David Farnor | On 07, Sep 2020

Acorn TV has officially landed in the UK, and it continues to build a library of exclusives this September.

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 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 month, it’s snapped up The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Boomers, Daniel Mays drama Public Enemies and star-studded BBC period outing The Crimson Petal and the White. But perhaps the most intriguing item on offer is new psychological thriller The Sounds, as Acorn follows Dead Still with another venture into original TV territory.

The Sounds – 3rd September

The new eight-part psychological thriller, which premieres exclusively on Acorn, is set against the spectacular backdrop of one of New Zealand’s greatest hidden secrets, the remote, idyllic Marlborough Sounds in South Island. We meet successful Canadian couple Maggie and Tom played by Rachelle Lefevre (Proven Innocent, White House Down) and Matt Whelan (Narcos, The Luminaries) who have upped sticks to start a new life in this paradise on the other side of the world. Tom has gone ahead to lay down the groundwork for his new business venture, a salmon fishery in the town of Pelorus, where he hopes to reinvigorate their struggling economy. But the day after Maggie arrives, Tom mysteriously disappears on a boating trip and Maggie must come to terms with the fact that she may not have known her husband as well as she thought. Episodes 1 and 2 premiere together, with episodes then arriving each Monday until the final on 12th October.

Boomers: Season 1 and 2 – 7th September

Another exclusive for Acorn, this comedy features an all-star cast of favourites, including Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey), Philip Jackson (Brassed Off), Russ Abbot (Last of the Summer Wine), Stephanie Beacham (Trollied), Paula Wilcox (Upstart Crow) and James Smith (The Thick of It) and a guest appearance from Nigel Planer (The Young Ones). The sitcom follows a group of recently retired couples living in Norfolk. The old friends must deal with life’s ups and downs in their later years and tackle a modern world they don’t quite get.

Public Enemies – 7th September

This hard-hitting, gripping drama sees Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Code 404) and Anna Friel (Marcella, Pushing Daisies) team up as ex-con Eddie Mottram, who is released from jail after serving 10
years for the murder of his 17-year-old girlfriend, and Paula Radnor, the probation officer overseeing his release. While Eddie continues to proclaim his innocence, Paula must decide if it’s safe for him to be released back into the community.

The Crimson Petal and the White – 14th September

Based on the bestselling book from Michel Faber, this BBC period drama features A-listers including Romola Garai, Chris O’Dowd, Richard E. Grant and Gillian Anderson. An intimate psychological thriller that lifts the lid on the darker side of Victorian London, revealing a world seething with vitality, sexuality, ambition and emotion. This provocative, riveting four-part drama tells the story of Sugar (Romola Garai, The Miniaturist), an alluring, intelligent young prostitute who yearns for a better life away from the brothel. When she captures the interest of the wealthy William Rackham (Chris O’Dowd, The IT Crowd), her luck could be about to change, but keeping her a secret from his wife and daughter proves harder than he imagined. Also starring Mark Gatiss and Shirley Henderson.

Taken Down – 21st September

This six-part Irish crime drama stars Lynn Rafferty (Dead Still) as the detective investigating the violent death of a young Nigerian migrant on the streets of Dublin. Inspector Jen Rooney and her team soon discover a world where refugees exist, and the impact that their investigation has on fragile lives. Also starring Brian Gleeson (Phantom Thread, Logan Lucky), Aïssa Maïga (Paris, je t’aime), Orla Fitzgerald (The Wind that Shakes
the Barley), and Slimane Dazi (Only Lovers Left Alive)

The Mayor of Casterbridge – 21st September

Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy, this 1978 BBC drama stars Alan Bates (Hard Times) as the eponymous Mayor who drunkenly sells his wife and daughter at a country fair. Years later, his wife comes to find him, setting into motion a series of events beyond anyone’s control.

Suspects: Season 1 to 3 – 28th September

From renowned crime drama scribe Paul Marquess (London Kills), this gritty police procedural set in London, is shot documentary-style and part-improvised. It follows three detectives DI Martha Bellamy (Fay Ripley, Cold Feet) DS Jack Weston (Damien Molony, Brassic) and DC Charlie Steele (Clare-Hope Ashitey, Top Boy) as they solve everything from missing people to murders.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – 28th September

Adapted from the Muriel Spark novel, Geraldine McEwan (Agatha Christie’s Marple) stars as the iconic teacher in what is considered by the writer to be the greatest portrayal of her character. Jean Brodie is a commanding, unorthodox teacher who endeavours to fill her students, all impressionable young girls, with a love of art and as much self-confidence as she possesses.

 

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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