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Summertime, and the streaming is easy… and so is watching British TV on broadcast and cable TV, given nearly 40 titles premiering, returning, and being added to schedules in June.

British TV Premieres in June 2018

For updates about shows from the UK, Canada, and Ireland added to US channels and streaming services throughout the month, see the British TV Viewing Guide.

NATIONAL PREMIERES

C.B. Strike (UK)

Based on the bestselling novels by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym), this mystery-crime drama series stars Tom Burke (The Musketeers) as Cormoran Strike, a war veteran-turned-private detective in London. Although wounded physically and psychologically, Strike’s unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police. Costarring Holliday Grainger (The Borgias) and Kerr Logan (Alias Grace), C.B. Strike premieres in the US with Part 1 of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” on Friday, June 1, at 10 PM ET, on Cinemax.

Springwatch (UK)

Springwatch (and its companion spin-off programs Autumnwatch and Winterwatch) is a nature program that charts British wildlife through the season. Presented by naturalist, nature photographer, and author Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, and natural history television program producer Gillian Burke, the 2018 team is based in Gloucestershire at the National Trust’s Sherborne Park Estate in the heart of the Cotswolds. (Video is from 2017) Springwatch premieres in North America on Friday, June 1, exclusively on BritBox.

Humans: Season 3 (UK)

Spoilerish details ahead! The new season opens a year after synths everywhere gained consciousness in the Series 2 finale. And now there are new non-sentient synths, too — ones with orange eyes — as well as a synth terrorist organization and an anti-human campaign. Pro-synth human Laura (Katherine Parkinson, In the Club), now separated from husband Joe (Tom Goodman-Hill, Mr. Selfridge), is campaigning for synth rights and learns about a top-secret operation that could threaten synth survival. Starring Gemma Chan (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Colin Morgan (The Fall), and Ivanno Jeremiah (The Jury), Humans: Season 3 premieres in the US on Tuesday, June 5, at 10 PM ET, on AMC.

Mock The Week: Season 17 (UK)

This comedy panel show, from the producers of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, is hosted by Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain (whom you may have seen as a guest panelist on QI) and features two teams of comedians taking a satirical swipe at the news and world events each week. Comedian and actor Hugh Dennis (Outnumbered) is a permanent panelist (like Alan Davies on QI). Mock The Week: Season 17 premieres in North America on Thursday, June 7, exclusively on BritBox.

Marcella: Season 2 (UK)

The new season of this mystery-crime drama series finds DS Marcella Backland (Anna Friel, Broken) continuing to have blackouts as well as arguments about child custody with her estranged, soon-to-be-ex husband Jason (Nicholas Pinnock, Fortitude). Meanwhile, the discovery of a schoolboy’s body opens an investigation that becomes one in which Marcella and her colleagues search for a serial killer of children. Marcella: Season 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, June 8, exclusively on Netflix.

Trooping the Colour 2018 (UK)

This annual military ceremonial event, which features the Horse Guards Parade as well as bands and drum corps amongst the pageantry, marks the official birthday of Her Majesty The Queen. For details, visit the official event website. (Video is from 2016) Trooping The Colour 2018 will be presented live in North America on Saturday, June 9, starting at approximately 5 AM ET (10 AM BST), exclusively on BritBox.

Our Girl: Seasons 1 & 2 (UK)

Season 1 of this military drama follows combat medical technician Private Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner, EastEnders) as her platoon, 2 Section, is deployed to Afghanistan. In Season 2, Michelle Keegan (Coronation Street) plays army medic Lance Corporal Georgie Lane, who embarks on a humanitarian tour of Kenya with 2 Section. Our Girl: Seasons 1 & 2 premieres in North America on Wednesday, June 13, exclusively on BritBox.

Mum - Lesley Manville
Lesley Manville in Mum — Photo courtesy of BritBox

In Conversation with Lesley Manville (UK)

This BritBox Original program features an intimate chat with Academy Awards® and BAFTA nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, River) as she discusses her BAFTA award-winning series Mum — one of my favorite new British TV shows of 2017 — which will be back with a third series. In Conversation with Lesley Manville premieres in the US on Saturday, June 16, exclusively on BritBox.

