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As we are now officially in June, BritBox has announced their slate of new programming arriving this month. From beloved, returning police dramas to new series premiering for the first time. We have the complete list and have selected three of the most exciting titles landing on the service during the month.

In the United States, BritBox has just one subscription price. American Anglophiles can sign up for the service for just $8.99 per month. Not only will they have access to all of the new titles every month, but they will also get an incredible library of iconic series like, “Sherlock,” “Luther,” “Vera,” “Father Brown,” “Death in Paradise,” and more.

7-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month BritBox.com What are the 3 Best Shows, Movies, and Specials Coming to BritBox in June 2024? “Changing Ends” | Thursday, June 6

Chatty Man himself Alan Carr stars in the semi-autobiographical sitcom that focuses on the comedian’s upbringing...

Exclusive: Jamie Bacon and Pradeep Khadka will star in sci-fi flick Eklo from British-Nepalese director Pradeep Shahi.

The filmmakers say Eklo will be the first science fiction flick to come out of Nepal. Shahi is currently in Cannes with his latest film, The Last Ritual, which has Scatena and Rosner Films attached.

Eklo takes place in a futuristic version of Earth in which a deadly viral epidemic forced humanity to flee the planet in 2030. Sixty years later, British space agency astronaut Zach (Bacon) is on a reconnaissance missions and crash-lands in the Himalayan region of Nepal with his partner. They explore their surroundings and uncover a hidden city of caves nestled among the mountains, where they encounter a mysterious figure (Khadka), who is the mythical guardian of the Himalayan region.

Bacon is also signed on as a producer, as he and Shahi look to...

Prolific actor James Laurenson, who played Doctor Weir in the royal period drama The Crown, has died. He was 84. His passing was reported by multiple U.K. news outlets on Friday, May 10. A cause of death has not yet been provided. Born on February 17, 1940, in Marton, North Island, New Zealand, Laurenson made his acting career in the United Kingdom after moving there in the mid-1960s. He made his on-screen film debut in 1969 in Ken Russell’s romantic drama Women in Love. Throughout his career, Laurenson has had guest roles in numerous classic TV series such as Coronation Street, Z-Cars, The Professionals, Hammer House of Horror, Cagney and Lacey, Remington Steele, Bergerac, Midsomer Murders, Prime Suspect, Silent Witness, Hustle, Endeavour, Spooks, and many more. In more recent years, he played Earl of Westmoreland in the BBC adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts I and II and starred in...

Ian Gelder, a British actor known for his role as Kevan Lannister in “Game of Thrones,” died Monday of complications from bile duct cancer. He was 74.

Gelder’s partner, Ben Daniels, confirmed his death in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniels wrote. “Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 13.07. I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”

Gelder played the younger brother of Lord Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) in 12 episodes of the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” He appeared in multiple television series, including “Doctor Who,” “Snatch,” “Fifteen-Love,” “Casualty,” “Father Brown,” “The Bill,” “Edward the King,...

Ian Gelder, known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Torchwood, has died at the age of 74 after battling cancer, his husband and fellow actor Ben Daniels confirmed.

Gelder’s passing was announced, leaving fans and colleagues mourning the loss of the veteran actor.

Per The Sun, Daniels confirmed that his cause of death was due to complications from bile cancer.

Gelder is renowned for his portrayal of Kevan Lannister in the acclaimed series Game of Thrones, the younger brother of Tywin Lannister, played by Charles Dance.

The British actor enjoyed a prolific career spanning five decades in both stage and television.

His husband, Ben Daniels, shared the heartbreaking news of Gelder’s death on social media.

Ben Daniels leads tributes for Ian Gelder

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A post shared by Ben (@bendanielsss)

In a poignant statement, Daniels expressed his profound grief, describing Gelder as his “darling...

In the wake of BBC Studios fully acquiring BritBox, the specialized streamer has shaken up its leadership. Robert Schildhouse, the current general manager for North America as well as group editorial for BritBox International, has been named president of BritBox North America and general manager of BritBox International.

This leadership change will go into effect on April 1, and Schildhouse will be based in New York. As for Kerry Ball, she will continue in her role chief commercial and strategy officer and will be based in London. Both will report to CEO of BBC Global Media and Streaming Rebecca Glashow.

Schildhouse has been with the company since 2022. In his most recent role, he’s been instrumental in driving the streaming service’s business in both the United States and Canada and has also led its global content and editorial organization. In this new role, the executive will be in charge of...

Robert Schildhouse will serve in an expanded role at streamer BritBox International following the departure of global CEO Reemah Sakaan.

Schildhouse, who previously had stints with Hulu and CBS, joined the streamer in 2022, with his most recent position being general manager, North America, and group editorial for BritBox International, where he was instrumental in driving the service’s business growth in the U.S. and Canada.

