Harry Wild, an Irish detective series with Jane Seymour in the lead role, has gotten a fourth season order on subscription streamer Acorn TV. Production has started in Dublin. 

Seymour is an executive producer on the show. She plays a recently retired English professor with a son who is a detective. Having discovered her knack for sussing out how crimes are committed, she ends up launching a detective agency. 

“We’re thrilled to be kicking off production on a fourth season of Harry Wild with our fantastic cast and crew in Ireland,” Catherine Mackin, managing director, Acorn Media Enterprises, said. “With this series, the delightful Jane Seymour has become a beloved member of the Acorn TV family, and we can’t wait to see what Harry has up her sleeve this season and what mysteries she will solve in her own unique way.”

Rohan Nedd, Kevin Ryan and Rose O’Neill are also in the cast. 

Harry Wild is produced by Dynamic Television. Acorn Media Enterprises co-produces alongside ZDF. Executive producers are David Logan, Jo Spain, Jane Seymour, Daniel March, Klaus Zimmermann, James Gibb, David McLoughlin, Catherine Mackin and Bea Tammer. Frank Seyberth and Claus Wunn executive produce for ZDF.

AMC Networks will lean on its horror-themed streaming service Shudder to help facilitate its annual AMC FearFest programming stunt as the television industry looks to scare up audience viewership during the traditional Halloween season.

AMC’s two-month "FearFest, Shocked by Shudder" celebration, which officially kicked off in September with AMC’s airing of Shudder’s 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of all Time special, will feature more than 700 hours of films, series, and specials within the genre across AMC, AMC Plus and Shudder, according to AMC Networks Executive VP of Streaming Courtney Thomasma.   

“Shudder is the [horror genre] content leader in the streaming space, so we reached out to their producers to help program FearFest,” she said.

Along with airings of classic films from such horror films as Halloween, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Exorcist, AMC will also feature original programming from Shudder, including the season four premiere of Creepshow. 

Thomasma says AMC Networks will also offer FearFest-branded movies and specials for its other networks, including IFC, WEtv, Acorn TV, and Sundance Now. Earlier this month Shudder teamed with Black audience-targeted streaming service ALLBLK to premiere its original horror film The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.

Now in its 26th year, Thomasma says the FearFest stunt — launched originally as MonsterFest — has endured throughout the years as the horror genre has become more popular with viewers on multiple platforms. 

“Everything is so fragmented these days, but when this season comes around, everyone has a shared interest in the content and the genre,” she said. 

She also welcomes competition in the horror genre both on the linear and streaming front, adding that FearFest continues to curate an expansive lineup of horror content for fans to devour.

“FearFest has continued to deliver what audiences want to see during the season,” she said. 

The return of HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot series and the premiere of Disney Plus’ sequel series to the classic movie Willow lead the list of original shows heading into December.

Gossip Girl, a takeoff on The CW series that ran from 2007-2012, premieres its second season December 1 on HBO Max. The series stars Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind and Evan Mock.

Disney Plus’ Willow debuts December 1 and serves as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name from Ron Howard. The six-episode series stars Warwick Davis, Erin Kellyman, and Elle Bamber.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of November 28 to December 4 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

November 28 – Whitstable Pearl (returning series) – Acorn TV

November 29 – Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies (reality) – Peacock

November 29 – Behind the Music (reality) – Paramount Plus

November 30 – Irreverent (drama) – Peacock

December 1 – Sort of (returning series)-- HBO Max

December 2 – Firefly Lane (returning series) – Netflix

December 2 – Riches (drama) – Prime Video

December 2 -- Three Pines (drama) -- Prime Video

December 2 – Slow Horses (returning series) – Apple TV Plus

December 4 – George & Tammy (music drama) – Showtime

Orphan Black actress Tatiana Maslany returns to AMC Networks to star in a new drama series Invitation to a Bonfire, the network announced Wednesday during its Television Critics Association summer press tour session. 

The series, set in the 1930s at an all-girls boarding school in New Jersey, follows a young Russian immigrant and groundskeeper who is drawn into a lethal love triangle with the school’s newest faculty member and his bewitching wife, portrayed by Maslany. The actress starred in the Emmy-winning BBC America series Orphan Black from 2013 to 2017.

Also: ‘Marvel’s Jessica Jones’ Star to Lead AMC Networks' ‘Orphan Black’ Spinoff Series

Freya Mavor, Pilou Asbaek and Ngozi Anyanwu also star in the thriller, which is based on the novel by Adrienne Celt. 

Maslany also serves as an executive producer for Invitation to a Bonfire along with Robin Schwartz and Kyle Laursen. 

"Tatiana is a singular talent who we’ve wanted to bring back  to the AMC Networks family since her iconic and career-defining performance in Orphan Black," Dan McDermott, AMC Networks president of entertainment and AMC Studios, said in a statement. "We're thrilled to have her join Invitation to a Bonfire’s talented cast and watch her bring to life the wild flame that is Vera Orlov, both on-screen and behind the scenes as an executive producer."

In other AMC Networks news, Acorn TV has renewed its original murder mystery series Harry Wild for a second season. The series stars Jane Seymour as a retiring university literature professor who is finding herself at one of life’s crossroads.

Harry Wild was Acorn TV's most successful series launch and most-watched season of any series on the service in 2022, according to the streaming service. 

Also, IFC will bring back its Emmy-winning comedy/variety series Sherman’s Showcase for a new season on October 26. The series, created by Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin, will feature such guest stars as John Legend, Issa Rae, Chance the Rapper, Jay Pharoah, Chris Hardwick and Porsha Williams, said the network.

AMC Networks also renewed its Emmy-nominated digital series Cooper's Bar for a second season. The series, developed by Louis Mustillo and Better Call Saul's Rea Seehorn, has drawn nearly four million views on a variety of platforms including AMC+, AMC.com, video on demand and the company’s Facebook, Instagram and YouTube feeds since premiere this spring. 

The series was nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for Seehorn in the “Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series” category. ■ 

Australian series Darby and Joan premieres on Acorn TV August 8. The show, with a road trip at the center, stars Bryan Brown and Greta Scacci. Two episodes premiere August 8. Brown plays Jack Darby, a retired homicide detective who is on the road with his dog Diesel, hoping to escape his past. Recently widowed nurse Joan Kirkhope is on a pilgrimage to find answers about her husband’s mysterious death. 

“They couldn’t be more different: the low key, ruggedly charming Aussie and the tightly-wound, yet warm, witty and determined Englishwoman, but when they collide in the Australian outback, and become drawn into a series of unexpected mysteries, this unlikely investigative duo soon realize the most intriguing puzzle they face is each other,” teases Acorn. 

Filmed in Queensland, Darby and Joan is executive produced by Claire Tonkin, David Hannam, Matt Campbell, Bea Tammer and Catherine Mackin. Glenys Rowe and Phillip Gwynne created the show. 

Darby and Joan is produced by CJZ, with a production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen Queensland.

The pilot sees the pair involved in a “shock collision,” says Acorn, before they end up at a waterside paradise where a group of old friends gathers to recall a place that once defined them. Then someone dies. 

AMC Networks owns Acorn TV, a streaming network devoted to British and international television. The service costs $6.99 monthly. ■

AMC's crime drama 61st Street highlights the list of cable and streaming shows debuting during the first full week of April. 

AMC's eight-episode series debuting April 10 stars Courtney B. Vance as a Chicago lawyer defending a young black man swept up in the corrupt Chicago criminal justice system. The series also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Mark O’Brien, Holt McCallany, Tosin Cole, Andrene Ward-Hammond and Bentley Green.

Also this week, returning on April 8 for sophomore seasons are Paramount Plus's iCarly and Hulu's Woke.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for multiple shows debuting the week of April 4 to April 10 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 4 – Harry Wild (drama) – Acorn TV

April 5 – Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (sports documentary) – HBO

April 6 – The Hardy Boys (drama) – Hulu

April 7 – Close Enough (animated comedy) – HBO Max

April 7 – Return to Space (documentary) – Netflix

April 7 – Tokyo Vice (drama) – HBO Max

April 8 – All the Old Knives (drama movie) – Prime Video

April 8 – Metal Lords (comedy movie) – Netflix

April 8 -- A Black Lady Sketch Show (returning series) -- HBO

 AMC Networks Thursday announced several show renewals, including the return of Shudder’s Creepshow and AMC Plus’ Kin, as part of its Television Critics Association Winter press tour presentation.

