The BBC service BritBox has introduced its summer slate which entails new acquisitions like Luther coming to the streaming service in July. The psychological thriller series stars Golden Globe winner Idris Elba as a maverick detective working for the Serious Crime Unit. The streamer will also be getting the Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) starring Time later in August.
Upcoming highlights on BritBox:
The Syndicate: Double or Nothing – June 1
When the owners of Woodvale Kennels announce they are selling the business to a large corporate chain, staff members Keeley (Katherine Rose Morely, Last Tango in Halifax) Jake (Kieran Urquhart, Vera), Roxy (Taj Atwal, Line of Duty), Gemma (Liberty Hobbs, Grey’s Anatomy) and Colette (Emily Head, The Inbetweeners) are devastated to learn that they may be out of a job. Dependent on their pay to get them from one month to the next, the weekly lottery looks like the only lifeline to gambling addict Keeley. Excitement takes over when the machine goes off after checking the ticket with local news agent Frank (Neil Morrissey, Line of Duty) – but is everything what it seems? Will the syndicate get what’s rightfully theirs? Watch as these kennel workers spend every last penny they own, from Yorkshire to Monaco, to see justice through.
Intruder – June 15
Affluent, high-flying couple Rebecca (Elaine Cassidy, The Paradise) and Sam (Tom Meeten, The Ghoul) live an idyllic life in their luxurious coastal house – that is until their paradise is shattered one night when two teenagers break into their home. In a rage, Sam kills one of the intruders, Syed Khali, who is trying to escape through a window. Realizing that Sam actually murdered the intruder, not in self-defense, the couple hatch a plan to restage the crime scene and change their stories before the police arrive. At first, they seem to have gotten away with their lie, however, as the investigation intensifies, their cover-up starts to unravel. Exactly how far are Rebecca and Sam willing to go to protect the life they have created?
Inside No. 9 S6 – June 22
A deliciously dark comedy anthology series that tells unique and daring stories related to the number 9, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s award-winning series returns with season 6. The sixth anthology of films brings together an always-surprising mixture of comedy, drama, horror and thriller – all designed to delight and confound. With a stellar cast of guest stars including Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty), Lindsay Duncan (Black Mirror), Paterson Joseph (Noughts + Crosses) and Derek Jacobi (The Last Tango in Halifax), these are unique tales that will either make you shake with fear or shriek with laughter – or both.
Luther S1-4 – July
A gripping, psychological thriller, the series follows maverick detective John Luther (Idris Elba, The Wire) who works for the Serious Crime Unit. For Luther, his dedication to his profession goes beyond a typical job, and he serves his own idea of moral order. An added twist is that his confidant is also his archenemy, Alice, a beautiful multiple-murderess who evades his grasp early on, and with whom he becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits. Throughout the series, Luther faces a succession of psychological duels between hunter and hunted, predator and prey. We see his capacity for violence as well as kindness, his sudden vulnerability and dizzying visionary mind. Will his personal demons prove to be as dangerous as any of the criminals he pursues?
In the Footsteps of Killers – July
Investigated like a documentary and filmed as a drama, Silent Witnessactress Emilia Fox teams up with top criminologist Professor David Wilson to solve Britain’s most heinous murders in this unique true crime series. Through Emilia Fox’s extensive research for her role in the hit BBC Series, she has become an expert in unsolved cases. Combining her talent with Professor David Wilson’s professional background in studying serial killers, the unlikely pair investigate a different unsolved murder in each episode. The series follows the duo as they base themselves in the vicinity of the crime and reexamine the evidence for themselves. By meeting with police, witnesses, journalists, experts and beyond, the two will walk the murder scene in the footsteps of the killer to crack the unsolved cases.
Murder on the Blackpool Express – July
Murder mystery writer David Van Der Clane (Griff Rhys Jones, Not the 9 O’ Clock News) is a household name, but things start to go horribly wrong for him when his super-fans start getting bumped off during a book tour he’s set up with coach tour operator Gemma Draper (Sian Gibson, Death in Paradise). As a group of sleuthing misfits visit the settings if David’s novels, it’s clear that the stories are coming to life. With the police providing no help, the only hope of catching the killer rests in the hands of the coach driver Terry (Johnny Vegas, Moving On). Are the deaths an unfortunate coincidence, or is there a real murderer in their midst?