From April 1, Schildhouse will serve in the expanded role of president of BritBox North America, and general manager of BritBox International, based in New York. Kerry Ball will continue in her role as chief commercial and strategy officer, based in London. Schildhouse and Ball will now both report to Rebecca Glashow, CEO, BBC Global Media and Streaming. Schildhouse will assume responsibility for product/technology and marketing, in addition to editorial.

The moves have happened after BBC Studios bought British broadcaster ITV‘s 50% stake in...

BBC Studios has bought British broadcaster ITV’s 50% stake in streamer BritBox International for £255 million ($322 million), the companies revealed on Friday.

The streamer was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between BBC Studios, which is the commercial arm of the British broadcaster, and ITV. “The transaction will provide net proceeds including loan repayments and accrued dividends and after tax of around £235 million,” the companies said.

“The sale reflects ITV’s strategy of focusing on supercharging its U.K. advertiser-funded streaming service, Itvx and growing its global Studios division,” ITV added. “The board intends to return the entire net sale proceeds to shareholders through a share buyback which it expects to launch imminently after the full-year results on March 7.”

Under the terms of the agreement, ITV Studios will continue to receive an ongoing revenue stream from BritBox International similar to current levels for the use of ITV content under new extended licensing agreements.

BBC Studios has paid £255M ($321M) to acquire ITV’s shareholding in their joint venture streamer, BritBox International.

In a regulatory note confirming the sale this morning, ITV confirmed it had sold its 50%, with the proceeds set to return to shareholders through a share buyback scheme that will launch after full-year results are posted on March 7.

BritBox CEO Reman Sakaan will exit the business, which will join the BBC Studios Global Media & Streaming division alongside the likes of BBC.com, BBC Select and BBC Podcast Premium. The BBC said new leaderships plans are “in place to ensure a smooth transition” and will be announced “imminently.”

The deal values BritBox International, which has nearly four million subscribers in eight territories, at over £500M. However, ITV is focusing on growth of its own streamer, Itvx, and its global ITV Studios division will redirect efforts in that direction following the deal.

ITV Studios,...

For sports fans, the arrival of January means the start of the NFL playoffs. This is usually enough to keep the attention of football fans all month long, and this weekend’s AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will stream live on Paramount+ for all the cord-cutting viewers out there.

But what about non-football fans? This audience segment needs some love too, and fortunately, there’s a wide variety of new shows and movies heading to a streaming service near you this week if you’re sick and tired of football talk and want to enjoy something else.

Monday, Jan. 22 ‘Judy Justice’ Season 3 Premiere | Freevee

“Judy Justice” is back and better than ever! Judge Judy Sheindlin presides over new cases with her signature blend of sharp wit and wisdom, hilarious candor, and unwavering honesty that has made her a household favorite among American audiences for almost 30 years.

Kcet and local Southern California PBS stations are set to be consolidated into one name: PBS SoCal.

Though the Los Angeles-based public broadcaster Kcet will still exist, it will be referred to as “PBS SoCal Plus,” so that both PBS flagship broadcast stations will be under one unified brand starting Feb. 6.

The broadcaster noted that Kcet programming will not change.

“PBS SoCal and Kcet merged in 2018, and since then, we have grown into a strong public media entity serving Southern California that reflects the diversity of our region and provides a full schedule of beloved and trusted PBS programs,” PBS SoCal president and CEO Andrew Russell said in a statement. “While the broadcast channel name may be changing, the programs that viewers love on Kcet — Artbound, Lost LA, Father Brown, Must See Movies and more — will remain available on the channel and across all of our platforms.”

He continued, “Our honored tradition,...

“Kcet” is infinitely no more. Well, sort of. The Los Angeles-based public broadcaster still exists, and “Kcet” remains its legal call letters. But effective Tuesday, Feb. 6, the station will start branding itself on air as “PBS SoCal Plus.” That brings it further in line with its sister station PBS SoCal (Koce-tv), with which it merged in 2018.

Beyond that, the programming mix won’t change, but there will be further program sharing behind both outlets under the unified brand. According to the public broadcaster, the brand unification is meant to stop any confusion that may still exist between PBS SoCal and Kcet now that they are operated under one roof. The two stations have already merged their two websites into one, under the PBS SoCal name — and now they will operate in tandem under that one name everywhere else too.

Dan Ferguson, PBS SoCal’s senior VP of marketing and communication,...

Prepare for a riveting mystery in the quaint village of Kembleford as “Father Brown” returns with Season 11 Episode 2, titled “The Forensic Nun,” airing at 1:45 Pm on January 12, 2024, on BBC One. In this intriguing installment, the beloved Father Brown finds himself embroiled in a puzzling case when his old friend, Sister Boniface, becomes implicated in the murder of a renowned artist.

