NOW AVAILABLE:
* Deadhouse Dark – Season 1 (RLJ/Image)
$27.97 SRP DVD
—–A woman receives a mysterious box containing items that gradually unveil dark and troubling truths in this anthology of six interconnected horror short films. Dive into a boxful of chilling tales of terror inspired by frighteningly familiar modern trends, including dark web mystery boxes, dash cam footage, and Insta-fame hungry vloggers. 6 episodes starring Nicholas Hope, Barbara Bingham, Lauren Orrell, Anni Finsterer, Naomi Sequeira, Akosia Sabet, Eliza Nicholls, Ryan Morgan, Jenny Wu, Adam Sollis, Gemma Bird Matheson.
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COMING ON 4/12:
* Survivor – Season 41 (Paramount)
$39.99 SRP DVD MOD
EXTRAS: Secret Scenes; Tribal Council Votings; Life at Pandorosa
—–As TV’s preeminent reality series for 20 years, SURVIVOR 41 begins a bold new era this fall with the introduction of exciting fresh elements to the competition, which promise to intensify the battle for $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor. As the thrilling competition begins on the beautiful islands of Fiji, 18 determined castaways will be divided into three tribes of six to face a faster, more intense and more dangerous season than ever before. The unpredictable, accelerated pace will test even the strongest super-fan, as supplies are minimal, reward challenges are scarce, and players find themselves faced with advantages that could significantly help their game or, just as easily, extinguish their torch. 4-disc set.
* Chesapeake Shores – Season 5 (Hallmark)
$19.99 SRP DVD MOD
—–Season Five begins with an ending, as a kiss goodbye sends Abby and Trace to travel separate paths. With the help of her family and some new friends, she must contemplate the future on her own terms. 2-disc set.
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COMING ON 5/3:
* The Larkins – Series 1 (RLJ/Acorn)
$39.99 SRP DVD
EXTRAS: Christmas Special; Meet The Larkins; Lookin’ Larkin; Lovin’ Larkins
—–This new adaptation of the classic novel “The Darling Buds of May” by H.E. Bates follows the warmhearted, wheeler-dealer adventures of the Larkin family in the idyllic Kent countryside of the 1950s. Joanna Scanlan (No Offence) and Bradley Walsh (Law & Order: UK) star in a “joyous, comforting” (Radio Times) show capturing the warmth, optimism, and escapism of the Larkins for a modern generation.
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COMING ON 5/10:
* Kin – Season 1 (RLJ/Image)
$34.97 SRP DVD; $35.97 SRP Blu-ray
—–A boy is killed and his family embark on a gangland war with an international cartel – a war that is impossible to win. It’s David and Goliath. Out-numbered, out-financed and out-gunned, the Kinsellas find themselves holed up in their Dublin stronghold while their businesses fail, and family members and associates are picked off. But they have something the cartel does not: the unbreakable bonds of blood and family. Kin is a world where gangsters are treated like reality stars, with nicknames and celebrity status, where assassins dress up as women, and drug dealers keep exotic pets in their den. A world of drugs and guns and murder and loyalty and family and men, and a woman. Stars Charlie Cox (Daredevil). 2-disc set in either format.
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COMING ON 5/17:
* Slasher: Flesh & Blood – Season 1 (RLJ/Image)
$34.97 SRP DVD; $34.97 SRP Blu-ray
—–A wealthy, dysfunctional family gathers for a reunion on a secluded island only to learn they’ll be pitted against one another in a cruel game of life and death, all while being stalked by a mysterious masked killer. 2-disc set in either format.
* Ridley Road (PBS)
$39.99 SRP DVD
—–Set against the backdrop of London in the swinging sixties, Ridley Road is in an East End world where far-right fascism is on the rise. When Vivien Epstein follows her lover into danger and he is caught between life and death, Vivien finds herself going undercover with the fascists, not only for him, but for the sake of her country. 2-disc set.
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COMING ON 5/24:
* The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet – The Complete Season 1 (MPI Home Video)
$29.98 SRP DVD
—–Stars real-life couple Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons, Ricky and David. THE OFFICIAL COMPLETE SEASON ONE contains all 39 full, fun-filled episodes starting with the premiere show and other rare adventures not seen on television in decades. Don DeFore appears as Ozzie’s neighbor pal Thorny along with classic television and film guest stars Hal Smith, Ellen Corby, Janet Waldo, Joseph Kearns, Jeanette Nolan, Stanley Holloway, Frank Nelson and other familiar faces. 4-disc set.
