Acorn TV streams another original series, the Irish legal drama Striking Out, and offers three other exclusive U.S. premieres in March.
“Striking Out” tells the story of a Dublin lawyer whose comfortable life goes topsy-turvy when she catches her fiance in bed with another woman. The series already has charmed audiences in Ireland, where it quickly became the country’s No. 1 new drama.
The streaming service also has the premieres of Series 19 of the mystery “Midsomer Murders,” the doc “Martin Clunes’ Islands of Australia,” and the 2015 comedy “Asylum.”
The service features international TV from the United Kingdom and beyond.
Acorn TV March premieres
Monday, March 6
Midsomer Murders
Series 19, Part 1; exclusive U.S. premiere
The beloved British mystery and Acorn’s top-selling series returns with four new feature-length episodes set in England’s most murderous county. Detective Sergeant Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) joins capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) in the new series. Together they investigate the cozy villages of Midsomer’s most sinister secrets, including a murder in a ghost village, the death of a star cricketer, and a body found covered in rabbits at a local pet show.
Fresh Fields
Series 1-4; 1984-1986
After 20 years of marriage and two grown children, suburban housewife Hester Fields (Julia McKenzie) is ready for a new challenge. And it doesn’t seem to matter what it is. She dabbles in painting, jogging, cooking, pottery and even fencing. Her staid accountant husband, William (Anton Rodgers), feels no such need for change, yet somehow always seems to get dragged into Hester’s exploits. Each morning he sets off for the office, never knowing what he’ll face when he returns home. Some of his wife’s self-improvement projects are flops, others outright disasters. But with Hester trying something new each day, life is never dull for the Fields.
Rake
Series 1; 2011
Richard Roxburgh is Cleaver Greene, a brilliant barrister battling self-destructive tendencies in this ongoing, hit Australian comedy-drama. As a lawyer, Cleaver prefers to defend those who are utterly hopeless and probably guilty. His clients include murderers, bigamists and even cannibals. Despite his roguish ways, Cleaver’s wit and charm have won him many cases and loyal friends over the years. Oscar nominee Rachel Griffiths, Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill and Noah Taylor guest star.
Monday, March 13
Martin Clunes’ Islands of Australia
2106 doc; exclusive U.S. premiere
In this gorgeously shot new documentary, Martin Clunes of “Doc Martin” fame is on a quest to discover the islands of Australia. There are more than 8,000 to choose from, and Martin visits 16 that offer a cross section of island life. Along the way, he learns about the diversity, history and challenges of island life Down Under.
The Ivy
2015 doc
Directed by Adrian Sibley and narrated by Rupert Everett, this definitive documentary takes an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most eminent and unique culinary establishments as it embarks on its first major renovation in 25 years. At the heart of London’s theatreland, The Ivy has earned a global fame on a par with its star-studded clientele. Now, The Ivy’s charismatic director, Fernando Peire, and his outspoken executive chef, Gary Lee, are undertaking an extraordinary transformation, while simultaneously welcoming camera crews into the restaurant for the first time in its history.
Men Behaving Badly
Series 1-7; 1992-98
Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey star in this genre-defining Britcom as a pair of outrageous yet endearing flatmates who relish late night beers and rambling conversations. This iconic series also stars Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash.
Friday, March 17
Striking Out
Acorn TV original series; exclusive U.S. premiere
Tara Rafferty (Amy Huberman) is living the good life: she’s a successful Dublin lawyer engaged to a fellow solicitor. But Tara’s life is turned upside down after she discovers her betrothed in bed with a colleague. Abandoning her wedding plans (and her job), Tara strikes out on her own, starting an unconventional private practice. Neil Morrissey and Rory Keenan also star.
Monday, March 20
Four in a Bed
Series 1; 2010
This series offers an intriguing behind-the-scenes peek at a British institution: the bed and breakfast. Four pairs of B&B owners take turns staying at one another’s establishments, rating everything from furnishings to fry-ups, in a competition to determine who runs the best B&B. Series One features hoteliers based in picturesque locales including Oxfordshire, South Wales and Edinburgh.
Monday, March 27
Asylum
2015 miniseries; exclusive U.S. premiere
Ben Miller stars as whistleblower Dan Hern, a British man forced to seek asylum in the El Rican embassy after leaking sensitive information about CIA cover ups. Once an international cause célèbre, Hern fades into obscurity and becomes desperately bored after a year trapped in the embassy. Hern’s increasingly irritating presence unites his El Rican hosts, MI6 and the CIA. They all want nothing more than to lure him out of the embassy so that he can be extradited.
Jack Taylor
Set 3; 2016
Iain Glen returns as Jack Taylor, a former cop-turned-private investigator trying to scratch out a living in his native Galway, Ireland. Self-destructive and pigheaded, Jack has a talent for getting into trouble. He retains few friends from his time in the Irish Police, save for detective Kate Noonan (Siobhán O’Kelly). Aided by Kate and her cousin Darragh (Jack Monaghan), Jack delves into some of the darkest cases of his career, including the crucifixion of a young man, the kidnapping of his old nemesis and deadly corporate espionage. Includes three feature-length episodes.
Empire of the Tsars: Romanov Russia
2016 miniseries
Historian Lucy Worsley presents this fascinating documentary about the Romanovs, the all-powerful dynasty who ruled Russia for more than three centuries. Peter the Great was the visionary who transformed a country into an empire. Catherine the Great, a minor princess from Germany, became the mightiest woman in the world. The last tsar, Nicholas II, was a loving father and husband who provoked a revolution. Worsley offers an intriguing look at the stories of betrayal, scandal and murder that helped define the modern world.
