AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT SERIES FINALE ONLY ON ACORN TV
The Premier British TV Streaming Service will EXCLUSIVELY debut the final three mysteries, including Curtain: Poirot's Last Case
"David Suchet's swansong as Hercule Poirot proved that the show has been one of TV's greatest achievements…and great TV performances of the past 30 years…five stars." -The Telegraph
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the summer 2014 premiere of the final episodes, David Suchet will have completed the unsurpassed feat of portraying Agatha Christie's beloved detective Hercule Poirot in all 70 Poirot stories. For the last 25 years, David Suchet has been synonymous with the brilliant Belgian detective and recently received Royal Television Society's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on Poirot. RLJ Entertainment (Nasdaq:RLJE) is excited to announce the exclusive premiere of Agatha Christie's Poirot's final three feature-length mysteries, including Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, on Acorn TV, the first streaming service focused on the best of British TV in North America. Series 13 features five TV movies and begins with The Big Four and Dead Man's Folly airing on MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! on Sunday, July 27 and August 3; and available the day after broadcast on Acorn TV. The final three mysteries will be available ONLY on Acorn TV, at www.Acorn.TV and its popular Roku channel, among other platforms, beginning Aug. 11 for Elephants Can Remember, Aug. 18 for Labours of Hercules, and Aug. 25 for Curtain. Thereafter, all five mysteries will be available on Acorn TV, along with more than 60 of the previous episodes.
Miguel Penella, Chief Executive Officer of RLJ Entertainment, Inc., said, "We are thrilled to exclusively offer the final episodes of one of the most iconic series in television history to Acorn TV subscribers. For the last quarter of a century, David Suchet has made an indelible mark on television with his portrayal of Poirot, and these final episodes feature a fitting goodbye to a beloved series." Penella added, "Acorn TV continues to provide a welcome alternative for viewers looking for highly entertaining international content that can't be found anywhere else. After a record-setting 2013 with the exclusive premieres of Doc Martin, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and Guy Pearce's Jack Irish, Acorn TV is set for another breakout year led by Agatha Christie's Poirot."
Since its debut on television in 1989, Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective has put his brilliant intellect and fastidious nature to the test as he solves the most mystifying crimes of the Art Deco era. Brimming with opulent 1930s period details and pitch-perfect performances, these final five lavish adaptations feature the return of several fan favorites, including Hugh Fraser as Capt. Hastings, Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp, and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon, as well as guest stars Iain Glen (Jack Taylor, Games of Thrones), Helen Baxendale (Friends), and Philip Glenister (Life on Mars). The feature-length mysteries in series 13 include: The Big Four, Dead Man's Folly, Elephants Can Remember, Labours of Hercules, and Curtain.
Acorn TV streams the very best in British television as well as select series from Australia and Canada, including many series not available to U.S. and Canadian audiences anywhere else. Offering a free 30-day trial, Acorn TV is available at www.Acorn.TV and through Roku, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, among other soon-to-be announced platforms.
Currently, Acorn TV features a catalog of mysteries, dramas, documentaries, and comedies for catch-up viewing and discovery of new series, with no set end dates. Acorn TV adds at least six series each month and features many of the most celebrated series in all of television with the complete series of Upstairs, Downstairs, Helen Mirren's Prime Suspect, and Brideshead Revisited, as well as all previous episodes of Midsomer Murders, Michael Kitchen's Foyle's War, and Martin Clunes's Doc Martin.
RLJ Entertainment owns the hugely popular period detective series Foyle's War as well as a 64% share in Agatha Christie Ltd, which manages Christie's extensive literary works including characters Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, and Miss Marple. Called the "chief curators of the best Brit TV" by TIME magazine, RLJ Entertainment's Acorn brand holds exclusive North American distribution rights to the most critically acclaimed British programs, which are available for broadcast television, digital streaming, and in lavishly packaged DVDs/Blu-rays.
*Early access to Series 13 is available now to long-lead press.
*Images from Series 13 are available upon request.
Full access to Acorn TV's current series is available to press upon request.
To watch Acorn TV via computers, iPhones, iPads, etc.: www.Acorn.TV
To add the Acorn TV channel on your Roku: https://owner.roku.com/add/acorntv
Acorn TV,available at www.Acorn.TV, is the first British TV focused streaming service in North America. Given the limited broadcast options for U.S. viewers to watch first rate international programs, Acorn TV offers U.S. fans the opportunity to not only stream many of their favorite series but, more importantly, discover new and classic programs previously unavailable to U.S. and Canadian audiences. Acorn TV offers a free 30-day trial and thereafter is just $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Acorn TV subscribers also receive free shipping on all orders from Acorn's catalog and website, AcornOnline.com. Launched in July 2011, Acorn TV is accessible on the #1 streaming player, Roku, as well as computers, and through the browsers on iPhones and iPads. It is also available on many other portable devices.
Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in foreign languages. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays (including The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history), and six novels written under the name Mary Westmacott. Written by internationally bestselling author Sophie Hannah, the first-ever new Agatha Christie novel will be released in September 2014 and feature Poirot.
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq:RLJE) is a premier independent owner, developer, licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in primarily North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,300 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (feature films, stand-up comedy), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Athena (documentaries) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download and digital streaming.
Via its relationship with Agatha Christie Limited, a company that RLJE owns 64% of, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. RLJE also owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle's War.
RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, Acorn TV and Acacia TV, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. Through its proprietary e-commerce web sites and print catalogs for the Acorn and Acacia brands, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.