Main •
Alex Hassell as
Rupert Campbell-Black, a retired Olympian show jumper and notorious womanizer, now working as a Tory MP and sports minister. Despite his outward charm and facility with people, he lives a lonely life with his dogs. He is also shown to be a deeply caring friend. •
David Tennant as Tony, Lord Baddingham, the ruthless managing director of Corinium Television. He is having an affair with Cameron. He attempts to instrumentalize Declan in his war against Rupert. •
Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara, a temperamental Irish former
BBC journalist who is recruited by Corinium to host his own show at the beginning of the series. After seeing Tony's true colours, he leaves Corinium to start his own company. He initially has a hostile relationship with Rupert, but the two gradually become friends and trusted colleagues. •
Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara, Declan's wife and a former actress whose marriage is recovering from an affair she had prior to the series, and is known to be flirtatious with other men. She is neglected by her workaholic husband and feels suffocated in her new life. •
Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, an American TV producer who works for Corinium and is having an affair with Tony. •
Bella Maclean as Agatha ‘Taggie’ O'Hara, Declan and Maud's overlooked middle child with aspirations of opening her own catering company. She has several poor first impressions of Rupert, but gradually develops a crush on him as they spend more time together. •
Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker, a romance author and resident of Rutshire who is good friends with Rupert. She is neglected by her narcissistic husband and is used to his affairs and lack of attention. She gradually develops a romantic connection with Freddie. •
Oliver Chris as James Vereker, a TV host at Corinium and Lizzie's self-absorbed husband. •
Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, a self-made successful electronics businessman and resident in Rutshire in a loveless marriage. He is attracted to Lizzie. •
Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, Freddie's wife, a notorious social climber who runs a clothing boutique in town. She is often mocked for her bourgeois lack of taste. •
Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, the second wife and former mistress of MP Paul Stratton, with aspirations of being a television presenter. •
Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton, a British MP going through a mid-life crisis who is embroiled in an adultery scandal at the beginning of the series. •
Claire Rushbrook as Monica, Lady Baddingham, Tony's wife, an introvert generally uninvested in her husband’s business. •
Luke Pasqualino as Basil 'Bas' Baddingham, Tony's younger and promiscuous half-brother who owns the local bar.
Supporting • Gabriel Tierney as Patrick O'Hara, Declan and Maud's eldest child who harbours feelings for Cameron. He is a young idealist. • Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O'Hara, Declan and Maud's youngest child who is attending boarding school. •
Gary Lamont as Charles Fairburn, the controller of programmes at Corinium who has a secret romance with Gerald. •
Bryony Hannah as Deirdre Kilpatrick, an assistant to James Vereker at Corinium. •
Rich Keeble as Brian Hetherington, a director at Corinium. •
Milo Callaghan as Seb Burrows, a journalist at Corinium. He offers to be a spy for Venturer and is fired by Tony as a result. He begins dating Taggie. •
Lara Peake as Daysee Butler, a production assistant at Corinium. •
Denise Black as Joyce Madden, Tony's assistant. •
David Calder as Reverend Fergus Penney, Lady Gosling's right-hand man. •
Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton, Rupert's personal aide and a conservative political hopeful. •
Brendan Patricks as Henry Hampshire, a member of the local Rutshire aristocracy. •
Olivia Poulet as Hermione Hampshire, wife of Henry. •
Guy Siner as
Bishop Brenton, a clergyman. •
Wendy Albiston as Mrs Makepiece, a housekeeper and help hired by multiple residents of Rutshire. • Louis Landau as Archie Baddingham, Tony and Monica’s teenage son. •
Maggie Steed as Lady Gosling, the steely no-nonsense chair of the
Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). •
Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson, a journalist who is in a relationship with Rupert at the beginning of the series. •
Anastasia Griffith as Helen Gordon, Rupert's ex-wife and mother of his two children. ==Episodes==