Shudder’s anthology horror series Creepshow will return for a fourth season, while the streaming services Slasher franchise will return with a new instalment dubbed Ripper, starring Eric McCormack.  

AMC Plus’ freshman original Irish crime drama Kin will return for a second season. The series stars Charlie Cox, Clare Dune and Aidan Gillen, said the company.

Other series slated for new seasons across AMC Networks’ portfolio of channels include Acorn TV’s Bloodlands (season two), My Life is Murder (season three) and London Kills (seasons three and four), said the network. 

The final season of TNT's Claws drama series as well as Paramount Plus's Yellowstone prequel series 1883 highlight a busy week of series and movie premieres on cable and streaming services.

The fourth season of Claws, which stars Niecy Nash, continues to chronicle the lives of workers and friends at a Florida nail salon. The final season launches Dec. 19.

Also on tap Dec. 19 is the debut of 1883, a prequel to Paramount Network's popular series Yellowstone. The Paramount Plus series follows Yellowstone's the Dutton family as they crossed the Great Plains during the late 19th century. Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliot star in 1883.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Dec. 13 to Dec. 19 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

December 13 -- The Larkins (drama) -- Acorn TV

December 13 -- Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (documentary) -- HBO

December 14 -- The Murders at Starved Rock (documentary) -- HBO

December 15 -- Rumble (animated movie) -- Paramount Plus

December 16 -- Close To Me (drama) -- Sundance Now

December 16 -- Finding Magic Mike (competition series) -- HBO Max

December 16 -- Juce WRLD: Into the Abyss (documentary) -- HBO

December 16 -- MacGruber (comedy) -- Peacock

December 16 -- Station Eleven (drama) -- HBO Max

December 17 -- Mother/Android (thriller) -- Hulu

December 17 -- Swan Song (sci-fi movie) -- Apple TV Plus

December 17 -- The Witcher (returning series) -- Netflix

December 17 -- With Love (comedy) -- Prime video

December 18 -- When Hope Calls (drama) -- GAC Family ■ 

Acorn TV debuted in 2013 as the first streaming service to serve the U.S. Anglophile market, offering a steady mix of old and new British TV shows, mini-series, movies and originals, and six years later managed to attract 1 million customers. But in that same time frame, U.K. programming powerhouses BBC and ITV launched their own streaming service -- BritBox -- for lovers of all things Old Blighty, putting pressure on the pioneering service to find new ways to attract and retain subscribers. 

Where Can I Get Acorn TV?

Acorn TV can be accessed via a streaming app, on computers, tablets and phones through the www.acorn.tv and is priced at $6.99 per month. The app is available for download at most app stores, Apple TV, Roku, IPhone, IPad, Chromecast, Android mobile and tablets, Smart TVs, Amazon FireTV and the web.

How Much Does Acorn TV Cost?

Acorn TV offers a one-week free trial, and then customers are billed $6.99 monthly. Annual subscriptions are available for $69.99. Acorn TV also allows for gift subscriptions.

What Shows Are on Acorn TV?

Acorn TV programming concentrates mainly on British mysteries, dramas, crime shows and “heartwarming comedies,” offering new originals and exclusive U.K. premieres. Originals including Agatha Raisin, starring Ashley Jensen (Extras, After Life,Ugly Betty) and based on the best-selling books by M.C. Beaton; The Chelsea Detective, a detective series starring Adrian Scarborough as DI Max Arnold and Sonita Henry as his partner DS Priya Shamsie have also resonated with viewers, as have shows like Aftertaste, Cuffs, and The Good Karma Hospital. U.K. comedy and drama essentials like acclaimed BBC detective drama George Gently, Acorn original Bloodlands  and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries join New Zealand comedy-drama Nothing Trivial,  Aussie legal drama Newton’s Law, and Australian thriller The Code in the growing Acorn TV lineup.  

Acorn TV also offers award-winning series and movies like BBC classic I, Claudius; family drama A Place to Call Home; Mystery Road an original drama set in the Australian Outback; and The Hour, a look into the high-stakes world of TV news. Returning favorites including mystery My Life is Murder starring Lucy Lawless; and the final season of Doc Martin, a British drama series starring Martin Clunes.

On April 4, new episodes of Walking Through History; The Straits, starring Brian Cox (Succession) as the head of an unconventional crime family; Dead Lucky, a thriller starring Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under); and new series Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour as a retired literature professor turned crime solver, will be available. April 11 is the premier of police drama Candace Renoir and on April 14, 1998 mini series Coming Home, based on the best seller by Rosamunde Pilcher and starring Peter O’Toole, Joanna Lumley, Emily Mortimer, David McCallum and Paul Bettany, makes its debut.     

Will It Last?

Parent AMC Networks doesn’t break out individual subscribers anymore for its streaming services, but said its SVOD networks -- Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, AMC Plus and ALLBLK -- surpassed a combined 6 million paying customers in 2020 and ended 2021 with more than 9 million subscribers. During its Q4 earnings conference call with analysts in February, AMC Networks interim CEO Matt Blank said the goal is to reach a combined 20 million-to-25 million subscribers for the streaming services by the end of 2025.

At the same time BritBox has been gaining its own ground. Launched in March 2017, the service -- a partnership between the BBC and ITV and mainly offering TV series and films from the main British public broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) -- said it had  about 2 million subscribers last year (1.5 million in the U.S. and 500,000 in the U.K.) Acorn TV launched its U.K. version in 2020.

While Acorn TV may have a much smaller customer base than broader streaming services like Disney Plus and HBO Max, Blank said on the call that scale isn’t as important for niche streamers like Acorn TV as it is for larger entities.

“Last quarter we talked about the beauty of smaller numbers and how our strategy is allowing us to build the streaming business marked by what we believe are higher levels of customer engagement and satisfaction, lower costs, higher margins and other benefits that are enabling us to achieve our goals at much lower subscriber levels than others,” Blank said. 

Acorn and its AMC streaming brethren also are more likely to weather smaller subscriber bases because the cost of its programming is so low. During the Q4 conference call, AMC Networks Streaming Services president Miquel Penella said that 19 of the top 20 most popular shows on Acorn, Shudder, ALLBLK and Sundance Now cost less than $1 million per episode, and some substantially less. In contrast, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney Plus spends about $15 million per episode for The Mandalorian and as much as $25 million per episode for its Marvel streaming TV series like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye.  

With a highly targeted niche market, low programming costs and strong viewer engagement, it’s hoped that there will be ample room for both Brit-themed services to survive.  ■  

AMC Networks said it has made an investment in Shaftesbury, the Canadian production company behind Murdoch Mysteries and other popular titles on AMC’s Acorn TV streaming service.

The deal gives AMC additional access to Toronto-based Shaftesbury’s content and expands its development capabilities in Canada.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Also Read: AMC Networks Launches Five Vizio SmartCast Channels

Christina Jennings, CEO of Shaftesbury, will continue to lead the company. Jennings and two others from Shaftesbury will remain on the company’s board, joined by two directors from AMC. The new directors are Harold Gronenthal, executive VP of programming and marketing for AMC Networks International, and Matt Graham, GM of Acorn TV.

“Christina has built a world class production company with a long track record and reputation for creating high quality content that resonates in markets around the world,” said Josh Sapan, AMC Networks president and CEO. “Shaftesbury is an ideal partner for AMC Networks as we expand our focus on sourcing premium content and IP for distribution across our own platforms as well as to third parties. In addition, this partnership will give AMC Networks enhanced capabilities to expand our productions in Canada.”

In addition to the shows streaming on Acorn TV, Shaftesbury produces Departure for Global/Corus Entertainment, Peacock and NBCUniversal, Frankie Drake Mysteries for CBS and UKTV, Slasher on AMC’s Shudder and Hudson & Rex for Citytv/Rogers.

“This new partnership will leverage the broad expertise of AMC Networks and Shaftesbury to deliver significant growth opportunities for the development, production, distribution and reach of our content,” said Jennings. “Getting Canadian stories and creative talent in front of the international market has always been Shaftesbury’s mission – this relationship will give us a big leg up.”

