SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 11, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riding the success of the U.S. premieres of Australian mysteries Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Guy Pearce's Jack Irish, Acorn TV will be adding the U.S. Premiere of ANZAC Girls, the new hit Australian drama from All3Media International. Currently airing to impressive ratings in Australia on ABC, ANZAC Girls is a moving six-part miniseries based on the true and largely unknown stories of five brave Australian and New Zealand nurses at Gallipoli and the Western Front during World War I. Beginning October 6, Acorn TV will debut a new episode every Monday through November 10th. Acorn TV is the first proprietary digital channel from RLJ Entertainment (Nasdaq:RLJE) and is widely considered the premier British TV service in North America. Besides British content, Acorn TV continues to acquire first rate Australian dramas like ANZAC Girls.
Rich in detail and authenticity, ANZAC Girls tells the harrowing but ultimately life-affirming true stories of five unsung heroines of the Great War. Based on the book The Other ANZACs by Peter Rees, and drawing on the original diaries, letters and photographs that passed between the nurses and their lovers, families and friends, as well as on countless historical records, the miniseries is one of the first to be told from the points of view of the courageous nurses from the Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). The nurses tend to the wounded and maimed soldiers of World War I with their own unique warmth, compassion and humor – bringing a 'touch of home' to distraught and damaged men. Despite the shocking hardship of war, they also form lasting bonds of love with the soldiers they care for and lasting friendships with the nurses they work alongside. As these young women put their lives on the line for King and Country, they undergo extraordinary personal journeys, overcoming prejudice, heartbreak and adversity as they play their parts in the theatre of war.
ANZAC Girls stars many up-and-coming Australian actors, including Georgia Flood (House Husbands), Antonia Prebble (White Lies), Laura Brent (Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Anna McGahan (House Husbands), and Caroline Craig (Underbelly) as the five nurses.
Mark Stevens, President for Acorn Brands at RLJ Entertainment, said "Acorn TV's subscribers love Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, so we're thrilled to be working with All3Media International to bring another highly anticipated new Australian production to North American audiences."
In early 2015, RLJ Entertainment's Acorn brand will also release the series on DVD and syndicate it to public television stations nationwide.
Available at www.Acorn.TV, via the iTunes App store, and its popular Roku channel, 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. 2014 U.S. premieres included Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 2, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, Poirot's Last Case, BBC drama The Field of Blood, Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery, and new episodes from Jack Irish, Midsomer Murders, Murdoch Mysteries, and George Gently, among many others.
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.
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*Online access to ANZAC Girls is available upon request for reviews.
*Full access to Acorn TV's current programs is also available upon request.
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.