* The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet – The Complete Season 2 (MPI Home Video)
$29.98 SRP DVD
—–Stars real-life couple Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons, Ricky and David. THE OFFICIAL COMPLETE SEASON TWO contains all 39 full, fun-filled episodes including rare adventures not seen on television in decades. Don DeFore appears as Ozzie’s neighbor pal Thorny along with classic television and film guest stars Frank Cady, John Carradine, Lurene Tuttle, Hal Smith, Joseph Kearns, Janet Waldo and other familiar faces. 4-disc set.
* Finding Your Roots – Season 8 (PBS)
$39.99 SRP DVD
—–A new season of Finding Your Roots with all-new episodes as Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores fascinating ancestries and family mysteries for an array of notable guests: Amy Carlson, André Leon Talley, Anita Hill, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Damon Lindelof, David Chang, Erin Burnett, John Leguizamo, Kathryn Hahn, Lee Daniels, Lena Waithe, Leslie Odom, Jr., Mario Lopez, Melissa Villaseñor, Nathan Lane, Pamela Adlon, Raúl Esparza, Rebecca Hall, Regina King, Terry Crews, and Tony Danza.
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COMING ON 5/31:
* Agatha Raisin – Series 4 (RLJ/Acorn)
$39.99 SRP DVD
—–Ashley Jensen (Catastrophe, Extras) is back as formidable and fashionable PI Agatha Raisin in Series 4 of this comic mystery series based on the books by MC Beaton. 3-disc set.
AMC NETWORKS ANNOUNCES JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS FOR TARGETED STREAMING SERVICES
NEW SERIES, FILMS, SPECIALS AND MORE NOW STREAMING ON AMC NETWORKS’ SUITE OF TARGETED STREAMING SERVICES THIS JANUARY
New York, NY – December 10, 2021 – This January, AMC Networks’ targeted streaming services will bring viewers an extensive catalogue of compelling dramas, fan-favorite franchises, highly-anticipated films and timely collections on AMC+, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, IFC Films Unlimited, Shudder and Sundance Now.
Highlights from across the suite of services include (in alphabetical and chronological order):
On ACORN TV:
Queens of Mystery, Season 2 (Acorn TV Original)
Three 2-Part Mysteries Premiere Mondays Beginning January 10 Through January 24
Queens of Mystery follows the adventures of three crime-writing sisters, Beth (Sarah Woodward, The Pale Horse), Cat (Julie Graham, The Bletchley Circle, Shetland, Penance), and Jane (Siobhan Redmond, Unforgotten) Stone, and their 28-year-old niece, Detective Sergeant Mattie Stone (Florence Hall for S2, The Princess Switch: Switched Again). Using their knowledge of crime – both real world and fictional – together they solve murders in the picturesque English region of Wildemarsh. But no matter how many cases they are able to crack, the unsolved mystery that haunts all the characters is that of Mattie’s mother’s disappearance 25 years ago.
Help (Acorn TV Exclusive)
Film Premieres Monday, January 31
In the Rose d’Or Award-winning film Help, young care worker, Sarah (Emmy® winner Jodie Comer, Killing Eve, Free Guy), forms an unlikely bond with nursing home resident, Tony (Stephen Graham, The North Water, Line of Duty), living with young onset dementia. But when the Covid-19 pandemic hits, her character and their relationship are put to the test under horrifying circumstances. Written by BAFTA winner Jack Thorne (Enola Holmes, His Dark Materials), Help also stars Ian Hart (The Terror, The Last Kingdom) and Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey, Three Girls).
The Larkins (Acorn TV Exclusive)
New Episodes Continue Mondays; Season Finale January 17
This exciting new adaptation of H.E. Bates’ classic novel The Darling Buds of May follows the warm-hearted, wheeler-dealing adventures of the iconic Larkin family in the idyllic Kent countryside. Set in the late 1950s, each episode contains a story of the week concerning their personal family sagas, and the politics of their village life alongside series arc stories. Starring Bradley Walsh (Law & Order UK), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence) and Sabrina Bartlett (Bridgerton). The first season ends with a Christmas special, where all the talk in the village is about the pantomime and an ongoing slate of burglaries.
On ALLBLK:
Equal Standard (ALLBLK World Premiere Movie)
Premieres Thursday, January 6
New York City police officers’ lives collide in interweaving stories of race, rank, loss, and betrayal (2020)
Cast: Ice-T, Jules Willcox, Marc John Jefferies, Tobias Truvillion, Robert Clohessy, Maurice Benard, Fredro Starr
A House Divided Season 4 (ALLBLK Original)
Premieres Thursday, January 13
The Sanders family saga continues in full swing as Carissa struggles with learning to trust again, while fighting for her life. Cameron Sr. navigates an international extortion plot while trying to maintain his freedom, but to no avail. Jupiter, uses her wits and sex appeal to outsmart just about everyone, as Auntie Mae and Cam Jr. make power moves in order to exert their power. Truths are revealed, more lies are told, and the family unravels further in the fourth season of A House Divided
Social Society Season 2 (ALLBLK Original)
Premieres Monday, January 24
A one-hour sketch comedy variety show bringing some of your favorite “instafamous” sketch comedians together for laughs, live performances, and the latest in today’s entertainment news. View Title Treatment.
On AMC+:
Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks
New Year’s Day Special Premieres Saturday, January 1
Jodie Whittaker stars in BBC America’s all-new special premiering New Year’s Day. Mandip Gil and John Bishop will also appear in the annual holiday tradition, as well as several notable guest stars including Aisling Bea (This Way Up), Adjani Salmon (Dreaming Whilst Black) and Pauline McLynn (Father Ted). In the new special, Sarah (Bea) owns and runs ELF storage, and Nick (Salmon) is a customer who visits his unit every year on New Year’s Eve. This year, however, their night turns out to be a little different than planned.
A Discovery of Witches Season 3
New Season Premieres Saturday, January 8
In the final season of A Discovery of Witches, Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) return from their trip to 1590 to find tragedy at Sept-Tours. They must find the missing pages from the Book of Life and the Book itself before it’s too late. Their enemies are gearing up against them, and a monster from Matthew’s past who has been lying in wait will return for revenge. A Discovery of Witches Season 3 is based on the ‘The Book of Life’ novel from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy and is the third and final instalment.
La Fortuna (AMC+ Original)
New Series Premieres Thursday, January 20 with First Two Episodes
In La Fortuna, Álex Ventura (Álvaro Mel), a young and inexperienced diplomat, unintentionally becomes the leader of a mission that will put all his convictions to the test: to recover the sunken treasure stolen by Frank Wild (Stanley Tucci), an adventurer who travels the world plundering items of common heritage from the depths of the sea. Forming a unique team with Lucía (Ana Polvorosa), a combative public official, and Jonas Pierce (Clarke Peters), a brilliant American lawyer with a passion for old pirate tales, Álex sets out on the adventure of a lifetime, on which he learns about the importance of love, friendship and commitment to your own beliefs.
Firebite (AMC+ Original)
New Episodes Continue Thursdays; Season Finale February 3
A high-octane, highly original spin on the Vampire genre and fantasy series, Firebite follows two Indigenous Australian hunters, Tyson (Rob Collins) and Shanika (Shantae Barnes-Cowan), on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert. Set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations. Sheltering from the sun in the underground mines and tunnels that surround the town until the present day, the colony’s numbers and hunger is growing. War is coming. Tyson and Shanika stand vanguard to the war. But what hope does an expertly reckless man full of bravado and a 17-year-old orphan possibly have to defeat these vicious blood-thirsty parasites, when legions of warriors before them have failed?
On IFC FILMS UNLIMITED:
Olympic Dreams
Film Premieres Wednesday, January 5
Set against the splendor of the Winter Olympic Games, an intimate and unexpected love story develops between two lonely hearts, each at their own crossroads in life. Penelope (Alexi Pappas) is a first time Olympian and introverted cross-country skier, who, after finishing her event early on in the games, finds herself spending time in Athletes Village with the gregarious and outgoing volunteer dentist, Ezra (Nick Kroll). The first movie on location during the Olympics in Athletes Village, Olympic Dreams offers audiences a never-before-seen side of the Games.
Resistance
Film Premieres Wednesday, January 5
Before he was the world-famous mime Marcel Marceau, he was Marcel Mangel, an aspiring Jewish actor who joined the French Resistance to save the lives of thousands of children orphaned at the hands of the Nazis. Based on the inspiring true story, Jesse Eisenberg stars in this compelling drama about a group of unsung heroes who put themselves in harm’s way to rise above the hatred and oppression during World War II.