Both Acorn TV and BritBox have carved out successful niches in the Amazon Prime Video Channels market, with each SVOD service claiming to have reached 1 million U.S. and Canadian subscribers in 2020.

Is there room on Amazon Channels for another subscription streaming service focused on movies and TV shows from the U.K.?

The BBC, which already partnered with ITV in 2018 to launch BritBox, thinks so. It just announced that it will launch a new subscription service, BBC Select, in the Amazon Prime Video Channels, as well as the similarly modeled Apple TV Channels, in early 2021. The offering will be made available for users in the U.S. and Canada. No pricing has been announced yet.

Don’t look for murder mysteries and period dramas on BBC Select. BBC said the streaming service will be primarily programmed with nonfiction programming themed around “culture, politics and ideas.” 

Initially announced programs include Grayson Perry: Big American Road Trip, featuring the eponymous British artist; Brainwashing Stacey, starring well known U.K. news personality Stacey Dooley; and the history-themed Romantic Revolution from Sir Simon Schama. Also featured will be work from documentarian Louis Theroux.

Given this factual focus, BBC Select will also be competing with CuriosityStream and the upcoming Discovery Plus (although it’s not yet clear to us if the latter will be resold through “channels” partners). 

“BBC Select is for those who crave knowledge, new perspectives and programs that are not your standard fare,” said Louise la Grange, general manager and launch director of the upcoming platform. “BBC Select will combine a rich line up of never-before-seen shows in the U.S. and Canada with a prized portfolio of thought-provoking, eye-opening programs that provide context and color to the world we all share—all in one place.”

Added Rebecca Glashow, president of BBC Studios—America: “As we shift our business focus to engaging our fans direct, the digital space offers us the opportunity to bring audiences a portfolio of shows that bring new ideas and perspectives into the conversation. Our research has shown that audiences are looking for an alternative to what is already out there. BBC Select is it.”

The second week of November will feature several scripted series premieres, including the fourth season of Netflix’s The Crown. 

Olivia Colman will return to the Emmy award-winning series for its fourth season, which explores the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the late 1970 to the early 1990s. The Crown premieres Nov. 15.

FX on Hulu on Nov. 10 will debut its latest drama series, A Teacher, which stars Kate Mara as a high school teacher who has an illicit affair with a student. (Read Review).

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Nov. 2 to Nov. 8 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Nov. 9 -- Industry (drama) -- HBO

Nov. 9 -- The South Westerlies (drama) -- Acorn TV

Nov. 9 -- The Mighty Ones (animation) -- Hulu

Nov. 10 -- The Cost Of Winning (documentary) -- HBO

Nov. 11 -- The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City (reality) -- Bravo

Nov. 11 -- Eater's Guide to The World (reality) -- Hulu

Nov. 13 -- The Ride (movie) -- Prime Video

Nov. 13 -- Becoming You (reality series) -- Apple TV Plus

Nov. 15 -- The Reagans (documentary) -- Showtime

HBO's new thriller series The Undoing tops this week's list of new scripted and reality series and movies set to debut on cable and streaming.

The six-part series, which stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant and debuts Oct. 25, follows a successful therapist and mother whose life is thrown into chaos after a local murder (see review).

Other series debuts include the Bill Murray starrer On the Rocks from Apple TV Plus on Oct. 23, and Hulu's horror/comedy original film Bad Hair, also on Oct. 23.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Oct. 19 to Oct. 25 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Oct. 19 -- Darkness: Those Who Kill (drama) -- Acorn TV

Oct. 20 -- The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Resurrection (reality) -- Shudder

Oct. 20 -- The Magic School Bus Rides Again: The Frizz Connection (family) -- Netflix

Oct. 21 -- My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (talk) -- Netflix

Oct. 22 -- Equal (documentary) -- HBO Max

Oct. 22 -- The Witches (movie) -- HBO Max

Oct. 23 -- How to With John Wilson (reality) -- HBO

Oct. 23 -- The Queen’s Gambit (drama) -- Netflix

The Halloween season is in full swing as several horror-themed content make their debut this week.

Prime Video will debut its original movie Evil Eye on Oct. 13 while Hulu will deliver its Marvel Comics-based series Helstrom (pictured) on Oct. 16.

Also on the docket this week is the Oct. 15 debut of the third season of CBS All Access drama series Star Trek: Discovery.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Oct. 12 to Oct. 18 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Oct. 12 -- Mystery Road (drama) -- Acorn TV

Oct. 15 -- Des (miniseries) -- Sundance Now

Oct. 15 -- Lennox Lewis: The Untold Story (documentary) -- Crackle

Oct. 15 -- Social Distance (drama) -- Netflix

Oct. 16 -- Grand Army (drama) -- Netflix

Oct. 16 -- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (movie) -- Netflix

Oct. 17 --David Byrne’s American Utopia (documentary) -- HBO

 The week leading into Labor Day features several high-profile launches as streaming services and cable networks gear up for the new television season.

Starz on Sept. 6 will debut its anticipated drama series Power Book II: Ghost (pictured) -- the first of four spinoffs from its hit series Power -- while Peacock on Sept. 4 debuts a new drama series Noughts + Crosses, based on an alternative world in which Africa has colonized Europe and controls its citizens. 

Sci-fi also takes center stage on Sept. 4 with the return of Prime Video’s superhero-themed series The Boys and Netflix’s Mars-themed series Away.  Also HBO Max on Sept. 3 debuts its fantasy-themed series Raised by Wolves.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Aug. 31 to Sept. 7 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Sept. 2 -- Tyler Perry’s House of Payne & Assisted Living (comedy) -- BET

Sept. 3 -- A.P. Bio (comedy) -- Peacock

Sept. 3 -- The Sounds (drama) -- Acorn TV

Sept. 3 -- Young Wallander (drama) -- Netflix

Sept. 4 -- Anthony (drama movie) -- Peacock

Sept. 4 -- Earth to Ned (talk) -- Disney Plus

Sept. 7 -- Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne (reality) --A&E

Sept. 7 -- Madagascar: A Little Wild (animation) -- Hulu/Peacock

The last week of August will offer a light schedule of new original series premieres on cable and streaming services.

Disney Plus will bring back Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb animated series for an Aug. 28 standalone movie, Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe, while BET Plus will help say goodbye to Tyler Perry’s iconic character Madea as part of an Aug. 27 special Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Farewell Play. Netflix on Aug. 25 will bring back its drama series Trinkets (pictured) for a sophomore season. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting the week of Aug. 24 to Aug. 30 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Aug. 24 -- Family Business (drama) -- Acorn TV

Aug. 24 -- Reno 911! (comedy) -- Quibi

Aug. 27 -- Class Action Park (documentary) -- HBO Max

Aug. 27 -- Pure (drama) -- HBO Max

Aug. 28 -- The Binge (comedy) -- Hulu

Aug. 30 -- Love Fraud (reality) -- Showtime 

August programming offerings will heat up this week as several high-profile scripted and reality series make their debuts.

HBO's much anticipated horror/thriller series Lovecraft County -- executive produced by Jordan Peele and Misha Green -- debuts on Aug. 16, while Apple TV Plus' Ted Lasso, starring Jason Sudelkis as an American college football coach-turned-England pro soccer team coach, premieres Aug. 14

On the unscripted front, HBO will debut its Hard Knocks pro football reality series on Aug. 11 with a focus on the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, while its sister streaming service HBO Max on Aug. 13 will cook up a new reality series starring actress Selena Gomez titled Selena + Chef (pictured). 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting the week of Aug. 10 to Aug. 16 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Aug. 10 -- Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event (special) -- Netflix

Aug. 10 -- The Other One (comedy) -- Acorn TV

Aug. 11 -- Hard Knocks: Los Angeles (sports docu series) -- HBO

Aug. 12 -- Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (documentary) -- HBO

Aug. 13 -- Five Bedrooms (dramedy) -- Peacock

Aug. 14 -- Teenage Bounty Hunters (comedy) -- Netflix

Streaming service Peacock headlines this week’s new show debuts with the launch of several new original series.