Man in an Orange Shirt (UK)

This drama, the first from best-selling British novelist Patrick Gale, tells two love stories that chart the challenges and changes to gay lives from World War II to the present. One explores a forbidden relationship made impossible by illegality and societal pressure; the other is a present-day romance which, while the external constraints have fallen away, is a minefield of internalized issues and temptations. The telefilm stars Vanessa Redgrave (Julia) and features Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Mr. Selfridge), James McArdle (Worricker), Joanna Vanderham (The Paradise), Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey), Julian Morris (Hand of God), Julian Sands (Will), and David Gyasi (White Heat). Man in an Orange Shirt premieres in the US on Sunday, June 17, at 9 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings)

Derren Brown: Miracle (UK)

Say what you will about illusionist Derren Brown (Derren Brown: The Push), but the man sure knows how to capture an audience. In this program, filmed live at one of his theatre performances, he reinvents the concept of faith healing through a series of stunts that debunk the confines of fear, pain, and disbelief. Derren Brown: Miracle, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, June 22, exclusively on Netflix.

The Great British Baking Show: Season 5 (UK)

In a season never before seen in the US, original judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have 30 new challenges for twelve bakers who will have their baking prowess, creativity, and skills tested in their bid to be the UK’s best amateur baker. The Great British Baking Show: Season 5 premieres in the US on Friday, June 22, at 9 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings)

Heavy Rescue: 401: Season 2 (Canada)

This reality show follows the heavy recovery operators of Southern Ontario as they work just inches from open lanes and speeding traffic during hazardous winter weather conditions and through massive wrecks in order to keep drivers moving on the busiest stretch of highway in the world. Heavy Rescue: 401: Season 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, June 22, exclusively on Netflix.

Endeavour: Season 5 (UK)

Opening in April 1968, the latest season of this hit Brit mystery finds Morse (Shaun Evans, The Last Weekend), now a Detective Sergeant, being partnered with DC George Fancy (Lewis Peek, Poldark) while Thursday (Roger Allam, The Thick of It), now a Detective Chief Inspector, must put off his retirement for a bit. Endeavour: Season 5 premieres in the US on Sunday, June 24, 2018, at 9 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings)

Churchill's Secret Agents
Churchill’s Secret Agents — Photo courtesy of Netflix

Churchill’s Secret Agents: The New Recruits (aka Secret Agent Selection: WW2) (UK)

Based on true events, this series delves into the top-secret recruiting and training of Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) program during World War II. This squad of agents, made up of everyday folks from a broad cross section of society, would carry out bombings, assassinations, acts of sabotage, and more behind enemy lines. The program also follows fourteen present-day volunteers who undergo the same training the real SOE recruits went through. Churchill’s Secret Agents: The New Recruits, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, June 29, exclusively on Netflix.

Kiss Me First (UK)

Leila (Tallulah Haddon, The Living and the Dead) is a lonely 17-year-old girl hooked on an online virtual reality gaming site, where she meets party girl Tess (Simona Brown, The Casual Vacancy), who leads her into a world of new thrills. They become friends in real life, but when Tess, who harbors a dark secret, disappears, Leila assumes her identity and gets drawn into unravelling the mystery behind Tess’ disappearance. Kiss Me First, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, June 29, exclusively on Netflix.

A Very English Scandal (UK)

Based on the book of the same name by John Preston (which is based on a true story), this miniseries set in the 1960s and ’70s stars Hugh Grant (About a Boy) as Jeremy Thorpe — a powerful Member of Parliament, the leader of the Liberal party, and the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy to murder. Thorpe’s secret ex-lover Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw, London Spy) is putting Thorpe’s career at risk, so with the help of fellow politicians, Thorpe schemes, deceives, and plots to kill Scott in order to silence him. Permanently. A Very English Scandal premieres in the US on Friday, June 29, exclusively on Prime Video.

Edge of Heaven: Seasons 1 & 2

Set in an English seaside town, this comedy-drama series follows the ups and downs of the Taylor-Chatterjee family at their 1980s-themed bed and breakfast hotel. It stars Camille Coduri (Doctor Who) as Judy, the feisty Wham!-loving landlady who’s supported by her husband and head cook Tandeep (Nitin Kundra, Celebrity Juice) and her two grown-up kids — the lovable but clueless Alfie (Blake Harrison, Prime Suspect: Tennison) and his demobbed soldier sister Ann-Marie (Laura Checkley, Detectorists). Edge of Heaven: Seasons 1 & 2 premieres in North America on Saturday, June 30, exclusively on BritBox.

ADDITIONAL NATIONAL PREMIERES TO CONSIDER

Preacher: Season 3 (US)

Spoilerish past season stuff ahead! Based on the “Preacher” comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, this excellent fantasy series stars Dominic Cooper (Fleming) as Jesse Custer, a preacher with a superpower who goes in search of God in Season 2, accompanied by his ex-once-again-current girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Negga, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and their (hilarious) vampire friend Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun, Misfits), after learning that God has gone missing in Season 1. Preacher: Season 3 premieres Sunday, June 24, at 10 PM ET, on AMC.

LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES

The series below begin airing in the US on public TV stations starting in June. Broadcast dates and times vary by market, so check your local listings or contact the station that serves your area for details. If you’d like to see any of the shows but your station (or state) isn’t listed, contact its Viewer Services department or American Public Television. Here are links to the stations and regional networks confirmed for airing one or more of this month’s new programs:

All Gardens Great and Small (UK)

Dee Hart Dyke is one of Britain’s best amateur gardeners and a highly experienced and knowledgeable plantswoman. She’s also the mum of actress and comedienne Miranda Hart (Call the Midwife, Miranda). In this delightful miniseries, Dee and Miranda drive across Britain to meet people who are opening up their gardens to visitors through the National Garden Scheme. All Gardens Great and Small is confirmed for airing on stations in the Idaho and New Jersey regional public television networks, KCTS, KQED, KQEH, KUAT, WMVS, WNED, and WXXI.

The Art Detectives: Season 2 (UK)

The second season of this edutainment series finds Dr. Bendor Grosvenor, one of the world’s leading art detectives, and Emma Dabiri, a leading social historian, delving into local museums and country houses across Britain — from Pollok House in Glasgow to the famous Derby Museum — to look for lost and hidden art treasures. Together they discover the unique stories behind the paintings and restore them for public enjoyment, including works credited to artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Antonis Mor, and Mary Beale. The Art Detectives: Season 2 is confirmed for airing on KENW, KUEN, WCET, and WXXI.

Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways: Season 4 (UK)

In the latest season of this travel-infotainment series, English radio and television broadcaster Chris Tarrant sets off on another exciting series of railway adventures, in which he travels aboard a series of exotic trains to share incredible stories and daunting challenges and to explore spectacular railway history. Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways: Season 4 is confirmed for airing on stations in the Idaho, Montana, and North Carolina regional public television networks, as well as KLRU, KTCA, KTWU, WITF, WNED, WPBS, and WPTO.

Great British Royal Ships
Great British Royal Ships — Photo courtesy of APT

Great British Royal Ships (UK)

This two-part documentary examines iconic vessels with links to the British Royal Family that have played significant roles in Britain’s maritime and cultural history. The first is the Royal Yacht Britannia, a floating palace at sea for 44 years that is permanently berthed at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh and serves as a visitor attraction. The second is the RMS Queen Mary, the first merchant naval ship ever to have been launched by a reigning sovereign. Great British Royal Ships is confirmed for airing on stations in the Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin regional public television networks, as well as KLRU, KUAT, WBGU, WCMU, WCVE, WETA, WNED, WPBS, WSKG, WVPT, and WXEL.

The Joy of Data (UK)

In this witty, mind-expanding, high-tech, and fun documentary, badass mathematician Dr. Hannah Fry explores data — revealing what it is and how it is captured, stored, shared and made sense of. The hour-long program also tells the story of the engineers of the data age, people most of us have never heard of, despite the fact they brought about a technological and philosophical revolution. The Joy of Data is confirmed for airing on stations in the Idaho regional public television network, KAET, KBDI, KLRU, KPBS, KUAT, KUEN, WCVE, WSKG, and WVPT.

Penelope Keith’s Coastal Villages (UK)

Following her delightful series Penelope Keith at Her Majesty’s Service and Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages (both also shown on public TV stations), she returns with another. In this three-part series, Penelope, armed with her vintage “Batsford” travel books, seeks out the community heartbeat unique to coastal village life — from fishing and lifeboats, to pleasure boating and holiday making, to the joys and dangers of life on the coast. Penelope Keith’s Coastal Villages is confirmed for airing on stations in the Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin regional public television networks, as well as KCTS, KERA, KPBS, KQEH, KTCA, KUAT, WETA, WGBH, WMHT, WMVS, WPBS, WPTD, WVIZ, and WXEL.

