Before and after you rock the vote one week from today, check out all the new Brit and Aussie TV shows that will be screening in the US, including several can’t-miss dramas.
NATIONAL PREMIERES
The Crown
This highly-anticipated historical drama centers on the private and public worlds of Queen Elizabeth II, played by Claire Foy (Wolf Hall). Season 1 opens when Princess Elizabeth, 25 years old and newly married to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh (Matt Smith, Doctor Who), is faced with the daunting prospect of leading the most famous monarchy on earth while forging a relationship with the domineering, war-hardened Prime Minister Winston Churchill (John Lithgow, 3rd Rock from the Sun). The Crown, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Friday, 4 November 2016, exclusively on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Deep Water: Series 1 (Australia)
Inspired by actual events, this crime drama follows Detectives Tori Lustigman (Yael Stone, Orange is the New Black) and Nick Manning (And Then There Were None) as they investigate the brutal murder of a young man in Bondi. As corpses pile up, Tori and Nick uncover from decades-old case files dozens of possible murders that could have been the work of the same serial killer. Episode 1 of Deep Water: Series 1 premieres in the US on Monday, 7 November 2016, exclusively on Acorn TV. (Photo by Sean O’Reilly, courtesy of Acorn TV)
Danger Mouse: Series 2
For kids of all ages, this reboot of the original series returns for more parodying of fictional British spy dramas such as Danger Man and James Bond. Alexander Armstrong (Hunderby) and Kevin Eldon (Death Comes to Pemberley) once again voice Danger Mouse, the world’s greatest secret agent, and his trusty sidekick Penfold, respectively. Danger Mouse: Series 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Wednesday, 9 November 2016, on Netflix. (Image courtesy of Netflix)
Red Dawrf XI
The long awaited eleventh season of this multiple award-winning hit Britcom is finally here! Over the course of its six episodes, Lister (Craig Charles, Coronation Street) gets organ-napped, Cat (Danny John-Jules, Death in Paradise) falls in love with a female cat, Rimmer (Chris Barrie, The Brittas Empire) is promoted, and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn, M.I.High) has a midlife crisis. Red Dwarf XI premieres in the US on Thursday, 10 November 2016, on Amazon Video. Now the wait is on for Red Dwarf XII to arrive stateside! (Image courtesy of Amazon)
Roman Empire: Reign of Blood
Narrated by Game of Thrones‘ Sean Bean, this docudrama chronicles the reign of Commodus (sans Joaquin Phoenix in the role), the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of the fall of Rome. The cast featuress several Aussie, Kiwi, and British actors, including Aaron Jakubenko (Neighbours), Edwin Wright (Underbelly: Land of the Long Green Cloud), Mike Edward (Nothing Trivial), Genevieve Aitken (The Shannara Chronicles), and John Bach (Jack Irish). Roman Empire: Reign of Blood, a Netflix Original series, premieres in the US on Friday, 11 November 2016, exclusively on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Tales by Light (Australia)
Get ready to be touched, moved, and inspired, and to have your wanderlust fired up. Five National Geographic photographers and cinematographers are in front of the camera in this documentary-adventure series, which follows them across the globe as they fulfill inner needs, share their experiences, and push the boundaries of their craft. Series 1 episodes include “Submerged,” “Tribes,” “Adrenaline,” “Wild,” “Panorama,” and “Himalaya.” Tales by Light premieres in the US on Friday, 11 November 2016, on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Close to the Enemy
Set in a bomb-damaged London hotel, this post-war thriller follows British intelligence officer Captain Callum Ferguson (Jim Sturgess, Feed the Beast), whose last task for the Army is to get captured German scientist Dieter Koehler (August Diehl, Inglourious Basterds) to hand over secret cutting-edge military technology crucial to national security. The all-star cast includes Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel), Charlotte Riley (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell), Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Lindsay Duncan (Churchill’s Secret), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), and Alfred Molina (Matador). Close to the Enemy, an Acorn TV Original Series, premieres in the US on Monday, 14 November 2016, exclusively on Acorn TV. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV)
Empire of the Tsars
Historian, author, and TV presenter Lucy Worsley (Tales from the Royal Wardrobe) returns to telly with yet another superb documentary. Here she focuses on the Romanovs — the dynasty that ruled Russia for more than 300 years — from Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, to the unraveling of the family’s grip on the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries, Empire of the Tsars premieres in the US on Tuesday, 15 November 2016, on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of © BBC)
Undercover
