March roars in like a lion with 27 shows premiering nationally in the US, plus 4 debuting locally on public TV stations and even more titles being added to streaming services.
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
The Kumars (UK)
Sanjeev Bhaskar (Unforgotten), Meera Syal (The Split), and Vincent Ebrahim (The Physician) return as Sanjeev, his nan Ummi, and his dad Ashwin in this 2014 revival of the popular The Kumars at No. 42. Like its predecessor, the show is part scripted comedy, part improv, part interview chat show with TV and film stars — and totally hilarious. The Kumars premieres in the US on Friday, March 1, on the Best of British TV channel on Amazon.
Northern Rescue (Canada)
This drama stars William Baldwin (MacGyver) as John West, who, after the sudden death of his wife, moves with his children from the city to his rural hometown, where he now leads the local search-and-rescue service. The whole family struggles will all the newness, and helping them is Charlie Anders (Kathleen Robertson, Murder in the First), the children’s aunt, who has struggles of her own. Northern Rescue, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 1, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
The Widow (UK)
Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) stars in this thriller series as Georgia Wells, a woman whose search to uncover the mystery of her husband’s disappearance leads her to the Congo, where she’s forced to seek the truth about what happened to him. Costarring Alex Kingston (A Discovery of Witches), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Babs Olusanmokun (Black Mirror), and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Trapped), The Widow, a Prime Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 1, exclusively on Prime Video. (You can add it to your queue now.)
The Killer Downstairs (Canada)
This thriller stars Cindy Busby (Cedar Cove) as Alison, a woman who rents her basement suite to the recently-separated James (Marcus Rosner, UnREAL) to bring in some much-needed extra cash. Soon thereafter, Alison’s harassing boss is murdered and more people in her life start to disappear, as James’ obsession with her escalates and turns deadly. The Killer Downstairs premieres in the US on Saturday, March 2, at 8 PM ET, on Lifetime.
The Boy with the Topknot (UK)
Based on the critically-acclaimed memoir of the same name, this telefilm follows Sathnam (Sacha Dhawan, Iron Fist), who keeps his post-Cambridge life in London separate from the one he has with his traditional Punjabi parents in Wolverhampton, where he grew up. The Boy with the Topknot premieres in the US on Monday, March 4, on Acorn TV.
Our Girl: Season 3, Part 2: Worlds Apart (UK)
The return of this military drama finds combat medical technician Corporal Georgie Lane (Michelle Keegan, Ordinary Lies) joining 2 Section as they are deployed to Nigeria to help the Nigerian Army fight Boko Haram. Later the team goes to Belize for jungle training exercises, followed by Bangladesh, where they help a couple running a refugee camp. Costarring Ben Aldridge (Fleabag), Our Girl: Season 3, Part 2: Worlds Apart premieres in the US on Tuesday, March 5, exclusively on BritBox.
Tin Star: Season 2 (UK)
The new season of this crime thriller picks up directly from where Season 1 left off: with police chief Jim Worth, aka his alter ego Jack Devlin, shot and bleeding on a mountain in the Rockies while his grieving and shell-shocked family struggle to come to terms with their ordeal. Costarring Genevieve O’Reilly (Glitch), Tin Star: Season 2, a Prime Original series, premieres in the US on Thursday, March 7, exclusively on Prime Video. (You can add it to your queue now.)
After Life (UK)
Ricky Gervais’ new comedy series has him playing Tony, a writer for a newspaper who, in struggling to come to terms with his wife’s death, adopts a gruff new persona to push away those trying to help. Tom Basden (Plebs), David Bradley (Harry Potter), Roisin Conaty (Man Down), Kerry Godliman (Derek), Ashley Jensen (Agatha Raisin), Paul Kaye (Vera), and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) costar. After Life, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 8, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (UK)
This docuseries provides an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the 2018 Formula One World Championship. It takes viewers inside the cockpits and gives access to the drivers, managers, and team owners who live life in the fast lane on and off the track during the cutthroat season. Formula 1: Drive to Survive, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 8, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Hang Ups (UK)
Stephen Mangan (Episodes) stars in this comedy series as Richard Pitt, a therapist with a messy personal life and a failed practice. To restart his career, he launches an online practice. The all-star cast includes Katherine Parkinson (Humans), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Jessica Hynes (W1A), Paul Ritter (No Offence), Charles Dance (Secret State), and Celia Imrie (Kingdom). Hang Ups premieres in the US on Friday, March 8, on Hulu.
