Trying season 4 release date, cast and how to watch on AppleTV+

British comedy series Trying returns to AppleTV+ for its fourth season today, 22 May.

The series began as a story of a couple looking to build a family but unable to have children of their own, meaning they turn to the option of adopting.

Season four, which comes nearly two-year after the last instalment, takes place after a six-year time jump in the show. Its eight episodes see parents Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) navigating the next stage of their journey as adoptive parents: raising teenagers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the fourth series of Trying, including the release date, cast, trailer and how to watch.

When is the fourth series of Trying released?

Trying season four starts airing on AppleTV+ on Wednesday 22 May.

A two-episode premiere is available to stream from then, with subsequent episodes set to land on the platform each week until Wednesday 3 July.

You can watch a free episode of the show on AppleTV+ by signing in or signing up with your email address of existing Apple ID.

Meanwhile, you can also get a seven-day free trial of AppleTV+, after which a subscription will set you back £8.99 a month.

It is available to watch via the Apple TV app on any compatible Apple device. You can also watch it on other devices including Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, smart TVs and videogame consoles, as well as at tv.apple.com.

The trailer for the fourth season of Trying dropped last month, and you can find it below.

Who is in the Trying cast?

Esther Smith and Rafe Spall – who are also a couple off-screen, and recently announced that they are expecting their first child together – reprise their starring roles in Trying as parents Nikki and Jason.

However, the six-year time jump from season three means Eden Togwell and Mickey McAnulty have been replaced as the couple’s two adopted children Princess – now a teenager – and Tyler – aged 11 and headed to secondary school – respectively.

Cooper Turner replaces McAnulty as Nikki and Jason’s adopted son Tyler in Trying season four, with actress Scarlett Rayner (Silverpoint, Sexy Beast) taking over as the couple’s adopted daughter, Princess.

Esther Smith – Nikki

Smith, 37, first gained TV fame for her role as Trish in British romcom Material Girl. This was followed by guest appearances in shows including Skins and a recurring role as Melodie in BBC Three’s Uncle, and from 2014 to 2019 she played Rachel in Cuckoo.

The West Midlands-born actress also has several theatre credits to her name, most notably that of Delphi Diggory in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Rafe Spall – Jason

Spall – who spoke to i ahead of the release of the last season of Trying – returns as Jason for the series’ fourth season.

The 41-year-old Londoner’s notable past roles include stage performances as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird in 2022 and Michael in Death of England in 2020.

Spall’s film appearances, meanwhile, include various roles in Edgar Wright’s popular ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ of Simon Pegg-led comedies, as well as The War of the Worlds, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Prometheus.

The son of actor Timothy Spall, he has three children with ex-wife and former Hollyoaks actress Elize du Toit.

Other confirmed cast members:

Scarlett Rayner as Princess
Cooper Turner as Tyler
Sian Brooke (Blue Lights) as Karen (Nikki’s sister)
Darren Boyd (The Outlaws) as Scott (Karen’s husband)

What should we expect from Trying season 4?

Trying season four sees parents Nikki and Jason navigating parenthood as their kids enter their teenage years, along with some of the unique challenges of raising adopted children.

It comes six on-screen years after the conclusion of season three, which ended with the pair getting married and winning custody of Princess and Tyler.

The full synopsis for Trying season four reads: “In this exciting new season, we fast-forward six years to discover that Nikki (Smith) and Jason (Spall) are experienced adopters who have built a lovely little nuclear family, enriched by an extraordinary support network.

“However, as their teenage daughter Princess (Scarlett Rayner), starts to yearn for a connection with her birth mother, Nikki and Jason find themselves confronted with the ultimate test of their parenting skills.”

The episode release dates are as follows: