Acorn TV secures exclusive U.S. Premiere for two more seasons of smash hit British dramedy - DOC MARTIN –
It’s easier than ever to stream the best in world-class TV, Acorn TV is now available for Android and Chromecast;
New season of Doc Martin premieres later this year
Silver Spring, MD; March 28, 2017 — RLJ Entertainment’s Acorn brand (NASDAQ: RLJE) secures exclusive North American rights to two more seasons of smash hit dramedy Doc Martin from DRG. The series remains one of Acorn’s bestselling series of all-time and a huge hit on its streaming service Acorn TV.Doc Martin stars BAFTA winner Martin Clunes (Arthur & George, Men Behaving Badly) in an uproarious lead performance as a tactless, self-centered, and uptight doctor in a quirky seaside town in Cornwall. The new season, Series 8, started production in picturesque Port Isaac on the North Cornwall coast earlier this month. Broadcast on ITV in the UK, Acorn TV will premiere Series 8, consisting of eight episodes, in fall/winter 2017. Subscribers can continue to watch the first seven series anytime on Acorn TV. Acorn TV subscribers will have even more ways to watch the next season, as the premier North American streaming service for world-class TV from Britain and beyond continues to expand its device and platform offering and is now available for Android through the Google Play store and Chromecast via its Android and iOS apps.
President of Acorn Brands at RLJ Entertainment Mark Stevens said, “We’re thrilled to exclusively offer Acorn TV subscribers the U.S. Premiere of two more seasons of Doc Martin. The series remains a massive hit in the U.S. with each new season becoming more successful than the last. We look forward to working again with Martin Clunes, Buffalo Pictures and DRG on another must-see season.” Stevens also noted, “With the recent launch of our newest Acorn TV Original Series, the #1 Irish drama Striking Out, and upcoming premiere of Doc Martin, we continue to delight our subscribers with new and exclusive content and a constant stream of first-rate series from around the world. Besides programming, we realize that platform availability continues to be important to our subscribers, so we’re excited that Acorn TV is now available for Android and Chromecast.”
Acorn has released Doc Martin on DVD since 2009 and featured the exclusive U.S. Premiere of new seasons on Acorn TV since 2011. Winner of the British Comedy Award for best comedy drama, Doc Martin has become one of the most successful British series in the U.S. with new fans continuing to discover the series on Acorn TV, digital download, public television through syndicator American Public Television, and on DVD/Blu-ray.
Set in the fictional town of Portwenn, the series also features Caroline Catz (Murder in Suburbia) as his wife Louisa and Dame Eileen Atkins (Upstairs, Downstairs, Cranford) as the Doc’s formidable Aunt Ruth. Also returning this season are Ian McNeice (Doctor Who, Rome), Joe Absolom (The Level, Hatfields & McCoys), Jessica Ransom, and Selina Cadell. Art Malik (Homeland, True Lies) guest stars. After having therapy to save their marriage in the last series, Doc Martin and Louisa face the challenge of living happily together with their baby James Henry. Doc Martin is created by Dominic Minghella, produced by Buffalo Pictures and Phillippa Braithwaite, and distributed by DRG.
Martin Clunes remains one of the most popular actors on Acorn TV. The service features several of his series including Men Behaving Badly, Reggie Perrin, William & Mary, A is for Acid, Hunting Venus, Losing It, and The Man Who Lost His Head, as well as his must-see documentaries: Islands of Britain, Islands of Australia, Man and Beast, Horsepower, and Wild Life.
Acorn Media Enterprises, RLJ Entertainment’s UK based development division for the Acorn brand, is the exclusive U.S. partner for several Acorn TV Originals, including 2016’s Agatha Raisin, a fun mystery series starring Ashley Jensen; star-studded, wartime drama Close to the Enemy; and British thriller The Level. In 2017, Acorn TV Originals include the critically-acclaimed new BBC One adaptation of Agatha Christie’s A Witness for the Prosecution,hit Irish legal drama Striking Out, ITV murder mystery drama Loch Ness starring Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad), BBC One drama Love, Lies & Records, and Irish thriller Acceptable Risk.
Emmy®-nominated Acorn TV adds exclusive new programs every week and features a deep library of mysteries, dramas, and comedies with no set end dates. On Monday, March 27, Acorn TV added Irish detective drama Jack Taylor, Set 3 starring Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), and British whistleblower comedy Asylum. Subscribers can stream many of their favorite international series and discover new and classic programs previously unavailable to U.S. audiences, including A Place to Call Home, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Janet King, and 19-2, among many more. Acorn TV is available via Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Android, Chromecast, among other devices and offers a free trial and thereafter is just $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Facebook: OfficialAcornTV - Twitter @AcornTV
-----------------------------
About RLJ Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is an entertainment content distribution company in primarily North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. RLJE’s titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, and digital streaming.
With its popular OTT branded channels, Acorn TV (British TV) and UMC (Urban Movie Channel), RLJE targets distinct, premium audiences and Urban niche audiences. The company grows its proprietary digital channels through development, acquisition, and distribution of exclusive rights of program franchises and feature film content.
Through Acorn Media Enterprises, its UK development arm, RLJE owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle’s War and is developing new programs. RLJE owns 64% of Agatha Christie Limited, which manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot.
For more information, please visit RLJEntertainment.com, Acorn.TV, and UrbanMovieChannel.com.
RLJE/Acorn TV: Chad Campbell, ccampbell@acorn.tv
