lands on BBC iPlayer on Sunday April 26 at 6am, and will also show on BBC One at 9pm the same day &#8211; clear your schedule because you won&#8217;t want to miss a single one of the five episodes.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-4f1973ac-7ecb-46e2-a4cd-521298980eac-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Both set and filmed in Liverpool and written by policeman-turned-screenwriter Tony schumacher, and has &#8220;a beautiful heart&#8221; within the quick moving drama.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"inline-block w-2.5 h-2.5 ml-2\" fill=\"currentColor\" preserveaspectratio=\"xMidYMid meet\" viewbox=\"0 0 1000 1000\"><path d=\"M1000 100L500 900 0 100h1000z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-[#333]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-[#333]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-normal&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">The series sees Sheridan portray Leanne, a single mum working as a casino cashier. She is also a carer for her Nanna who suffers with dementia, in the aftermath of her own mum&#8217;s death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">When her Nanna needs more care than Leanne can give her and has to go into a care home, Leanne&#8217;s difficult circumstances &#8211; also involving decisions her mum made before she died &#8211; leave her strapped for cash and about to lose her home.<\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video youtube-facade\" data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"elk-kQcWv6d-Q-k\">\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\">\n<div class=\"watch-on-iframe-kQcWv6d-Q-k\" data-yt-video-token=\"kQcWv6d-Q-k\" title=\"The Cage | Trailer - BBC - YouTube\">\n<span class=\"youtube-video-title\">The Cage | Trailer &#8211; BBC &#8211; YouTube<\/span><br \/>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"play-button\" viewbox=\"0 0 234.67 165.33\"><path fill=\"red\" d=\"M229.763 25.817c-2.699-10.162-10.65-18.165-20.748-20.881C190.716 0 117.333 0 117.333 0S43.951 0 25.651 4.936C15.553 7.652 7.6 15.655 4.903 25.817 0 44.236 0 82.667 0 82.667s0 38.429 4.903 56.85C7.6 149.68 15.553 157.681 25.65 160.4c18.3 4.934 91.682 4.934 91.682 4.934s73.383 0 91.682-4.934c10.098-2.718 18.049-10.72 20.748-20.882 4.904-18.421 4.904-56.85 4.904-56.85s0-38.431-4.904-56.85\"\/><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"m93.333 117.559 61.333-34.89-61.333-34.894z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"watch-on-youtube-kQcWv6d-Q-k\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kQcWv6d-Q-k\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kQcWv6d-Q-k\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\">Watch On <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"youtube-logo\" viewbox=\"0 0 507.9 113.39\"><g fill=\"#fff\"><path d=\"M64.792 80.99V32.396l42.082 24.297zm93.803-63.285a20.285 20.285 0 0 0-14.32-14.32C131.642 0 80.99 0 80.99 0S30.337 0 17.705 3.385a20.286 20.286 0 0 0-14.32 14.32C0 30.338 0 56.693 0 56.693S0 83.049 3.385 95.68A20.285 20.285 0 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10.367v5.097h11.697V60.46c0-4.555-.155-8.011-.463-10.367-.309-2.355-.868-4.014-1.678-4.98-.812-.966-2.067-1.449-3.766-1.449-1.7 0-2.954.503-3.765 1.506zm-2.025 29.886v3.591c0 4.557.132 7.974.404 10.251.269 2.279.828 3.94 1.68 4.982.849 1.041 2.16 1.564 3.938 1.564 2.392 0 4.035-.927 4.923-2.781.887-1.853 1.37-4.942 1.447-9.268l13.785.812c.077.62.116 1.469.116 2.548 0 6.565-1.795 11.47-5.387 14.712-3.589 3.242-8.669 4.865-15.232 4.865-7.876 0-13.398-2.47-16.564-7.414-3.168-4.94-4.75-12.586-4.75-22.935V63.589c0-10.657 1.641-18.436 4.924-23.342 3.281-4.903 8.9-7.355 16.854-7.355 5.482 0 9.691 1.004 12.626 3.012 2.933 2.01 5 5.137 6.197 9.383 1.197 4.247 1.796 10.117 1.796 17.607v12.163h-26.757m-284.953-1.33-18.187-65.68h15.869l6.37 29.77c1.623 7.339 2.82 13.594 3.591 18.766h.464c.54-3.706 1.738-9.922 3.591-18.65l6.603-29.886h15.869l-18.417 65.68v31.51h-15.754v-31.51M322.115 34.23v71.007h-12.511l-1.39-8.688h-.347c-3.399 6.564-8.496 9.845-15.291 9.845-4.71 0-8.185-1.543-10.425-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.359-7.915-3.359-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.348 5.426 1.043 6.776.695 1.353 1.853 2.027 3.475 2.027 1.39 0 2.722-.423 3.996-1.275 1.274-.849 2.22-1.928 2.838-3.241V34.229h15.986m81.995.001v71.007h-12.511l-1.391-8.688h-.345c-3.402 6.564-8.498 9.845-15.292 9.845-4.711 0-8.186-1.543-10.426-4.633-2.24-3.087-3.358-7.915-3.358-14.48V34.23h15.985v52.126c0 3.168.347 5.426 1.041 6.776.696 1.353 1.855 2.027 3.476 2.027 1.391 0 2.723-.423 3.996-1.275 1.275-.849 2.22-1.928 2.839-3.241V34.229h15.985\"\/><path d=\"M365.552 20.908h-15.87v84.329h-15.637v-84.33h-15.869V8.05h47.376v12.858m76.811 53.636c0 5.174-.215 9.229-.639 12.162-.424 2.937-1.139 5.021-2.143 6.255-1.004 1.236-2.357 1.854-4.053 1.854a7.404 7.404 0 0 1-3.65-.927c-1.12-.618-2.026-1.544-2.722-2.78V50.796c.54-1.93 1.467-3.513 2.78-4.749 1.313-1.234 2.74-1.853 4.285-1.853 1.623 0 2.876.637 3.766 1.91.886 1.275 1.505 3.418 1.853 6.43.348 3.011.523 7.297.523 12.857zm14.652-28.964c-.967-4.478-2.531-7.721-4.692-9.73-2.163-2.007-5.136-3.011-8.919-3.011-2.935 0-5.676.83-8.224 2.49a16.926 16.926 0 0 0-5.908 6.545h-.117l.001-37.416h-15.405v100.777h13.204l1.622-6.717h.347c1.235 2.393 3.088 4.285 5.56 5.675 2.47 1.39 5.213 2.085 8.225 2.085 5.404 0 9.382-2.491 11.931-7.471 2.548-4.982 3.823-12.76 3.823-23.341V64.23c0-7.953-.484-14.17-1.448-18.65\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-afb3e96d-bda1-49e2-bc15-d21e28095b3a\">Michael Socha is Matty, Leanne&#8217;s co-worker at the casino. Matty has problems with addiction, and is staring down the barrel of a sinister outcome if he can&#8217;t get hold of some cash to pay off the dangerous loan sharks he owes money to.