Suburban Swingers Club (Canada)
Dana Davis (Franklin & Bash) and Jesse Ruda (Luke) star in this thriller as a young married couple who agree to participate in a secret swingers’ party in their suburban neighborhood. They realize their mistake soon enough, as both of them are targeted by a jealous and homicidal neighbor. Suburban Swingers Club premieres in the US on Saturday, March 9, at 8 PM ET, on Lifetime. (Photo courtesy of Lifetime)
Manhunt (UK)
Giving ITV 9 million UK viewers and its highest ratings for a new drama since Broadchurch, this new limited series tells the real-life story of how painstaking police work in the investigation of the 2004 murder of a French national led to its link with two other murders and to the arrest of serial killer Levi Bellfield. Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) stars as DCI Colin Sutton, the SIO on the case. Costarring Katie Lyons (Bluestone 42), Claudie Blakley (Grantchester), and Stephen Wight (The Paradise), Manhunt, an Acorn TV Original series, premieres in the US, Canada, and Mexico on Monday, March 11, exclusively on Acorn TV.
Would I Lie to You? Seasons 8-9 (UK)
Hosted by Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey) with team captains David Mitchell (Upstart Crow) and Lee Mack (Not Going Out), earlier seasons of this hilarious comedy panel show debut in March. To win, each team must hoodwink the other into believing that what’s fake is true and what’s true is not. Celebrity guests include Amanda Abbington (Sherlock), Emilia Fox (Silent Witness), Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek), and Romesh Ranganathan (Asian Provocateur). Would I Lie to You? Seasons 8-9 premieres in North America on Monday, March 11, exclusively on BritBox.
Jimmy Carr: The Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits (UK)
Filmed at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, this stand-up special features British comedian Jimmy Carr (The Fix) taking audiences through a selection of his very best jokes — from perfect gags and brilliant one-liners, to clever jokes, rude jokes, and a few jokes that are totally unacceptable. Jimmy Carr: The Best of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits, a Netflix Original Comedy special, premieres globally on Tuesday, March 12, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Catastrophe: Season 4 (Final) (UK)
The fourth and final season of this Emmy®-nominated comedy series finds Sharon (Sharon Horgan, Pulling) and Rob (Rob Delaney, Key and Peele) navigating parenthood, in-laws, creepy bosses, court-ordered community service, alcoholism, exercise trends, kleptomania, love, loss, and everything in between. Catastrophe: Season 4, a Prime Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 15, exclusively on Prime Video. (You can add it to your queue now.)
Turn Up Charlie (UK)
Idris Elba (Luther) stars in this new comedy series as Charlie, a down-and-out DJ who plots to rebuild his music career while working as a nanny for his famous best friend’s wild 11-year-old daughter. Costarring JJ Field (TURN: Washington’s Spies) and Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs), Turn Up Charlie, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 15, exclusively on Netflix. (You can add it to your queue now.) (Photo by Nick Wall/Netflix)
Mommy Group Murder (Canada)
In this thriller, a new mom joins a local mommy group to help deal with the stress of being a new parent. When a member’s husband turns up dead, she’s convinced one of the other moms killed him and tries to discover the truth before something happens to her and her own family. Starring Leah Pipes (The Originals), Helena Mattson (American Horror Story), and Ryan Carnes (General Hospital), Mommy Group Murder premieres in the US on Saturday, March 16, at 8 PM ET, on Lifetime. (Photo courtesy of Lifetime)
Mommy’s Little Princess (Canada)
This drama revolves around Lizzy (Sarah Abbott, Black Mirror), a 10-year-old girl who gets adopted by career woman Julianna (Alicia Leigh Willis, The Bay) and her boyfriend Greg (Jeff Teravainen, Dark Matter). When Julianna tells her new daughter she’s related to German royalty, Lizzy, feeling entitled, turns into an angry child and soon blurs fantasy and reality. What’s worse: her actions turn deadly. Mommy’s Little Princess premieres in the US on Sunday, March 17, at 8 PM ET, on Lifetime. (Photo © Albert Camicioli, courtesy of Lifetime)
Cold Feet: The New Years: Season 3 (UK)
The gang is back! James Nesbitt (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man), Hermione Norris (In the Club), Robert Bathurst (Toast of London), Fay Ripley (Monday Monday), and John Thomson (The Moonstone) return as close friends Adam, Karen, David, Jenny, and Pete in the new season of the BAFTA-winning dramedy’s reboot series. As always, there will be ups and downs galore in their lives. Cold Feet: The New Years: Season 3 premieres in the US on Tuesday, March 19, exclusively on BritBox. (Video is from Season 2)
Cardinal: Season 3 (Canada)
Adapted from By the Time You Read This and Crime Machine, Books 4 and 5 in Giles Blunt‘s “John Cardinal Crime Series” novels, the new season of this mystery-crime thriller finds the eponymous detective (Billy Campbell, Modus) grieving the loss of his wife and investigating her death. Meanwhile, his police partner Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse, Blue Moon) investigates a double murder and a string of muggings. Cardinal: Season 3 premieres in the US on Friday, March 22, exclusively on Hulu.
Prince Charles at 70 (UK)
This hour-long documentary provides an intimate and revealing portrait of Charles, Prince of Wales — the longest-serving heir to the British throne — in his 70th birthday year. From his charitable work to his family life, see him as never before and learn his plans for his future as king. Prince Charles at 70 premieres in the US on Sunday, March 24, at 8 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings) (Photo of HRH The Prince of Wales courtesy of Clarence House/Hugo Burnand)
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco: “Cracking The Code” Event (UK)
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco — Behind the Scenes special gives US BritBox subscribers exclusive access to behind-the-scenes footage shot during the making of the SVOD service’s first original series. Decoding the Future, a BritBox-produced documentary, chronicles the lives of today’s young coders. Both programs premiere in the US on Tuesday, March 26, exclusively on BritBox.
Great Performances: Julius Caesar (UK)
Directed by BAFTA nominee Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!), Donmar Warehouse’s acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar features an all-female cast portraying both male and female roles within the play, set here in a women’s prison. As Brutus (Tony Award nominee Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart, The Crown) wrestles with his moral conscience over the assassination of Julius Caesar (Jackie Clune, Borderline), Mark Antony (Jade Anouka, Trauma) manipulates the crowd through his subtle and incendiary rhetoric to frenzied mob violence. Great Performances: Julius Caesar premieres in the US on Friday, March 29, at 9 PM ET, exclusively on PBS. (Check your local listings)
Traitors (UK)
Set in 1945 London, this spy thriller tells the story of Feef (Emma Appleton, Clique), a young woman seduced by a rogue American spy into spying on her own country. Her task: to uncover a Russian agent in the heart of the British Government. Costarring Michael Stuhlbarg (The Shape of Water), Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard), Luke Treadaway (Fortitude), Brandon P Bell (Dear White People), and Owen Teale (A Discovery of Witches), Traitors, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, March 29, exclusively on Netflix.
Call the Midwife: Season 8 (UK)
The new season of this hit period drama opens in spring 1964. Everyone is excited for the Queen’s Royal Birth, and with the addition of two new nuns — Sister Hilda (Fenella Woolgar, Home Fires) and Sister Frances (Ella Bruccoleri, The Last Kingdom) — Nonnatus House feels full once more. Call the Midwife: Season 8 premieres in the US on Sunday, March 31, at 8 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings) (Pictured: Jennifer Kirby as Valerie Dyer, Helen George as Trixie Franklin, and Leonie Elliott as Lucille Anderson — Photo courtesy of Neal Street Productions)
Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series (Canada)
The trailer park just got a lot weirder. Picking up where Season 12 left off (and higher than ever), the entire gang — including Ricky (Robb Wells), Julian (John Paul Tremblay), and Bubbles (Mike Smith) — has turned into cartoons. Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Sunday, March 31, exclusively on Netflix. (Image courtesy of Netflix)
Mrs. Wilson (UK)
Ruth Wilson (The Affair) plays her grandmother, Alison Wilson, in this biopic drama inspired by the latter’s memoir. It opens in 1963, when Alison’s husband, Alec (Iain Glen, Game of Thrones), dies, leaving her a grieving widow with two sons. Shock soon sets in when a woman arrives at Alison’s door, claiming to be Alec’s wife. Alison is determined to prove the validity of her own marriage but is instead led into a world of disturbing secrets. Costarring Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) and Keeley Hawes (The Durrells in Corfu), Mrs. Wilson premieres in the US on Sunday, March 31, at 9 PM ET, on PBS. (Check your local listings)
LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
The following programs begin airing in the US on the public TV stations and regional networks listed below starting on or after March 1. Check your local listings or contact the station that serves your area for air dates and times. If your station isn’t on the list for a show(s) you’d like to watch, contact its Viewer Services department or American Public Television to request the title(s).
Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways: Season 5 (UK)
In the latest season of this travel documentary series, presenter Chris Tarrant travels thousands of miles by train across difficult terrain and explores how railways fare in hostile environments. He starts in the Alps in the middle of winter, then embarks on a 1,000-mile journey across Spain before heading to Ukraine, where he explores a 13,000-mile rail network, and finishing up in Vietnam. Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways: Season 5 is confirmed for airing on:
- Regional public TV networks: Idaho · Montana · North Carolina
- Public TV stations: KLRU (Austin, TX) · KTWU (Topeka, KS) · WLRN (Miami, FL) · WLVT (Allentown, PA) · WMVS (Milwaukee, WI) · WNED (Buffalo, NY) · WPBS (Watertown, NY) · WPTO (Dayton, OH)
Fake or Fortune? Season 7 (UK)
Journalist Fiona Bruce and art dealer Philip Mould return for another season of this factual series, in which they investigate remarkable stories beneath the surface of paintings and hopefully solve more fine art mysteries. Works in question this season include a still life possibly painted by British artist William Nicholson; four sketchbooks that might be the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec; a small watercolour sketch that could be by British sculptor Henry Moore; a stark, white square of plaster that might be a daring, early work of Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti; and two rare portraits of black British subjects from the 18th and 19th centuries. Fake or Fortune? Season 7 is confirmed for airing on:
- Regional public TV networks: Colorado · Connecticut · Hawaii · Idaho · Louisiana
- Public TV stations: KLRU (Austin, TX) · KUAT (Tucson, AZ) · KUED (Salt Lake City, UT) · WCVE (Richmond, VA) · WMVS (Milwaukee, WI) · WVPT (Staunton, VA)
Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Hyde Park (UK)
Oh, what fun! The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), led by iconic songwriter and producer Jeff Lynne and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, is one of the most successful British bands of all time. In September 2014, Jeff Lynne’s ELO headlined BBC Radio 2’s Festival in a Day in London’s Hyde Park — the first time in nearly 30 years the band had performed on a festival stage. Tickets for the event sold out in minutes, and fans sang along to hit after classic hit, including “Evil Woman,” “Strange Magic,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and “Mr. Blue Sky.” Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Hyde Park is confirmed for airing on:
- Regional public TV networks: Colorado · Idaho · Maryland · Montana · Nebraska · New Jersey · North Dakota · Wisconsin · Wyoming
- Public TV stations: KAMU (College Station, TX) · KCET (Los Angeles, CA) · KCPT (Kansas City, MO) · KEET (Eureka, CA) · KERA (Dallas, TX) · KETC (St. Louis, MO) · KLRU (Austin, TX) · KLVX (Las Vegas, NV) · KMOS (Sedalia, MO) · KNME (Albuquerque, NM) · KOZK (Springfield, MO) · KQED (San Francisco, CA) · KQEH (San Jose, CA) · KRWG (Las Cruces, NM) · KSMQ (Austin, MN) · KSPS (Spokane, WA) · KTCA (St. Paul, MN) · KTWU (Topeka, KS) · KUAT (Tucson, AZ) · KUED (Salt Lake City, UT) · KVIE (Sacramento, CA) · WBGU (Bowling Green, OH) · WBRA (Roanoke, VA) · WCMU (Mount Pleasant, MI) · WDSE (Duluth, MN) · WEDU (Tampa, FL) · WFYI (Indianapolis, IN) · WGVU (Grand Rapids, MI) · WHRO (Hampton Roads, VA) · WHUT (Washington, DC) · WHYY (Philadelphia, PA) · WLAE (New Orleans, LA) · WLIW (Garden City, NY) · WLRN (Miami, FL) · WMVS (Milwaukee, WI) · WNED (Buffalo, NY) · WNET (Newark, NJ) · WQED (Pittsburgh, PA) · WSBE (Providence, RI) · WTTW (Chicago, IL) · WTVP (Peoria, IL) · WTVS (Detroit, MI) · WVIA (Scranton, PA) · WVIZ (Cleveland, OH) · WXXI (Rochester, NY) · WYES (New Orleans, LA) · WYIN (Gary, IN)
QE2: The World’s Greatest Cruise Ship (UK)
This two-part documentary utilizes archival footage and extensive interviews to bring to life the story of the Queen Elizabeth 2 — often referred to as the QE2. It was the flagship of Britain for more than 40 years, circumnavigated the globe 25 times, and carried more than 2.5 million passengers. QE2: The World’s Greatest Cruise Ship is confirmed for airing on:
- Regional public TV networks: Montana · North Carolina · Oregon
- Public TV stations: KERA (Dallas, TX) · KLRU (Austin, TX) · KUAT (Tucson, AZ) · WCET (Cincinnati, OH) · WCVE (Richmond, VA) · WFYI (Indianapolis, IN) · WLRN (Miami, FL) · WNED (Buffalo, NY) · WVPT (Staunton, VA)
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NON-PREMIERE TITLES TO BE ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on Acorn TV and the Acorn TV channel on Amazon.
Accused: Series 1-2 (Complete) (UK)
A winner of three International Emmy® Awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Performance by an Actor for Sean Bean (Sean Bean! Broken) and Christopher Eccleston (The A Word), this star-studded drama anthology series looks at the true nature of guilt and innocence. Each episode follows a different character as s/he faces her/his fate in the dock, and reveals how and why a crime happened. Featuring newly-minted Oscar® winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Mackenzie Crook (Detectorists), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), Andy Serkis (Black Panther), and Stephen Graham (Line of Duty), Accused: Series 1-2 begins streaming Monday, March 4.
My Welsh Sheepdog (UK)
This three-part documentary follows BBC Wildlife presenter Kate Humble as she sets out to learn more about the endangered Welsh sheepdog breed, as cross-breeding and fashion trends have caused traditional herding dogs in the UK to either decline in numbers or go extinct altogether. My Welsh Sheepdog begins streaming Monday, March 4, 2019.
Henry IX: The Lost King (UK)
In this documentary, Paul Murton (Grand Tours of Scotland) investigates the mysterious disappearance from history of a forgotten prince: Henry Fredrick Stuart, the eldest son and heir of King James the VI of Scotland / King James I of the United Kingdom. This detective story of sorts reveals the tragedy of Henry’s lost potential and how his brother, Charles I, ended up as King. Henry IX: The Lost King begins streaming Monday, March 11.
The Case (UK)
Dean Andrews (Life on Mars) stars in this five-part legal drama as Tony Powell, on trial for the murder of his terminally-ill partner, Saskia Stanley (Caroline Langrishe, Judge John Deed). Tony claims it was assisted suicide, while Saskia’s family asserts he had motive for killing her. It falls to barrister Sol Ridley (Tristan Gemmill, Casualty), defending his first murder case, to expose the truth. The Case begins streaming Monday, March 18.
Executive Stress: Series 1-3 (Complete) (UK)
In this 1980s Britcom, Penelope Keith (No Job for a Lady) and Geoffrey Palmer (As Time Goes By) — followed by Peter Bowles (To The Manor Born) — play Caroline and Donald Fairchild. They are married but must pretend not to know each other to keep their jobs. Reason being: they both end up at the same publishing company, which has a rule forbidding married couples from working together. Executive Stress: Series 1-3 begins streaming Monday, March 25.
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on the Best of British TV channel on Amazon.
The Worst Week of My Life: Season 2 (UK)
After surviving the worst week of his life, Howard (Ben Miller, I Want My Wife Back) finally makes it down the aisle. He and wife Mel (Sarah Alexander, Coupling) are expecting their first child and about to move into their new home, and for once things seem to be going well. If only life were this simple… The Worst Week of My Life: Season 2 begins streaming Friday, March 1. (Photo courtesy of Best of British TV)
Titles in this section begin streaming on the dates shown below on BritBox and the BritBox channel on Amazon.
Vera: Season 5 (UK)
Inspired by Ann Cleeves‘ “Vera Stanhope” novels, this season of the hit mystery-crime drama finds DCI Vera Stanhope (two-time Oscar® nominee Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice) working with new sidekick DS Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty, Stella). Along with other members of her team, they investigate a fatal explosion at a caravan park, the discovery of 30-year-old skeletal remains, the death of a traveler found in a slurry pit, and the fatal plummet of a family man from a multi-story garage. Vera: Season 5 begins streaming Friday, March 1.
The Thick of It (UK)
Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), Rebecca Front (Inspector Lewis), and Chris Langham (People Life Us) won BAFTA Awards for their performances in this excellent satirical series about the inner workings of modern British government — the basis for HBO’s Emmy®-winning Veep. Roger Allam (Endeavour) also garnered award nominations for his work in this outrageous dark comedy series filled with political backstabbing, backroom deals, and wild media speculations. The Thick of It begins streaming Friday, March 29.
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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous months? Check out the British TV Viewing Guide 2019 Archives to find out.
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For details about the March 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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