Oscar® nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) stars in this political thriller as Maya Cobbina, a barrister who is about to become England’s first black Director of Public Prosecutions. While under intense public scrutiny, she discovers that her husband Nick (Adrian Lester, Hustle) has been lying to her for years, which threatens to destroy her career and their life together. Written by Peter Moffat (Silk) and costarring Dennis Haysbert (24) as a death row inmate defended by Maya for 20 years, Undercover premieres in the US on Wednesday, 16 November 2016, at 8 PM ET, on BBC America. (Photo © BBC)
Lovesick: Series 2 (Formerly titled Scrotal Recall)
The laughs continue in this British comedy, as Johnny Flynn (Brotherhood) is back as Dylan — a young man who starts contacting his former sexual partners after he learns he has an STD. That might not sound so funny, but how he met and bedded them is. Also returning are Antonia Thomas (Misfits) as Evie and Daniel Ings (The Café) as Luke, Dylan’s best friends. Lovesick: Series 2, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally on Thursday, 17 November 2016, exclusively on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Paranoid
Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Robert Glenister (Hustle), Neil Stuke (Silk), Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey), and Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) star in this crime drama/mystery, which centers on the investigation of the murder of a female GP on a playground in front of several witnesses. The case takes the detectives across Europe and finds the mysterious “Ghost Detective” assisting them. Paranoid, a Netflix Original series, premieres globally (outside of the UK) on Thursday, 17 November 2016, exclusively on Netflix. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
The Grand Tour: Season 1
Calling all gearheads and fans of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. The threesome debut as the hosts of their new motoring show, and from the looks of the trailer, it’s as crazy and hilarious as their version of Top Gear (minus the Stig and all other copyrights owned by the BBC). The Grand Tour: Season 1, an Amazon Original series, premieres Friday, 18 November 2016, exclusively on Amazon Prime US and Amazon Prime UK.
Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks
One of the most celebrated Doctor Who adventures, “The Power of the Daleks” features the very first Time Lord regeneration — that of the First Doctor (William Hartnell) into the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton). Although the story’s master negatives were destroyed during an archive purge in 1974, a bit of Whovian ingenuity and technology have woven together the program’s original audio recordings, surviving photographs, and film clips into a six-part animated story that will screen 50 years after the episodes aired. Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks premieres in the US on Saturday, 19 November 2016, at 8:25 PM ET, on BBC America. (Image © BBC/BBC America)
Raised by Wolves: Series 2
As much as we love Channel 4, their decision to ax this brilliant comedy was about as welcome as their picking up the Great British Bake Off from the BBC. Their timing was even worse: Wolves won the coveted Golden Rose for Best Sitcom at the 2016 Rose d’Or Awards mere weeks after being canceled. But hey, at least viewers in the US can watch the second and (maybe) final hilarious season before saying cheerio to single mum Della Garry (Rebekah Staton, Spy), her six home-schooled children, and their now live-in Grampy (Phillip Jackson, Agatha Christie’s Poirot). Raised by Wolves: Series 2 has its exclusive US premiere on Monday, 21 November 2016, on Acorn TV. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV)
Suspects: Series 5
Set in London and filmed from an eyewitness perspective with improvised dialogue, the new season of this crime drama/mystery, titled “The Enemy Within,” finds DS Jack Weston (Damien Molony, Clean Break) and DC Charlie Steele (Clare-Hope Ashitey, Doctor Foster) joined by a new team of officers — DS Alisha Brooks (Lenora Crichlow, Being Human), DCI Daniel Drummond (James Murray, Primeval), and TDC Gary Roscoe (Perry Fitzpatrick, This Is England ’90) — following the death of one of their own. Unlike previous seasons, all episodes in Series 5 focus on a single, ongoing story. Suspects: Series 5 premieres in the US on Monday, 21 November 2016, on Acorn TV. (Photo © Colin Hutton, courtesy of Acorn TV)
A Place to Call Home: Series 4
Starring Marta Dusseldorp (Janet King) and set against the backdrop of post-World War II Australia, the fourth season of this addictive drama focuses on the effects of two contrasting social issues in 1954 on the series’ characters: the conservative wave of fear generated by the “Reds Under the Beds” scare surrounding the Petrov Affair, and the wave of liberal change that opened up new social and moral choices for Australians. A Place to Call Home: Series 4 has its exclusive US premiere on Thursday, 24 November 2016, on Acorn TV. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV)
LOCAL PREMIERES
The 1st of November is the public TV release date for the British TV programs shown below. The actual premiere dates will vary from market to market, so check your local listings or contact the public TV station that serves your area for details about air dates and times. If you would like to watch the program(s) but your station isn’t listed, contact its viewer services department or American Public Television (except for Cilla) to request it.
