NZ’s “Netflix for the Anglophile”

The streaming wars continue to crank up in NZ with the latest contender for your dollar, Acorn TV, offering a month’s free trial.

Acorn has been dubbed “Netflix for the Anglophile” (NPR) for curating on one platform “the most robust, reliable selection of European, British, Canadian and Australian shows” (New York Times).

Many of Acorn’s attractions already can be streamed on other services but it has the lowest monthly sub in the market ($7.99 or $80 a year) and is an HD showcase for series like Foyle’s War and George Gently that have languished in SD on Sky’s entertainment channels.

Here’s the full press release:

Tuesday September 17, 2019– For those after a Brit-fix, a new wave of compelling crime and drama shows is now available for the first time in New Zealand via streaming service Acorn TV from AMC Networks.

North America’s most popular streaming service for a largely British slate of television, the service now sees shows including Victoria, Line of Duty, Foyle’s War, Doc Martin, and award-winning comedy Detectorists S1-2 added to its repertoire, with further anticipated titles in October to include more seasons of Humans, The Politician’s Husband and Broadchurch.

Better still, the platform is offering a free trial to Kiwis, with monthly and annual subscriptions at $7.99 and $79.99 respectively.

Featuring “the most robust, reliable selection of European, British, Canadian and Australian shows,” according to The New York Times, Acorn carefully curates a world-class library of captivating crime thrillers, addictive dramas and intriguing mysteries to offer Kiwi audiences instant access to their favourite British and international shows all in the one place for the first time.

Highlights include:

• The only place to find all seasons of beloved British police dramas George Gently and Foyle’s War;
• All three seasons of Irish detective drama Jack Taylor, starring Game of Thrones’ Iain Glen;
• The first two seasons of popular, long-running medical comedy drama Doc Martin,starring Martin Clunes, with more seasons to be added in coming weeks;
• Record-breaking ratings hit and critically acclaimed series Line of Duty (seasons 1-4), dubbed “king of the crime dramas” by The Telegraph UK;
• All series of British period drama The Bletchley Circle, featuring Line of Duty’s Anna Maxwell Martin and Peaky Blinders star Sophie Rundle;
• Peabody and BAFTA Award-winning serial crime drama Broadchurch, starring Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Doctor Who’s David Tennant, with Seasons 2 and 3 to be added in the coming weeks;
• Season one of critically acclaimed costume drama Victoria, starring The Cry and Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman with season 2 to be added in October;
• Seasons 1-3 of 1950s detective drama Grantchester;
• Acorn original deries Agatha Raisin, starringAshley Jensen as the titular amateur sleuth;
• The first two seasons of beloved Australian drama Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,starring Essie Davis;
• Six-part crime series Partners in Crime, starring Little Britain’s David Walliams and Call the Midwife’s Jessica Raine, based on the Agatha Christie Tommy and Tuppence novels;
• BAFTA-winning comedy Detectorists starring The Office’s Mackenzie Crook and Captain America’s Toby Jones;
• Season one of British sci-fi drama Humans, starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Gemma Chan (with season 2 to follow in October).

Kerensa Samanidis, GM for Acorn TV International, says, “We know Kiwis have strong ties to Britain – not just familial but also through their darker humour, obsession with the weather and fondness for a cup of tea in front of the telly.  We’re proud to launch a destination for lovers of quality British TV, and we’ve carefully curated a wide selection of award-winning and beloved British series for viewers to enjoy.

“Our ambition is to be the go-to service for those who want to enjoy quality drama without having to search through endless choices for something to watch. Acorn TV is a truly unique entertainment service in the market, and we hope you love watching the shows as much as we do.”

New shows will be continually added to the lineup in the coming months, ensuring Acorn viewers are caught never short with great drama to catch up on.

Kiwis can access Acorn TV through a wide range of devices including iOS (iPad and iPhone), Android (phone and Tablet), Android TV, Chromecast or by visiting acorn.tv.

Follow Acorn TV ANZ:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcornTVANZ

Instagram: @AcornTVANZ

Twitter: @AcornTVANZ

A privately owned subsidiary of AMC Networks, RLJ Entertainment, Inc. is a premium digital channel company serving distinct audiences primarily through its popular OTT branded channels, Acorn TV (British TV) and UMC (Urban Movie Channel), which have rapidly grown through development, acquisition, and distribution of its exclusive rights to a large library of international and British dramas, independent feature films and urban content. RLJE’s titles are also distributed in multiple formats including broadcast and pay television, theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray, UHD, and a variety of digital distribution models (including EST, VOD, SVOD and AVOD) in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Additionally, through Acorn Media Enterprises, its UK development arm, RLJE commissions and co-produces new programs and owns 64% of Agatha Christie Limited. For more information, please visit RLJENTERTAINMENT.COM, ACORN.TV and UMC.TV.