Virgin Media TV’s new series about Irish teacher will be its ‘first vertical drama’

The show has been 'designed specifically for smartphone viewing'.

Titled Zero Focals Given, the comedy will take viewers into the chaotic halls of Coláiste Lorcáin. There, a surprise Department inspection throws 'Gaeilge-curious' teacher Emma and her colleagues into disarray.

Produced for Virgin Media Discovers, in association with Screen Ireland, the show is noteworthy for being "designed specifically for smartphone viewing".

Vertical dramas are filmed in the 9:16 format, making them taller than they are wide. In recent years, they have grown in popularity, coinciding with people's growing reliance on smartphones.

Image via Adobe Stock

A 2025 article in Deadline reported that smartphone-friendly vertical dramas are growing by 8,000% year on year. They are particularly popular in Asian markets.

In February 2026, The Guardian said of the phenomenon: "If you haven’t heard of vertical dramas, chances are you will soon. [They] have risen unstoppably over the past couple of years, and now Hollywood is taking an interest."

The first details about Zero Focals Given were released as part of a statement by Virgin Media Television, unveiling its new season schedule.

For more drama highlights from the upcoming VMTV season, scroll below:

Number One Fan: Jill Halfpenny and Sally Lindsay star in a tense psychological thriller about fame, obsession and the dangers of letting the wrong person into your life, as a seemingly devoted admirer begins to infiltrate the world of a beloved TV presenter.

The Party: Based on Elizabeth Day's bestselling novel, Luke Evans stars as Martin Gilmour, whose lifelong friendship with charismatic politician Ben Fitzmaurice (Tom Cullen) is shattered when shocking revelations emerge at a lavish birthday party. As a police investigation unfolds, past secrets threaten to destroy lives in this tense and compelling story of loyalty, identity and truth.

VMTV has not set a release date for Zero Focals Given as of yet.

Main image via Adobe Stock