The Premier British TV Streaming Service in North America will EXCLUSIVELY premiere the epic British period drama starring The Fall and Fifty Shades of Grey star
U.K. acclaim for the miniseries:
"On the scale of Game of Thrones or The Pacific" –Sunday Times Culture Magazine
"Lavish...you'll love this action packed drama…epic" –The Sun TV Magazine
"Sexy and bloody…an impressive cast" –Total TV Guide
"Four of the most talented young actors in Britain" –Guardian guide
"Gripping, passionate…New Worlds has a winning combo…Beautifully shot." –Elle Magazine
SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Featuring rapidly rising star Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey, The Fall), the new four-part British period drama New Worlds makes its U.S. debut on Acorn TV beginning February 16, 2015. Set in the 1680s, New Worlds is a powerful drama and surprising love story that depicts the terror and turbulence experienced in both England and America at the time of the English Civil War. New episodes will air on consecutive Mondays through March 9, 2015 on Acorn TV, the premier British TV streaming service in North America from RLJ Entertainment (Nasdaq:RLJE).
Unlike his roles as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey (Feb. 13) and a serial killer in The Fall opposite Gillian Anderson (Jan. 16), Jamie Dornan plays a heroic idealist and outlaw in New Worlds. The Irish actor made his feature debut in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, and played Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman in ABC's Once Upon a Time. New Worlds also stars Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones), Freya Mavor (Sunshine on Leith, Skins), Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures), Eve Best (Nurse Jackie), and Jeremy Northam (Tudors, Gosford Park) as King Charles II.
Set in the turbulent aftermath of the English Civil War, King Charles II's tyrannical rule has led to a climate of violence and fear in England and the American colonies. Amid the chaos, four young, courageous idealists fall in love as they commit to forging a fairer future with blood, passion and urgency. But to achieve this, they must be prepared to pay the ultimate price.
Miguel Penella, Chief Executive Officer of RLJ Entertainment, Inc., said, "Led by Jamie Dornan and an impressive cast of up and coming actors, plus a gripping, action-packed script and lavish production values, New Worlds is among the best of British period dramas." Penella added, "We're thrilled to premiere New Worlds the same day as we exclusively premiere the series finale of one of Britain's most popular mysteries, Foyle's War. Both programs are perfect examples of the high-quality programming that Acorn TV will continue to offer our rapidly growing fan base of British mystery and drama."
New Worlds was created and written by Peter Flannery and Martine Brandt (The Devils Whore), co-produced by Company Pictures and Power, and broadcast in the U.K. in 2014 on Channel 4.
RLJ Entertainment's Acorn brand will also release New Worlds on DVD and Blu-ray later this year.
Available at www.Acorn.TV, via the iTunes App store, its popular Roku channel, and now Samsung Smart TVs/Blu-ray players, 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 features a growing catalog of mysteries, dramas, documentaries, and comedies for catch-up viewing and discovery of new series, with no set end dates. 2014 U.S. premieres included A Place to Call Home, Serangoon Road, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, BBC drama The Field of Blood, and new episodes from Jack Irish, Midsomer Murders,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.
Called the "chief curators of the best Brit TV" by TIME magazine, RLJ Entertainment's Acorn brand holds exclusive North American distribution rights to many of the top British programs, which are available for broadcast television, digital streaming, and in lavishly packaged DVDs/Blu-rays. RLJ Entertainment also owns a majority share in Agatha Christie Ltd, which manages Agatha Christie's extensive literary works including characters Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, and Miss Marple.
New Worlds is available upon request for reviews/features.
Full access to Acorn TV's current programs is also readily available to press upon request.
To watch Acorn TV via computers: www.Acorn.TV
To add the Acorn TV channel on your Roku: https://owner.roku.com/add/acorntv
To download the iTunes App for iPhone and iPad: http://bit.ly/1o1dSqo
To watch Acorn TV on your Samsung Smart TV or Blu-ray player, look for Acorn TV in the Video Category of the Samsung Apps section of Samsung Smart Hub
Consumers have a 30-day free trial as well.
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. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (feature films, stand-up comedy), UMC (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, Acacia TV, and UMC, 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.