Death on the Tyne – July
Johnny Vegas (The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, Moving On) and Sian Gibson (Death in Paradise) return as Terry and Gemma from Draper’s Tour, leading an all-star cast on board an eventful overnight ferry trip across the Tyne. During the turbulent journey, the passengers and crew begin to get bumped off one by one in grizzly circumstances. Will our heroes reach Amsterdam safely?
Dial M for Middlesbrough – July
Following Murder on the Blackpool Express and Death on the Tyne, Gemma (Sian Gibson, Death in Paradise) and Terry (Johnny Vegas, Moving On) are thrown into jeopardy when their coach breaks down in the middle of a fierce thunderstorm while on their way to a funeral in Middlesbrough. Forced to seek refuge in Shady Creek Caravan, the duo meets an eclectic mix of characters including site owners Evie and Jed, extraordinarily clumsy chef Susan, events manager and ‘90s throwback Darren, drop dead gorgeous American tourist Chad and long-term resident Edna. The most recent additions to the scene include holiday prize-winners Phil, who struggles to get a word in while his other half Penny, struggles to stop words from coming out, and excitable birdwatchers Neil and Mary. Will any of them survive the horrors of the sinister and dilapidated Shady Creek Caravan Park?
Bergerac S1-3 – July
Loved as much for his human failings as for his strengths, Jim Bergerac (John Nettles, Midsomer Murders) is a reformed alcoholic, and a tough professional with a rebellious streak. The most maverick detective sergeant on the idyllic island of Jersey, Bergerac’s career and marriage have blown up in a haze of booze and recriminations. His bosses are reluctant to have him back when he returns to the Bureau des Étrangers after a three-month absence, but he soon proves his worth.
McDonald & Dodds S2 – August
BAFTA-winning Jason Watkins (The Crown, Hold the Sunset) and breakout star Tala Gouveia lead in this two-part detective drama as the unlikely pair, DCI McDonald (Gouveia) and DS Dodds (Watkins). Featuring contemporary crime stories told with warmth and humor, the series follows this mismatched duo as they solve crimes in Britain’s historic city of Bath. DCI McDonald and the unassuming DS Dodds return with a growingly rumbustious, and ultimately highly effective crime solving partnership. As McDonald adjusts to life in picturesque Bath, she and DS Dodds investigate two deaths across the supposedly sleepy Avon Valley. In each episode, they must investigate a new and compelling crime. Through two captivating cases, in which five friends go up in a hot air balloon and only four come back down alive and a girls weekend gone wrong, it becomes clear that there’s far more to the Avon Valley than first meets the eye.
Moone Boy – August
Joined by his imaginary friend, Sean Murphy (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), Martin Moone is an 11-year-old living in the town on Boyle, County Roscommon in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Being the youngest child in his family, and the only son, his imaginary friend accompanies him on his many ridiculous schemes. Written by and starring Chris O’Dowd, this semi-autobiographical series is both quirky and hilarious.
Time – August
Written by Jimmy McGovern and starring Emmy and BAFTA winner Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, Time is a powerful depiction of prison life and a raw study of punishment and penitence. Mark Cobden (Sean Bean, Game of Thrones) is a husband and father seemingly like any other – except that he’s responsible for the death of an innocent man. Tortured by visions of his victim, Mark welcomes his four-year sentence as penance for his crime. However, a former teacher is an easy target for the more than ruthless prison residents. In an understaffed prison that’s filled with tension, Eric McNally (Stephen Graham, Line of Duty) is a dedicated prison officer who does his best to protect those in his charge. But when a dangerous convict threatens to hurt someone Eric loves, this honest man is faced with an impossible choice. An inmate and an officer, two ordinary men, both trapped by mistakes that any one of us could have made. Can Mark find the forgiveness he deserves? And does Eric have any choice but to betray his ideals?
Agatha Christie’s Marple S6 – August
Everyone’s favorite sleuthing spinster returns for three more murder mysteries. While holidaying in the Caribbean, Miss Marple investigates the death of a fellow guest. Back in St. Mary Mead, she finds herself involved in a further two cases, one involving old friends finding refuge at country house Greenshaw’s Folly and the other involving Newlyweds who begin to build their dream home. Will Miss Marple get to the bottom of these challenging cases that even confound the police?