Deborah Ayorinde, Hugh Quarshie and Sarah Niles have joined the cast of Riches ITV’s upcoming glossy family drama that will undoubtedly appeal to fans of HBO’s Succession.
A year ago we wrote about Riches, a glamorous new six-part ITV drama centred around the exploits of the super-successful and wealthy Richards family and their multi-million-pound cosmetics empire. No doubt due to the pandemic, filming was delayed, but things appear to be picking up again with ITV unveiling the exciting new cast and announcing that filming has begun.
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Riches: New ITV drama about the lives of a successful Black family
Riches, written and created by Abby Ajayi (How To Get Away With Murder, Four Weddings And A Funeral) will star Deborah Ayorinde (Them, Truth Be Told) as Nina, the estranged daughter of self-made millionaire Stephen Richards played by Hugh Quarshie (Stephen, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence).
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Sarah Niles who wowed in Inua Ellams Three Sisters and I May Destroy You plays Stephen’s second wife, Claudia, and Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey, Requiem) is Stephen’s trusted advisor and confidante, Gideon. Hermione Norris (Cold Feet and Luther) will play Stephen’s long-standing and faithful PA, Maureen Dawson.
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Rounding off the cast are Adeyinka Akinrinade (Top Boy, Temple), Ola Orebiyi (Cherry, A Brixton Tale), CJ Beckford (Sitting in Limbo, The Trial of Christine Keeler), Nneka Okoye (Grantchester, The A List) and Emmanuel Imani (Cobra, Black Earth Rising).
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Riches focuses on the exploits of the brash, super-successful and wealthy Richards family. A smart businessman, with an undeniably ruthless streak, Stephen Richards is one of the UK’s most successful Black businessmen. He’s built his renowned business empire, Flair & Glory, through hard work and his entrepreneurial skills, making it the market leader in Black hair and beauty. But his rise to the top hasn’t been easy. When Stephen suffers a stroke, the family’s world comes crashing down. Expect family secrets, deception and backstabbing galore; fans of high drama antics the likes of which we see in HBO’s Succession will feel at home.
Shedding more light on the upcoming drama, writer and creator Abby Ajayi commented:
“Riches is a love letter to Black London and it has been thrilling to create the Richards’ family and celebrate their opulence, their ambition and their immigrant grit. Our talented ensemble of actors are a joy and I’m excited to be partnering with Amazon and ITV, working alongside the powerhouses of Greenacre Films and Monumental Television to bring this show to the screen.”
Image credit: ITV
Whetting our appetites further, ITV Head of Drama, Polly Hill said: “Abby’s scripts are brilliant, full of family feuds in a world of privilege and power that surprise and entertain. We are delighted with the brilliant cast we have and can’t wait to see them bring Abby’s characters to life. It promises to be a real treat for the ITV audience next year.”
Riches is produced by Greenacre Films in association with Monumental Television and commissioned by ITV in partnership with Amazon Studios who will air the drama outside the UK once it has broadcast on ITV.
Cover images credits: Deborah Ayorinde (Instagram), Sarah Niles (Instagram/New York Times)
