“Absorbing” drama coming to BBC lands impressive first look with Jason Watkins and Jodie Whittaker

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The BBC has given fans a first glimpse of its new sports drama, Dear England, which tells the story of England men’s football manager Gareth Southgate. The series is based on the critically acclaimed stage play of the same name by James Graham, which previously won an Olivier Award.

Joseph Fiennes, known for his role in The Handmaid’s Tale, returns as Gareth Southgate in this show. It depicts Southgate’s efforts to change England’s history of losing, and has been updated to include the team’s semi-final match from Euro 2024.

Ralph Fiennes acts alongside Jodie Whittaker, known for her role in Doctor Who, who plays the team psychologist Pippa Grange, and Jason Watkins, from The Crown, who portrays former FA chairman Greg Dyke.

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The cast also includes John Hodgkinson, returning as former FA chairman Greg Clarke, Will Antenbring as Harry Kane, Daniel Ryan as Steve Holland (former assistant manager of the England men’s team), and Sam Spruell from Fargo playing the made-up coach, Mike Webster.

Adam Hugill, Josh Barrow, and Lewis Shepherd are back playing the same roles as before for the England team – they’ll be portraying Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford, and Dele Alli, respectively.

The team is rounded out by Edem-Ita Duke playing Marcus Rashford, Francis Lovehall from A Thousand Blows as Raheem Sterling, Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka, Jacob Greenway as Jude Bellingham, and David Shields as Jordan Henderson.

The cast includes Hamish Frew (known from Generation Z) as Eric Dier, Alfie Middlemiss (Waterloo Road) as Phil Foden, Riess Fennell as Jadon Sancho, Daniel Quincy Annoh as Ollie Watkins, and Bobby Schofield as Wayne Rooney.

Dom Rayner and Alexander Parsons will be facing off against Cole Palmer and Jesse Lingard in upcoming matches.

The new series Dear England is being made by Left Bank Pictures, the company that created popular shows like The Crown and This City Is Ours. It’s scheduled to be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One next year.

The stage play, which premiered in 2023, was highly praised by critics. London Theatre described it as thoughtful, detailed, entertaining, and captivating. It was nominated for nine Olivier Awards and won two: Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, awarded to Will Close for his portrayal of Harry Kane.

Dear England is airing on BBC One and iPlayer in 2026.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available, and it’s a special tribute to Dolly Parton! You can find ‘Dolly at 80’ in shops that sell magazines or order it online for only £8.99.

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2025-12-04 22:19