NEW on BritBox this October: get the inside track on the Claridge’s Hotel mega-rebuild, and two ghost stories to spook up your Hallowe’en. Plus, a gripping new Edinburgh-set crime thriller created by Line of Duty showrunner Jed Mercurio, and two vintage favourites – Midsomer Murders and Friday Night Dinner – are on the entertainment menu.
The eagerly awaited BritBox Original Payback is a character-led drama series executive-produced by the brilliant Mercurio, and tells the story of a woman (Morven Christie – The Bay), Lexie Noble, who becomes entangled in a police investigation into a dangerous crime lord (Peter Mullan – Ozark), Cal Morris. This gripping six-part crime thriller comes as two episodes weekly from October 19.
With an idyllic family lifestyle in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Lexie is unaware her husband, Jared, has been laundering Cal’s illegal earnings on a vast scale. Now Jared’s every move is being monitored by financial investigators, determined to use the Noble family to bring Cal to justice. A partner in Jared’s business, Lexie is forced into working for Cal, at the same time as the police net inexorably tightens. Soon she finds herself walking a treacherous tightrope between Cal and the police in which her safety, and even her life, are in grave danger.
New and exclusive to BritBox on October 5, Claridge’s: The Megabuild delves into the extraordinary feat of engineering that played out during renovations to this five-star luxury hotel in the heart of London’s upmarket Mayfair, while wealthy guests remained oblivious to the massive construction work taking place.
Filmed over six years, this remarkable documentary series follows the incredible logistical challenges involved in digging out a five-storey mega-basement in central London, adding four new floors to the top of the hotel and creating the city’s most expensive penthouse – all without disturbing the day to day business at one of the world’s most luxurious destinations.
Although well-heeled guests continue to check in and out as usual, despite all appearances the hotel is a busy building site. The ultimate aim: to ensure this Mayfair classic sets the standard for the next generation of uber-luxury locations. Narrated by actress Emilia Fox (Silent Witness, Signora Volpe), this fascinating documentary traces the hotel’s ambitious and intricate feat of engineering.
Nothing like an old favourite to add to your binge list – and Midsomer Murders fits the bill. Landing on BritBox on October 12 are eight feature-length episodes from season 13 of this classic murder mystery series. Nothing is what it seems behind the well-trimmed hedges and net curtains of the picturesque cottages in the idyllic county of Midsomer. Beneath the tranquil surface, dark secrets exist – scandals, jealousy and downright evil. Indeed, murder and blackmail are surprisingly commonplace among the eccentric inhabitants …
Season 13 of this iconic title, which has been one of the UK’s best drama exports for many years, selling to more than 200 countries worldwide, sees Neil Dudgeon (Son of Rambow, The Messiah) take the lead as DCI John Barnaby, following the retirement of his uncle Tom (John Nettles), supported by the methodical Ben Jones (Jason Hughes – Death in Paradise, Marcella) and pathologist Dr Bullard (Barry Jackson – Silent Witness, Kavanagh QC).
In the first of eight feature-length episodes, The Sword of Guillaume, a serial killer strikes with an ancient sword in grisly fashion when DCI Barnaby joins a Causton Chamber of Commerce bus trip to Brighton.
For something equally vintage but definitely more raucous, don’t miss season two of the hilarious sitcom Friday Night Dinner – prepare for pranks, silliness and general mayhem with the idiosyncratic Goodman family on October 19.
The hilarious BAFTA-nominated sitcom follows the secular Jewish Goodman family, who have made an art form of their eccentricities. Expect more hijinks by brothers Adam (Simon Bird – The Inbetweeners) and Jonny (Tom Rosenthal – Plebs) during their regular Friday-night meals at their parents’ London house, with Mum (Tamsin Grieg – Episodes) and Dad (Paul Ritter – Quantum of Solace) adding to the comedy chaos.
In season two, Grandma brings her new boyfriend to dinner, neighbour Jim makes a birthday cake for his dog, and Jonny wants to break up with his 43-year-old girlfriend/boss – but is too scared.
And landing just in time for Hallowe’en on October 26, catch two spooky shorts from the pen of MR James – Count Magnus and Martin’s Close.
In Count Magnus, described by Radio Times as “a spooky diversion with a delicious twist”, travel back in time to 1863, when a British travel writer visiting Sweden becomes fascinated by the story of long-dead nobleman Count Magnus – who, he discovers, does not lie easy in his tomb. Based on James’s 1904 short story of the same name, this ghostly tale stars BAFTA winner Jason Watkins (Being Human, The Crown, McDonald & Dodds).
The eerie Martin’s Close tells the tale of a young squire who is prosecuted for murder in 1684 by the King’s Counsel (BAFTA and Oscar winner Peter Capaldi – Dr Who, The Thick of It), and his life lies in the hands of an infamous “hanging judge”. But the case is not cut-and-dried as the poor country girl he is accused of murdering has been seen after her death.
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