Greener Grass
Film Premieres Wednesday, January 19
In a day-glo-colored, bizarro version of suburbia where adults where braces on their already-straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and children magically turn into golden retrievers, soccer moms and best friends Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Lisa (Dawn Luebbe) are locked in a passive aggressive battle-of-the-wills that takes a turn into the sinister when Lisa begins systematically taking over every aspect of Jill’s life – starting with her newborn daughter. The hilariously demented, Stepford Wives-on-acid satire is destined to be an instant cult classic.
On SHUDDER:
A Discovery of Witches Season 3
New Season Premieres Saturday, January 8
In the final season of A Discovery of Witches, Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) return from their trip to 1590 to find tragedy at Sept-Tours. They must find the missing pages from the Book of Life and the Book itself before it’s too late. Their enemies are gearing up against them, and a monster from Matthew’s past who has been lying in wait will return for revenge. A Discovery of Witches Season 3 is based on the ‘The Book of Life’ novel from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy and is the third and final instalment. Trailer – Key Art
The Last Thing Mary Saw
New Film Premieres Thursday, January 20
The Last Thing Mary Saw begins in Southold, New York, 1843: Young Mary (Stefanie Scott, Insidious: Chapter 3), blood trickling from behind the blindfold tied around her eyes, is interrogated about the events surrounding her grandmother’s death. As the story jumps back in time, we witness Mary, raised in a repressively religious household, finding fleeting happiness in the arms of Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman, Orphan), the home’s maid. Her family, who believe they are seeing, speaking, and acting on God’s behalf, view the girls’ relationship as an abomination, to be dealt with as severely as possible. The couple attempt to carry on in secret, but someone is always watching, or listening, and the wages of perceived sin threaten to become death, with the tension only heightened by the arrival of an enigmatic stranger (Rory Culkin, Waco, Halston) and the revelation of greater forces at work. Photos
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
New Film Premieres Thursday, January 27
Beginning just before his debut as Frankenstein’s creation, Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster compellingly explores the life and legacy of a cinema legend, presenting a perceptive history of the genre he personified. His films were long derided as hokum and attacked by censors. But his phenomenal popularity and pervasive influence endures, inspiring some of our greatest actors and directors into the 21st Century – among them Guillermo Del Toro, Ron Perlman, Roger Corman & John Landis all of whom and many more contribute their personal insights and anecdotes. Directed by Thomas Hamilton.
On SUNDANCE NOW:
The Pact (Sundance Now Exclusive)
Season Finale Premieres Thursday, January 6
Gripping six-part thriller, shot in beautiful Wales. When a young brewery boss (Aneurin Bernard, Dunkirk) is found dead, a chain of events is triggered that draws his four employees Anna (Laura Fraser, Better Call Saul), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh, Broadchurch), Louie (Eiry Thomas, Keeping the Faith), and Cat (Heledd Gwynn, Ordinary Lies) into a fragile pact of silence, bound by a secret that will change their lives forever.
A Discovery of Witches
New Season Premieres Saturday, January 8
In the final season of A Discovery of Witches, Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) return from their trip to 1590 to find tragedy at Sept-Tours. They must find the missing pages from the Book of Life and the Book itself before it’s too late. Their enemies are gearing up against them, and a monster from Matthew’s past who has been lying in wait will return for revenge. A Discovery of Witches Season 3 is based on the ‘The Book of Life’ novel from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy and is the third and final instalment.
Total Control (Sundance Now Exclusive)
Season 2 Premieres Thursdays, Beginning January 20
In Season 1, fearless Indigenous senator Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman) engineered a remarkable coup, unseating the Prime Minister and the woman who betrayed her, Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths). But now she faces the ultimate test in a democratic system: the nation is going to the polls and Alex will have to face the judgement of the people by running as an Independent. She’ll be ready for the inevitable dirty campaign tactics and to compete again the well-financed machinery of the major parties, but that won’t make things easier. Alex will be confronted by vile online trolls, threats to her family and political opponents riled by the audacity of a Black woman using her voice. Can she survive a system determined to shake everything she values?
Close To Me
Season Finale Premieres Thursday, January 20
Jo Harding (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator, Wonder Woman) is a woman who has a perfect life with her partner (Christopher Eccleston, Doctor Who) until a fall erases an entire year from her memory. As she struggles to piece events together, Jo discovers that her life was in fact far from perfect.
