The return of innovative British detective drama SUSPECTS, Series 3 & 4;
BAFTA® Award winning actress Sheridan Smith in acclaimed period biopic CILLA;
Raunchy British comedy RAISED BY WOLVES; and
The return of the star-studded VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS, Series 2
featuring James Corden and David Tennant
Silver Spring, MD, May 17, 2016 – Building on its recent Edgar® Award win and achieving the highest rating in a recent consumer group’s streaming voter survey, Acorn TV announces the acquisition and exclusive U.S. Premieres of four British television series in June 2016. Acorn TV features the return of two of its newest series with innovative cop drama Suspects and star-studded documentary Very British Problems; as well as hilarious British sitcom Raised by Wolves from Caitlin Moran (“How to be a Woman”); and award-winning biopic Cilla starring Sheridan Smith (Black Work, The Huntsman). From RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) and available at Acorn.TV and on a variety of devices, Emmy®-nominated Acorn TV is the premier North American streaming service for world-class television from Britain and beyond with lavish, high-quality international premieres every week. In the past year, Acorn TV’s subscriber base has increased 100%.
Miguel Penella, CEO, RLJ Entertainment, noted, “After another record year of growth, we’re thrilled with the recent news that a leading consumer ratings group has named Acorn TV the top rated streaming service and a leading mystery organization (MWA) has awarded an Acorn TV series its sole television Edgar® Award. This is wonderful validation of the hard work our team has put in to making Acorn TV the premier destination for lavish, highly entertaining international mysteries, dramas and comedies. With four exclusive U.S. Premieres in June alone, Acorn TV remains focused on curating the deepest library of high-quality series for our subscribers.”
June’s Exclusive U.S. Premieres
Monday, June 6 – Suspects, Series 3 & 4
Monday, June 13 – Cilla
Monday, June 20 – Raised by Wolves, Series 1
Monday, June 27 – Very British Problems, Series 2
Exclusive U.S. Premieres:
Suspects, Series 3 & 4 (Monday, June 6)
“Refreshing and innovative…all the acting was sterling” –The Telegraph
Acorn TV’s unscripted British detective drama returns with eight new episodes starring Fay Ripley (Cold Feet), Damien Molony (Being Human, Ripper Street), and Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men). Filmed from an eyewitness perspective with improvised dialogue, this one-of-a-kind procedural delivers an immersive, authentic look at police investigations. (8 episodes)
Cilla (Monday, June 13)
“Fun, this biopic of Cilla is brilliant… a triumph” – Daily Mail
Written by Oscar nominee Jeff Pope (Philomena) and nominated for a 2015 BAFTA® Award for Best Mini-Series, this charming three-part period biopic stars Sheridan Smith (Black Work) in a BAFTA®-award nominated and National Television Awards-winning role as singer Cilla Black. Cilla follows Black’s rise to fame from 1960 amateur appearances in clubs to her relationships with Bobby Willis and Beatles manager Brian Epstein. (3 episodes)
Raised by Wolves, Series 1 (Monday, June 20)
“The script is smart and tangy, but it’s the sprightly acting that makes this…comedy zing” –TheIndependent
Written and based on the childhood of noted British author Caitlin Moran (“How to be a Woman”), the series features a hilarious, raunchy modern family with an extra twist of crazy. The family includes six socially isolated, home-schooled siblings and their acerbic mother Della Garry. In pursuit of her crush, the oldest daughter drags her family reluctantly out into the world, going underage clubbing, dabbling in voyeurism, taking the law into their own hands and dealing with major life milestones in their characteristic highly inappropriate way. (6 episodes)
Very British Problems, Series 2 (Monday, June 27)
The hilarious celebratory talking heads show returns with Britain’s most famous faces sharing the struggle against the endless capacity of social awkwardness which comes with being British. Originating from a Twitter account and narrated by Julie Walters, the show features contributions from James Cordon (The Late Late Show), David Tennant (Doctor Who), Catherine Tate, and more. (4 eps.)
Acorn TV’s international partners include Fremantle for Suspects, ITV for Cilla and Raised by Wolves, and Digital Rights Group Ltd. for Very British Problems.
Acorn TV is also adding several other star-studded programs throughout June, including Sheridan Smith in her BAFTA® Award winning role as Mrs. Biggs; Lost Empires starring Colin Firth in one of his first roles; Helen Mirren and Iain Glen in Painted Lady; Romola Garai, Alex O’Loughlin and Sam Neill in the award-winning miniseries The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant; Where the Heart Is, Series 5; British crime drama Without Motive; and classic miniseries Edward the King; as well as documentaries The Secret Life of Books and The Ascent of Woman.
In the past year, the world-class TV streamer featured the exclusive U.S. Premieres of the return of smash hit British dramedy Doc Martin, Series 7 starring Martin Clunes; Australia’s addictive period drama A Place to Call Home; Aussie legal drama Janet King; British detective series Vera, Series 6 starring Brenda Blethyn; BAFTA-award winning comedy Detectorists, Series 2, which was named the Los Angeles Times top new show of 2015; Murdoch Mysteries, Season 9; Guy Pearce in noir thriller Jack Irish, Season 1 (May 2 - 30); and Canadian Screen Award winner for ‘Best Dramatic Series’ 19-2, Season 2 (May 16). Coming soon is Irish crime drama Clean Break (May 23).
Given the limited broadcast options for U.S. viewers to watch first rate international programs, Acorn TV offers U.S. fans the opportunity to not only stream many of their favorite series but, more importantly, discover new and classic programs previously unavailable to U.S. audiences. Acorn TV adds new programs every week and features a deep library of mysteries, dramas, documentaries, and comedies with no set end dates. Available at Acorn.TV and on a wide variety of devices/platforms, Acorn TV offers a free 30-day trial and is only $4.99 a month, $49.99 a year.
“Discover an alternate universe of terrific British shows.” –Los Angeles Times
“Netflix for the Anglophile.” –NPR’s Here & Now
NOTES:
*WATCH: Press can easily watch the premieres at the Acorn TV press site: http://press.rlje.net/. Suspects and Cilla are available now with others being added soon. Limited DVDs are available upon request.
*Acorn TV: https://acorn.tv
*Link to images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j8j8bc0ak0yogzm/AAAZxIxlK4n7A86KAqG1gup_a?dl=0
Acorn TV Press Contact: Chad Campbell, ccampbell@RLJEntertainment.com