As the story unfolds, viewers can expect a captivating blend of suspense and sleuthing as Father Brown delves into the secrets hidden within the village. The narrative takes an unexpected turn as Sister Boniface’s involvement adds a layer of complexity to the investigation.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of “Father Brown” or a newcomer to the charming world of Kembleford, this episode promises an enthralling mix of mystery, friendship, and the indomitable spirit of justice. Tune in at 1:45 Pm on BBC One for an afternoon of intrigue with “The Forensic Nun.

Streaming

“Sherlock” Seasons 1-4, “Death in Paradise” Seasons 1-11, “Unforgotten” Seasons 1-4 and “Life Below Zero” Seasons 1-9 are among the series that will be available as part of BBC Studios‘ new content agreement with Lemino, a Japanese video-on-demand streaming service operated by Ntt DoCoMo. The deal, which comes into effect Nov. 15 will also see Lemino subscribers gain access to long-running British dramas like “Call The Midwife” Seasons 1-11 and “Father Brown” Seasons 1-10, period dramas “The Pursuit of Love” and “Sanditon,” as well as documentary series “Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change The World.”

Cheryl Png, VP of distribution for Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan of BBC Studios Asia, said: “BBC Studios is known for our premium content, powerful storytelling and the ability to connect with a global audience. We look forward to working closely with Ntt DoCoMo to showcase the depth and breadth of our programmes that...

Kate Oates has been named Head of Drama Productions at BBC Studios.

Earlier this morning in the UK, we revealed Parish had quietly stepped down from her role as Head of Drama at the BBC’s commercial arm. In effect, she’s replaced by Oates, who has been promoted from her current role as Head of Continuing Drama.

A BBC spokesperson said Oates was adopting a “slightly different slate of programs” to Parish’s shows, which included Bella Ramsay drama Time. She will retain oversight of flagship soap EastEnders, plus returning series Casualty, Father Brown, Sister Boniface, River City and Pobol Y Cwm and new comedy-drama Anfamol.

Oates role will lead see her take on the UK’s biggest drama production hub outside London with bases in England, Scotland and Wales. Her team will oversee Silent Witness when it moves to the West Midlands, along with a slate of drama...

BritBox is following where the bigger streamers lead. The service, which has grown more than 300% in three years, and at last report had 3 million subscribers, has now risen its price to $8.99 per month, or $89.99 per year. It’s a relatively modest price increase of $1 per month, or $10 per year, but the increase came without a major announcement or press release.

7-Day Free Trial $7.99 / month via Amazon Prime Video

BritBox carries a host of beloved British programming, including dark and brooding detective shows like “Luther,” the more old-school sleuthing of “Father Brown,” or following Hyacinth Bucket from hedge to hedge as she peeks in her neighbors’ windows in “Keeping Up Appearances.”

The good news is that there is still a way for new users to get BritBox at the old price of $7.99 per month. That’s by signing up through Amazon's Prime Video Channels, which still offers BritBox at $7.99 per month after a seven-day free trial.

Why do we find murder mysteries so uniquely relaxing? This is one of the age-old questions about human nature, up there with ‘what is consciousness?’ and ‘why do we keep eating mouldy cheese and fish eggs like it’s a good thing?’ Because, despite the grief and blood and mountains of paperwork that a gruesome murder causes, we simply can’t get enough of curling up on the sofa with a mug of tea and a cosy crime drama to keep us blissfully entertained all the way through to bedtime.

This isn’t a new thing, either: while modern series like Death in Paradise and Shakespeare and Hathaway are the current champions of cosy crime TV, back in the eighties and nineties classics like Murder She Wrote and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates taught us how it’s done. So whether you’re after the latest in the cosy crime genre or some more nostalgic viewing,...

(L-r) Ester Pantano as Suleima, Claudio Gioe as Saverio and Domenico Centamore as Peppe, in Italian crime TV series “Makari.” Courtesy of MHzChoice

“Makari” Season 2 brings three more cozy light crime dramedies from this Italian TV series. It’s named after a Sicilian coastal village (Macari) that provides the lovely setting for a season of three mysteries in which our set of amateurs become involved. The star is Saverio (Claudio Gioe), a fortyish writer who’s lost his high-profile political press-agent gig due to an even higher-profile screw-up. Tail between his legs and nearly broke, he returns to the village where his father still owns a run-down vacation home, and tries to start a new life in safe, familiar environs.

He’s greeted by old pal Peppe (Domenico Centamore) – a lovable, overly chatty lug who variably helps and annoys our putative hero as he settles in. Saverio’s next acquisition is a girlfriend.

