This week marks 21 years since the premiere of Blue Murder, a 2003 crime drama that starred Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis, a single mum who balances the demands of motherhood with the demands of a promising career as a Manchester-based detective.
It went on for 5 seasons and 19 episodes, most of them feature-length (season 5 featured hour-long episodes instead). Though you can definitely feel the show's age, it's still well worth watching due to the strong character development. |
In the US, you can watch Blue Murder without ads on BritBox, or free with ads on Roku Channel, Tubi, Freevee, Plex, and Pluto TV.
13 of the Best British Cringe Comedies - Cringe comedy may be trendy now, but it's always been a dominant form of comedy in the UK. In this post, we take a look at some of the best the genre has to offer. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's a great place to start.
New & Upcoming
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On BritBox, May 13th brought the premiere of the Sophie Rundle-led crime drama After the Flood, while May 14th brought season 2 of Make it at Market, a reality series about amateur makers attempting to turn their hobbies into businesses. On the 19th, look for their coverage of the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Season 4 of McDonald & Dodds will premiere next week on the 23rd.
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On Acorn TV, the 13th and 20th bring new episodes of Murdoch Mysteries and Brokenwood Mysteries. The 13th also brought the premiere of season 3 of Harry Wild, while May 20th will bring season 3 of the Swedish crime drama Backstrom. They'll also be adding Osborne House that day, a documentary special about Queen Victoria's favourite hideaway on the Isle of Wight.
- On PBS Masterpiece, season 3 of Cobra premiered on May 13th. As the political thriller returns, Prime Minister Robert Sutherland (Robert Carlyle, Hamish Macbeth) finds himself in a difficult situation when his daughter gets involved with an environmental protest group.
- On Netflix, May 16th brings the premiere of part 1 of season 3 of Bridgerton. The new season will focus on Penelope's attempts to find a suitable match. On May 22nd, they'll be adding Buying London, a reality show about selling some of London's most expensive properties.
- On Hulu, The Killing Kind premiered May 14th. This thriller follows a barrister who defends a charismatic man accused of coercive control over an ex-girlfriend. Though they got close after the trial, her attempts to pull away resulted in him turning on her. Much later, he returns to her life claiming someone is out to get her - and he's the only one who can protect her.
- On Amazon Prime, May 17th brings the premiere of 99, a docuseries about Manchester United's historic treble win in 1999.
- On Apple TV+, May 22nd brings the premiere of season 4 of Trying. The acclaimed comedy moves ahead 6 years from the events of season 3, with Nikki and Jason now well-adjusted to life as adoptive parents.
View all the brand new shows coming to US streaming services in May HERE
More to Read...
31 Brand New British TV Shows Coming to the US in May - May is a busy, busy month for brand new British TV shows - with an average of one new show every day, including new McDonald & Dodds and a new season of The Outlaws.
19 Things You Might Not Know About Dame Judi - Aside from being a wonderful actress, Dame Judi Dench is also an incredibly interesting woman. After all, how many of us can say Jeremy Irons once licked whipped cream off our nipples?
Saying Goodbye to Maisie Dobbs - There's been no new news about the possible Hillary Clinton-backed adaptation of the Maisie Dobbs book series, but the news on the book front is bittersweet.
I'm fine, Camille. I'm British. I'm going for the "bottle it all up and turn it into a bitter little ball" approach.
DI Humphrey Goodman, Death in Paradise
Stream it (US): BritBox
Recent Casting Notices...
As always, there's much to look forward to. Here are a few more projects in the works with various production companies.
- Four Days Like Sunday - This period drama film will be set in the 1990s, following a 12-year-old girl named Jane as she grows increasingly tired of mothering her own mother, Sylvia, a fading Broadway diva. While in between concert dates, Sylvia invites some of the production's male dancers to her grand country home while also expecting a visit from her boyfriend. Young Jane does her best to help Sylvia maintain equilibrium. Production begins in August.
- Gavin & Stacey: The Finale - Remember that cliffhanger at the end of the last Christmas special? It seems we may finally get some answers in this FINAL episode of Gavin & Stacey. Filming Summer 2024.
- Haven - This thriller will be a Prime Video production about the heist of the century and the ordinary office worker, Zara Reed (Sophie Turner), who finds herself at the heart of it. Production begins May 2024.
- The Marriage Portrait - Set in 1550s Florence, this feature film will follow the life of Lucrezia de' Medici. When her older sister Maria died, the 24-year-old duke intended for Maria instead married the 13-year-old Lucrezia. Just a girl herself, her sole purpose in life was to provide heirs for the Ferranese dynasty. In development with Element Pictures of Dublin and London.