About AMC Networks:
AMC Networks is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its portfolio of brands includes AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films, and a number of fast-growing streaming services, including the AMC+ premium streaming bundle, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind award-winning owned series and franchises, including The Walking Dead, the highest-rated series in cable history. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.
Cozy Family Series, “The Larkins,” Premieres December 13 on Acorn TV
Set in the late 1950s, this exciting new adaptation of H.E. Bates’ classic novel “The Darling Buds of May” follows the golden-hearted wheeler dealer Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh) and his wife Ma (Joanna Scanlan) as they bask in their idyllic and beautiful patch of paradise in Kent.
[via press release from Acorn TV]
COZY FAMILY SERIES, “THE LARKINS,” PREMIERES DECEMBER 13 ON ACORN TV
POPULAR UK PERIOD DRAMA PERFECT FOR THE FAMILY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
“Joyous, comforting and homely show which feels like you’re getting a big old hug”- RadioTimes
“Great fun” – Daily Mail
Dive into winter with the cozy, British, family-oriented period drama, The Larkins, premiering Monday, December 13, exclusively on Acorn TV, AMC Networks’ acclaimed streamer devoted to British and international television. The first two episodes of this UK ratings hit will debut December 13, with later episodes to follow weekly on Mondays through January 17th, 2022.
Set in the late 1950s, this exciting new adaptation of H.E. Bates’ classic novel “The Darling Buds of May” follows the golden-hearted wheeler dealer Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh, Law & Order UK, Doctor Who) and his wife Ma (Joanna Scanlan, Getting On, No Offence), together with their six children, including the beautiful Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett, Bridgerton, Victoria), as they bask in their idyllic and beautiful patch of paradise in Kent. Each episode contains a story of the week concerning their personal family sagas, and the politics of their village life alongside series arc stories.
With an endless supply of delicious, hearty meals alongside the odd cocktail or two, the Larkins are always happy to share what they have with others, though it’s sometimes obtained by unusual means! Sadly, their good heartedness is not always shared by certain members of the local community and village gossip about the family is often rife.
From government officials and snobbish second homeowners to aggressive urban developers, the Larkins never take threats to their idyllic way of life lying down, but when Cedric ‘Charley’ Charlton (Tok Stephen, Grantchester) arrives to inspect their taxes, things are looking bleak for the Larkins. Soon distracted by the beautiful Mariette, Charley quickly discovers that he has a romantic rival in the form of the handsome and mysterious Tom Fisher (Stephen Hagan, Lucky Man). Mariette, on the other hand, may have plans of her own, which don’t involve men. From May Day Fairs to straw-man pram races and donkey derbies, there’s never a dull moment with the Larkins.
The Larkins’ executive producers are Ben Farrell and Charlotte Lewis for Objective Fiction, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise and Simon Nye for Genial Productions, and Toby Stevens for Objective Media Group Scotland. Bradley Walsh is also an executive producer. The director is Andy De Emmony (The Nest, Him, Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa) and the producer is Serena Cullen (Buffering, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Me and Mrs Jones).
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About Acorn TV
AMC Networks’ Acorn TV is North America’s largest streaming service specializing in premium British and international television. Acorn TV adds exclusive programming every week to a deep library of revered mysteries, dramas, and comedies – all commercial-free. Acorn TV’s recent slate is comprised of critically acclaimed commissioned and original series including popular New Zealand detective series My Life Is Murder (Lucy Lawless), acclaimed Irish crime thriller Bloodlands (James Nesbitt, co-executive produced by Jed Mercurio), British crime drama Whitstable Pearl (Kerry Godliman), Emmy(R)-nominated Queens of Mystery, Kiwi romantic dramedy Under the Vines, British detective drama Dalgliesh (Bertie Carvel), and the hit Miss Fisher spinoff Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, to name a few. Upcoming Acorn TV Original Series include UK detective drama Harry Wild (Jane Seymour), Signora Volpe (Emilia Fox), The Chelsea Detective (Adrian Scarborough), Darby and Joan (Bryan Brown, Greta Scacchi) and many more. The above add to a growing catalog of popular bingeable dramas including Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen), A Place to Call Home, Jack Irish (Guy Pearce), Doc Martin (Martin Clunes), Deadwater Fell (David Tennant, Cush Jumbo), all 22 seasons of fan-favorite Midsomer Murders, highly-rated drama The Nest, and groundbreaking period drama A Suitable Boy, among others. “glorious streaming service… an essential must-have” – The Hollywood Reporter “Netflix for the Anglophile” – NPR Acorn TV is available for $5.99/month or $59.99/year. Facebook: OfficialAcornTV – Twitter: @AcornTV – Instagram: @Acorn_tv
AMC NETWORKS ANNOUNCES DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS FOR TARGETED STREAMING SERVICES
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING, NEW SERIES, FILMS, SPECIALS AND MORE NOW STREAMING ON AMC NETWORKS’ SUITE OF TARGETED STREAMING SERVICES THIS DECEMBER
New York, NY – November 18, 2021 – This December, AMC Networks’ targeted streaming services will bring viewers an extensive catalogue of festive holiday programming, compelling dramas, fan-favorite franchises, highly-anticipated films and timely collections on AMC+, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, IFC Films Unlimited, Shudder and Sundance Now.