The Queen's Favourite Animals
The Queen’s Favourite Animals — Photo courtesy of APT

The Queen’s Favourite Animals (UK)

This documentary tells the story of Queen Elizabeth’s life and character through her relationships with her animals — profiling the thirteen generations of corgis she has bred since her 18th birthday and her triumphs in the horse-racing world. The Queen’s Favourite Animals is confirmed for airing on stations in the Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wisconsin regional public television networks, as well as KPBS, KQEH, KTCA, KUAT, WCET, WGBH, WNED, WPSU, WSKG, WVIZ, and WXEL.

Shakespeare: The Legacy (UK)

Produced in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust and presented by John Nettles (Midsomer Murders), this documentary commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and unlocks some of the mysteries surrounding the Bard’s life and the legacy of his work across the globe. Shakespeare: The Legacy is confirmed for airing on stations in the Idaho and Maryland regional public television networks, KTWU, KUAT, KUEN, WCVE, and WVPT.

NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS ADDED TO PROGRAMMING SCHEDULES

Acorn TV

Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Acorn TV and the Acorn TV channel on Amazon.

Belonging on Acorn TV
Belonging: Brenda Blethyn as Jess Copplestone — Photo courtesy of Acorn TV

Belonging (UK)

Based on the novel Web of Belonging by Stevie Davies, this award-winning TV movie stars Brenda Blethyn (Vera) as Jess Copplestone, a former librarian who now cares for the elderly relatives of her husband Jacob (Kevin Whately, Inspector Lewis). When Jacob disappears and Jess later learns he’s left her for a younger woman, she struggles to quell her self-doubts, contain her rage, maintain her dignity, and regain her balance. Shown in two parts, Belonging begins streaming Monday, June 4.

Tales of the City (UK/US)

Both the ground-breaking novel by Armistead Maupin and this Peabody Award-winning miniseries are fabulous. Featuring a star-studded cast of award winners and nominees, including Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck), Laura Linney (The Savages), Paul Gross (Slings and Arrows), Billy Campbell (Cardinal), Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds), Parker Posey (Fay Grim), and Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), this landmark program follows a colorful cast of characters living at 28 Barbary Lane in 1970s San Francisco and chronicles the quest for love and connection across a spectrum of sexual experiences. Tales of the City begins streaming Monday, June 4.

The Diary of Anne Frank (UK)

Based on the iconic book The Diary of a Young Girl, this star-studded, five-part adaptation starring Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones) tells the story of Anne Frank, a teen-aged Jewish girl forced into hiding with her family in Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. Costarring Iain Glen (Jack Taylor), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), and Tamsin Greig (Episodes), The Diary of Anne Frank begins streaming Monday, June 11, exclusively on Acorn TV.

Trivia: Series 1 & 2 (Ireland)

David Pearse (Vikings) won for Best Actor at the 2012 Irish Film and Television Awards for his portrayal of Lawrence, captain of “The Team with No Name” during trivia night at a pub in Monaghan owned by Lawrence’s best (and only) friend Adam (Keith McErlean, Raw). Series 1 revolves around the interactions between Lawrence, Adam, and the their fellow team members Cathy (Olivia Caffrey, Coupling) and Tony (Patrick Ryan, Game of Thrones) and later Molly (Janet Moran, Love/Hate), while Series 2 centers on the relationship between Lawrence and Molly, with a subplot involving Adam’s new love interest Ruth (Aisling Bea, Hard Sun). Trivia: Series 1 & 2 begins streaming Monday, June 11.

Shoreline Detectives: Series 1 & 2 (aka Britain at Low Tide) (UK)

In this factual series presented by palaeontologist Tori Herridge and archaeologist and historian Alex Langlands, the hosts travel to Northumberland, Merseyside, and Essex in Series 1, and East Sussex, Dorset, the River Clyde, the Severn Estuary, East Yorkshire, and Fife in Series 2, to reveal the historical wonders and unique archaeological sites buried in the shoreline, sea beds, and sand banks. They include submerged Elizabethan ship wrecks, prehistoric stone forts, Roman villas, medieval villages, 18th-century merchant ships, and drowned forests. Shoreline Detectives: Series 1 & 2 begins streaming Monday, June 25.