The NBCUniversal-owned Peacock service, which debuts July 15 and will be offered in limited free-to-consumer AVOD and premium $5-a-month subscription iterations, will premiere with such original shows as Brave New World, a sci-fi thriller which follows the travails of a future Utopian society; The Capture (pictured), a conspiracy thriller that looks at a troubling world of fake news, and Intelligence, a comedy in which a maverick American NSA agent and a junior analyst team to thwart a workplace power struggle, said the company.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting the week of July 13 to July 19  on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

July 13 -- The Nest (drama) -- Acorn TV

July 14 -- Showbiz Kids (documentary) -- HBO

July 16 -- Fatal Affair (drama) -- Netflix

July 16 -- The Secrets She Keeps (drama) -- Sundance Now

July 17 -- Absentia (returning series) -- Prime Video

July 17 -- Cursed (drama) -- Netflix

July 17 -- Into the Dark: The Current Occupant (horror) -- Hulu

July 17 -- The Sims Spark’d (reality) -- TBS

July 19 -- The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (returning series) -- TNT 

The Nest begins on Acorn TV July 13. The BBC One psychological thriller is about a pact between a wealthy young couple and a teenage girl. The couple has everything except a baby. They meet 18-year-old Kaya, from the other side of Glasgow, and hire her to be their surrogate. Kaya may not be all she’s cracked up to be.

Nicole Taylor, creator and co-executive producer, called it a “domestic thriller, an emotional thriller — very pacey, very twisty. It’s about something that’s emotionally real.”

The Nest is just five episodes, and Taylor likes it that way. “I believe in burning through story,” she said.

The idea for the series came to her at a performance by country star Brandy Clark. Taylor is obsessed with country music and often gets ideas at concerts. She’s been into country since she was a child. “It was extremely unfashionable to be into Garth Brooks,” Taylor said of her tween/teen years.

Taylor boiled The Nest down to “how far will you go to get what you want?” She added, “Three people lock into a relationship with mutually assured destruction.”

The Nest did well on BBC One. Taylor said fans were all different ages. “I love it when that happens,” she said. “You hit a whole bunch of demographics, and everyone takes away something different.”

 July 15 sees the premiere of Brave New World on Peacock. It is, of course, adapted from Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel from 1932. Executive producer David Weiner said the ideas Huxley puts forth — about technology, society and class — are timely in 2020. “The ideas in Brave New World seem to be more resonant, more relevant 90 years after he wrote it,” Weiner said.

Alden Ehrenreich, Jessica Brown Findlay and Demi Moore are in the cast.

Peacock mentions a “genetically-engineered future where life is pain-free but meaningless.” Society prohibits monogamy, privacy, money, family and history. Like many of us, Weiner had to read Brave New World for school, and didn’t quite finish the assignment. “It had sex in it,” he recalled, but conceded that Huxley’s grand themes went beyond his ken. Reconnecting with it more recently, Weiner mentioned “an extraordinarily prophetic novel.”

Huxley was perhaps most prescient in envisioning the tech world that lay ahead. “He’d be unpleasantly unsurprised by our use of technology,” Weiner said.

Brave New World is set in both sterile London and the gritty Savage Lands beyond. Weiner described the series as “deliciously weird.”

Peacock launches July 15. Weiner said he heard nothing but yes from the network in producing Brave New World.

RELATED: Programming Review: ‘Brave New World’

Peacock’s mix of established programs and premium original stuff, he said, should find viewers. “I’m as curious as anybody about Peacock,” Weiner added.

Season two of crime drama Hidden premieres on Acorn TV June 15. The show comes from BBC One Wales and looks at the murder of a teacher in a small North Wales town. 

Sian Reese-Williams and Siôn Alun Davies play a pair of detectives on the case. The investigation circles in on three troubled teens existing in a tangled world of lies, revenge, cruelty and neglect.

There are six episodes. 

Also Read: Acorn TV: Everything You Need to Know

Acorn TV is a streaming service featuring British programming. 

“Writing the second series of Hidden was a great opportunity to visit one of those small towns and examine a complex cultural and socio-economic setting,” said series writer Caryl Lewis. “The three young people ricochet through the storyline and commit what seems to be a senseless act of violence. We stuck with the ‘why done it’ formula again this season in order to spend time with our three characters and drill down into their worlds. Among other things, we touch upon young people’s lack of agency; poverty, neglect, political apathy and abuse, and reflect on the fact that perhaps, in some ways, we all share the blame as a society for the outcomes of these problems.”

The second season was filmed in Welsh and English. Welsh version Craith premiered on Wales’ S4C in November and the English/Welsh version premiered on BBC One Wales and BBC Four in February. 

Acorn TV will feature the bilingual version, with English subtitles.

Acorn TV is part of AMC Networks. It costs $5.99 monthly. 

HBO will premiere its re imagining of the classic Perry Mason drama series while Showtime and AMC bring back two of its most popular series during the week heading into the official start of summer.

HBO’s Father’s Day (June 21) premiere of Perry Mason will resurrect the character made famous by actor Raymond Burr in the series that ran on CBS in the late fifties and early sixties. In the reboot, Mason is played by Matthew Rhys (The Americans) who, as a young private investigator, works on a child kidnapping case.

Series returning this week include the June 21 premieres of Showtime’s The Chi and AMC’s NOS4A2, as well as the June 17 second season debut of Netflix comedy series Mr. Iglesias.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several other shows debuting the week of June 15 to June 21 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

June 15 -- Hidden (returning series) -- Acorn TV 

June 15 -- Tender Touches (returning series) -- Adult Swim

June 17 -- Love, Victor (dramedy) -- Hulu

June 18 -- Karma (competition series) -- HBO Max

June 18 -- Syfy’s Wire’s The Great Debate (reality) -- Syfy

June 19 -- 7500 (thriller) -- Prime Video

June 19 -- Feel The Beat (movie) -- Netflix

Acorn TV, the streaming service focused on British programming, brings the BBC Wales drama series Hidden back to American audiences with an all-new murder mystery.

Set in North Wales, the series stars Sian Reese-Williams as Detective Chief Inspector Cadi John, who is called in to investigate the murder of an elderly former chemistry teacher who is found dead in his bathtub after police get an anonymous tip. John — still healing from the loss of her father, a police officer, in one of the few carryover storylines from season one — dives right into the investigation and discovers that the loner victim retired early after a troubled student accused him of inappropriate touching.

With few clues, John tries to track down the young man who called police to the crime scene. The caller, Connor (Steffan Cennydd), is part of a group of three mischievous teens that seemingly has ties to the victim and knows more than they let on about his death. Hidden skillfully teases viewers with possible scenarios —
and suspects — regarding the murder within the first few episodes, building momentum toward finally unveiling the perpetrators as the six-episosde series unwinds.

The pace is decidedly slow, and dialogue is translated back and forth between English and Welsh, but viewers will quickly get attached to the no-nonsense John and her detective counterpart Owen Vaughan (Siôn Alun Davies) as they doggedly pursue the elderly man’s killers.

The first season of Hidden garnered critical acclaim as well as a prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts Cymru Award. U.S. viewers returning to the series on Acorn TV won’t be disappointed in the show’s sophomore campaign.

Acorn TV will make all six episodes of the series available on its June 15 premiere date.

Cable networks and streaming services will offer several new series and documentaries for viewers to peruse during the Memorial Day holiday week.

Prime video's drama series Homecoming will return May 22 for a second season with a new mystery-themed storyline, according to the streaming service. The new season stars Janelle Monáe (pictured) as a young woman who wakes up in a rowboat that's adrift in a lake with no memory of who she is or how she got there. 

Nat Geo will debut its new drama series Barkskins on Memorial Day (May 25). The series follows a group of settlers traveling from France to the uncharted land of North America during the 17th century. RELATED: Series Review 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of May 18 to May 25 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

May 18 -- Blackballed (sports documentary) -- Quibi

May 18 -- Dead Still (dramedy) -- Acorn Tv

May 20 -- At Home with Amy Sedaris (returning series) -- truTV

May 20 -- Sleeping with Friends (reality) -- YouTube

May 21 -- The Split (drama) -- Sundance

May 21 -- Double Cross (drama) -- UMC

May 22 -- Homecoming (drama) -- Prime Video

May 25 -- Barkskins (drama) -- Nat Geo

May 25 -- Grant (documentary) -- History

TBS Offers More ‘Misery’

Season two of The Misery Index, a comedic game show hosted by Jameela Jamil and paneled by the guys in the Tenderloins, starts on TBS May 14. Jamil played Tahani on The Good Place and The Tenderloins — Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano — are from Impractical Jokers.

