James Graham's new BBC drama Dear England examines how sport and storytelling can unite divided audiences. Based on his award-winning play, the four-part series dramatizes Gareth Southgate's transformation of the England men's team, focusing on overcoming decades of penalty shootout failures that defined English football.

The series portrays Southgate's innovative approach of bringing in psychologist Pippa Grange to address mental pressure on players. It specifically covers England's historic World Cup penalty shootout victory under Southgate's leadership, ending decades of heartbreak, and addresses the racist abuse faced by players like Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka after Euro 2020.

Graham, who grew up in a working-class mining village in Nottinghamshire, connects the drama's themes to broader social issues. He contrasts football's accessibility for working-class athletes with the arts' limited access for similar backgrounds, noting only 8% of creative industry workers come from working-class families.

The drama Dear England premieres on BBC One May 25th, offering viewers insight into the pressures of international football through Southgate's journey from player to manager who finally conquered England's penalty curse.