Holiday specials for the month include the following:
AMC+ brings the holiday cheer with a collection of new films and specials, festive classics and family favorites including:
The new AMC+ Exclusive dark holiday feature Silent Night, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode, debuting Friday, December 3, in theaters and on AMC+.
AMC’s annual month-long “Best Christmas Ever” event featuring holiday favorite films, including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, Fred Claus, Four Christmases Jack Frost, The Legend of Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Carol, and more
New holiday romances Cape Cod Christmas (beginning Thursday, December 2) and Christmas with Felicity will be available all month long.
Acorn TV is celebrating the holidays in British style with several specials including:
Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets: Mary Berry’s Country House Christmas, a sumptuous and heartwarming special premieres Monday, December 6, where Mary visits Harewood House in Yorkshire to meet its army of skilled staff and dedicated volunteers as they prepare the house for Christmas.
Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye special, premiering Monday, December 20, features Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen, Catastrophe, Ricky Gervais’ After Life) hired to protect a woman from her ghosts of Christmas past, but when she’s found dead, Agatha has a murder investigation on her hands.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge join forces with cookery legend, Mary Berry, on four special visits in A Berry Royal Christmas, premiering December 20, in which Mary cooks some of her favorite Christmas recipes for viewers to try out at home.
Shudder delivers special holiday scares including:
The annual tradition, iconic horror host Joe Bob Briggs returns with a yuletide Shudder Original, Joe Bob Ruins Christmas, premiering Friday, December 17 at 9pm ET on Shudder and on demand beginning Sunday, December 19.
Shudder Original film The Advent Calendar premieres Thursday, December 2
Additional highlights from across the suite of services include (in alphabetical and chronological order):
On ACORN TV:
Under The Vines (Acorn TV Original)
New Episodes Premiere Mondays Beginning December 6
In this lighthearted romantic drama, Sydney socialite Daisy Munroe (Rebecca Gibney, Wanted) heads to New Zealand for a vacation at her recently deceased stepfather’s winery, which she intends to sell. Little does she know that the failing vineyard has a co-owner: grumpy UK-born lawyer, Louis Oakley (Charles Edwards, The Crown), who also travels to New Zealand to escape a spiraling series of unfortunate events in his life. Despite neither having done a hard days’ work in their lives and despising each other, both must somehow make the vineyard successful so they can sell up.
The Larkins (Acorn TV Exclusive)
New Episodes Premiere Mondays Beginning December 13
This exciting new adaptation of H.E. Bates’ classic novel The Darling Buds of May follows the warm-hearted, wheeler-dealing adventures of the iconic Larkin family in the idyllic Kent countryside. Set in the late 1950s, each episode contains a story of the week concerning their personal family sagas, and the politics of their village life alongside series arc stories. Starring Bradley Walsh (Law & Order UK), Joanna Scanlan (No Offence) and Sabrina Bartlett (Bridgerton.)
Agatha Raisin: Kissing Christmas Goodbye (Acorn TV Original) *Holiday Special
New Episodes Premiere Mondays Beginning December 20
Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen, Catastrophe, Ricky Gervais’ After Life) is hired to protect a woman from her ghosts of Christmas past, but when she’s found dead, Agatha has a murder investigation on her hands, with everyone in the village a would-be suspect – including the woman’s children. Co-starring Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey.) Season 4 of this Acorn TV Original series to premiere in March 2022.