The Changing Face of the Queen
At the age of three she was on the cover of Time. She ascended to the throne when she was 25. And whether she’s clad in tweed or the crown jewels, she is instantly recognizable and stands as the most enduring human symbol of the United Kingdom. She is, of course, Queen Elizabeth II — one of the most iconic women in the world. This documentary tells the story of her life, from her childhood to her Diamond Jubilee, through archival photos and videos and interviews with royal insiders. The complete list of public TV stations airing The Changing Face of the Queen is here. (Photo © Back2Back Productions, courtesy of APT)
Cilla
Sheridan Smith (Black Work) won the Outstanding Drama Performance award at the 2015 National Television Awards for her portrayal of the late, great Cilla Black in this feel-good, music-filled, three-part biopic that follows the Liverpudlian singer’s rise to fame, fortune, and life as Britain’s sweetheart on radio and TV. (For further details, read this article.) Cilla will air on the public TV stations listed below, either before of after the new PBS series Soundbreaking premieres on weekdays from November 14th-23rd at 10 PM ET. (Photo courtesy of Acorn TV.)
| STATE | CITY | STATION |
|---|---|---|
| ARIZONA | Tucson |  |
| CALIFORNIA | Monterey, Salinas, San Francisco, San Jose, Watsonville |  |
| CALIFORNIA | San Diego |  |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | Washington, DC |  |
| INDIANA | Indianapolis |  |
| KENTUCKY | Ashland, Bowling Green, Concinnati/Covington, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Morehead, Murray, Owensboro, Owenton, Paducah, Pikeville, Somerset |  |
| LOUISIANA | Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport |  |
| MINNESOTA | Minneapolis, St. Paul |  |
| MISSOURI | Kansas City |  |
| TEXAS | Austin |  |
| TEXAS | Dallas |  |
The First Official Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in this documentary is decidedly different from the image that readily springs to mind for most Americans. It took place a year before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and rather than a feast celebrating the harvest, the event was a solemn occasion observed by the 36 men who arrived safely ashore the banks of the James River in Virginia after an arduous two-and-a-half-month voyage from England. Further details will be in an upcoming article; in the meantime, the complete (and long) list of public TV stations airing The First Official Thanksgiving is here. (Photo courtesy of WCVE / APT)
My Family and Other Turkeys with Nigel Marven
If you’ve seen the fabulous, must-watch Nature episode “My Life as a Turkey,” then you know there’s more to turkeys than Thanksgiving dinner. And in this lighthearted documentary, British wildlife TV presenter and author Nigel Marven uses his own brood of newly-hatched turkeys to reveal fascinating insights into their behavior, to explore the story behind the domestication of wild turkeys, and to discover why these birds have been an important part of numerous cultures for centuries. My Family and Other Turkeys with Nigel Marven is confirmed for airing on the public TV stations listed below. (Photo © Nathan Ridler, courtesy of APT)
| STATE | CITY | STATION |
|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA | Tampa |  |
| KENTUCKY | Ashland, Bowling Green, Concinnati/Covington, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Morehead, Murray, Owensboro, Owenton, Paducah, Pikeville, Somerset | |
| MONTANA | Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, Missoula |  |
| NEW YORK | Binghamton, Elmira |  |
| NEW YORK | Rochester |  |
| NORTH CAROLINA | Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Edenton, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Linville, Lumberton, Raleigh-Durham, Roanoke Rapids, Wilmington, Winston-Salem |  |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | Aberdeen, Eagle Butte, Lowry, Martin, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion |  |
| TEXAS | Austin | |
| WASHINGTON | Kennewick, Pasco, Pullman, Richland |  |
| WISCONSIN | Milwaukee |  |
Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages: Series 1 & 2
