BritBox is expanding its North American streaming schedule in October with the return of mystery series Ludwig and prison drama Time, alongside the addition of the 2016 adaptation of War and Peace and a slate of other British programming.
The October lineup places established performers including David Mitchell, David Tennant, Siobhan Finneran, Lily James, Paul Dano and James Norton at the centre of the streaming service’s fall programming. New releases will roll out throughout the month for standard subscribers, with several titles receiving North American premieres.
David Mitchell Returns for ‘Ludwig’ Season 2
Ludwig returns for its second season on Oct. 13 as a BritBox Original and exclusive North American premiere. Six hour-long episodes will be released weekly.
The new season picks up after the events of the first, with master puzzle-setter John “Ludwig” Taylor, played by David Mitchell, now working officially as a Crime Scene Consultant alongside DCI Russell Carter, played by Dipo Ola.
Search for Ludwig’s Missing Twin Continues
No longer required to impersonate his identical twin, John can openly apply his puzzle-solving abilities to seemingly impossible crimes for the Cambridge Police Authority. However, the mystery surrounding his missing brother James remains unresolved.
As an official police employee, John is prohibited from using police resources to investigate James’s disappearance. Lucy, played by Anna Maxwell Martin, continues the search alongside him while trying to find her missing husband and bring him home.
Mitchell will also appear on BritBox later in the month as a team captain in season 19 of comedy panel show Would I Lie to You?, with all 13 episodes arriving Oct. 26.
David Tennant Joins ‘Time’ for Third Season
The BAFTA-winning prison drama Time returns Oct. 22 for a three-episode third season, with episodes released weekly as a BritBox Original and North American premiere.
David Tennant joins returning cast member Siobhan Finneran for a story set inside a young offenders institution. Finneran plays prison chaplain Marie-Louise, who arrives at the institution after losing her faith, while Tennant portrays veteran officer Bailey.
Following a tragedy inside the prison, the two characters clash as Bailey struggles with information surrounding the incident and his own sense of guilt.
New Story Explores Young Offenders and Redemption
The season also follows teenage offenders Peter, played by Ollie McNulty, and James, played by Louis McCartney, as they navigate the early stages of incarceration.
Jo Joyner, Vinette Robinson and Warren Brown are also part of the ensemble cast. The new storyline continues the drama’s focus on the personal consequences of imprisonment while exploring guilt, loyalty, responsibility and the possibility of change.
‘War and Peace’ Joins BritBox Catalogue
BritBox will add the acclaimed 2016 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace on Oct. 5, with the complete production available at once.
The period drama stars Paul Dano as Pierre, Lily James as Natasha and James Norton as Andrei. The ensemble also includes Gillian Anderson, Jack Lowden, Jessie Buckley and Callum Turner.
Set against the political and military upheaval of early 19th-century Russia, the drama follows its central characters as their personal ambitions and relationships unfold while Napoleon’s forces move closer to Russia.
Additional October Programming Expands Streaming Slate
BritBox’s October schedule begins with Celebrity Escape to the Country season two on Oct. 2 for U.S. subscribers. The service is also currently streaming Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence, starring Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan.
BBC Select, meanwhile, has its own October slate for North American audiences. Programming includes Egypt’s Great Mummies: Unwrapped with Bettany Hughes and The Showjumper Murder on Oct. 1, followed later in the month by documentaries covering the Suez Crisis, human evolution, espionage, forced adoption in Britain and the scientific legacies of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
The October schedule gives BritBox a mix of returning originals, North American premieres, comedy and established period drama, with Ludwig and Time serving as two of the platform’s most prominent returning series during the month.