'Dear England' Scores a Cast as Filming Finally Kicks Off

Commissioned as part of the BBC's super ambitious 2024 slate, Dear England is adapted from the hit National Theatre play of the same name, written by James Graham (Sherwood) about Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team. At the time of its commission, the series seemed to have arrived ready to go. The stage show was closing, and stars Joseph Fiennes (Young Sherlock) and John Hodgkinson (Small Axe) had signed on to reprise their respective roles as Gareth Southgate and former FA chairman Greg Clarke. Graham would adapt his work with the show's stage director Rupert Goold (The Hollow Crown) helming the premiere.

However, unlike some of the other series greenlit alongside it, such as the already released The Listeners and the released and renewed This City Is Ours, work on Dear England did not publicly commence right away. Moreover, with the BBC's charter renewal just around the corner, the broadcaster has been sending people to lobby Parliament to secure additional funding sources from the government. As a high-profile show that was not yet in production, Dear England (rightly or wrongly) was mentioned in multiple articles on both sides of the pond (Deadline and the Radio Times), listing it as rumored to be unable to move forward.

(*A BBC spokesperson says, “Dear England was always due to film from summer 2025 for a 2026 release, and it is misleading to report otherwise.”)