Matthew Rhys Dives Into a Gritty 1970s Newsroom as a Legendary Journalist

Matthew Rhys is about to slip into the shoes of another real-life figure—and this time, he’s heading deep into the British journalism trenches of the 1970s. If you know Rhys from 'The Americans', 'Brothers & Sisters', or his recent buzzy turn in 'Widow’s Bay', you already know the guy can anchor just about any series you throw at him. Now, the BBC has tapped him to play legendary news editor Harold Evans in a new drama called 'Dragon Slayers'. A title that is not exactly subtle, but points straight at Evans’s reputation for going head to head with pretty much every powerful institution he could find.

So, Who Was Harold Evans?

Evans was kind of the UK’s answer to Woodward and Bernstein, only a little bit grittier and with fewer Hollywood adaptations. He ran the investigative team at The Sunday Times, digging up government dirt and exposing way more than your average cub reporter. His team tackled massive stories—think of it as journalism on 'Hard Mode'—and sometimes got him in very real hot water.

• Thalidomide Scandal: Evans led the charge getting justice for the victims of Thalidomide, the drug tragedy that devastated families across Europe.
• The DC-10 Air Disaster: His crew uncovered the truth behind what was, at the time, the world's deadliest air crash.
• Treason Threats: Evans risked prosecution himself when he outed Kim Philby, the legendary British double agent who basically wrote the book on spycraft.

Who’s Making 'Dragon Slayers' Happen?

The BBC’s drama head Lindsay Salt gave this one the green light, and it looks like the series will draw from first-hand interviews, published reporting, and plenty of period research to bring Evans’s world to life. The idea is to get under the skin of how journalists pulled stories from the jaws of the UK’s most powerful institutions in the '70s—and maybe ruffle as many feathers as Evans did in real life.

This Is the Crew (On and Off Screen)

Matthew Rhys is not just starring as Evans—he’s also on board as executive producer, joining a list of names that includes Patrick Spence, Joe Williams, Annalisa Dinnella, and screenwriter Peter Bowker (who, fittingly, will write the script). Direction goes to Al Mackay, while Natasha Romaniuk is producing and Shaheen Baig is handling casting. Production comes from AC Chapter One, with Universal International Studios pitching in for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

Rhys’s Busy Dance Card

If you’re wondering when Rhys sleeps, same here. He’s fresh off 'Widow’s Bay' on Apple TV+, and he’s reportedly wrapped up in Season 2 of 'Presumed Innocent' and John Krasinski’s 'Silent River'. If this guy weren’t already busy enough, the BBC is asking him to channel the most stubborn editor in Fleet Street history.

We don’t have a premiere date yet, but if you like newsroom drama that’s heavy on the actual drama (and less on cute office banter), put this series on your radar. Or, as Evans himself once put it:

'The pursuit of truth is not a luxury; it is the lifeblood of democracy.'

Well, let’s see how much truth (and how much yelling at publishers) makes it into the finished product.