The Bay helps BritBox bolster US slate

Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan in sitcom Mum

BBC and ITV joint streaming venture BritBox has commissioned an original crime drama and is adding a number of other UK series to the US-based service.

The Bay, due to premiere on BritBox this autumn, is about the intertwined lives of a family involved in a missing person’s case in a small coastal town. It stars Morven Christie (Grantchester) and Jonas Armstrong (Ripper Street).

In addition, BritBox is adding the seventh and final season of BBC period crime drama Father Brown to its slate on August 1, which will be followed by the previous six seasons in the coming months.

The streaming service is also adding BBC mystery series Death in Paradise to its slate, as well as the third and final season of BritBox copro Mum.

BBC period crime drama Father Brown joins BritBox in August

Mum, which stars Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) and Peter Mullan (Westworld), is a family comedy centring on Cathy, a widow in her early 60s, as she moves on from the death of her husband. S3 premiered on Thursday.

In addition, BritBox will air the 2019 Christmas special of hit comedy Gavin & Stacey, as well as live and near-live coverage of events such as The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, The Britannia Awards 2019 on October 25, The Royal Variety Performance 2019 and Carols from Kings later this year.

“Today’s programming announcements reflect BritBox’s commitment to bring our audience the very best of UK programming, whether it’s brand new originals or proven favourites,” said BritBox president Soumya Sriraman.

Last week, BritBox announced it had commissioned an original drama produced by Scotland’s STV Studios, called The Victim. It also revealed it will launch the service in the UK in the fourth quarter of 2019.