BBC’s Dear England: Trailer and Release Date Revealed

The BBC has announced the launch date and released a trailer for Dear England, a new four-part drama series exploring the tenure of Gareth Southgate as manager of the England men’s football team. The series is based on the award-winning play written by James Graham.

Produced by Left Bank Pictures for the BBC, the drama provides a fictionalized account of the England team’s struggles and successes. The production is based on extensive research and interviews to recreate the environment surrounding the national squad.

The narrative centers on Joseph Fiennes, who stars as Gareth Southgate. The plot follows Southgate as he attempts to start a new chapter with the team, facing the challenge of the worst penalty track record in the world at the time he took over as manager. The series explores Southgate’s efforts to address years of psychological hurt and overcome what the BBC describes as a painful pattern of loss for the country that gave the world football.

The supporting cast includes several established actors portraying real-life figures and fictional characters associated with the Football Association and the coaching staff:

• Jodie Whittaker appears as Pippa Grange, the psychologist for the England men’s team.
• Jason Watkins portrays former FA chairman Greg Dyke.
• John Hodgkinson plays former FA chairman Greg Clarke.
• Daniel Ryan stars as Steve Holland, the former assistant manager for the England men’s team.
• Sam Spruell portrays a fictional coach named Mike Webster.

BBC

The BBC has detailed a multi-platform release schedule for the series. Episodes one and two will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer starting at 9pm on Sunday, May 24, 2026. The remaining two episodes are scheduled to arrive on BBC iPlayer the following Sunday, May 31, 2026.

In addition to the streaming release, the series will air on BBC One. The episodes are scheduled to broadcast on Sunday and Monday nights at 9pm, beginning Sunday, May 24, 2026.