BritBox International Adds UK Dramas ‘Granite Harbour’ & ‘The Ex-Wife’ To August Slate

Toby Jones & David Morrissey Board ITV Yorkshire Ripper Drama

BritBox and based on Jess Ryder’s book of the same name, features an English cast familiar to the US TV audience: Tom Mison (Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow”), Janet Montgomery (NBC’s late, great “New Amsterdam”) and Céline Buckens (“Free Rein,” “Warrior”). It’s a trope-laden drama with just enough surprises to keep viewers interested as it barrels along to a booming finale.The series opens with a meet-not-so-cute between media executive Jack Warrington (Mison) and graphic designer Natasha (“Tasha”), who’s riding her bicycle to work on a busy street when a speeding Jack plows into her with his car.She’s not seriously injured, save for a few bumps and bruises, including a scraped-up arm, and Jack — sheepish, apologetic and wanting to avoid “a scene” — promises to pay for her smashed-up bike.

Naman Ramachandran “Avoidance,” featuring BAFTA-winning British comedian Romesh Ranganathan, will premiere on BritBox International in North America and South Africa in September. Created and written by Ranganathan and Benjamin Green (“Romantic Getaway”) and starring Ranganathan (BBC’s “The Ranganation,” Netflix special “The Cynic”), the series follows anti-hero Jonathan who is struggling to get back on his feet after breaking up with partner Claire (Jessica Knappett, “Ghosts”). After Claire has accused him of being impossible to live with and keen to avoid conflict at all costs, Jonathan moves in with his sister (Mandeep Dhillon, “CSI: Vegas”) and her wife (Lisa McGrillis, “Mum”).

Getaways over the summer holiday are well underway as Brits head out for a relaxing break or sunnier climates - and who can blame them with the rain we've faced in the last few days.

The British royal family is arguably the most recognizable royal family in the world, and its members have amassed impressive fortunes.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Prime Video has acquired the Ancient Rome gladiator drama series “Those About to Die” in multiple European territories. The show is directed by “Independence Day” helmer Roland Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner. The 10-episode first season will debut exclusively on Prime Video in Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Turkey, Andorra, Monaco, Luxembourg and Belgium.

2023 Emmys have even been postponed, possibly until early next year. Nevertheless, amidst the chaos, the show must go on, and there are still many TV offerings on tap for the sultry long days of summerFrom a new prestige TV mystery series to a star-studded cooking show, an LGBT rom-com and a new reality dating series, August offers something for viewers of all ages.Here’s your handy guide.“The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”Sigourney Weaver stars in a family drama miniseries based on a book of the same name. The story arc spans decades and follows an orphaned girl (Alicia Debnam-Carey, “Fear the Walking Dead”) with a troubled past who must move in with her grandmother, who lives on a flower farm.

Two years ago actress Charley Webb left ITV’s soap Emmerdale after a whopping 19 years on the show and has just revealed she’s landed a brand-new role in a touring play. Charley, 35, appeared as the popular character Debbie Dingle who arrived in the village in 2002 and was on and off screen until 2021. During that time, Charley took three maternity leave breaks to have her sons, Buster, Bowie and Ace who she shared with husband and fellow actor Matthew Wolfenden, 43, who plays David Metcalfe in Emmerdale.

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has locked down rights to the romantic comedy Match Me If You Can for North America, the UK and Ireland. Marking the feature debut of director Marian Yeager, the film is now set for a day-and-date release on August 11th. Among the major titles opening against it are Sony’s Gran Turismo and Universal’s Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Apple TV+ documentary series “Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn” reconstructs the rise and fall of former Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, whose incarceration in Japan on financial misconduct charges was followed by an extraordinary escape. Inspired by the book “Boundless” by The Wall Street Journal reporters Nick Kostov and Sean McLain, the series is directed by Emmy-winning British filmmaker James Jones (“Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes”).

Coldplay have added more shows to their upcoming European tour, set to kick off in summer 2024.The British indie-rock veterans announced details of their new tour last week (July 20) — set to kick off in June, and feature their first-ever live dates in Greece, Romania and Finland.Featuring stops across Europe – including dates in Italy, France, Germany, Austria and more – Chris Martin and co. have now added seven additional dates to the 2024 ‘Music Of The Spheres’ tour.Extra dates in Bucharest, Lyon, Rome and Helsinki have been added as of today (July 25), as well as an additional show in Dublin’s Croke Park Stadium at the beginning of September, making for three back-to-back shows in the Ireland capital.The 2024 tour – which shares its name with the group’s latest album, 2021’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ – arrives on the heels of their ongoing 2023 stadium shows, which kicked off in May.

EXCLUSIVE: Tubi has acquired Aardman Animations’ series Lloyd of the Flies.

Last week, it was discovered that Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater, who are co-starring together as Glinda and Boq in Wicked, are also apparently dating.

It was a major win for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team as they made their debut at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and a record-breaking win for U.S. networks airing the championship.

Dutch News, a website that reports on news from the Netherlands in English for an international audience.The graffiti painted at the monument site and on the benches included drawings and anti-gay slogans, including “fuck gays,’ “fuck Pride,” and “weg met pride,” or “down with Pride.”The IHDH noted that the monument’s rainbow faces have been defaced multiple times before, ever since it was unveiled in 1993.“For example, the bench at Huijgenspark has been destroyed several times. The rainbow flag was also regularly pulled out of the ground last year, resulting in the arrests of two teenage boys.The IHDH said the monument will be repaired as soon as possible.Mariëlle Vavier, the alderman in The Hague who handles anti-discrimination issues, called the graffiti “unacceptable.”“It is a serious form of vandalism that stems from homophobia,” she said, according to the NL Times. “The Homomonument is a symbol of acceptance and freedom.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Camerimage Film Festival, which is devoted to the art of cinematography, is to pay tribute to Peter Biziou. The British cinematographer, who won an Oscar for “Mississippi Burning,” and was BAFTA nominated for “The Truman Show,” will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.

Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland has revealed a raft of new and returning commissions, including Discovery+ shows Gwyneth vs Terry: The Ski Crash Trial and Peltz-Beckham vs The Wedding Planners.

Agatha Christie novel adaptation “Murder Is Easy.” Based on Christie’s 1939 novel, the two-part thriller is adapted by Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and directed by Meenu Gaur (“World on Fire”). The cast includes David Jonsson (“Industry,” “Rye Lane”), Morfydd Clark (“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Saint Maud”), Penelope Wilton (“Downton Abbey”), Sinead Matthews (“The Crown”), Tom Riley (“The Nevers”), Douglas Henshall (“Shetland”), Mathew Baynton (“Ghosts”), Mark Bonnar (“World on Fire”), Nimra Bucha (“Ms Marvel”), Tamzin Outhwaite (“The Tower”), Jon Pointing (“Big Boys”) and Phoebe Licorish in her screen debut.

Industry and Rye Lane star David Jonsson, Lord of the Rings lead Morfydd Clark and Downton Abbey‘s Penelope Wilson are among the cast of BBC and Britbox International’s latest Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder is Easy.

In rom-coms, the game is simple: opposites attract. But in the case of “Red, White & Royal Blue,” that trope gets an international facelift, with the scions of the US President and the British Royal family falling for each other.