On ALLBLK:
A Closer Look: Anthony Hamilton (ALLBLK Original Music Docuseries)
Premieres Tuesday, December 23
A Closer Look is a music documentary series that profiles R&B, Soul, and Hip-Hop artists whose song(s) have and continues to top the billboard charts and re-shape the music industry. The series highlights the artist’s career from the beginning to present day. Each episode consists of a one-on-one sit-down interview between the artist and highlights music videos/live performances, studio sessions, archival interviews, B-roll footage, and guest interviews, placing, “A Closer Look” on the artist’s career and life.
The Color Purple (ALLBLK Feature Film)
Premieres Thursday, December 2
It’s about life. It’s about love. It’s about us. Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey star in director Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. From 1909 to 1949, Celie, a Southern Black woman, gradually gains self-respect as she strives to educate herself and to find love–despite an abusive spouse and a society biased against her race and her sex.
On AMC+:
Anne Boleyn (AMC+ Original)
New Limited Series Premieres Thursday, December 9
Starring Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) in the titular role, the three-part psychological thriller explores the final months of Anne Boleyn’s life from the eponymous Queen’s perspective, as she struggles to secure a future for her daughter and to challenge the powerful patriarchy closing in around her. Anne Boleyn depicts the key moments that cause Anne to topple, unpicking her immense strength, her fatal vulnerabilities and her determination to be an equal among men. The ensemble cast includes Emmy® and BAFTA® Award nominated actor Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, AMC+’s Gangs of London) as Anne’s brother and Tudor nobleman George Boleyn. Mark Stanley (Game of Thrones) is Henry VIII, one of the most famous Kings in British history, and Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands) is Anne’s love rival, Jane Seymour. Barry Ward (White Lines, Sundance Now’s Des) is King Henry VIII’s closest and most powerful advisor Thomas Cromwell, Jamael Westman (West End’s Hamilton) is Jane Seymour’s ambitious brother Edward, Amanda Burton (Marcella, Silent Witness) is stoic Governess, Lady Anne Shelton, and Thalissa Teixeira (AMC+’s Ragdoll and Too Close) is Anne’s loyal confidante and cousin Madge Shelton.
Firebite (AMC+ Original)
New Series Premieres Thursdays Beginning December 16
A high-octane, highly original spin on the Vampire genre and fantasy series, Firebite follows two Indigenous Australian hunters, Tyson (Rob Collins) and Shanika (Shantae Barnes-Cowan), on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert. Set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations. Sheltering from the sun in the underground mines and tunnels that surround the town until the present day, the colony’s numbers and hunger is growing. War is coming. Tyson and Shanika stand vanguard to the war. But what hope does an expertly reckless man full of bravado and a 17-year-old orphan possibly have to defeat these vicious blood-thirsty parasites, when legions of warriors before them have failed?
Ragdoll (AMC+ Original)
New Episodes Premiere Thursdays; Season Finale December 16
From the award-winning producers of Killing Eve, this modern-day Faustian thriller stars Henry Lloyd-Hughes (The Irregulars, Killing Eve), Thalissa Teixeira (Too Close, The Musketeers) and Lucy Hale (The Hating Game, Pretty Little Liars). Six people have been murdered, dismembered and sewn into the shape of one grotesque body suspended from a ceiling in a block of flats in London– nicknamed the “Ragdoll.” Assigned to this shocking case are newly reinstated DS Nathan Rose (Lloyd-Hughes); his best friend and boss, DI Emily Baxter (Teixeira); and the unit’s new recruit, DC Lake Edmunds (Hale). The ‘Ragdoll Killer’ taunts the police by sending them a list of his next victims, with Rose’s name at the very end. And with those victims to protect, our heroes soon come under intense public scrutiny. A gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller, Ragdoll captures the fascinating but flawed friends struggling with the consequences of institutionalization and trauma.
On IFC FILMS UNLIMITED:
Three Christs
Film Premieres Wednesday, December 1
Based on the true-life 1959 experiment at Michigan’s Ypsilanti State Hospital, Three Christs is the story of psychiatrist Dr. Alan Stone (Richard Gere) and his paranoid schizophrenic patients — Joseph (Peter Dinklage) Leon (Walton Goggins), and Clyde (Bradley Whitford) — each of whom believes they are Jesus Christ.
