Britbox: Which TV shows and films feature on the the new streaming service from BBC and ITV?
Everything you need to know about the site that plans to tackle Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV+
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The BBC and ITV have launched Britbox, a brand new streaming service to rival Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV+.
Britbox promises to play host to the largest collection of British TV content ever assembled in one place, including shows from Channel 4 and Channel 5, as well as the BBC and ITV.
The platform will also stream new, original commissions featuring Britain’s biggest stars.
What is BritBox?
The UK-based pay streaming service is a joint venture between ITV and the BBC, providing access to both archived British TV shows and new programmes.
ITV's group director for streaming Reemah Sakaan said there was a "whole slate of original programmes" in development for BritBox.
"It's got the widest range of UK box sets of any service," she said. "Ostensibly, the other streamers are US-focused so they make dramas for the US market, whereas BritBox is the faces, people and places that you know."
When does it launch?
Britbox launched quietly in the UK on 7 November 2019.
It went live in the US back in 2017, and has 650,000 subscribers in North America.
Britbox is available to use on phones, tablets and computers as well as Chromecast, Apple TV and Roku.
How much does a Britbox subscription cost?
Britbox costs £5.99 per month at launch with a 30-day free trial, which is cheaper than Netflix’s standard plan.
What shows are on Britbox?
Downton Abbey, Gavin & Stacey, Wolf Hall, Love Island and Broadchurch are among the shows available on Britbox from the day of its launch.
The first show it will launch exclusively in the UK is Lambs of God, which stars Ann Dowd and Jessica Barden as nuns living on a remote island. In the future, Britbox aims to have around six original series per year.
Dramas on the service at the time of its launch also included Cracker, Prime Suspect, Brideshead Revisited and Ashes to Ashes and comedies such as Absolutely Fabulous, Extras, Blackadder and Fawlty Towers.
More than 600 classic episodes of Doctor Who will be available to stream for the first time ever from Boxing Day.
TV series and films from Channel 4 and Film4's back catalogue will be available in 2020, and original shows from Comedy Central UK will also feature.
Will BritBox replace the networks’ existing catch-up services?
The BBC and ITV have previously said Britbox will not affect the way BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub operate as the new service will not broadcast current or recently aired shows that appear on those existing sites.
Recent programmes are likely, therefore, to move on to BritBox only after they have been made available on catch-up sites.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments