If you love The Traitors brace yourselves for your new reality TV obsession: The Inheritance, where 13 strangers must compete for a share of the fortune left by a glamourous benefactor. But who is she? And how do they get it? Read on to find out more...
The Inheritance release date
The Inheritance starts on Sunday, August 31 at 9 pm on Channel 4, continuing on Monday, September 1 at 9 pm and Tuesday, September 2 at 9.30 pm. That's three episodes a week to make sure you don't miss any drama!
What's the aim of the game?
A game of wit, wisdom and sheer hard graft, The Inheritance is best described as the lovechild of The Traitors and The Apprentice.
As the series begins, 13 strangers are summoned to a grand stately home in Dorset, where they’ll compete for share of the fortune left in The Deceased’s will - and she’s designed a deviously difficult game to ensure that only the most cunning can get their hands on it.
Who's playing The Deceased?
The glamourous benefactor at the heart of the show, known as The Deceased is portrayed by actor, model and national treasure Elizabeth Hurley.
She's very much alive and well and ready to put these wannabe beneficiaries through their paces.
"At first, my character wasn't glamorous… she was very old - but they changed that, then added Robert and this stately home into the mix and I thought it was fabulous," teases Elizabeth, 60, at the official launch of the show at The Ned hotel in London. "I watched an episode of The Traitors and loved it, so I'm grateful to have been asked. Because my parts are pre-recorded [The Deceased sets out the rules of her requests from beyond the grave] it’ll be exciting for me to watch it play out."
Who is The Executor of The Inheritance?
Acting as The Executor is everyone’s favourite TV barrister Robert Rinder, who’ll oversee proceedings as the 13 players work as a team to complete The Deceased’s final requests, a series of challenges designed for players to win a share of her considerable fortune.
"I’ve experienced the full buffet of cases in my legal life, and barristers need to have an intuitive sense of how all kinds of people are going to behave," says Robert, 47. "This show explores how people might react when you put a fortune in front of them; how they might approach issues of fairness, how they might mislead people and what they might do when people aren’t looking."
So just who are the lucky 13 competing for The Inheritance?
The 13 players hoping to win a share of The Deceased's estate are people of all ages, occupations and backgrounds. Pictured here are:
Pat
Age: 75
Location: Yorkshire
Occupation: Chess teacher
Matt
Age: 51
Location: Somerset
Occupation: Coach company owner
Hafsah
Age: 28
Location: Manchester
Occupation: Marketing manager
Jesse
Age: 19
Location: Southampton
Occupation: Student and content creator
Catherine
Age: 50
Location: Wales
Occupation: Former police sergeant
Mart
Age: 37
Location: Newcastle
Occupation: Development coach
Tia
Age: 26
Location: London
Occupation: Health and wellbeing advisor
Ferg
Age: 68
Location: Kingston upon Thames
Occupation: Retired market trader
Hannah
Age: 27
Location: Scotland
Occupation: Wedding planner
Zara
Age: 36
Location: London
Occupation: Professional gamer
James
Age: 35
Location: London
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Cam
Age: 28
Location: Lancashire
Occupation: Scaffolder
Emma
Age: 26
Location: Exeter
Occupation: Paramedic
Tell us more about these 'final requests'...
As they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch and the players will be put to the ultimate test emotionally, physically and mentally to win a share of The Deceased's fortune. So what sorts of challenges can viewers expect for these 'final requests'?
"The requests are very fitting for this lady and her estate,' says Elizabeth. "For example, the first one relates to sourcing and bottling wine; everyone has to put on diving suits and plunge into this hideous lake. The Deceased comes up with a whole host of interesting things for these poor people to do - all of which she would’ve done herself. Obviously."
How lovely that the team has to work together to literally share the wealth...
Hmm... Not quite. You see, there's a catch: Only one player can be named Prime Beneficiary from each request and they must convince the others that they alone should take all the money they earned as a group. The Inheritance is not about who deserves the cash - but who can outsmart the rest to claim it!
So how exactly is the Prime Beneficiary chosen?
Once each of The Deceased's requests is complete, players gather for the Division Ceremony, with a brave few stepping forward to make the claim to be Prime Beneficiary and take all the money they earned as a team.
As discussions - and arguments - ensue, The Executor is casting a watchful eye on proceedings...
"At first, I was very much playing a part of The Executor but then it started to really matter to me that any encounters I had with these participants were real, just as it would be putting someone on the spot in the witness box," says Robert. "It’s not just about winning the money; there are a number of emotional, psychological and sociological elements, too. I’m rarely surprised by anything but what transpires really did alter my perception of how I believed people behaved."
Where is The Inheritance filmed?
The Inheritance is filmed at a grand country estate in Devon, which enabled Elizabeth to fully immerse herself into the character of The Deceased.
"The fact we were getting dressed and made up in that big house made a real difference," she says. "It is exquisite and a real treat to be there. And we had an amazing costumier, Miranda Almond, who found the most fabulous couture. I knew I wouldn’t need to see any photos or do any fittings beforehand - I trusted she was going to bring me great dresses and she did!"
The Inheritance: Is there a trailer?
Yes! Here's a teaser for this devious new game to whet your appetite:
The Inheritance starts on Sunday, August 31 at 9pm on Channel 4.
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