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.
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.
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 …
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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