Inspired by the card game Sh*t Happens, The Misery Index features teams competing against each other by attempting to rate miserable and hysterical real-life happenings based on the “misery index.” The producers are pumped about the way season one landed. “The audience got it in the way we intended it to be,” said Dan Newmark, who produces alongside brother Ben for Grandma’s House Entertainment.

Ben said they’ve “decided to amp things up” in season two, including fun episode themes, such as USA versus U.K., as New York’s Tenderloins and the U.K.’s Jamil often debate which nation creates better misery.

The Newmarks rave about Jamil in the host role. “There’s a lot she brings to the show, and she’s a great counter to the Tenderloins and the type of comedy they bring,” Dan said. “She balances the show.”

Ben calls Jamil “the fifth Tenderloin.”

He added, “The guys embrace her and she embraces the guys.”

The Newmarks feel The Misery Index is about right for the nation in the state that it’s in. “It’s a time when we need entertainment and distraction and our show gives people permission to have fun,” Dan said. “We need to laugh with each other and share the miseries that come up in our lives.”

Acorn TV ‘Still’ Offering Darkly Funny Drama

On May 18, Dead Still begins on Acorn TV. Set in Victorian-era Ireland, the series is a murder mystery centered around postmortem photography, which apparently was a bit of a thing in 1880s Ireland.

Brock Blennerhasset makes a living taking portraits of the deceased for their families, and a series of murders threatens his reputation. A detective drags him into an investigation of Dublin’s slimy underbelly. 

“The kernel of the idea was the origins of crime-scene photography,” said co-creator/writer John Morton.

Morton initially had Daguerreotype as the title of the show. “It’s a little bit of a mouthful,” he said.

Dead Still was suggested, and “it suited the tone of the show,” he said.

Morton’s influences on the project include Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels and other Victorian-era detective fiction. He said much has been set in Victorian London and Victorian America, but not so much Ireland. “It seemed like a novel take,” he said.

Dead Still deftly mixes drama and humor. “It starts jaunty,” Morton said, “and progresses to a darker place.”

AMC Networks said it will finish 2020 with between 3.5 million and 4 million combined subscribers for its four subscription streaming services. 

AMC operates Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and UMC (Urban Movie Channel). It had originally forecasted reaching this subscriber benchmark by the end of 2022.  

Also read: Acorn TV: Everything You Need to Know About the SVOD Service Battling BritBox for Control of the U.S. Anglophile Market

“It has been pleasing to see us surpass what we thought was a milestone that had some ambition, and diagnosing whether that’s early take up or whether that is a greater market opportunity than anybody anticipated is something that will have to wait at least some amount of time. But the trajectory is very good,” AMC CEO Josh Sapan told investors during today’s first-quarter earnings call. 

Most of the other news coming out of AMC wasn’t that good.

The media company reported a 52% year-over-year drop in net income to $69 million. AMC’s Q1 revenue fell 6.4% to $734 million.

Amid the severely depressed pandemic economy, AMC told investors to expect around a 30% drop in second quarter advertising sales on its various linear and streaming channels. 

Gold Digger begins on Acorn TV May 4. This British drama tells the story of a 60-year-old woman falling in love with a man in his 30s. Julia Ormond and Ben Barnes star.

Marnie Dickens, creator/showrunner/executive producer/writer, said she’d always wanted to do a family drama, but “knew that wasn’t enough, in and of itself.”

So she tossed in the older woman/younger man romance. “Whenever you see it, there are instant question marks,” Dickens said. “Like, what’s he after?”

In Acorn TV’s words, “The effect of their unconventional relationship on her already-damaged, dysfunctional family and the secrets of their past are revealed — has Julia finally found the happiness she’s always deserved, or is Benjamin really after her money?”

The show debuted in the U.K. on BBC One in the fall. Dickens mentioned “a really lovely reaction” to it, with numerous viewers backing Ormond’s Julia character. “That was due in part to Julia Ormond’s brilliant performance,” she added.

Gold Digger is dark, but there are bright spots, too. “There are shots of optimism,” Dickens said.

She hopes the series helps dispel the taboo of the older woman/younger man relationship. “Hopefully we can look at these things through a less skeptical lens,” Dickens said.

There are six episodes. Might there be another season? “Never say never, is the classic motto,” Dickens said.

I Know This Much Is True, a limited series on HBO, premieres May 10 (see Review, page 14). It features twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. Thomas has some serious issues and pulls off a heinous act in a small-town library.

Mark Ruffalo plays both Dominick and Thomas. Derek Cianfrance wrote and directed the project. Both are executive producers.

Ruffalo and Cianfrance met at Sundance years ago, when Cianfrance was supporting his movie Blue Valentine. “We felt like brothers immediately,” said the director.

Cianfrance described Ruffalo as “open and pure and present and empathetic.”

He added, “He just connects with people — it’s one of his real gifts as an actor.”

Melissa Leo plays the twins’ mother.

I Know This Much Is True is a dark and gripping look at a family struggling with issues both ordinary and extraordinary. Cianfrance said he was eager to delve into “the bond and burden of being a family member,” and examine how families often look wholesome from the outside, but rarely are behind closed doors.

The six-episode project is adapted from a Wally Lamb novel. Lamb is an executive producer too. Cianfrance described an email the producers got from Lamb, urging them to thank their partners and families for the sacrifice the producers made to get the limited series just right.

“Wally and Mark are the perfect one-two punch of humanism,” Cianfrance said. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of April 6 to April 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 6 -- The Big Show (comedy) -- Netflix

April 6 -- Deadwater Fell (drama) -- Acorn TV

April 7 -- The Last O.G. (returning series) -- TBS

April 8 -- Liar (returning series) -- Sundance

April 9 -- The Good Fight (returning series) -- CBS All Access

April 9 -- Shaq Life (reality series) -- TNT

April 10 -- Brews Brothers (comedy) -- Netflix

April 11 -- The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel (movie) -- Lifetime

April 12 -- Belgravia (drama) -- Epix

April 12 -- Insecure (returning series) -- HBO

April 12 -- Killing Eve (returning series) -- BBC America/AMC

April 12 -- Run (dramedy) -- HBO (RELATED: 'Run' Review)

April 12 -- Willie Nelson: American Outlaw (documentary) --A&E

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of April 6 to April 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

April 6 -- The Big Show (comedy) -- Netflix

April 6 -- Deadwater Fell (drama) -- Acorn TV

April 7 -- The Last O.G. (returning series) -- TBS

April 8 -- Liar (returning series) -- Sundance

April 9 -- The Good Fight (returning series) -- CBS All Access

April 9 -- Shaq Life (reality series) -- TNT

April 10 -- Brews Brothers (comedy) -- Netflix

April 11 -- The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel (movie) -- Lifetime

April 12 -- Belgravia (drama) -- Epix

April 12 -- Insecure (returning series) -- HBO

April 12 -- Killing Eve (returning series) -- BBC America/AMC

April 12 -- Run (dramedy) -- HBO

April 12 -- Willie Nelson: American Outlaw (documentary) --A&E

British crime drama Deadwater Fell premieres on Acorn TV April 6. Set in the Scottish Highlands, the four-part mystery drama looks into what happens after a happy family is murdered by someone the members know. David Tennant and Cush Jumbo star.

Daisy Coulam, writer and creator, called Deadwater Fell “a giant puzzle” begging to be figured out in these trying times. “It’s a whodunit murder mystery with lots of whydunit aspects,” she added.

Coulam previously worked on detective drama Grantchester. She’s obsessed with true crime, and projects like Making a Murderer are major influences on this one. She said Deadwater Fell has “the quiet forensic feel of a documentary.”

Scripted series such as Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects are influences too.

And the title? Coulam saw Deadwater Fell on a map, and knew she wanted it for a project. “I thought it was a great atmospheric name,” she said. “It’s such an evocative set of words.”

The Scottish Highlands offer a unique setting. Coulam described them as isolated yet beautiful, with plenty of mystery lurking in the shadows.

The project was Coulam’s first opportunity to work with Jumbo, who is in the cast of The Good Fight. She plays a schoolteacher who is married to a police officer on Deadwater. “She brings a realness and a depth to her character,” said Coulam.