There have been numerous TV crime series from Europe pairing cops and clergy in the sleuthing. England’s “Father Brown” is among the best known and longest running. Italy has given us “Don Matteo,” with the superb Terence Stamp as a savvy priest. The French offering “Under Law and Grace” (“Priere D’Enquentere”) is a series of four 90-minute movies pairing police captain Elli (Sabrina Ouazani) and her assistant Franck (Jerome Robart) with novitiate monk Clement (Mathieu Spinosi) for murders with varying degrees of religious involvement. While most of these programs have been relatively light in tone, this quartet plays more as straight dramas.

The requisite initial mismatch of personalities is apparent from the get-go, as Elli, whose parents were Muslim and Jewish by birth but atheists in practice, and Franck (who is going through a messy divorce), head to a monastery. A monk was murdered, and a valuable bible was stolen.

Cate Blanchett (and soon Timothée Chalamet) transformed into Bob Dylan for the sake of cinema, but the “Tangled Up in Blue” singer-songwriter has no taste for modern TV.

Dylan shared his go-to rewatches in lieu of new series in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

“‘Coronation Street,’ ‘Father Brown,’ and some early ‘Twilight Zones.’ I know they’re old-fashioned, but they make me feel at home,” Dylan said. “I’m no fan of packaged programs or news shows. I never watch anything foul-smelling or evil. Nothing disgusting, nothing dog ass.”

Dylan continued to list his favorite musicians, including Metallica, Zac Deputy, Wu-Tang, Eminem, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Cave, along with “anybody with a feeling for words and language, anybody whose vision parallels mine.”

The Grammy winner added that his views on modern technology, especially social media, are torn. While social media can “bring happiness to a lot of people,...

Bob Dylan has been offered a cameo on Coronation Street after the musician revealed he is a fan of the show.

In a recent interview, Minnesota-born Dylan said that he enjoys watching the long-running soap as it makes him “feel at home”.

Producer Iain MacLeod has since said that Dylan could sing karaoke at the Rovers Return pub with characters Ken Barlow and Rita Sullivan.

Macleod told The Daily Telegraph: “To hear that Bob Dylan is a Coronation Street viewer blows my mind.

“I would absolutely love the idea of him turning up in the Rovers Return one night.”

Dylan, the producer explained, could make an appearance at an open mic night at the pub.

“A mysterious singer could roll in out of the Manchester rain and do a turn,” he suggested.

Dylan’s first album was released in 1962, two years before the Mancunian soap began airing on television.

“Both...

Bob Dylan released his latest book The Philosophy of Modern Song in November.

The book contains Dylan’s commentary on 66 songs by other artists. It is the first book Dylan has published since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In a new interview, Dylan explained the unusual dedication in the new book, to coffee and bakery company Dunkin’ Donuts.

“In the book, I thank: the ‘crew from Dunkin’ Donuts’,” he said.

“Because they were compassionate, supportive and they went the extra mile.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he revealed that he was a fan of the TV shows Coronation Street, Father Brown and some early Twilight Zones.

“I know they’re old-fashioned, but they make me feel at home,” he told The Wall Street Journal.

“I’m no fan of packaged programs or news shows. I never watch anything foul-smelling or evil. Nothing disgusting, nothing dog ass.”

In November,...

You can tell if somebody’s watched German Netflix series Dark by the furrow in their brow and the delirium in their eyes. The 2017 – 2020 time-travel mystery required a flip-chart of graphs and diagrams to explain, but proved a cult hit for Netflix and led to its creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar signing a deal with the streamer. 1899 (read our spoiler-free review here) is the result.

“Knowing that we did Dark, everyone can be assured that [1899] is going to be something weird and wild and crazy,” Friese promised Deadline about her and Odar’s new Netflix series. The writer-directors vowed not to repeat themselves with the new eight-episode period drama, but still to give their audience a fun puzzle that returns to the pair’s mystery roots.

Job done. 1899 is an addictive game for viewers to play. Set aboard a steam ship crossing from England to America at...

Father Brown is a famous British Detective series where Father Brown, the empathetic priest solves murder cases taking place in his parish.It is set in a fictional village of Kembleford, in the Cotswolds in England, Father Brown, a man of keen intelligence uses his insight into human behaviour and his life experiences to solve the […]

The post Two Participants of Popular Radio Quiz Murdered, Father Brown Probes appeared first on Shockya.com.

Terence Hill in “Don Matteo” on MHz Choice

If you’re in the mood for light-hearted mysteries with an engaging cast of characters, the subtitled Italian TV series “Don Matteo: Season 9” may suit your fancy. No TV program runs for over 20 years and 260+ episodes in Any country without considerable merit. Iconic actor Terence Hill stars as the priest in a little village who can’t help becoming a murder magnet, constantly involved in solving the crime of the day, usually to rescue one of his wrongly-accused parishioners. The local cops alternately rely on and resent his sleuthing, but it always leads to the right result within an hour of air time.

