The final cases of a classic crime drama, a brand new original series and the return of a fan favorite highlight the Acorn TV November 2017 premieres calendar.
“George Gently,” the long-running detective series, returns with two feature-length mysteries to complete the story of the principled detective played by Martin Shaw. You can watch them—and all seven past seasons—beginning Nov. 1.
Then, starting Nov. 20, Acorn TV premieres its latest original production, “Love, Lies & Records.” Ashley Jensen, who Acorn viewers may know as “Agatha Raisin,” stars as a registrar trying to keep her personal and professional lives on track. New episodes of this dramedy will air on Acorn just days after their British premieres.
Fan favorite “A Place To Call Home” begins its fifth season on Nov. 23. The Australian period drama jumps ahead four years to 1958. Marta Dusseldorp’s Sarah Adams navigates her relationship with George Bligh and how they should raise their son. Expect some old enemies of Sarah’s, and the Bligh family’s, to pop up.
If you can handle subtitles, I recommend Acorn’s November foreign language offering, the Swedish mystery “Rebecka Martinsson.” The story is solid, the acting great and Sweden’s Northern Environments is gorgeous. “Rebecka Martinsson” begins Nov. 6.
Acorn TV November 2017 premieres
Wednesday, Nov. 1
George Gently
Series 8; exclusive U.S. premiere
Martin Shaw returns as North of England’s most upstanding detective, George Gently, in the final two feature-length mysteries of the long-running detective series. Both are set in 1970 Newcastle where there’s radical change for women, political paranoia in the Cold War, and industrial unrest in the air. Detective Inspector John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby) and Detective Sergeant Rachel Coles (Lisa McGrillis) again assist Gently.
- Gently Liberated: When a body found in a chemical storage tank is identified as the victim (and late husband), of convicted killer Eve Liddell, DCI Gently controversially decides to re-investigate the eight-year-old case. But DI Bacchus is vehemently opposed to his mentor’s decision, not least because he was on the original investigation.
- Gently and the New Age: Gently is retiring on a professional high when he is approached by a covert police unit with one last tantalizing offer. The cold case of a young girl murdered four years ago in Washington, County Durham, finds Gently tracking Clements, a charismatic politician. When the investigation leads to a murky web of unions and political intrigue will Gently do the unthinkable and bend the course of justice? And faced with mortal danger how will Gently and his team survive?
Thursday, Nov. 2
Doc Martin
Series 8, Episode 7
Acorn’s most popular series and one of the most popular UK series worldwide stars BAFTA winner Martin Clunes as a tactless, self-centered, and uptight doctor in a quirky seaside town in Cornwall.
Monday, Nov. 6
Rebecka Martinsson
Series 1, 8 episodes; exclusive U.S. premiere of Swedish series
Based on Åsa Larsson’s celebrated crime novels, the series revolves around Rebecka Martinsson (Ida Engvoll), a lawyer from Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden. Despite her professional success as a top lawyer in Stockholm, Rebecka still hasn’t found herself. When a dear friend from childhood suddenly passes away, Rebecka reluctantly returns to her hometown. Soon it becomes obvious that not everything is as it seems. The death of her friend becomes more and more suspicious, and Rebecka cannot tear herself away until she finds answers. Drawn into the gripping pursuit of a killer on the hunt for the next victim, Rebecka is forced to confront the terrible trauma that caused her to abandon her hometown.
Line of Duty
Series 3, 6 episodes; 2016
DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) of AC-12 investigate the conduct of Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays) of the Armed Response Unit. Adrian Dunbar and Polly Walker also star, with Keeley Hawes reprising her role as enigmatic DI Lindsay Denton.
Poirot: Super Sleuths
2006 documentary; streaming exclusive
Agatha Christie’s most infamous character, private detective Hercule Poirot, has seen a variety of incarnations on the screen, but none so perfectly portrayed as English actor David Suchet. This 60-minute doc follows the journey from page to small screen featuring interviews with actors, production team and the cream of the British crime-writing crop.
Thursday, Nov. 9
Doc Martin
Series 8, Episode 8
“Doc Martin” fan Sigourney Weaver reprises her guest starring role as a U.S. tourist at odds with the Doc in the Season 8 finale.
Monday, Nov. 13
Alibi
3-part miniseries, 2003
Michael Kitchen, Sophie Okonedo and Phyllis Logan star in this thriller from Paul Abbott, the acclaimed writer of “Shameless” and “Cracker.” Abbott offers an extraordinary rollercoaster of love, murder and lies after a man’s business partner dies under mysterious circumstance and a stranger helps him cover it up.
Trial & Retribution
Cases 15-22, 8 two-part cases, 2008-09; streaming exclusive
No one explores the human cost of crime and punishment with more depth and resonance than Lynda La Plante, creator of the critically lauded “Prime Suspect.” La Plante follows cases from the commission of the crime to the trial of the accused. She examines grueling, pressure-packed police investigations in all their gritty detail—the sudden insight that can crack a case and the careless mistake that can jeopardize justice. Going behind closed doors, she reveals the strategies of both prosecution and defense as they maneuver toward a final verdict. David Hayman stars as DCS Mike Walker, with Victoria Smurfit playing his partner, DCI Roisin Connor.
Monday, Nov. 20
Love, Lies & Records
6 episodes; Acorn TV Original Series, exclusive U.S. premiere
Ashley Jensen stars as Registrar Kate Dickenson in this series from the pen of BAFTA award-winning writer Kay Mellor (“The Syndicate”). Kate juggles her personal life with the daily drama and trauma of births, marriages and deaths that her department registers. Adrian Bower, Kenny Doughty, Rebecca Front and Mark Stanley co-star. New episodes debut within days of their BBC One broadcasts.
East West 101
Series 1-3, 20 episodes; 2007-11
Based upon the experiences of actual detectives, the Aussie drama follows the Major Crime Squad in metropolitan Sydney. Winner of several Australian television awards, the series stars Don Hany and Susie Porter.
Thursday, Nov. 23
A Place To Call Home
Season 5, episodes 1 & 2
The addictive Australian period drama stars Marta Dusseldorp as Sarah Adams, a nurse who becomes involved in the affairs of the wealthy Bligh family. Dealing with themes such as anti-Semitism, sexuality and social class, this rich and meaningful, high-quality production has been hailed as one of the best television series of 2015 by The Wall Street Journal.
Monday, Nov. 27
A Place To Call Home
Season 5, episodes 3 & 4