Riches: UK release date on ITVX, trailer, cast with Deborah Ayorinde, Sarah Niles, and Hugh Quarshie

Riches, a high-stakes family drama set against the backdrop of a London business empire, is set to launch on ITVX on Thursday 8 December.

The series, which stars Sarah Niles and Hugh Quarshie, follows a family fighting amongst themselves to take control of the business after their father dies.

Here’s everything you need to know about Riches.

What’s it about?

The official ITVX synopsis for Riches explains that the series “follows the exploits of the stylish, privileged and super-successful Richards family, led by London based business mogul Stephen Richards. With his sudden death his family are left in disarray at the return of his estranged American daughter and son, Nina and Simon.”

“Their arrival from New York is the catalyst for a messy showdown with Stephen’s wife Claudia and their children as both factions vie for control of the family black hair and beauty empire, Flair & Glory.”

In the latest episode of our Screen Babble podcast, we broke down everything you need to know about ITVX - you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Who stars in Riches?

Deborah Ayorinde plays Nina, Stephen Richards’ estranged American daughter. Ayorinde is best known for her roles in horror anthology Them, historical drama Harriet, and Marvel superhero drama Luke Cage.

Emmanuel Imani plays Simon, Stephen Richards’ estranged American son. You’ll know Imani from the political drama Cobra and Hugo Blick’s Black Earth Rising, or you might recognise him from a supporting role in Amazon’s fantasy series The Wheel of Time.

Sarah Niles plays Claudia, Stephen’s widow. In recent years, Niles has received acclaim for appearances in Ted Lasso and I May Destroy You; you might also recognise her from appearances in The Sandman, Catastrophe, and Trust Me.

The series also stars Adeyinka Akrinrade (Top Boy, Temple) as Alesha Richards, Ola Orebiyi (Cherry, A Brixton Tale) as Gus Richards, and Nneka Okoye (Grantchester, The A List) as Wanda Richards, Stephen’s three UK-based children from his marriage with Claudia.

They’re joined by Hermione Norris (Cold Feet, Luther) as Stephen’s loyal personal assistant Maureen, Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) as Stephen’s confidante and legal advisor Gideon, and model Jourdan Dunn in her first major screen role.

Hugh Quarshie plays Stephen Richards, the business mogul and head of the family. Quarshie is probably best known for a lengthy tenure on Holby as surgeon Ric Griffin, but you might also recognise him from Stephen, Breeders, or Silent Witness.

Who writes and directs?

Riches was created by Abby Ajayi, who has written all six episodes of the series and directed the fourth also. Ajayi has previously had writing credits on The First Lady, Inventing Anna, and The Story of Tracey Beaker.

The remaining episodes are directed by Sebastian Thiel (Just a Couple) and Darcia Martin (Call the Midwife, The Chelsea Detective).

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch it?

All six episodes of Riches will be available to watch as part of a boxset on Thursday 8 December with the launch of ITVX, a new free streaming service. They’ll also later receive a traditional terrestrial broadcast on ITV1 at some point in 2023.

Internationally, you can watch Riches on Amazon Prime Video, with the series having begun on Friday 2 December.

How many episodes is it?

There are six episodes of Riches, each of which are around 50 minutes long.

What else is on ITVX?

ITVX is launching with four new shows immediately: espionage drama A Spy Among Friends, novel adaptation The Confessions of Frannie Langton, YA drama Tell Me Everything, and a feature-length finale to historical comedy Plebs.

In the coming weeks, there are set to be new drama premiers every week, with true crime drama Litvinenko, Vicky McClure thriller Without Sin, and the Succession-esque Riches all arriving across December. ITVX is also set to have a host of ITV archive content, as well as offering exclusive access to hit US shows – you can find a full list here.

Why should I watch Riches?

It’s a glossy, high-stakes drama that’s been described by creator Abby Ajayi as a love letter to Black London. Plus, Hugh Quarshie and Sarah Niles are always fantastic, and it looks like a great introduction to a cast of rising stars too.