Armed with her vintage Batsford Walking Guides, Dame Penelope Keith (To the Manor Born) takes viewers on a tour of Britain’s most charming villages to discover what makes each one unique. From Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire in Southwest England, to Devon and Cornwall, Cumbria, Royal Deeside, Sussex and Kent, and East Anglia, Keith explores village histories, investigates how village communities have changed over time, and seeks out the quirky local traditions that continue to this day. Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages: Series 1 & 2 is confirmed for airing on the public TV stations listed below. (Photo © Reef TV, courtesy of APT)
| STATE | CITY | STATION |
|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | Washington, DC | |
| FLORIDA | Tampa | |
| IDAHO | Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Moscow, Pocatello, Twin Falls |  |
| MONTANA | Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, Missoula | |
| NEW YORK | Albany, Schenectady, Troy |  |
| NEW YORK | Buffalo |  |
| NEW YORK | Norwood, Watertown |  |
| NORTH CAROLINA | Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Edenton, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Linville, Lumberton, Raleigh-Durham, Roanoke Rapids, Wilmington, Winston-Salem | |
| OKLAHOMA | Tulsa |  |
| TEXAS | Dallas | |
| WASHINGTON | Centralia, Tacoma |  |
| WISCONSIN | Milwaukee | |
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Where the Heart Is: Series 6
This long-running British series returns to the US for another season of warm-hearted stories revolving around the family, personal, and professional dramas amongst a group of dedicated nurses in the (fictional) Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite. Costarring Thomas Craig (Murdoch Mysteries) and Tony Haygarth (Emmerdale), the only two original cast members to appear in this season, Where the Heart Is: Series 6 begins streaming Thursday, 24 November 2016, on Acorn TV.
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO (Subscription)
The Night Manager
This gripping, sexy, brilliant modern-day adaptation of John le Carré’s espionage novel stars Tom Hiddleston (Thor) as former British soldier Jonathan Pine, who’s recruited by intelligence operative Angela Burr (Olivia Colman, Broadchurch) to infiltrate the inner circle of ruthless arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Hugh Laurie, House, M.D.). The dangerous assignment is made more so by Roper’s gorgeous girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki, The Great Gatsby) and suspicious chief of staff Corkoran (Tom Hollander, Doctor Thorne), as well as shady figures within Whitehall. The Night Manager begins streaming as an Amazon Prime Video offering on Saturday, 5 November 2016.
The Royals: Season 2
And then there were… fewer. As in members of the British royal family in the sophomore season of this scripted drama that airs on E! Death has struck the royal household, and a game of thrones is in full swing for Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley, Gossip Girl) and her enemies. Meanwhile, Princess Eleanor (Alexandra Park, Home and Away) is self-destructing, and her twin Prince Liam (William Moseley, The Chronicles of Narnia) is trying to discover the truth behind the family tragedies. The Royals: Season 2 begins streaming as an Amazon Prime Video offering on Tuesday, 15 November 2016.
Grantchester: Season 2
Starring James Norton (Happy Valley) as the single, jazz-loving Anglican priest Sidney Chambers, and Robson Green (Wire in the Blood) as the married and harried DI Geordie Keating, the second season of this hit series — based on “The Grantchester Mysteries” novels by British author James Runcie — is darker than Season 1, but no less delicious to watch. Murders aren’t the only things to trouble the unlikely detective duo: differences of opinion and calls to duty threaten their bromance, while Sidney’s love life gets more complicated. Grantchester: Season 2 begins streaming as an Amazon Prime Video offering on Friday, 18 November 2016.
AMAZON VIDEO (PPV)
Outlander: Season 2
Toto, we’re not in Scotland anymore. Claire (Caitriona Balfe, Now You See Me) and Jamie (Sam Heughan, Doctors) have escaped to Paris, where they scheme to make a mess of the Jacobite Rebellion and get into heaps of trouble themselves. Making things more angst-ridden (and skin-crawling) is the arrival of the despicable Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies, The Honourable Woman) at Versailles. Need I say more? Outlander: Season 2 begins streaming Tuesday, 1 November 2016, on Amazon Video. (The series has been renewed for Seasons 3 and 4, which are based on the “Outlander” novels Voyager and Drums of Autumn.)