The Sound of Silence
Film Premieres Wednesday, December 15
Lucian (Peter Sarsgaard) is a New York City “house tuner” who works hyper-methodically to diagnose discordant ambient noises that adversely affect his clients’ moods. When he takes on a particularly difficult case of Ellen (Rashida Jones), a lonely woman plagued by exhaustion, Peter finds that the mysteries of the soul may be even greater than the mystery of sound.
Depraved
Film Premieres Wednesday, December 15
The legend of Frankenstein gets a modern update from indie horror master Larry Fessenden. Suffering from PTSD following a stint as an army medic, Henry (David Call) now works feverishly in his Brooklyn laboratory to forget the death he witnessed overseas by creating life in the form of a man cobbled together from body parts. After procuring a brain from an unwitting victim, his creation – Adam (Alex Breaux) – is born. But it soon seems that giving life to Adam was the easy part; teaching him how to live in a dark and troubled world may be perilous.
On SHUDDER:
The Advent Calendar *Holiday Special
New Film Premieres Thursday, December 2
Written and directed by Patrick Ridremont, Eva (Eugénie Derouand, Paris Police 1900), an ex-dancer, is now living in a wheelchair, unable to walk. When her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier, Tomorrow is Ours) gives her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life. Some of them are good, but most of them are bad, really bad. Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of the calendar or walking again – even if it causes death and destruction to everyone she holds dear around her.
Death Valley
New Film Premieres Thursday, December 9
A group of battle-weary guns for hire are commissioned to rescue an imprisoned scientist from a secret Cold War bunker. Upon entering the facility, they find themselves in a fight for survival when they come under attack from a terrifying creature of unknown origin. Written and directed by Matthew Ninaber (PG: Psycho Goreman). Starring Jeremy Ninaber (Escape the Dark), Ethan Mitchell (Escape the Dark) and Kristen Kaster (If I Should Die).
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (Shudder Original)
New Episodes of Season 4 Continue Every Tuesday; Season Finale Premieres December 21
The groundbreaking Shudder Original series follows ten drag artists from around the world competing for a $100,000 grand prize – the largest in show history. Season four will feature a spectacular lineup of guest judges including Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical film series), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones), Misha Osherovich (Freaky), Queer country music icon Orville Peck, pop metal star Poppy, Ray Santiago (Ash vs. The Evil Dead), Bob the Drag Queen (We’re Here), and more.
On SUNDANCE NOW:
The Pact
New Series Premieres on Thursday, December 2
When young brewery boss (Aneurin Bernard, Dunkirk, War & Peace) is found dead, a chain of events is triggered that draws his four employees Anna (Laura Fraser, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh, Broadchurch, Happy Valley), Louie (Eiry Thomas, Keeping the Faith, The Accident), and Cat (Heledd Gwynn, Ordinary Lies) into a fragile pact of silence, bound by a secret that will change their lives forever.
Hollington Drive (Sundance Now Exclusive)
Season Finale Premieres Thursday, December 9
Hollington Drive focuses on the lives of two sisters, Theresa (Anna Maxwell Martin, Line of Duty, Motherland), and her older head teacher sibling, Helen (Rachael Stirling, The Bletchley Circle, Detectorists). After Theresa’s ten-year-old son, Ben (Fraser Holmes), asks to play in the nearby park with his cousin Eva (Amelie Bea Smith, The Haunting of Bly Manor, EastEnders) and the children don’t return on time, Theresa goes in search. Her suspicions are heightened when she finds the children on the edge of a woodland area, and they appear to be fighting. Immediately her instincts tell her something terrible has happened. This is all too realize when later that evening a distraught neighbor, Jean (Jodie McNee, Judy, Britannia), learns her ten-year-old son Alex (Hugh Hamer, Brave Bunnies, Medici) has gone missing.
Close To Me
New Series Premieres Thursday, December 16
Jo Harding (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator, Wonder Woman) is a woman who has a perfect life with her partner (Christopher Eccleston, Doctor Who) until a fall erases an entire year from her memory. As she struggles to piece events together, Jo discovers that her life was in fact far from perfect.
About AMC Networks:
AMC Networks is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its portfolio of brands includes AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films, and a number of fast-growing streaming services, including the AMC+ premium streaming bundle, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind award-winning owned series and franchises, including The Walking Dead, the highest-rated series in cable history. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.