THE BBC’s new series Dear England is an adaption of an award-winning play dramatising the start of Gareth Southgate’s acclaimed run as England manager.
The four-part series is based on the Olivier Award-winning play by show writer James Graham.
Graham is the brilliant mind behind hit ITV series Quiz based on the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire scandal and the acclaimed BBC mining town crime drama Sherwood.
Dear England is a fictionalised narrative of Gareth Southgate‘s historic stint transforming the England squad after a disastrous period in the team’s history.
Mirroring real events, the show depicts Southgate using out of the box tactics such as enlisting the services of psychologist Pippa Grange.
Under Southgate’s management, the England squad turned around a terrible penalty shootout record and went on to meteoric success.
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When is Dear England on?
The first two episodes of Dear England are available on iPlayer from Sunday 24 May.
But viewers will have to wait until Sunday 31 May for the final two episodes
You can also watch the drama on Sunday and Monday evenings on BBC one.
Who is starring in Dear England?
Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate
Reprising his Olivier award nominated performance from Graham’s original play, Joseph Fiennes is centre stage as Gareth Southgate.
As a very recognisable talent, you might have seen Fiennes previously playing the titular bard in the Academy Award winning blockbuster Shakespeare in Love.
More recently Fiennes was praised for his sinister portrayal of Commander Fred Waterford in Hulu’s TV adaption of The Handmaids Tale.
Jodie Whittaker as Pippa Grange
Jodie Whittaker joins the cast, playing Pippa Grange, the psychologist pivotal to turning around the England squad’s prospects.
As no stranger to the world of TV drama, Whittaker has a string of beloved shows on her resume including award-winning ITV whodunit Broadchurch and more recently Jack Thorne’s praised Netflix drama Toxic Town.
To many however, she will be best known for her run up until 2022 as the world saving eponymous Time Lord, in BBC’s iconic sci-fi epic Doctor Who.
Jason Watkins as Greg Dyke
UK screen heavyweight Jason Watkins is joining the Dear England theatrical cast in the role of former FA chairman Greg Dyke.
The BAFTA award winning actor is one of Britain’s most celebrated TV talents most notably for his standout performance as former Prime Minister Harold Wilson in Netflix’s The Crown.
The rest of the cast includes:
- John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke
- Ben Chapman as Luke Shaw
- Daniel Ryan as Steve Holland
- Sam Spruell as Mike Webster
- Adam Hugill as Harry Maguire
- Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford
- Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli
- Will Antenbring as Harry Kane
- Edem-Ita Duke as Marcus Rashford
- Francis Lovehall as Raheem Sterling
- Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka
- Jacob Greenway as Jude Bellingham
- David Shields as Jordan Henderson
- Hamish Frew as Eric Dier
- Alfie Middlemiss as Phil Foden
- Riess Fennell as Jadon Sancho
- Daniel Quincy Annoh as Ollie Watkins
- Bobby Schofield as Wayne Rooney
- Dom Rayner as Cole Palmer
- Alexander Parsons as Jesse Lingard
- Lee Chapman as Jamie Vardy
- Michael Watson as Kieran Trippier
- Sam Makepeace-Beach as Declan Rice
- Drew Thomas-Bissmire as Kyle Walker
- Alexander Grantham as Aaron Ramsdale
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