Hill became a global star in the 1970s largely from his wonderful comedic Spaghetti Westerns (most notably the Trinity flicks), among many pairings with Bud Spencer. The latter usually played a burly, grumpy sidekick to Hill’s playful lead in many successful light adventures,...

The only problem with British TV is that there isn’t more of it. The seasons are often shorter than their American counterparts, ensuring that audiences are always left wanting another episode.

Enter BritBox. The BBC and ITV streaming service boasts some of the more famous British imports in its catalog, alongside a deep library of English greats that might not have gained the same notoriety on this side of the pond. We’ve put together the best of the best shows to watch on BritBox in all genres, from meaty murder mysteries (the most popular category on BritBox) to the perfectly understated British comedies.

1. “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans”

Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans” is a perky and playful 1930s murder mystery packed with twists, turns, and sizzling banter. Will Poulter is Bobby Jones, a wayward naval...

Filming will commence next week on contemporary British Asian comedy feature “The Effects of Lying,” directed by Isher Sahota (“Hollyoaks”).

The cast includes Ace Bhatti, Laila Rouass, Navin Chowdhry, Shaheen Khan (“Mogul Mowgli”), Lauren Patel (“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”), Adam Bregman and Mark Williams (the Harry Potter franchise).

Based on a script by James Hey (“Doctors”), the film follows a dutiful husband and loving father (Bhatti) whose life falls apart when decades of festering secrets are exposed and he’s forced to face up to who he really is.

The Bonaparte Films production is produced by Jon Tarcy (“In Memoriam Dr. H.G.K.”), with Parmjit Gill serving as script editor and the casting director is Claudia Blunt.

“The Effects of Lying” “seeks to bring a new, urgent representation of contemporary British Asians to the cinema screen,” the production said in a statement.

In 2016, Sahota was selected for a place...

BritBox North America has struck a deal for three Agatha Christie adaptations and is to double its creative and investment output.

Head Emily Powers unveiled the news at this morning’s TCAs, at which point she revealed BritBox is co-producer on ITV’s The Confessions of Frannie Langton and has acquired the same network’s The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe and BBC One’s Martin Freeman-starring The Responder, both of which will be badged BritBox Originals. The BBC Studios/ITV streamer has also ordered a second season of Father Brown spin-off Sister Boniface Mysteries.

The Agatha Christie deal has been struck with Agatha Christie Limited and ITV Studios-backed The Serpent producer Mammoth Screen, and will see the trio of as-yet-unannounced shows produced over the coming years. Endeavor Content will handle international sales outside of the UK, Ireland and the Americas for all three projects.

The adaptations...

She’s a groovy gal in 1960s England. She drives a Vespa, has a lab where she makes wine and tests forensic evidence. She even turned down a job offer from MI5. Her outfit of choice? A Catholic nun’s habit. Meet the quirky title character of Sister Boniface Mysteries, played by actress and comedian Lorna Watson. The amusing new series, which debuts on BritBox February 8 with 10 episodes, follows the spirited sister as she helps the police catch killers in the appropriately named community of Great Slaughter, a small town with a large body count. The character first came to life a decade earlier in “The Bride of Christ,” a Season 1 episode of cozy mystery series Father Brown. In it, the wine-making, Agatha Christie-reading nun delighted viewers as she helped Mark Williams‘ titular priest solve two murders. Father Brown executive producer Will Trotter wanted to do more with Watson and her character.

BritBox North America, the BBC Studios and ITV-backed SVOD service specializing in British content, and the BBC have commissioned crime drama “Hope Street.”

The ensemble serial is set in the fictional town of Port Devine in Northern Ireland, and will focus on its police department, and the mysterious arrival of English detective constable Alimah Khan, the first Muslim police officer in the town’s history.

The cast includes Brid Brennan (“Brooklyn”), Des McAleer (“The Crown”), Ciaran McMenamin (“Primeval”) and Amara Karan (“The Night of”).

The show is created by Susanne Farrell (“Dirty God”) and Paul Marquess (“London Kills”), and written by Farrell, Jess Lea (“Eastenders”), Christine Murphy (“Emmerdale”), Stuart Drennan (“Hollyoaks”), and Shazia Rashid (“Eastenders”). It is executive produced by Donna Wiffen (“The Bill”) and Marquess for Long Story TV.

“Hope Street” will be made with the support of Northern Ireland Screen. It will premiere exclusively on BritBox in the U.

BBC Studios and producer, distributor and channel operator Blue Ant Media have partnered to launch the BBC First channel in Canada from March 16.

The channel will feature premium scripted and factual programming, including BBC original series “Top Gear,” “The Office,” “Death in Paradise” and “The Graham Norton Show,” which will be available at launch.

