Dear England: Everything we know so far about the upcoming BBC drama

The BBC has found its next prestige drama, and this time it’s Dear England, which is about football. But before you start picturing studs and slow-motion goals, we need to tell you that this show is more nuanced than that!

You could call Dear England a national love story. And perhaps even an autopsy of decades-long heartbreak in the form of a sports series.

The four-part drama is based on James Graham’s Olivier-winning play about bringing Gareth Southgate’s reign with the England men’s football team. The first-look images scream football’s homecoming, but with feelings.

Joseph Fiennes will bring Southgate back into the spotlight with Dear England

So we will see Joseph Fiennes reprise the role that made critics swoon. The BBC dropped some first-look images of Dear England on December 4, 2025, and in them, Fiennes appears again as Gareth Southgate.

There's the waistcoat and quiet resolve that celebrate England’s Euro 2024 semi-final victory. In the background, the team is erupting in a scene football fans will instantly recognise as it carries the weight of history.

The premise remains just as psychological in the show as well. England holds the worst penalty record in world football when Southgate takes over. Years of heartbreak have piled up by then, and fans expect magic.

On the other hand, players carry trauma with every kick from the spot. Then comes Pippa Grange (played by Jodie Whittaker), who is the team psychologist who helped unravel the emotions that tied England to defeat. Will Antenbring plays Harry Kane, as we also saw in the first-look stills. He is seen facing the press as he tries to balance media pressure with national expectations.

The cast list will cover the who’s-who of English football. There's going to be Jason Watkins as Greg Dyke, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke, Daniel Ryan as Steve Holland, and Sam Spruell as fictional coach Mike Webster.

The supporting squad features actors who will play Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Ollie Watkins, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Wayne Rooney, Cole Palmer, and Jesse Lingard. There are more, too, by the way.

Dear England is based on a play

As we mentioned before, Dear England was a play that premiered at the National Theatre in 2023. It was a smash hit and won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and used to sell out its runs before beginning a national tour. With its rave reviews, our expectations for the TV adaptation are VERY high.

Behind the camera, James Graham returns as screenwriter. Rupert Goold will be directing episode one, and Paul Whittington will be directing episodes two through four. The producing team has major titles under their belt, like This Town, The Crown, Ted Lasso and Top Boy.

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This is a portrait of a nation that measures its summers in cups.

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Dear England will stream on BBC iPlayer and air on BBC One in 2026.

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