David Farnor | On 31, Jul 2021

Acorn TV has officially landed in the UK. The AMC Network platform, which specialises in British and international TV, has racked up more than 1 million subscribers in the US, and aims to find similar success on British soil by growing a bumper crop of crime and period dramas. The service launched in 2020 with the UK debut of Queens of Mystery, plus Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Partners in Crime and The Witness for the Prosecution and hit Welsh drama Keeping Faith.

This August, it’s page-turner season on Acorn, with a host of holiday delights – from the final case in crime drama George Gently to Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse to a collection of Jack Irish movies starring Guy Pearce, New Zealand series Republic of Doyle and more exclusive episodes of Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries arriving every week.

Here’s what’s coming to Acorn TV in August 2021:

George Gently: Season 8 – 2nd August

Based on the classic detective novels by Alan Hunter, the hit long-running series follows the set-in-his ways, stubborn Detective Inspector George Gently (Martin Shaw – Judge John Deed), who, after the death of his wife, moves up North to solve one more case, but ends up staying. The final series sees DI George Gently at the start of a new decade, 1970 and there’s an air of change and unrest in the air as he and his team take on cold cases that see them embroiled in political corruption, putting their lives in danger. Stars Lee Ingleby (Line of Duty, The A Word) and Lisa McGrillis (Mum, Deadwater Fell).

Episodes: Season 2 – 2nd August

The second season of this hilarious comedy follows British writing couple, Sean (Stephen Mangan, Green Wing) and Beverley (Tamsin Greig, Friday Night Dinners), who are commissioned to transform their award-winning British sitcom for a US audience with Matt LeBlanc (Friends) in the lead role. The fall-out from Beverley and Matt’s indiscretion sees the writers’ marriage in tatters and living separately and as their new sitcom ‘Pucks’ gets its premiere in the US, will it become a ratings winner or is the British hit show destined to fail? With Sean involved with lead actress Summer, will he and Beverley find their way back or even manage to work together when they can’t stand the sight of each other? On top of this they must contend with network head Merc Lapidus’ erratic behaviour and Matt’s list of problems, from a crazy stalker to his over-eating and struggles with his ex-wife, and there’s more trouble ahead when has an affair with Merc’s wife.

Missing: Season 1 and 2 – 2nd August

Pauline Quirke (Birds of a Feather) stars as charismatic detective DS MJ Croft, who runs a busy and under-resourced Missing Persons Unit. We follow the team that includes Danny Hayworth (Mark Wingett), Jack Croft (Roy Hudd, Broadchurch), DC Jason Doyle (Felix Scott) and Amy Garnett (Pooja Shah), as they tackle cases of missing people in a race against time. But MJ harbours a dark personal secret – a missing sister of her own. The series features a stellar line-up of guest appearances including Gary Lucy, Brooke Kinsella, Paul Nicholas, Sylvia Syms, Kim Medcalf, Gaby Roslin, Kate Ford, James Alexandrou, Gillian Taylforth, Siân Phillips, Jean Boht, Jon Culshaw and Susannah York.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries Season 2, Episode 4 – 2nd August

The city is abuzz in the lead-up to the prestigious Melbourne Kennel Club Championship Dog Show but when a groomer is found murdered, scandal threatens. With James still keeping Peregrine at arm’s length, Peregrine improvises and registers as the handler of the victim’s prize collie. Meanwhile, James’ old flame and perfect wife material Sally comes visiting, leaving Peregrine wondering if she’s blown it with James forever.

Fallen Angel – 9th August

Emilia Fox and Charles Dance star in this grippingly dark miniseries based on Andrew Taylor’s Roth books trilogy that sees a clergyman’s daughter become a psychopathic killer.

