Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
BritBox, the U.S streaming service backed by ITV and BBC Worldwide, is moving into original programming for the first time with a spin-off of The Bletchley Circle. The SVOD service has ordered The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco from Line of Duty producer World Productions and Canadian firm Omnifilm Entertainment.
The move, which was announced at the company’s TCA panel, sees BritBox take on the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu as well as UK-focused rival Acorn TV. The series picks up in post-war Bletchley and follows two of the characters from the original series, Mille, played by Rachel Stirling, and Jean, played by Julie Graham. It sees the pair travel to America in 1956 and join forces with two U.S codebreakers to tackle a strong of new murder cases. The drama, which will air later in 2018, will comprise of four stories, resolved over two episodes each.
Elsewhere, the SVOD service’s 2018 slate includes a raft of UK series including Rowan Atkinson-fronted drama Maigret, Trauma, an ITV medical thriller featuring Adrian Lester and John Simm and written by Doctor Foster’s Mike Bartlett, and season two of the BBC’s Big Talk-produced comedy Mum.
BritBox President Soumya Sriraman said, “During our first year, BritBox was able to bring some of the most in-demand British programs ‘on demand’ to U.S. fans, some within hours or near simulcast, letting them see shows they have never been able to watch or have not seen in years. In 2018, BritBox will up the ante with our first co-commission, more co-productions, and more popular programming and star power from all genres appealing to new subscribers along with our very loyal existing members.”
