U.S. Premieres
Guy Pearce in a cinematic noir thriller JACK IRISH, Season 1
The return of “one of the best cop dramas ever” with 19-2, Season 2
New Irish crime drama CLEAN BREAK
In the past year, Acorn TV grew its subscriber base an incredible 85%, became the first niche streamer with a program Emmy®-nomination, and, in a major coup for a niche streamer, beat all major streaming services in a leading consumer advocacy group’s new voter survey. Acorn TV continues to feature the best value of any streaming service with its new, exclusive U.S. Premieres that are on par with the best in television. May’s slate marks another highly entertaining month with three must-see, high-quality premieres plus many more additions with Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games), and Pam Ferris (Call the Midwife), among many others.
Press can watch all upcoming U.S. Premieres now in their entirety at the press watch site, http://press.rlje.net/. Limited DVDs available upon request.
Monday, May 2
Jack Irish, Season 1 (U.S. Premiere)
“A little bit Philip Marlowe, a little bit Indiana Jones, the occasional dash of streetwise Cary Grant …If Jack Irish is not already an icon of Australian television, it's not for lack of deserving.” -Sydney Morning Herald
Guy Pearce (Memento, Iron Man 3) returns as charming antihero Jack Irish in this new six-part Aussie noir. Inspired by Peter Temple’s best-selling novels, when Jack is contracted to find a man with a criminal past who is then killed in front of him, Jack suspects a set-up. Meanwhile, Jack’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, journalist Linda Hillier (Marta Dusseldorp, A Place to Call Home), leaves Melbourne to further her career as a foreign correspondent in Manila. (6 episodes, weekly through May 30)
Joan of Arc (Streaming Exclusive)
Writer and historian Dr. Helen Castor (She-Wolves, Medieval Lives) explores the life and death of Joan of Arc. Joan was a legendary female warrior, but where amidst the legend is the real Joan— the teenage peasant girl who achieved the seemingly impossible? Hear Joan’s own words in a court manuscript from her trial, and follow along as Helen deciphers Joan’s true story. 2015 BBC documentary.
Moving On, Series 7
Created by Emmy® winner and multi BAFTA award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, Hillsborough, The Street) for the BBC, Moving On is a critically acclaimed series of stand-alone contemporary dramas. The series explores complex issues from addiction, to depression; the life of a soldier’s wife, to the pain of a loved one lost. Lies that should never have been spoken to truths that are hard to hear— all linked by the common theme of characters who reach a turning point in life... and then move on. The BBC One series first premiered in May 2009. (5 episodes)
White Heat
An all-star cast brings to life the triumphs and heartbreaks of a generation of young people in 1960s UK. Written by BAFTA award-winning writer Paula Milne, White Heat depicts a time of considerable political and social turmoil as well as the long-term effects of the tumult. Starring Claire Foy (Wolf Hall), Lindsay Duncan (About Time), Juliet Stevenson (The Politician’s Wife), Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games), and David Gyasi (Interstellar). (6 episodes, 2012)
Friday, May 6
The Road to Coronation Street
Learn the true story of the ups and downs of the creation of Britain’s beloved series Coronation Street in this drama starring David Dawson (The Last Kingdom, Ripper Street). Set in 1960s Manchester at offices of Granada Studios, young writer Tony Warren dreams of a unique TV program about working-class people, but he must overcome many obstacles to bring his idea to life. (2010)
Monday, May 9
Where the Heart Is, Series 4
Pam Ferris (Call the Midwife) and Thomas Craig (Murdoch Mysteries) co-star in this long-running UK drama set in a fictional Yorkshire town. Warmhearted and humane, the series follows a group of nurses who are fiercely dedicated to both their jobs and their families. (16 episodes)
Moving On: Secrets & Words (5 episodes)
Friday, May 13
Margot (Friday Feature)
Dame Margot Fonteyn (Anne-Marie Duff, Suffragette, Shameless) was one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, but at the age of 40 she becomes painfully aware that her time on the stage might be coming to an end. Then Margot is partnered a young, up-and-coming young Russian dancer (Michiel Huisman, Game of Thrones) and captivates the world’s imagination once again. (2009)
Monday, May 16
19-2, Season 2 (Exclusive U.S. Premiere)
“One of the best cop dramas ever” –Tribune News Service
“The writing is sublime…in the tradition of shows like ‘The Wire.” –The New York Times
Winner ‘Best Dramatic Series’ Canadian Screen Awards
Compared to The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street, this intense 10-part character-driven drama returns with Adrian Holmes (Arrow, Smallville) and Jared Keeso (Elysium, Falling Skies) as partners in the Montreal Police Department who must put their differences aside as their lives intertwine professionally and personally. Absorbing and authentic, with an outstanding ensemble cast, this award-winning drama follows first responders beyond the crime scenes and into their own messy lives. (10 episodes)
Sherlock Holmes & The Leading Lady
Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings) and Patrick MacNee (The Avengers) star as the perennial favorite detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a series of suspenseful and gripping mysteries. Holmes’s brother asks him to travel to Vienna to recover stolen plans for an electro-magnetic bomb detonator. The investigation leads Holmes to reconnect with a long lost love, but can he and Dr. Watson find the plans before the world is plunged into war? The stakes are high as Holmes continues his investigation for the missing detonator plans. When the thieves resort to murder to protect their stolen plans, Holmes knows he must find them before anyone else falls victim to their schemes. (1991)
Friday, May 20
Falling (Friday Feature)
Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War) and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) star in this adaptation of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s novel. When author Daisy Langrish moves to a secluded country cottage to escape busy London-life, local gardener Henry Kent immediately takes a romantic interest in her. But having been through two divorces, Daisy is reluctant to put her heart on the line again. (2005)
Monday, May 23
Clean Break (Exclusive U.S. Premiere)
“Unmissable” — Sunday Mirror
Car dealer Frank Mallon (Adam Fergus, Being Erica) is watching his life fall apart around him. His wife has left, his cars aren’t selling, and his teenage daughter is out of control. When bank manager Desmond Rane (Aidan McArdle, Mr. Selfridge, The Duchess) tells Frank he’s in financial trouble and about to lose everything, Frank devises a plan to fix his money problems while also getting revenge on the people who make his life miserable. Co-stars Damien Molony (Being Human, Suspects) (4 episodes, 2015)
Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls
At the king’s request, Holmes and Watson must transport the world’s most valuable diamond from Africa to London. When the diamond is stolen, the detectives must brave the African jungle to recover the precious jewel. Still on the hunt for the missing diamond, accusations fly and the truth seems nearly impossible to decipher. (1992)
Friday, May 27
The Scapegoat (Friday Feature)
Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, in 1952, as England prepares for the coronation, two men meet by chance and are startled to find that they look exactly alike and trade lives. Starring Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Andrew Scott (Moriarty in Sherlock, Spectre),Eileen Atkins (Doc Martin), and Sheridan Smith (Black Work). (2012)
Monday, May 30
To the Ends of the Earth
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Harry) star in this epic miniseries about a journey of ruthless ambition, elusive love, and tragic misadventure, based on the award-winning sea trilogy by Nobel Laureate William Golding (Lord of the Flies). (3 episodes, 2005)
Chad Campbell | RLJ Entertainment | Sr. Director, Publicity
Acorn TV
301.830.6203 | CCampbell@rljentertainment.com