The ad-supported channel will broadcast in Canada in HD and will replace Blue Ant Media’s existing Hifi channel.

The BBC First channel launch marks an expanded partnership between BBC Studios and Blue Ant Media. The companies previously collaborated to launch the BBC Earth channel in Canada in 2017.

“Canadians love British television, and Blue Ant Media’s expanded partnership with BBC Studios underpins our commitment to invest in high-quality, distinctive programs we know our audiences will enjoy,” said Jamie Schouela, president for global channels and media at Blue Ant Media.

Rebecca Glashow, president of BBC Studios Americas,...

In a powerful alliance, Paris-based premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media, German public broadcaster Zdf and its co-pro and distribution arm Zdf Enterprises, HBO Max and Brazil’s Globo are teaming to produce “Theodosia,” a big new live action kids adventure series targeting family audiences.

No budget is given for the 26-part half hour series. Its combination, however, of elements which make for high-end entertainment – period costume, action and foreseeable heavy Vxf – suggest this is another big play by two of Europe’s champions of ambitious live-action kids shows.

One is Cottonwood Media, the kids and family production company at Paris and L.A -based Federation Entertainment whose credits include Studiocanal’s Cannes 2019 pre-sales movie hit “Around the World in 80 Days,” to be screened at Berlin.

The other, Zdf and Zdfe, has a storied recent history in live action kids shows. “Theodosia” will “continue our successful Zdf live action productions such as ‘H2O,...

It can often take wits, distinctive detective skills and divine intervention to solve cases. That’s especially true for the title character on the British detective period drama series, ‘Father Brown.’ The show features Mark Williams as the eponymous character, and is loosely based on a series of short stories by G. K. Chesterton. Having debuted […]

The post Sir Raleigh’s New Bride Insists on Seeing His Egyptian Mummy on Father Brown appeared first on Shockya.com.

Rupert Everett, Derek Jacobi and Tom Felton have joined the ensemble cast of “Lead Heads,” described as a “drama about greed and the repercussions it has on the soul.” Also in the cast are Luke Newberry, Mark Williams and Olatunji Ayofe. Giles Borg directs. Principal photography begins in March in London.

The film centers on “a group of men, strangers to one another but all corrupted by greed, who, in their desperation, are drawn together for one night to play a game that may cost them both their souls and lives,” according to a statement from the producers, Lawrence Steven Meyers, Randy Dannenberg and John Evangelides.

Alexa Waugh is onboard to line produce. The script was written by Patrick Makin.

Borg has worked in film and television for more than 20 years, directing commercials, music videos, TV series and feature films. He made his feature debut with “1234” in 2008, a quirky music-themed drama,...

The streaming landscape just got even more crowded: BBC Studios and ITV’s SVOD platform BritBox officially launched in Australia today.

Among the exclusive titles for the British-content streamer are A Confession, Appropriate Adult, Vera, Endeavour, Prime Suspect, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Father Brown, Victoria, Lewis, Murder on the Blackpool Express, Your Home Made Perfect, and The Curse of Ishtar. Police procedural The Mallorca Files will be available from December.

Also on the platform is the reboot of All Creatures Great and Small, featuring Nicholas Ralph, Rachel Shenton and Callum Woodhouse, and the service’s first commission, a revival of ’80s sketch comedy Spitting Image, from original creator Roger Law.

The launch coincides with ‘Doctor Who Day’, with the service offering the entire collection of the show from 1963 – 2019, with all 13 Doctors. Other classics will include Mr Bean, Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Kingdom, The Vicar of Dibley, The Office, Top Gear, Luther,...

It can often take wits, distinctive detective skills and divine intervention to solve cases. That’s especially true for the title character on the British detective period drama series, ‘Father Brown.’ The show features Mark Williams as the eponymous character, and is loosely based on a series of short stories by G. K. Chesterton. Having debuted […]

The post Mark Williams Investigates a Poisoning on Father Brown appeared first on Shockya.com.

It can often take wits, distinctive detective skills and divine intervention to solve cases. That’s especially true for the title character on the British detective period drama series, ‘Father Brown.’ The show features Mark Williams as the eponymous character, and is loosely based on a series of short stories by G. K. Chesterton. Having debuted […]

The post Mark Williams Must Uncover the Truth on Father Brown appeared first on Shockya.com.

Check back for updates … The 2019-20 TV season has been shaken up by the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down all production, cut short current seasons and delayed new ones. Mandated to remain indoors, a larger-than-usual viewing public is turning to the small screen for entertainment and escapism amid the health crisis.

For those waiting for something new on those screens, here’s our annual list of spring premiere dates for new and returning series. It covers more than 150 broadcast, cable and streaming programs debuting between April 1 and May 31 in all dayparts. It does not include movies or specials.