For fun, Coulam watches “anything light,” she said, including Parks and Recreation and Frasier. “I somehow always end up watching Frasier,” she added.

The comedies come in handy these days. “The world feels so dark,” Coulam said. “Humor is the way through it.”

Pies, Pastries and Passion on ABC

The Baker and the Beauty begins on ABC April 13. Victor Rasuk is baker Daniel and Nathalie Kelley is beauty Noa. He’s an everyman and she’s a superstar. Can their relationship possibly work?

Executive producer and showrunner Dean Georgaris, speaking in February at the aTV Festival in Atlanta, called the premise “the collision of two worlds,” the ordinary world and the celeb world, and Latino culture and what he called “superstar Australian culture.”

The concept came from Israel. ABC is taking it from a half-hour format to an hour. “It’s a chance to expand it, to pay attention to the entire family,” he said. “It becomes a family show, not just a baker-and-beauty show.”

A good romantic comedy is “timeless,” Georgaris said, and plays particularly well in times like these.

“We’re going through a period right now where I think everyone wants to be reminded about what they have in common,” he added. “We all have love in common and we all have family in common.”

AMC Networks said it is launching Acorn TV, its subscription streaming service featuring British TV, in the U.K. on April 29.

New users will be able to get a 30-day free trial. After that, Acorn TV will cost £4.99 per month or £49.99 per year.

Launched in the U.S. in 2011, Acorn TV began commissioning its own original show including the mysteries Queens of Mystery and London Kills and Finding Joy. Last year, AMC announced that Acorn TV had more than 1 million U.S. subscribers.

Also Read: Acorn TV: Everything You Need to Know

“Acorn TV has been phenomenally successful in North America, and we’re excited to bring our slate of exceptional programming from around the world to UK viewers,” said Matthew Graham, general manager of Acorn TV.

“The United Kingdom has a long-standing tradition of producing first-rate dramas and mysteries, so we’re thrilled to feature so many popular, award-winning programs in one place like ITV’s Foyle’s War and BBC’s Keeping Faith, as well as introduce UK audiences to the charming, British-produced Acorn TV Original Queens of Mystery,” Graham said. “For the last eight years, Acorn TV has curated and produced the very best in global television with a diverse mix of shows from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Scandinavia with the singular focus of satisfying a rapidly growing fan base seeking high quality mysteries and dramas. As one of the best values in television, Acorn TV will make an excellent add-on to British consumers’ streaming options.”

AMC Networks said it is launching Acorn TV, its subscription streaming service featuring British TV, in the U.K. on April 29.

New users will be able to get a 30-day free trial. After that, Acorn TV will cost £4.99 per month or £49.99 per year.

Also read: Acorn TV: Everything You Need to Know About the SVOD Service Battling BritBox for Control of the U.S. Anglophile Market

Launched in the U.S. in 2011, Acorn TV began commissioning its own original show including the mysteries Queens of Mystery and London Kills and Finding Joy. Last year, AMC announced that Acorn TV had more than 1 million U.S. subscribers.

“Acorn TV has been phenomenally successful in North America, and we’re excited to bring our slate of exceptional programming from around the world to UK viewers,” said Matthew Graham, general manager of Acorn TV.

“The United Kingdom has a long-standing tradition of producing first-rate dramas and mysteries, so we’re thrilled to feature so many popular, award-winning programs in one place like ITV’s Foyle’s War and BBC’s Keeping Faith, as well as introduce UK audiences to the charming, British-produced Acorn TV Original Queens of Mystery,” Graham said. “For the last eight years, Acorn TV has curated and produced the very best in global television with a diverse mix of shows from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Scandinavia with the singular focus of satisfying a rapidly growing fan base seeking high quality mysteries and dramas. As one of the best values in television, Acorn TV will make an excellent add-on to British consumers’ streaming options.”

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of March 23 to March 29 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

March 23 -- Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (movie) -- Acorn TV

March 24 -- Dark Side Of the Ring (returning series) -- Vice TV

March 24 -- One Day At A Time (returning series) -- Pop

March 25 -- Crip Camp (documentary) -- Netflix

March 26 -- Behind Her Faith (documentary) -- UMC

March 26 -- Tacoma FD (returning series) -- truTV

March 27 -- Making the Cut (reality competition) -- Prime Video

March 27 -- Ozark (drama) -- Netflix (pictured)

March 27 -- Uncorked (drama) -- Netflix

March 27 -- Vagrant Queen (sci-fi) -- Syfy

March 28 -- Danger Force (family) -- Nickelodeon

March 29 -- Beef House (comedy) -- Adult Swim

March 29 -- Three Busy Debras (comedy) -- Adult Swim

March 29 -- Vice (returning series) -- Showtime 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of March 9 to March 15 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

March 9 -- Temple (drama) -- Spectrumhttps://youtu.be/oGeSmSNs_lI

March 9 -- Blood (returning series) -- Acorn Tv 

March 10 -- Women of Troy (sports documentary) -- HBO

March 11 -- Dirty Money (documentary) -- Netflix

March 11 -- On My Block (returning series) -- Netflix

March 12 -- Waka & Tammy: What the Flocka (reality) -- WE

March 13 -- Flack (returning series) -- Pop

March 13 -- The Pale Horse (drama) -- Prime Video

March 13 -- Stargirl (drama) -- Disney+

March 15 -- Black Monday (returning series) -- Showtime

March 15 -- Westworld (returning series) -- HBO

Acorn TV is well positioned to be competitive in the battle among streaming services by super-serving fans of British-produced content, according to Acorn TV general manager Matthew Graham.

The $5.99 monthly, subscription-based service currently offers more than 3,000 hours of acquired and original programming fare primarily originating from the UK, but also featuring content from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, said Graham.

Acorn TV, created by BET founder Robert Johnson’s RLJ Entertainment Inc. in 2011 and acquired by AMC in 2018, has more than 1 million subscribers in the US and Canada.

Also Read: Acorn TV: Everything You Need to Know

Graham talks about the success of Acorn TV as well as its viability in a crowded video streaming marketplace in a new OTT Spotlight segment.

Acorn TV is well positioned to be competitive in the battle among streaming services by super-serving fans of British-produced content, according to Acorn TV general manager Matthew Graham.

The $5.99 monthly, subscription-based service currently offers more than 3,000 hours of acquired and original programming fare primarily originating from the UK, but also featuring content from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, said Graham.

Acorn TV, created by BET founder Robert Johnson’s RLJ Entertainment Inc. in 2011 and acquired by AMC in 2018, has more than 1 million subscribers in the US and Canada.

Graham talks about the success of Acorn Tv as well as its viability in a crowded SVOD marketplace in a new OTT Spotlight video segment.

The second week of January features a bevy of new and returning show premieres from cable networks and streaming services.

Paramount network on Jan. 15 will premiere 68 Whiskey, a new drama series chronicling army medics serving in Afghanistan, while Apple TV+ on Jan. 17 launches a new family-themed series Diary of a Future President.

On the returning series front, Netflix will launch the sixth season of its comedy series Grace and Frankie on Jan. 15, while the next day  Freeform will launch the third season of grown-ish.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Jan. 13 -- Ackley Bridge (dramedy) --Acorn TV

Jan. 13 -- The New Pope (drama) -- HBO

Jan. 15 -- Good Trouble (dramedy) -- Freeform

Jan. 15 -- The Magicians (returning series) -- Syfy

Jan. 16 -- Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (comedy) -- Freeform

Jan. 17 -- Endlings (sci-fi) -- Hulu

Jan. 17 -- Little America (drama) -- Apple TV+

Jan, 17 -- Sex Education (dramedy) -- Netflix

Jan. 17 -- Troop Zero (family) -- Prime Video

Jan. 19 -- Avenue 5 (comedy) -- HBO

Jan. 19 -- Curb Your Enthusiasm (returning series) -- HBO

As the streaming wars heat up, AMC Networks is keeping one of its big guns--the upcoming third series in the Walking Dead franchise--for itself and its own direct-to-consumer platforms.

Speaking on the company’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday, CEO Josh Sapan noted that the company had done a lucrative deal with Amazon to distribute the series overseas, outside of territories where AMC owns networks.

