A major highlight in the May slate is the premiere of The Responder, a BritBox Original crime drama based on the real-life experiences of former police officer and writer Tony Schumacher. Starring Emmy and BAFTA awards winner Martin Freeman (A Confession, The Hobbit film trilogy), in his best role ever – inspired by true events – the series follows a crisis-stricken officer who comes face to face with crime, violence, and addiction while working the night shift driving a frontline response vehicle. All the while, he is battling personal demons that threaten to destabilize his work, his marriage and his mental health. Season 1 will be available to stream all at once on May 24.
Kicking off the month, Death in Paradise returns for an 11th season on May 3 for more murder mysteries on the scenic island of Saint Marie. On May 10, comedy series Kate & Koji starring award-winning talent Brenda Blethyn (Vera, Secrets & Lies) returns for a second season.
May 3, 2022: Death in Paradise S11 | North American Premiere, BritBox Exclusive | 8 X 60 | 2 Episodes Weekly
The sun-soaked, smash-hit whodunnit returns for more murder mysteries with a light touch and a warm heart. DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little, The Cafe) has more crimes to solve on the blissful island of Saint Marie, while also dealing with the emotional complications of working at close quarters with DS Florence Cassell (Josephine Jobert).
May 10, 2022: Kate & Koji S2 | North American Premiere, BritBox Exclusive | 6 X 30
We return to the seaside café of the inimitable Kate Abbott (Brenda Blethyn, Vera, Secrets & Lies). Although, like many, Kate has been buffeted by the COVID pandemic, she remains as opinionated, defiant, cussed and impulsive as ever. Her café is now in deep money trouble and she adopts various strategies across the season, including luring birdwatchers with falsified sightings of rare birds and informing her bank that she is dead. But the bills keep coming, usually delivered by a very frightened postman. She still provides free food and drinks to the asylum-seeking doctor, Koji (Okorie Chukwu), in return for which Koji gives free medical advice, if requested, to her customers. The friendship between Kate and Koji has blossomed and, although he is often subject to unpleasant experiences in the dead-end town of Seagate, he has come to regard Kate’s café as a safe space where he can unwind and try to forget his troubles.
May 24, 2022: The Responder S1 | BritBox Original | 6 X 60
This distinctive new drama, inspired by the real-life experiences of former police officer and writer Tony Schumacher, offers a rare glimpse into the heart of society’s dark and gritty underbelly. Night after night, Chris (Martin Freeman, A Confession, The Hobbit film trilogy) drives a frontline response vehicle in his fragmented hometown of Liverpool where he faces crime, violence and addiction on the streets. All the while, he is battling personal demons that threaten to destabilize his work, his marriage and his mental health. When Chris is forced to take on new rookie partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo, The Capture), both soon discover that survival in this high-pressure, relentless, twilight world depends on them either helping or destroying each other. The action plays out over one week of increasingly tense, life-changing night shifts. From the depths of helplessness and despair, with his own family slipping away from him, Chris clings to the idea of saving the life of a young addict trapped in a deadly dilemma. If he can save her, maybe he can save himself and rediscover what it means to be a police officer.
May 27, 2022: Still Open All Hours S1-6 | New to BritBox | 41 X 30
This warm-hearted sitcom updating Roy Clarke’s classic comedy, Open All Hours, is back with a full series and a mix of memorable new and returning characters. Still Open All Hours sees David Jason reprising his role as shopkeeper Granville, who has inherited the small corner shop from his beloved but miserly Uncle Arkwright. Now running the business with his cheerful and good-looking son, Leroy – the result of a brief romantic encounter a couple of decades ago – Granville continues to serve the local community in his own inimitable fashion! With a keen eye on making a profit, Granville comes up with all kinds of hair-brained schemes to encourage his customers to part with their money, but things rarely turn out as he expects. And while Leroy has no shortage of female attention, Granville’s pursuit of old flame Mavis is repeatedly thwarted by her fiercely protective sister, Madge – and by the constant hovering presence of the Black Widow, who also seems to have her eye on Granville.
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May 31, 2022: Unforgotten S4 | Canadian Premiere, BritBox Exclusive | 6 X 45
The BAFTA-winning hit returns, as Cassie and Sunny investigate a cold case with alarming links to the police force. A corpse is discovered in a scrapyard, his features frozen in time. Four suspects emerge, all with links to the law and attended the same police training course back in 1989. Since then, their lives have gone in very different directions. Some have thrived and others have faltered. But who exactly is fighting for justice? Can the police force ever really be trusted? And will Cassie and Sunny find themselves on the wrong side of the law?
