David Farnor | On 29, Sep 2020

BritBox is looking to make a big impact this autumn with the debut of its first original commission, a reboot of Spitting Image. But there’s more to the streaming service than the topical puppetry, with a true crime drama Des, 2007’s Howards End, some Hammer House of Horror classics and a collection of documentaries and programmes for Black History Month.

Here’s what’s coming soon to BritBox in October 2020:

As the nights start to draw in BritBox unveils a treasure trove of new content for subscribers. From brand new episodes of BritBox’s first original; Spitting Image, to Hammer Horror films and a collection curated to mark Black History Month – it’s time to celebrate the very best British content.

Black History Month Collection – 1st October 2020

Black History Month will be marked with a collection of documentaries, television series and films celebrating Black British voices. Factual additions to the collection include An Audience with Shirley Bassey, Mandela: From Prison to President and The Murder of Stephen Lawrence; all three of which are available exclusively on the service. TV series featured include all six seasons of Desmonds (1989); the classic sitcom set in a Peckham barber shop, and the second season of super sharp sketch show Famalam (2019). Films including Mike Leigh’s Secrets and Lies (1996) starring Marianne Jean-Baptist and Playing Away (1986), a comedy of manners from Horace Ové starring Norman Beaton complete the collection.

Spitting Image (2020) – 3rd October 2020

The satirical puppet show comes back to mock figures including Adele, Baby Yoda, Barack Obama, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, Dominic Raab, Donald Trump, Dwayne Johnson, Prince Andrew, Rishi Sunak, RuPaul, Taylor Swift and Vladimir Putin. A next generation of writers and voice artists are working with established talent to pen the show, including original co-creator Roger Law and showrunner Jeff Westbrook (The Simpsons, Futurama).

Sue Perkins in Japan – 3rd October 2020

Sue Perkins starts her journey through Japan in Tokyo, a glittering capital city and home to 36 million people. She finds a nation caught between the demands of a hi-tech future and the pull of a traditional past, where people work long hours but struggle to find time for love and relationships. Birth rates are falling and the population is shrinking. What does the future hold for this resilient and innovative country?

Emmerdale Family Trees (2020) – 15th October 2020

A new series narrated by Gaynor Faye looks back at different generations of three of the soap’s most loved families: The Tates, The Sugdens and The Dingles. The series includes a mixture of archive footage and new talking heads by cast members past and present.

Back to Life (2019) – 15th October 2020

Meet Miri Matteson. She’s just arrived back in her hometown, a place she no longer recognises, in the dysfunctional family home she involuntarily left as a teenager, living with the parents she can no longer hold a conversation with. Just released from prison after 18 years, and trying to nudge her way back into society, Miri is the ultimate adult beginner – a funny, endearing, awkward woman, determined to move on from her violent past. Starring Daisy Haggard.

Des (2020) – 17th October 2020

This three-part drama follows the arrest and trial of serial killer Dennis Nilsen, known as Des. Written by Luke Neal, the drama is based on material from the book Killing for Company by Brian Masters, which focuses on one of the most infamous cases in UK criminal history, that of serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Told through the prism of three men – Dennis Nilsen played by David Tennant, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay played by Daniel Mays and biographer Brian Masters played by Jason Watkins – the series explores the personal and professional consequences of coming into contact with a man like Nilsen.

The White Queen (2013) – 22nd October 2020

The White Queen is a portrait of one of the most dramatic and turbulent times in English history. A story of love and lust, seduction and deception, betrayal and murder, it is uniquely told through the perspective of three different, yet equally relentless women – Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville. In their quest for power, they will scheme, manipulate and seduce their way onto the English throne. Starring Rebecca Ferguson.

Howards End (2017) – 22nd October 2020

Often considered E.M. Forster’s masterpiece, Howards End is the story of two independent and unconventional sisters seeking love and meaning as they navigate an ever-changing world. Margaret (Hayley Atwell) and Helen Schlegel (Philippa Coulthard) are intelligent and idealistic young women living together with their hypochondriac younger brother Tibby (Alex Lawther) in Edwardian London. Since the death of their parents and despite their interfering Aunt Juley’s (Tracey Ullman) best intentions, the sisters lead independent and slightly unorthodox lives. But after meeting the wealthy and conservative Wilcox family on holiday, Margaret forms a friendship with the older and more traditional Ruth Wilcox (Julia Ormond).

Honour (2020) – 29th October

Keeley Hawes stars as the real-life detective who brought five killers to justice in this heartbreaking story of Banaz Mahmod, the young Londoner murdered for falling in love with the wrong man.

DCI Goode, played by Keeley Hawes, discovered that Banaz had been to the police five times to report threats to her life from members of her own family. Appalled that her own colleagues had missed multiple chances to save a young woman’s life and prevent a so-called “honour” killing, Caroline vowed that she would not rest until she finally got justice for Banaz. It was a promise that quickly became personally consuming. This tense and emotionally vivid drama brings Caroline’s long and unwavering quest to life.

Grand Designs (1999 – 2019) – 29th October

Kevin McCloud presents this hugely popular Channel 4 television series documenting people building their dream homes, often with elaborate architecture and some unusual projects.

Bob & Rose: The Complete Series – 29th October

Bob Gossage (Alan Davies) is a thirtysomething teacher who has been gay all his life. Now, however, he quite unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with a woman, Rose Cooper (Lesley Sharp). Various confusions and misunderstandings ensue, with Rose’s heartbroken ex-boyfriend Andy (Daniel Ryan), Bob’s jealous colleague Holly (Jessica Stevenson), and his gay-rights campaigning mother Monica (Penelope Wilton) all getting caught up in the mix.

Hammer House of Horror Collection – 29th October

A series of Hammer Horror films will be launched just in time for Halloween. The collection includes The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Devil Rides Out (1968), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) starring Christoper Lee, Twins of Evil (1971), Vampire Circus (1972), Hands of the Ripper (1971) and the Hammer House of Horror anthology TV series from 1980 featuring Peter Cushing, Brian Cox, Pierce Brosnan, Paul Darrow and more.

 

A subscription to BritBox UK costs £5.99 a month, with titles available in HD.

Add to Watchlist