Acorn takes Mercurio’s Bloodlands to US

James Nesbitt stars in Northern Ireland-set crime drama Bloodlands

AMC-owned US streamer Acorn TV has acquired the North American rights to the latest BBC1 crime drama from Line of Duty and Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio.

Bloodlands will be available to Acorn TV subscribers in the US and Canada shortly after its launch on BBC1 in the autumn.

Set in Northern Ireland and written by Chris Brandon (Red Rock), the four-part crime thriller stars James Nesbitt (The Hobbit, The Missing, Cold Feet) as a veteran detective going into his own dark past to try to solve a cold case.

Bloodlands marks the first commission for Mercurio’s production company, Hat Trick Mercurio Television (HTM), and he serves as exec producer on the series.

Hat Trick International is distributing the show internationally and sealed the deal with Acorn, which previously aired Line of Duty.