“However, in the U.S. we are holding back rights that we’ve traditionally sold to third parties,” Sapan said. “So domestically we will not sell the SVOD rights to this third Walking Dead series, but rather the series will be used to fuel our own platforms, both streaming as well as linear, as we window it and take full advantage of the opportunities that it presents for us.”

Related: AMC Networks Reports Higher Third-Quarter Net

The new Walking Dead series, set to have its linear premiere in the second quarter, could be a good fit for AMC Premiere, the company’s ad-free services, or Shudder, it’s horror-based SVOD service, Sapan suggested.

But Sapan noted that AMC would be looking at the best way to monetize its shows on a case-by-case basis.

He noted that the series Nos4a2 premiered on the AMC channel in the U.S. and then went to two of AMC’s streaming platforms, Shudder and AMC Premiere.

Related: AMC Orders Season 10 of ‘The Walking Dead’

A Discovery of Witches, on the other hand, debuted earlier this year on Shudder and Sundance Now, driving record usage and subscriber acquisition. Then it appeared on AMC channel, where it delivered strong ratings, he said.

“These examples illustrate how our multiple platforms are creating increasingly varied past to monetization and significant and different opportunities for our intellectual property, content engine,” he said.

Sapan also noted that AMC’s streaming services don’t really compete with the heavyweights from Comcast, AT&T, Disney and Apple that will be duking it out.

Instead AMC’s streaming services are hyper targeted and focused and “are thriving and we believe will continue to thrive, alongside what some may call the Something for Everyone SVOD category that is becoming more crowded and competitive by the day,” he said.

“The economic fundamentals around these targeted services have great attributes and are, in some cases, particularly for a company like ours, superior to the general entertainment SVOD category as there’s not the same pressure on retail price and there is not the same share battle,” Sapan said, noting that Acorn TV, AMC’s streaming service specializing in British shows, increased its price by $1 a month yet continued to grow.

Acorn TV recently passed the 1 million subscriber threshold, he noted, and AMC has been telling analysts it expects to have more than 2 million subscribers among all its services. “We are in fact now pacing to be ahead of that stated target,” Sapan said.

The company expects its streaming businesses to cross 3.5 million to 4 million cumulative subs by 2022 and by 2024 its said it plans to be in the 5 million to 7 million subscriber range. At that point, those services will be generating $500 million, the company forecasts.

“AMC Networks is well on its way to strategically transforming itself from a cable channels company into a premier content company with a suite of focused and targeted video entertainment products that are delivered to viewers on an ever expanding array of platforms,” Sapan said.

“And as our TV series come off their exhibition windows on main stream streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, they will then come back to us, AMC Networks, for the first time, representing a new business opportunity as we make determinations around the optimal utilization of that content,” he said.

AMC Networks has announced that Charter Communications will launch its full suite of subscription video on demand services, along with its premium ad-free linear channel, AMC Premiere.

The inclusion of Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and UMC is part of a broader long-term carriage agreement inked between the programmer and cable operator earlier. That deal includes carriage of linear networks AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv and BBC World News.

Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. AMC didn't offer a timeline as to when the SVOD services and AMC Premiere will be available to Spectrum TV subscribers. 

Related: Charter X1 Talks Continue, Xfinity Flex Now Part of the Discussion

“As both of our businesses continue to evolve, we are very pleased to expand our relationship by enriching Charter’s offering with our targeted SVOD services. Much like our networks, our SVOD services serve passionate audiences with the content they love,” said Ed Carroll, AMC Networks COO, in a statement.

“With partners like AMC Networks, we’re strategically enabling our customers to have greater control over the content they want, in one place through their Spectrum subscription, and with pricing flexibility to meet their needs,” added Tom Montemagno, exec VP of programming acquisition for Charter.

The announcement that Charter will be adding more app-based services to its customers comes just days after top company executives openly discussed licensing X1 video technology from Comcast—specifically, the No. 1 U.S. cable operator’s Flex streaming box. 

AMC Networks has announced that Charter Communications will launch its full suite of subscription video on demand services, along with its premium ad-free linear channel, AMC Premiere.

The inclusion of Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and UMC is part of a broader long-term carriage agreement inked between the programmer and cable operator earlier. That deal includes carriage of linear networks AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv and BBC World News.

Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. AMC didn't offer a timeline as to when the SVOD services and AMC Premiere will be available to Spectrum TV subscribers. 

Related: Charter X1 Talks Continue, Xfinity Flex Now Part of the Discussion

“As both of our businesses continue to evolve, we are very pleased to expand our relationship by enriching Charter’s offering with our targeted SVOD services. Much like our networks, our SVOD services serve passionate audiences with the content they love,” said Ed Carroll, AMC Networks COO, in a statement.

“With partners like AMC Networks, we’re strategically enabling our customers to have greater control over the content they want, in one place through their Spectrum subscription, and with pricing flexibility to meet their needs,” added Tom Montemagno, exec VP of programming acquisition for Charter.

The announcement that Charter will be adding more app-based services to its customers comes just days after top company executives openly discussed licensing X1 video technology from Comcast—specifically, the No. 1 U.S. cable operator’s Flex streaming box. 

FX’s anthology series American Horror Story sets the pace for new and returning series debuting this week.

American Horror Story: 1984 -- the ninth iteration of the horror series franchise -- debuts Sept. 18 with a storyline that serves as an ode to the 1980s slasher film genre.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

Sept. 16 -- Taken Down (drama) -- Acorn TV

Sept. 17 -- The Jim Jefferies Show (returning series)  -- Comedy Central 

Sept. 20 -- Between Two Ferns: The Movie (movie) -- Netflix

Sept. 20 -- The Family Man (drama) -- Prime Video

Sept. 20 -- Disenchantment (returning animated series) -- Netflix

Sept. 22 -- The Circus (returning series) -- Showtime

Streaming services Amazon Prime and Netflix will both roll out high-profile scripted series  heading into the Labor Day weekend.

Amazon Prime on Aug. 30 will debut Carnival Row, an eight-episode fantasy-themed drama series that depicts the tenuous relationship between humans and immigrant mythological creatures living among each other in the same city, according to the streaming service.

Also in the fantasy realm premiering Aug. 30 is Netflix’s The Dark Crystal:Age of Resistance (pictured), a 10-episode prequel series to the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

Aug. 26 -- Dave Chappelle: Stick & Stones (comedy special) -- Netflix

Aug. 27 -- The Devil You Know (documentary) -- Viceland

Aug. 28 -- The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 (returning series) -- MTV 

Aug. 29 -- Growing Up Hip-Hop: New York (returning series) -- WE

Aug. 30 -- When Hope Calls (drama) -- Hallmark Movies Now

Aug. 30 -- Keeping Faith (returning series) -- Acorn Tv 

Aug. 30 -- Styling Hollywood (reality series) -- Netflix 

Sept. 2 -- Untouchable (documentary) -- Hulu 

The virtual MVPD model is beginning to morph into the Amazon Channels way of doing things.

Case in point: Google just announced that its virtual pay TV service, YouTube TV, has signed a deal with AMC Networks to distribute subscription streaming services Acorn TV and Urban Movie Channel (UMC).

Acorn TV, which is an SVOD service featuring popular British television series, can be added through YouTube TV at the standard subscription price of $5.99 a month. UMC, which features African-American-targeted films and TV shows for on demand streaming, is also available for the standard $4.99-a-month price.

The add-ons show up on the user’s YouTube TV bill. This aggregation model looks familiar by now because it is. Amazon started it four years ago with its Channels adjunct, and others—including Roku and Apple—have followed suit with similar services.

For their part, streamers of live-streamed bundles—the so-called vMVPDs—are now adopting the a la carte strategy, as well. Notably, Dish Network’s Sling TV has held—at least somewhat—firm to its $25-a-month price point, while enabling consumers to expand their bundles through optional ad-on subscriptions.

Google hasn't released any subscription numbers for YouTube TV. But research company MoffettNathanson estimates the service reached around 1.5 million users at the end of the second quarter. 

TNT’s medical-themed reality series Chasing The Cure tops the list of new series debuting during the week of Aug. 5 to Aug. 11.

The live series, hosted by Ann Curry, seeks to help people who suffer from undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or uncured medical mysteries by linking patients with medical experts to help find answers, according to network officials.