Afterlife: Series 1 & 2
This seriously spooky and scary supernatural-horror drama stars Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey) as Alison Mundy, a medium who’d prefer not to see dead people. Costarring Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) as university lecturer and skeptic Robert Bridge, the series revolves around Alison’s efforts, often at the expense of her own well-being, to help others with her gift/curse, including Robert, who thinks her abilities are a bunch of hokum. Afterlife: Series 1 & 2 is back on Amazon Video starting Thursday, 3 November 2016.
The Syndicate: All or Nothing
The third and final season of this terrific drama serial finds the lines between upstairs and downstairs beginning to blur after the staff of Hazelwood Manor — the once-stately and now crumbling home of the indebted Lord and Lady Hazelwood (Anthony Andrews, Brideshead Revisited, and Alice Krige, Tyrant) — win the lottery. Costarring Lenny Henry (Chef!), Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey), Elizabeth Berrington (Stella), Melanie Hill (Coronation Street), and Richard Rankin (The Crimson Field), The Syndicate: All or Nothing begins streaming Monday, 14 November 2016, on Amazon Video.
Wentworth: Series 1 (Australia)
Many a Netflix subscriber has gotten hooked on this Aussie crime drama set in the eponymous (fictional) women’s prison, and soon non-subscribers will be able binge-watch (and own) the first season, too. It follows Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack, Rake), who gets remanded into custody after being charged with the attempted murder of her husband, and whose survival at the bottom of the inmate hierarchy depends on more than her being amongst the prison’s fittest. Wentworth: Series 1 begins streaming Monday, 14 Nov 2016, on Amazon Video.
Moone Boy: Series 3 (Final) (UK/Ireland)
The final season of Chris O’Dowd’s (The IT Crowd) International Emmy® Award winner for Best Comedy returns us to Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, where Martin Moone (David Rawle, Property of the State), his best mates (real and imaginary), and the rest of the Moone clan get up to more madcap misadventures, even when saying a final farewell to a loved one. Guest stars include Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe), Bronagh Gallagher (Pramface), David Pearse (Trivia), John Sessions (Mr. Holmes), Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man), and the late, great Sir Terry Wogan. Moone Boy: Series 3 begins streaming Tuesday, 15 November 2016, on Amazon Video. (By the way, the entire three-season Moone Boy Collection is now available on DVD!)
(All images in this section courtesy of Amazon.com)
Almost Royal: Season 2
Georgie (Ed Gamble, Man Down) and Poppy Carlton (Amy Hoggart, Crackanory) — siblings who are heirs to an English estate and way far down in the line to the throne — continue their travels across America in the latest season of this comedy/faux-reality series. Instead of focusing on their time in various cities, these episodes revolve around themes, from beauty and romance, to work and sports. Almost Royal: Season 2 begins streaming Tuesday, 8 November 2016, on Hulu.
Scott & Bailey: Series 5 (Final)
This BAFTA-nominated drama closes out its run with a special three-part story, which finds Janet (Lesley Sharp, Afterlife) and Rachel (Suranne Jones, Doctor Foster) investigating what looks to be the work of a serial killer. Clues lead them to the sinister world of the Darknet, where a series of murder challenges are taken on by anonymous users — a sick game in which chalk marks identify the victims and the two detectives could be the next ones to die. Scott & Bailey: Series 5 begins streaming Tuesday, 15 November 2016, on Hulu.
(All images in this section courtesy of Hulu)
As of this writing, there are no British (or Irish, Aussie, Kiwi, or Canadian) TV shows being added to Netflix’s offerings this month. BUT, as has happened in pretty much every month this year, there should be at least one Brit TV addition at some point in November, so stay tuned for updates. AND there will be films, including The Confessions of Thomas Quick and Alfie (2004), both of which begin streaming Tuesday, November 1st; Dough (Wednesday, November 2nd); Paddington (Wednesday, November 16th), and Level Up (Wednesday, November 30th).
UPDATE: See. Told ya. I’m talking Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Series 2 (Australia, Nov 1st), The Pinkertons: Season 1 (Canada, Nov 1st), Wild Australia with Ray Mears: Series 1 (Australia, Nov 1st), Last Chance to See (Nov 15th), and Stephen Fry in America (Nov 15th). More to come (probably)…
For updates about November 2016 program offerings, see the British TV Viewing Guide.
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