<\/p>\n<p>With both Leanne and Matty working in a place that&#8217;s built on money, they find themselves within easy reach of the vast amounts they need. The titular &#8216;cage&#8217; is &#8220;the place in the casino where you cash up, collect your dough and the money is counted,&#8221; Michael tells the BBC.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-wb4Pgi4GeYBm7c4PkGSTpd\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-wb4Pgi4GeYBm7c4PkGSTpd slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When the pair find out they&#8217;re both out to rob the casino, their lives become tangled in a way that goes on to deliver gripping, high-octane TV, but also gives a brilliant dose of what Sheridan Smith is best at &#8211; a tale of &#8220;love, family and desperation&#8221; that might also &#8220;make you cry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sheridan has spoken about what to expect from her Leanne and Matty, saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s so fast paced that each character and their stories are interwoven with one another.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She adds, &#8220;Leanne also has an excellent poker face. When you see her at home with her family, you see those vulnerabilities on display and the anxiety that\u2019s within her.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-[#333]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-[#333]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-normal&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;But then when she&#8217;s in the casino, the mask is on and it&#8217;s all smiles. The whole show is like one giant poker game&#8221; &#8211; Matty and Leanne might strike up a friendship, but come to find they can&#8217;t really trust each other.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout \" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-e8cec919-205b-45c3-94c8-90fe8333356a\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1600-80.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-768-80.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-415-80.jpg.webp 415w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-360-80.jpg.webp 360w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 710px) 670px, calc(100vw - 30px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG.jpg\" alt=\"Matty (MICHAEL SOCHA); Leanne (SHERIDAN SMITH); Emily (FREYA JONES) in The Cage\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1920-80.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1600-80.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1280-80.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-768-80.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-415-80.jpg 415w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-360-80.jpg 360w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 710px) 670px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/otSMd5ZLcn79EamztEPAPG.jpg\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>(Image credit: BBC\/Element Pictures\/James Stack)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-3ba8039a-e8d0-4f71-8f4e-eb7e0538ed36\">When it comes to crime dramas, audiences often want to know if they&#8217;re based on a true story. While the story itself isn&#8217;t rooted in reality, Michael Socha&#8217;s Matty is heartbreakingly based on writer and creator Tony Schumacher&#8217;s brother.<\/p>\n<p>The writer&#8217;s brother, Phil, battled with alcoholism and sadly died while <em>The Cage<\/em> was being filmed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our Phil\u2019s typical timing,&#8221; Schumacher tells <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/rts.org.uk\/article\/dicing-demons-tony-schumacher-his-new-casino-crime-drama-cage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-url=\"https:\/\/rts.org.uk\/article\/dicing-demons-tony-schumacher-his-new-casino-crime-drama-cage\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\">The Royal Television Society<\/a>. He explains, &#8220;My brother was an alcoholic, so there are elements of him in Matty. He was in hospital for 12 weeks with a slow deterioration due to liver and kidney failure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Some of the stuff I was giving Michael to deal with was what I was dealing with myself at that time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While the action will grip you, the flawed but relatable characters and their perfectly written back stories are one of the major draws with this series.<\/p>\n<p><strong\/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\"><em><strong>The Cage<\/strong><\/em><\/a><strong> airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from April 26.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.womanandhome.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sheridan Smith fans are in for a treat. Anything the actress stars in turns to gold, and BBC&#8217;s The Cage is no different. Also starring the equally talented Michael Socha, The Cage lands on BBC iPlayer on Sunday April 26 at 6am, and will also show on BBC One at 9pm the same day &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2389913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2389912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/What-to-watch-tonight-Sheridan-Smiths-new-crime-drama-The.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2389914,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389912\/revisions\/2389914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2389913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}