BritBox

Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on BritBox and the BritBox channel on Amazon.

Royal Wedding Highlights (UK)

Relive the fairy tale wedding on demand with two compilation programs: “Soundtrack of the Royal Wedding Service,” a half-hour collection of all the musical performances from the day, from the Kingdom Choir to the Billboard-topping cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and ITV’s hour-long “Royal Wedding Highlights,” which recaps all of the day’s best bits. The “Royal Wedding Highlights” programs begin streaming Saturday, June 2.

Would I Lie To You? Seasons 10 & 11 (UK)

Hosted by Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey) along with team captains David Mitchell (Upstart Crow) and Lee Mack (Not Going Out), this hilarious comedy panel show features celebrity guests telling unbelievable truths and believable lies as they bluff about their deepest secrets. Would I Lie To You? Seasons 10 & 11 begins streaming Thursday, June 7.

Last of the Summer Wine: Seasons 1-5 (UK)

This beloved classic Britcom was the longest-running comedy series in Britain, ending its run after 31 seasons and 295 episodes that spanned 37 years. The show centers on a trio of elderly Yorkshire villagers and their youthful antics and misadventures. Last of the Summer Wine: Seasons 1-5 begins streaming Sunday, June 17.

Midsomer (Murder) Solstice (UK)

The longest day of the year provides all the more time for murder. So on Thursday, June 21, you can clock up the bodycount during BritBox‘s summer solstice celebration by tuning in at at 6:03 AM ET, when they reveal the top 5 most murderous episodes of Midsomer Murders.

Merlin (UK)

This fantasy-adventure drama stars Colin Morgan (Humans) as the young sorcerer when he was a servant to Prince Arthur (Bradley James, Medici: Masters of Florence). The series features Anthony Head (Girlfriends) as Arthur’s father, whose banning of magic in Camelot forces Merlin to keep his magical powers a secret, and the late, great John Hurt (Doctor Who) as the voice of the Dragon. Merlin begins streaming Saturday, June 23.

Dalziel & Pascoe: Seasons 8-11 (UK)

Based on the main characters in the “Dalziel & Pascoe” crime novels by Reginald Hill, the final four seasons of this popular mystery-crime drama series find polar opposite partners Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel (the late Warren Clark, Poldark) and Detective Inspector Peter Pascoe (Colin Buchanan, A Touch of Frost) investigating suspicious deaths, disappearances, kidnappings, suicides, and of course murders. Seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11 of Dalziel & Pascoe begin streaming Wednesday, June 27.

Hulu

Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Hulu.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: Season 2 (UK/US)

Inspired by Douglas Adams‘s “Dirk Gently” novels, Season 2 of this hilarious sci-fi-mystery-comedy series opens soon after the events in the Season 1 finale. Holistic detective Dirk (Samuel Barnett, Desperate Romantics) has been captured by a secret government organization, and his sidekick Todd (Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings), along with security guard Farah (Jade Eshete, Shades of Blue), search for him while on the run from the FBI. They end up reuniting in Bergsberg, Montana, where Dirk is supposed to “find the boy,” according to the holistic actress who teleports Dirk to the rural town where strange, inexplicable events happen. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: Season 2 begins streaming Friday, June 22.

Silent Witness: Seasons 10-21 (UK)

Emilia Fox (Delicious) leads the cast of this mystery-crime drama series as forensic anthropologist and pathologist Dr. Nikki Alexander, who with her team of experts — including (across the seasons) Professor Leo Dalton (William Gaminara, Father Brown), Dr. Harry Cunningham (Tom Ward, The Frankenstein Chronicles), Jack Hodgson (David Caves, Jackie), Clarissa Mullery (Liz Carr, Le Accelerator), and Dr. Thomas Chamberlain (Richard Lintern, Spies of Warsaw) — investigates deaths due to various crimes. Silent Witness: Seasons 10-21 begins streaming Saturday, June 16.

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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous months? Check the British TV Viewing Guide 2018 Archives to find out.

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For details about the June premieres of shows from Australia and New Zealand, visit The Down Under TV Place. For those about the debuts of original-language, English-subtitled programs from Europe, visit The Euro TV Place.

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British TV Premieres in June 2018: C.B. Strike, Endeavour, Humans, Marcella, Our Girl, A Very English Scandal & More
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