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Shows whose premieres have been delayed amid the Covid-19 crisis...

The streaming sector in Australia will get even more competitive when BritBox, the Svod service co-owned by BBC Studios and ITV, launches later this year.

The platform will offer a mix of exclusive and non-exclusive British content, including classic and contemporary box sets.

The plan is to recruit a local team including a country manager to lead the operations in Australia, its fourth market following the Us, Canada and the UK.

The price has not been disclosed but in the UK the service, which airs such shows as Broadchurch, Call the Midwife, Poldark, The Office, Death in Paradise, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and Wolf Hall, costs subscribers £5.99 ($A11.65) per month.

The launch date and distribution are yet to be revealed but the content will be curated especially for this market, according to BBC Studios.

BritBox North America launched in March 2017 and has signed up more than one million subscribers, doubling...

Exclusive: BritBox, the U.S. streamer backed by the BBC and ITV, has hit 1M subscribers. The service has doubled its take-up since January 2019.

The platform, which launched in March 2017, attributed its success to tapping into an “underserved” audience of women 45 years and older with a slew of British series. It noted that by “super-serving” this audience, it was also able to record low single-digit churn.

It has also been closing the gap between the time a show launches in the UK and its debut on BritBox with shows such as The Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special, nature doc series Spring Watch, Piers Morgan-fronted Good Morning Britain and political series Prime Minister’s Questions all airing day-and-date on the platform.

In addition to series such as Brenda Blethyn’s Vera, Kelly Macdonald’s The Victim and John Cleese’s Hold the Sunset, it has been increasingly moving into original...

Former BBC scripted content portfolio director Liam Keelan has joined the Mouse House.

The London-based exec will take on the newly created regional role of VP of original productions for television, where he is to oversee content for both channels and fledgling streaming service Disney+ in Europe and Africa.

Leading a team of development and production executives in the U.K. and across the region, he will be responsible for scripted, unscripted, factual entertainment and animated originals across the company’s various genres with a focus on general entertainment and family.

Original content will land on Fox, Disney Channel and Disney+. Keelan will report into Diego Londono, executive VP of media networks and content.

Keelan first joined BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide) in 2013, but departed last March following a restructuring at the producer-distributor.

Keelan spent six years as Director of Scripted Content, BBC Worldwide. Prior to this, he was Global Editorial Director.

Rob Lowe’s ITV drama Wild Bill, cop drama McDonald and Dodds (starring The Crown’s Jason Watkins), Martin Freeman’s A Confession and Sticks and Stones (starring Killing Eve’s Ken Nwosu) are the latest British titles to be snapped up by streamer BritBox.

This comes after the ITV and BBC joint venture unveiled its latest commission, Father Brown spin-off Sister Boniface, earlier this morning.

The announcements were made as part of BritBox’s Winter TCA press tour session.

“From day one, BritBox has delivered the known, the now and the new authentic British programming experience, whether it’s through groundbreaking originals and specials or proven international favorites,” said BritBox President and Founder, Soumya Sriraman. “Day in and day out, viewers are flocking to BritBox for premium UK entertainment they won’t find anywhere else in North America.”

Wild Bill stars Lowe as Bill Hixon, a high-flying Us police...

BritBox, BBC Studios and ITV’s streaming service in North America, has added several co-productions, live specials, renewals and short series to its lineup, BritBox president Soumya Sriraman announced Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. gathering in Pasadena.

Among the shows coming to the service are “A Confession,” an original drama from Jeff Pope, starring Martin Freeman (“Sherlock”) and Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”), about divergent paths to justice for two women when the confession of a violent criminal is ruled inadmissible; the six-part mystery series “Wild Bill,” starring Rob Lowe; “Sister Boniface,” about a crime-solving nun, a spin-off of the mystery series “Father Brown”; a co-production with ITV from Mammoth Screen, “McDonald and Dodds,” about a pair of mismatched police detectives, starring Jason Watkins; and Mike Bartlett’s three-part psychological thriller “Sticks and Stones,” starring Ken Nwosu.

During the TCA session, Sriraman also led panel discussions on BritBox’s exclusive season 10 return of “Vera,...

BritBox North America, the streaming service operated by the BBC and ITV, has commissioned a drama based on a character that first appeared in the hit British daytime show Father Brown.

The Sister Boniface Mysteries will star Lorna Watson (Watson & Oliver) after she featured as sleuthing nun Sister Boniface in the first season of crime-fighting period drama Father Brown on BBC One.

BBC Studios will produce the 10-part spin-off drama, having made eight seasons of Father Brown since 2013, and it focuses on light-hearted murder mysteries in 1960s England.

Created by Jude Tindall (Father Brown), Sister Boniface is using advanced techniques for tracking down killers and acts as a scientific advisor to the police, working alongside Detective Inspector Sam Gillespie and Detective Sergeant Felix Livingstone.

