Avid South African TV fans will get to binge-watch the best of British programming all in one place when subscription video-on-demand service BritBox launches locally on Friday, 6 August with new and exclusive titles such as Line of Duty season six, Professor T and Wedding of the Century, plus thousands of hours of classic content and family favourites.
After taking the United States, UK, Canada and Australia by storm and with over two million global subscriptions, BritBox will bring local consumers a wide range of top quality viewing, including the biggest collection of British box sets, courtesy of a joint venture between British television powerhouses BBC and ITV, responsible for some of TV’s most iconic moments. Together they created new streaming service BritBox, conveniently offering the best of both their programming – from dramas and comedies to documentaries, lifestyle shows and murder mysteries – all with that distinctive British seal of excellence.
One of the hottest current UK television properties, the edge-of-your-seat police drama Line of Duty, tops the BritBox launch menu. South Africans can exclusively see season six of the acclaimed and award-winning series hot off British screens, where it pulled in 15 million viewers for the nail-biting finale, making it the UK’s most-watched drama series of the 21st century to date.
The latest Line of Duty sees Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting, The Victim, Boardwalk Empire) guest-starring as DCI Joanne Davidson, the senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder whose unconventional conduct raises eyebrows at the AC-12 anti-corruption unit. Expect cliffhangers and plot twists galore as cast regulars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar return in their quest to bring “bent coppers” to book while fighting their own flaws and demons.
Another exclusive crime drama to binge-watch is Professor T, starring Ben Miller (Death in Paradise, Bridgerton, Primeval) as Professor Jason Tempest, a brilliant but unorthodox criminologist at the University of Cambridge, and Emma Naomi (Bridgerton, Blithe Spirit) as DI Lisa Donckers, a detective facing an uphill battle to get the eccentric professor’s help with a challenging case. Haunted by childhood trauma and contending with a domineering mother (Frances de la Tour – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The History Boys), can Professor T take a hands-on role in solving crimes while battling his neuroses?
BritBox will also offer South Africans the exclusive opportunity to relive Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s memorable 1981 wedding in the feature-length documentary Wedding of the Century, showcasing beautifully restored high-definition footage and featuring interviews with key professionals from behind the scenes.
Other brand new upcoming BritBox titles include Annika starring Nicola Walker, Deadwater Fell with David Tennant and The Larkins featuring Bradley Walsh; Michael Apted’s multi-award winning documentary series Up, from 1964’s Seven Up all the way to the most recent 63 Up; plus fresh seasons of established favourites such as Manhunt season two starring Martin Clunes, Unforgotten season four, Endeavour season eight, Vera season 11, Grantchester season six and The Syndicate season four.
“We’re really excited to be bringing BritBox into South African homes and are confident viewers are going to love our programming, which offers a mixture of brilliant classic and contemporary content, plus the biggest collection of British box sets, all in one place,” said Neale Dennett, BritBox International’s new markets launch director.
BritBox CEO Reemah Sakaan said their research showed a clear appetite from viewers of diverse backgrounds for premium British programming, expertly curated and available on demand. “It’s quality content that’s effortlessly watchable,” she said. “British TV and film has grown exponentially as a cultural export in recent years, with productions and talent frequently scooping BAFTAs, Emmys and Oscars, and regularly recognized as some of the best in the world for quality and escapism. Our TV is no longer niche but has come firmly into the mainstream, plus there’s a definite rise in nostalgia viewing, which is finding completely new audiences. It’s a rich time to be in British TV.”
During a seven day free trial South Africans can explore BritBox’s new launch titles, plus hundreds of top-drawer family favourites such as Blackadder, Absolutely Fabulous, Inspector Morse, Top Gear, Poldark, Fawlty Towers, Keeping Up Appearances and Midsomer Murders.
Sounds smashing? BritBox will be available to stream from Friday, 6 August via the web at BritBox.com, on Android and Apple mobile/tablets, FireTV, AppleTV, Samsung Smart TV and LG Smart TV. Enjoy one week’s free trial, sign up at R99,99 per month or R999,99 for 12 months, and register for email updates at www.britbox.com.
Follow BritBox on Twitter and Instagram @BritBox_ZA and on Facebook @BritBoxZA.