On the returning series front, HBO will will bring back its freshman drama series Succession for its sophomore campaign on Aug. 11.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

Aug. 5 -- My Life Is Murder (drama series) -- Acorn Tv

Aug. 6 -- Hard Knocks:Training Camp With The Oakland Raiders (sports series) -- HBO

Aug. 8 -- Wu Assassins -- (action series) -- Netflix

Aug. 9 -- The Family -- (reality) -- Netflix

Aug. 9 -- Free Meek -- (documentary) -- Prime Video

Aug. 9 -- GLOW -- (drama series) -- Netflix

Aug. 10 -- Black Love (documentary series) -- OWN

Aug. 11 -- Squidbillies (animation) -- Adult Swim

British-themed streaming service Acorn TV has expanded its distribution outlets to include The Roku Channel, The Apple TV app and Android TV, according to service officials.

Acorn TV is now available for purchase directly through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel, as well as through the Apple TV app and on Android TV Smart TV’s and digital media players, according to the service.

In addition, Acorn is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels for Canada, adding to the service’s distribution on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

“Acorn TV is now available in more ways than ever before so customers can watch its addictive international mysteries and dramas on whatever device or platform they prefer,” said Mike Pears, President of U.S. Distribution for RLJ Entertainment and Acorn TV in a statement. “With millions of drama and mystery fans worldwide, we’re thrilled to work with these key distribution partners to continue to evolve the service and expands its distribution in North America as well as worldwide.”

A slew of new and returning series on deck this week to premiere on cable and streaming services.

On June 16 HBO premieres its new drama Euphoria starring Zendaya, while Showtime debuts its crime drama City On The Hill. The first episode of the series, which stars Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge (pictured), is already available online.

With regard to returning shows, OWN debuts the fourth season of its drama series Queen Sugar on June 12 while Netflix premieres the third and final season of Netflix’s series Marvel’s Jessica Jones.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

June 10 -- Straight Forward (drama series) – Acorn Tv

June 11 – Pose (returning series) –FX

June 11 – Ice On Fire (documentary) – HBO

June 12 – Krypton (returning series) – Syfy

June 12 – Younger (returning series) – TV Land

June 13 – Baskets (returning series) – FX

June 13 – Strange Angel (drama series) – CBS All Access

June 14 – Absentia (retuning series) – Prime Video

June 14 – 16 Shots (documentary) – Showtime

June 14 – Jett (drama series) – Cinemax

June 14 – Los Espookys (comedy series) – HBO

June 14 – Murder Mystery (comedy movie) – Netflix

This week Starz will roll out its latest original drama series, The Spanish Princess, as part of a lineup of new and returning shows debuting on cable networks and streaming services. 

The Spanish Princess, the latest Starz adaptation of Philippa Gregory novels following The White Queen and The White Princess, premieres May 5 on the premium channel.  The story follows the life of Catherine of Aragon-- the Princess of Spain -- who has been promised the English throne all her life. She arrives in 16th Century London with her diverse court, but when her husband dies suddenly the throne seems lost to Catherine until she sets her sights on the new heir, the future King Henry VIII, according to Starz.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming service:

April 29 -- Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries (drama series) -- Acorn TV

April 30 -- Kids Behind Bars: Life Or Parole (reality series) -- A&E

April 30 -- On Tour With Asperger’s Are Us (documentary) -- HBO

May 3 -- Dead to Me (comedy series) -- Netflix

May 3 -- Into The Dark: All That We Destroy -- Hulu

May 3 -- Flinch (game show) -- Netflix

Netflix’s new dramedy series Turn Up Charlie leads a list of new shows debuting on television this week.

Turn Up Charlie, which premieres March 15, stars Idris Elba as a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor who is given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a ‘manny’ to his famous best friend's problem-child daughter, said the streaming service.

A number of scripted series will also return for new seasons this week, including CBS All Access’ The Good Fight (March 14), Amazon Prime’s Catastrophe (March 15) and Showtime’s Billions (March 17).

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

March 11 -- Manhunt (drama miniseries) -- Acorn TV

Mach 15 -- I Am Richard Pryor -- (documentary) -- Paramount Network

March 15 -- Love, Death + Roberts -- (animated series) -- Netflix

March 15 -- Shrill -- (comedy) -- Hulu

Marking its first move outside the U.S., Acorn TV, a subscription VOD service focused on British and other international TV shows, has launched in a dozen Latin American countries via Roku streaming devices.  

Acorn TV’s initial launch into that region includes Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.  

Consumers there can subscribe to Acorn TV via their Roku player or at acorn.tv. The service for the Latin American region features content in English with Spanish subtitles and runs $4.99 per month.  

The move will expand Acorn TV’s reach and deliver into the region a mix of British TV shows and other international fare, including Doc Martin, East Wing 101, and BBC drama Line of Duty, among others.  

Acorn TV, an SVOD service owned by RLJ Entertainment, recently gained distribution on Comcast’s set-top box VOD platform, complementing its direct-to-consumer sales strategy.  

RELATED: SVOD Shakeout: The Survival of the Fittest (subscription required) 

RLJ Entertainment announced in May that it ended Q1 with more than 750,000 subscribers for Acorn TV and UMC (Urban Movie Channel) combined in North America, but has not broken out individual sub numbers for those two services. 

Rival SVOD service BritBox, an offering backed by BBC, ITV and AMC Networks, announced it had crossed the 250,000 sub mark in February, roughly a year after its U.S. debut. 

RELATED: BritBox Crosses 250K Sub Mark

“Acorn TV has built a fast-growing subscriber base of passionate and loyal British and international TV fans in the U.S. and Canada, and we are excited to bring our unique offering of premium entertainment to other countries,” Matthew Graham, SVP and GM for Acorn TV, said in a statement. “Latin America marks an excellent first step, and we’re delighted to work with our valued partners at Roku who have been with us since the start of Acorn TV in 2011.” 

Acorn TV, the SVOD service focused on British and international television programs, has gained distribution on Comcast’s set-top box VOD platform and the service provider’s Xfinity Stream app for smartphones, tablets and web browsers.

Acorn TV, a service that’s also marketed as a standalone OTT service, said the agreement with Comcast marks the first time it’s available on an MVPD set-top box. 

RELATED: SVOD Shakeout: The Survival of the Fittest (subscription required)

Acorn TV, a service owned by RLJ Entertainment, is being offered on Comcast set-top boxes via the MSO’s managed VOD system and not over-the-top via the internet.

Acorn TV, which features originals such as BBC comedy Detectorists and ITV drama Girlfriends, is being offered via Comcast for $4.99 per month, the same as the SVOD service’s standalone price.

RELATED: BritBox Crosses 250K Sub Mark

Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but most SVOD deals between content providers and MVPDs operate on a subscription sharing model.

Acorn TV has also been integrated with Comcast’s X1 voice remote.

Acorn TV expands a list of other SVOD services offered via Comcast’s VOD platform, including Disney Story Central, Stingray Karaoke, Disney Family Movies, Lifetime Movie Club, History Vault, Gaiam TV Fit & Yoga, Grokker, FitFusion, Gaia, Dog TV, Here TV, CuriosityStream, UP Faith & Family, Anime Network, Kidstream, TumbleBooks TV, Stingray Classica, Eros Now, Filipino On Demand, and The Jewish Channel.

Comcast also sells commercial-free offerings in partnership with FX (FX+) and AMC Networks (AMC Premiere)

“The addition of Acorn TV and its curated collection of standout international television provides even more choice to our Xfinity TV customers, giving them another way to watch their favorite series or discover new and classic programs,” Michael Imbesi, VP of movies & PPV programming at Comcast Cable, said in a statement. 

Acorn Tv will take British drama London Kills straight to series, the network announced Friday.

The series, co-produced by Acorn Media and PGMTV, will dramatize the experiences of a team of to murder detectives, said the streaming service. The companies will produce two seasons of the series back-to-back comprised of five one-hour episodes, said the company. 

 “After announcing our first commission with Agatha Raisin, Series 2, Acorn Media Enterprises and Acorn TV are thrilled to not only commission another high-quality production but make London Kills our first straight-to-series commission and produce two seasons back-to-back,” said Shane Murphy, managing director for Acorn Media Enterprise in a statement. “With its compelling, fast-paced scripts and the creativity of (PGMTV managing director) Paul Marquess, London Kills will make an excellent addition to Acorn TV’s rapidly growing Originals slate.”