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As promised, we’re back with more free-to-stream recommendations for British productions, this time looking at films worth checking out if you enjoyed a particular actor’s performance in a TV series. Now - we know some people simply aren’t willing to watch free-with-ads content now that we’ve mostly all escaped network TV - but even though these are all films you CAN stream for free, they don’t all require ads. Many can also be rented, purchased, or found on another subscription service if you simply can’t tolerate the adverts.
But first, I wanted to mention a release I found on Amazon that arrived in the US with little to no fanfare. A few years back, Mackenzie Crook spearheaded a remake of the British children’s classic Worzel Gummidge. I’d almost given up any hope of seeing it on US streaming services, but it popped up over on Amazon Prime and the free-with-ads service The Roku Channel. Still no news about a US streaming outlet for his recent hit, Small Prophets (though you CAN get it on DVD HERE if you have a region-free DVD player), but it’s something.
A is for Acid
1 | If you enjoyed Martin Clunes in Doc Martin or Manhunt, try A is for Acid, in which he plays serial killer John Haigh, aka “The Acid Bath Murderer” - a real killer hanged in 1949 after dissolving 6 people in acid because he believed you couldn’t be convicted without a body. Keeley Hawes also appears. Also available on Tubi, Pluto, and Fawesome.
2 | If you enjoyed Neil Dudgeon in shows like Midsomer Murders and The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries, you might also enjoy Prick Up Your Ears, which includes Dudgeon alongside Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, and Vanessa Redgrave. The 1987 film tells the true story of British playwright Joe Orton and his murder at the hands of a longtime lover. There’s a catch with this one, though - it’s Dudgeon’s earliest credited role, so you’ll need to watch carefully to spot him. He’s listed only as “policeman” and he’s a fair bit younger considering the film is nearly 40 years old. If you don’t have an MGM+ subscription, you can watch it free on Tubi or Pluto.
List continues below…
RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW - We’ve opened up pre-orders to figure out how many copies we’ll need of the upcoming British TV Streaming Guide: US Edition, Autumn 2026.
The guide contains more than 220 pages of listings for US-based streaming services like Acorn TV, BritBox, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more - and there’s also an alphabetized index in back where you can find the service if you know the name of the show. 2500+ shows in total!
If you’re sick of endlessly clicking around trying to find something to watch, or if you feel like you’re not seeing everything that’s available to you on the services you use, it’s a great way to navigate the options. We use a larger-than-average 12-point font to make sure it’s readable, and there’s plenty of room for making notes about upcoming shows you want to remember to check on.
Want to learn more? You can CLICK HERE to view more details and sample pages, or to place your pre-order.
Abraham’s Point
3 | If you enjoyed seeing Mackenzie Crook in Detectorists and The Office, try Abraham’s Point for a unique story about a young man leaving London on a journey to deliver a grandfather clock to his dying father - meeting all sorts of interesting characters along the way. It’s also available on Tubi.
4 | If you thought Ciarán Hinds was great in Persuasion, Midwinter Break, and Above Suspicion, The Man in the Hat is another fun choice. The whimsical indie comedy sees him on a journey through France, accompanied by a framed photo of a woman…pursued by angry men. It’s also available on Tubi and Roku Channel (and many public libraries can help you access it for free via Hoopla/Kanopy).
5 | If you loved Caroline Catz in shows like Doc Martin and Murder in Suburbia, you can see a very different side of her in ChickLit, a film about four friends trying to save their local pub by writing and selling a “chick lit” novel. Also available on Pluto (and via some public libraries through Hoopla/Kanopy).
6 | Fans of Suranne Jones’s work in shows like Scott & Bailey, Gentleman Jack, MaryLand, Vigil, and Doctor Foster can also see her in the black comedy Dead Clever, where she plays a woman who fakes her own death after she catches her husband sleeping with her sister. It’s also available on Fawesome and the Roku Channel.
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Mr. Burton
7 | Did you enjoy Toby Jones’s performances in shows like Detectorists, Capital, and Mr. Bates vs the Post Office? He appears as Philip Burton in Mr. Burton, playing the teacher who was actor Richard Burton’s real-life mentor growing up in Wales. This one’s on Prime Video, but it’s also available free via many public libraries through Hoopla and Kanopy.
8 | Love Jane Horrocks in shows like Absolutely Fabulous and Trollied? More recently, she popped up in the 2024 film Time Travel is Dangerous, which also includes performances from Sophie Thompson, Mark Heap, and Stephen Fry. You can also watch it on Hoopla and Kanopy via many public libraries.
9 | If you enjoyed seeing Sarah Lancashire in shows like Happy Valley, Rose & Maloney, and Where the Heart Is, you might also appreciate seeing her in The Dresser alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Ian McKellen. She doesn’t do a lot of film work, but it was great to see her as Madge in this one. It’s also available on Plex.
10 | It’s been a while since Ruth Jones delighted in shows like Gavin & Stacey, Stella, and Fat Friends, but if you got excited when she showed up in recent hits like Run Away and The Other Bennet Sister, you may also want to check her out in the hilariously cheesy scary movie Eat Locals, which also included Eve Myles (Keeping Faith) and Mackenzie Crook. It follows a group of British vampire overlords preparing to meet for their semi-centennial, only to see vampire hunters close in. It’s also available on Tubi, Pluto, Plex, and Fawesome.
THIS WEEK IN BRITISH TV
On BritBox, new episodes of Escape to the Country continue at a rate of four new episodes every Friday through September 25th. On the 10th, they added a new season of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, on the 13th they added Prey, starring John Simm as a police officer on the run, trying to prove his innocence. On the 18th, they’ll add the 2018 adaptation of Vanity Fair.
On Acorn TV, August 17th (today) brings us new episodes of Summertide, The Ridge, and season 4 of The Chelsea Detective. They’ll also be adding the 2016 film The Watchman on the 17th, in which Stephen Graham stars as a CCTV operator who gets into a bit of trouble when he takes matters into his own hands.
PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece subscribers gained access to season 5 of Professor T on Sunday the 9th.
On BBC Select (+ BritBox Premier), the 13th brought A Tale of Two Britains, The Wonderful World of Blood, and The Tech Billionaire Takeover. On the 15th, they added Inside the Rage Machine (about social media algorithms), and on the 20th they’ll be adding Battle of the Atlantic: The U-Boat War, Queen Victoria’s Men, and season 49 of Antiques Roadshow.
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