Dear England: James Graham’s rousing, joyful football drama will make you cry and shout at the TV

Cringe-inducing Gareth Southgate drama Dear England makes even Ted Lasso look subtle

BBC's *Dear England* (4 parts, Joseph Fiennes as Southgate) adapts James Graham's 2023 Olivier-nominated play, airing from 24 May on BBC One and iPlayer. Leaden dialogue and heavy-handed national allegory undermine the drama — prestige TV that mistakes ambition for character study, making Ted Lasso look restrained by comparison.