Sky has announced the upcoming release of This England - not to be confused with the film This is England. Instead, This England was formerley known as This Sceptred Isle and it's a Sky Original drama that covers Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the British Government in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is everything you need to know about This England, including how to watch it, when it will be released and what it will cover.
This England release date
- 28 September
This England was released on 28 September in the UK. It has been co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom.
There is currently no word on when, or if, it will be released outside of the UK, though we will update this feature when we know more.
How to watch This England
This England is a Sky Original. It will therefore likely come as no surprise that you'll need a Sky subscription in order to watch it. The drama has been released on Sky Atlantic, and you will also be able to watch it on Now with an Entertainment subscription. All episodes have been released at once.
Now is currently offering an Entertainment and Movie subscription deal that sees both cost £14.99 per month for six months. This gives you access to shows like House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, The Princess and films including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dune and The Matrix Resurrections.
Plot: What is This England about?
This England focuses on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the British Government during the first wave of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
According to Sky: "This England will tell the tale of some of the most devastating events to ever befall the United Kingdom, and of a Prime Minister leading in these unprecedented times.
"The drama will trace the impact on Britain from this once in a generation pandemic, and the response of scientists, nurses, and doctors as they worked tirelessly and heroically to contain and overcome the virus.
"It is based on the first-hand testimony of people from all walks of life; from Number 10 Downing Street, the Department of Health, The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and from hospitals and care homes across the country."
This England cast: Who is in it?
Here is a list of a few of the main cast members for This England and who they play.
- Sir Kenneth Branagh as Prime Minister Boris Johnson
- Ophelia Lovibond as Carrie Symonds
- Simon Paisley Day as Dominic Cummings
- Andrew Buchan as Matt Hancock
- Tim Goodman as Stanley Johnson
- Alec Nicholls as Sir Patrick Vallance
- James Corrigan as Isaac Levido
- Rachel Sophia-Anthony as Lola Aldenjana
- Simon Kunz as Andrew Mills
How many episodes are there in This England
There are six episodes in the This England factual drama.
The first and last episodes are 90 minutes, while the other four episodes are 60 minutes.
Is there a trailer for This England?
Sky has released a couple of teasers for This England. It also released a trailer for the show on 6 September, and it released a video featuring Kenneth Branagh on becoming Boris Johnson too, all of which you can watch below.
This is the trailer for This England.
This is the teaser that arrived on 18 August.
We aren't going to lie, the resemblance between Kenneth Branagh and Boris Johnson is uncanny.
Here is the first teaser too: