Because Dead Poets Society is just too fucking obvious - these are all rather flawed teachers in the main. No glowing, sentimental inspirational bollocks here (with the possible exception of To Sir, With Love but even that adaptation of Braithwaite's experience in the post-war East End seemed out of sorts in '67; teaching urban kids traditional gender roles at the height of the swinging sixties?)
Notes for the top 5.
Brain Glover's PE teacher Mr Sugden, an overgrown infant who relishes in his physical domination over his young charges is instantly familiar to anyone who used to dread PE lessons at school.
Brilliant but sadly rather forgotten '90s series from Cracker writer Jimmy McGovern, Hearts and Minds saw Christopher Eccleston as Drew Mackenzie, an idealistic yet naive new teacher who finds himself in at the deep end of a tough Liverpool comprehensive. It's been ed to YouTube and is well worth a watch.
'Hector' as played by Richard Griffiths is a dyed-in-the-wool romantic who teaches for the sake of teaching, believing in the duty of ing knowledge on. Despite his molestation of his students, it's hard not to like the character or his motivation to inform and educate.
Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell prove opposites attract in one of my favourite romcoms. He's a laidback, Arsenal obsessed English teacher who lets his kids get away with murder, she's the new teacher who believes in lesson plans and working her kids hard.
Jake D'Arcy as football coach Phil Menzies gives Dee Hepburn's Dorothy a trial despite his initial misgivings about her being a girl - a world away from Brian Glover's PE teacher in Kes. But there's also Chic Murray tinkling the ivories as the heaster: "Go away, you small boys"