United Kingdom - TV SHOWS & MOVIES

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Loch Ness is a new series that just started running on Acorn TV in the US. I looked it up online and was surprised to see that it apparently also just started running on ITV in the UK. Usually Acorn gets their shows some time later than the original British airing. I think in the UK it's called The Loch.

Here's the description from Acorn:

The beautiful, haunting shores of Scotland's most iconic loch is the stunning backdrop for the new six-part crime drama. In a community nourished and sustained by myth and bordered by untamed nature, the search for a serial killer becomes a matter of life and death for local detective Annie Redford (Laura Fraser, Breaking Bad). Within the tightly knit town, a sense of horror begins to dawn as the villagers realize that there is more than one kind of monster in their midst​

We thought the first episode (the only one available so far) was very good. Here's a link to a review in the NY Times.

Ooh that sounds good. But will probably be 100 years before it comes to Netflix which is the only channel I have.

 

[Roz]

I think you can get Acorn in Canada, and I highly recommend it. It's only $50 a year (or $5 a month if you want to pay that way), and well worth it, we think. It has so many good British and Australian shows that aren't available elsewhere.
https://acorn.tv/

If you want to sign up for a free trial to see Loch Ness, though, I recommend waiting about six weeks, since all the episodes won't be available till then.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Roz,
This is super helpful information. I had no idea Acorn specialized in British programming! As I said, all I have is Netflix and it's a struggle for me to find anything worth watching. I adore British shows. Even the bad ones are still better than almost anything else, in my opinion.

I will check out the free trial.

 

[Chris]

That's very good advice about timing the free trial when all the episodes are available, Roz!

 

[Sophia Delago]

For those of us living abroad, what's the best streaming site to watch UK shows? I feel like Netflix is more of an American platform and while I enjoy the shows on it I can't really find the UK stuff I'm looking for. I found a bunch of alternatives to Netflix but I'm not sure what their content is like. Does anyone have a recommendation?

 

[Pauline]

A few posts above yours in this thread, Roz recommends Acorn TV for streaming UK shows.

 

[Roz]

Sophia, I believe, is looking for streaming services outside the US, and Acorn only serves the US and Canada.

 

[Pauline]

Sophia, I believe, is looking for streaming services outside the US, and Acorn only serves the US and Canada.

Thanks Roz, I didn't realize that.

 

[Roz]

If anyone wants to start a free trial of Acorn to see Loch Ness, all six episodes are now available.

 

[Andrew]

We just signed up for Amazon Prime when our neighbors said that Acorn TV was included for free with it. When we select a show from Acorn on the Prime Video app on Roku, or looking on the Amazon site, we just see a prompt for a 7-day free Acorn trial and "Included with Acorn TV on Amazon for $4.99/month after trial." On a Web search, I don't see anything about Acorn being free with Prime.

Does this change after the free trial month of Prime, could our neighbors have a grandfathered benefit not offered any more, are they being charged for Acorn without being aware of it, or is there another possibility?

 

[Pauline]

I don’t know the answer to your question @Andrew but I was talking to a friend in the US today and she subscribes to Brit TV on Amazon, but has to pay for it.

 

[Roz]

As far as I know, Andrew, you can get Acorn via Amazon Prime, but you have to pay extra. We watch Acorn on our Apple TV, but we pay $50 a year for the subscription. (We choose to pay annually, not by the month, since it saves $10 a year.) If your neighbors say they're getting it free, maybe it was a one-time special deal. I've never been aware of any way to get it for no extra cost.

 

[Jim Zurer]

I just noticed that Season 3 of Unforgotten has started on ITV....another vehicle for the wonderful and ubiquitous Nicola Walker. Doesn't that woman ever sleep? It will likely follow a bit later on PBS if history repeats itself. Has anyone started watching it?

https://www.itv.com/hub/unforgotten/2a3372a0013

 

[PatrickLondon]

Yes, and it's very good so far. Plenty of characters with something to hide!

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...-avoids-being-sherlock-clever-or-scandi-bleak

 

[PatrickLondon]

Oops wrong link.https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....ica-mark-kermode-secrets-cinema-prison-review

 

[Jim Zurer]

We just watched Episode 4 of Season 3 of Unforgotten....and we don't think it measures up to the first two seasons. The suspects don't have the gravitas of previous seasons and Cassie seems so restrained and devoid of affect. (I know her character is not sleeping and is concerned about her dad but still....)

Maybe there will be a big finish.....

 

[Pauline]

Did anyone watch Patrick Melrose with Benedict Cumberbatch? I recorded it and we are almost finished (one episode to go). Very well done, but a difficult watch because of the subject matter (drug user, childhood abuse).

I forgot about Unforgotten !!

 

[Cameron]

I'm watching Five Days: The Train and it's really good. On Acorn TV. So many great actors/actresses in one series. I think it's from 2010?

 

[PatrickLondon]

We just watched Episode 4 of Season 3 of Unforgotten....and we don't think it measures up to the first two seasons. The suspects don't have the gravitas of previous seasons and Cassie seems so restrained and devoid of affect. (I know her character is not sleeping and is concerned about her dad but still....)

One of Nicola Walker's strengths is suggesting repressed emotion with the barest of twitches. But granted, it is a bit too tidily allowing each suspect to come up with a credible explanation of what made them look suspicious in the first place, even with the revelations of all sorts of personal complexities. There may yet be a surprise twist to someone else entirely: my money's on one of the deserted wives, somehow.

 

[Roz]

I'm watching Five Days: The Train and it's really good. On Acorn TV. So many great actors/actresses in one series. I think it's from 2010?

Thanks for the recommendation, Cameron. We've gotten hooked on the Irish series, The Clinic, and heed to take a break to something else.

Did you watch No Offence? We also enjoyed that. There is so much good stuff on Acorn.