Watson said: “She is such a fun character to play. Quirky, funny, endearing and a total brain when it comes to forensics. In many ways she...

Lorna Watson (“Watson & Oliver”) is set to star in a detective series for BritBox North America, “The Sister Boniface Mysteries.” Set in 1960s rural England, the series of light-hearted murder mysteries follows the investigations of Sister Boniface, Bride of Christ, vintner and crime scene investigator.

The 10-part drama, created by Jude Tindall, is produced by BBC Studios Productions, and will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios. The show was executive produced by Will Trotter.

Watson reprises her role as Sister Boniface, following her appearance in the first season of “Father Brown.”

In the 1960s, when police forensics is rudimentary by today’s standards, Boniface – with an I.Q. of 156, a Phd in forensic science, and a fully equipped crime laboratory is an invaluable aid to the police. In her role as official Police Scientific Advisor, Boniface works alongside the dashing detective inspector Sam Gillespie and Felix Livingstone, a high-flying Bermudian detective sergeant.

Exclusive: Billy Burke, Aaron Poole and Christopher Webster are set to join Liam Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz and Natasha Liu Bordizzo in Quibi’s forthcoming untitled action thriller.

The series comes from Scorpion creator Nick Santora, producer Gordon Gray, Silver Reel Pictures and CBS Television Studios. Santora will write and executive produce the series. Emmy-nominated director Phil Abraham (Mad Men) will helm and also executive produce.

Here’s the logline: Desperate to take care of his pregnant wife before a terminal illness can take his life, Dodge Maynard (Hemsworth) accepts an offer to participate in a deadly game where he soon discovers that he’s not the hunter but the prey. The action-thriller explores the limits of how far someone would go to fight for their life and their family. Burke, Poole and Webster’s roles are being kept under wraps.

Burke recently starred in Zoo and NBC’s Revolution. His film...

BritBox is expanding its content slate with two original series, a slate of live programming, and the introduction of the long-running series “Father Brown,” the company’s president Soumya Sriraman announced Thursday.

Speaking at BritBox’s TCA presentation, Sriraman introduced a new BritBox original series, “The Bay” and announced the acquisition of “Gavin & Stacey’s” 2019 Christmas Special, based off a British sitcom written by James Corden. Release dates for the two programs were not disclosed.

Starring Morven Christie (“Grantchester”) and Jonas Armstrong (“Ripper Street”), “The Bay” follows a family liaison officer who is assigned to a missing person’s case that becomes more personal than expected, which ultimately puts her wellbeing in danger. With two BAFTAs and three British Comedy awards under its belt, “Gavin and Stacey,” which follows the merging of two quirky families, returns for a one-hour special that will feature show creator Corden.

Joining the two shows...

Streaming service BritBox will bring British crime drama “The Bay” to its subscribers, as well as the upcoming “Gavin & Stacey” Christmas special.

The streamer, which in North America is an equal joint venture between ITV and BBC Studios, has also landed popular U.K. shows including “Death in Paradise,” which is currently on Netflix in the U.S. but will be exclusive to BritBox in the Svod rights window. BritBox, which has about 650,000 subscribers, has also scored rights to several live events.

BritBox president Soumya Sriraman announced the new programming at the streamer’s TCA presentation, which featured panel sessions on its original Kelly Macdonald drama “The Victim” as well as “Father Brown” and “Mum.”

“The Bay,” a serialized crime drama in the vein of “Broadchurch,” will be a BritBox original. It stars starring Morven Christie (“Granchester”) and Jonas Armstrong (“Ripper Street”). In the U.K. it went out...

Patti Smith has never shied away from life’s tragic side. But when she calls up Rolling Stone in October, she’s in an upbeat mood.

“On the road, they have these LG televisions and when you turn them on, it says: Life Is Good. I love that,” Smith says. “Actually, I say it out loud when I turn it on: ‘Life is good.’ Because there’s a million reasons why we can say that things are terrible in the world, but when you get down to it, you know,...

The King Baggot Tribute will take place Wednesday September 28th at 7pm at Lee Auditorium inside the Missouri History Museum (Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri). The 1913 silent film Ivanhoe will be accompanied by The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra and there will be a 40-minute illustrated lecture on the life and career of King Baggot by We Are Movie Geeks’ Tom Stockman. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here

Here’s a look at the final phase of King Baggot’s career.

King Baggot, the first ‘King of the Movies’ died July 11th, 1948 penniless and mostly forgotten at age 68. A St. Louis native, Baggot was at one time Hollywood’s most popular star, known is his heyday as “The Most Photographed Man in the World” and “More Famous Than the Man in the Moon”. Yet even in his hometown, Baggot had faded into obscurity.