Jack Irish Collection – 9th August

Guy Pearce (Memento, Mildred Pierce) takes the lead as ex-lawyer turned PI Jack Irish in this acclaimed Australian noir that makes its highly anticipated UK premiere with its first three feature length outings – Bad Debts, Black Tide and Dead Point. In Bad Debts, Jack receives a call from ex-client Danny McKillop. Jack goes to help, only to discover Danny is dead. In Black Tide, Des Conners – an old friend of the Irish family – comes to consult Jack over the disappearance of his son Gary. In Dead Point, Jack is consulted by Justice Loder to recover a mysterious red book.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries Season 2, Episode 5 – 9th August

When the severed head of a gang member rumbles up the ball chute of a busy suburban bowling alley, Peregrine and James find themselves in the middle of a war between Mods and Rockers, two of Melbourne’s most feared teen gangs.

Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse – 16th August

Sarah Phelps adapts another Agatha Christie story for the BBC in this chilling two-part mystery. When a mysterious list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman, Mark Easterbrook (Rufus Sewell), a man who is mentioned on the list, decides to investigate. He is drawn to The Pale Horse, the home of three women who are rumoured to be witches, who can wreak revenge on troublesome relatives. He is soon embroiled in the mysterious and dangerous world of dark arts and, as the bodies mount up, his search for a rational explanation appears to be out of his reach.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries Season 2, Episode 6 – 16th August

When the body of a pigeon-racing enthusiast is found tarred and feathered in a pigeon coop, the investigation takes Peregrine and James to one of Melbourne’s suburban pigeon racing clubs, where any pigeon-related skulduggery is punished swiftly and silently. But with murder? It’s Birdie who holds the crucial information in this case as it emerges that she’s investigating something very dark that goes all the way back to the war.

We Got This – 16th August

Schiaffino Musarra writes, directs and plays the lead in this hilarious six-episode comedy drama about a down-on-his luck American living in Sweden with his put-upon family, who embarks on a quest to solve the 1986 murder of Prime Minister Olof Palme, inspired by the real-life case. With the promise of $5 million government reward for the person who finds the killer, unemployed George English (Musarra) sees it as his only way to pay off a large tax debt. Teaming up with his closest friend, a wacky conspiracy theorist and former police officer, they venture into a web of intrigue, with side-splittingly funny results.

Ladies of Letters: Season 1 and 2 – 23rd August

Based on Carole Hayman and Lou Wakefield’s books that became a successful Radio 4 Extra series, Maureen Lipman (Coronation Street) and Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax) play two very different middle-aged widows who forge a friendship by writing letters and become the best of friends through their creative correspondence. Meeting at a wedding and bonding drunkenly under a table their letters start quite civilly, but there’s an underlying air of competitiveness that the pair revel in as they regale each other with tales of amazing travel, wonderful families and creative recipes.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries Season 2, Episode 7 – 23rd August

The gang gather at the river to relax and to distract themselves from their assorted heartaches, but when Samuel hooks a corpse while fishing, a day in the sun turns murderous. It emerges that the victim evaded murder charges many years ago, and so the search is on to find the suspect with a motive for revenge – leading Peregrine and James to realise they may have multiple murderers on their hands.

Republic of Doyle: Season 1 – 23rd August

This New Zealand crime drama follows Jake Doyle (Allan Hawco – Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) and his father Malachy who run a private detective agency in St. John’s, Newfoundland. With all sorts of cases and dodgy dealings, they don’t always stick to the right side of the law.

Janet King: Season 1 – 30th August

Marta Dusseldorp (A Place to Call Home, Jack Irish) is brilliant senior crown prosecutor Janet King in this acclaimed Australian legal drama which is full of twists and turns, as she fearlessly tackles the most difficult cases.

Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries Season 2, Episode 8 – 30th August

It’s New Year’s Eve at the Adventuresses’ Club, and dead on the floor is the singer of Melbourne’s hottest pop band. We flash back to earlier that night, as Peregrine welcomes guests to the Adventuresses’ Club for a lavish New Year’s Eve party. Before long, the shot rings out again, and Peregrine realises she’s been looking at the murderer all night without even knowing. It takes all her wit to survive.

 

Acorn TV is available on Roku, Fire TV, Android and iOS and Apple TV, costing £4.99 a month or £49.99 a year.

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