AMC Networks’ Acorn TV and Sundance Now Series
Receive Four of the Five Edgar® Award Television Nominations
The sole TV award from the most prestigious and oldest mystery organization in the U.S. nominates Line of Duty (twice), Manhunt and Wisting
Just in, AMC Networks’ streaming service Acorn TV has just won the 2020 Edgar Award for Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty, Season 5, Episode 4 for Best Teleplay earlier today. This is the sole television award from the Mystery Writers of America, the most prestigious and oldest mystery and crime writing organization in the United States.
From writer and creator Jed Mercurio (global sensation Bodyguard), the BBC One crime thriller Line of Duty, Season 5 was the highest-rated series in the UK in 2019 and one of Acorn TV’s most popular shows. Season 5 is streaming exclusively in the U.S. on Acorn TV, which is where you can also catch all previous seasons. With season 5 called “Best British police show since Prime Suspect… Addictive… jaw-dropping reveals” by The New York Times, the electrifying series follows a police anti-corruption unit starring Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar and features incredible season-long guest stars every year, including The Walking Dead’s Lennie James (Season 1), Bodyguard’s Keeley Hawes (S2), Westworld’s Emmy winner Thandie Newton (S4), and Boardwalk Empire’s Stephen Graham (S5). (S5 Trailer). The Edgars have nominated two episodes from Acorn TV’s Line of Duty, as well as episodes from Acorn TV’s Manhunt and Sundance Now’s Wisting.
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Miguel Penella, President of AMC Networks SVOD, noted, “Acorn TV and Sundance Now are truly honored to receive four of the five prestigious Edgar Award television nominations. Our services continue to lead the way for specialized streamers and these nominations validate our focus to exclusively premiere the very best in international crime drama for our subscribers. Line of Duty and Manhunt were the #1 BBC and ITV dramas of 2019, so Acorn TV is proud to provide our subscribers the exclusive U.S. premieres of the most popular and critically acclaimed British dramas available. With eleven Edgar nominations, Acorn TV is honored to be the Edgar Awards’ most nominated television distributor in the last five years. Additionally, Sundance Now is thrilled to have its first Edgar nominated series with its thrilling Nordic drama Wisting.”
From writer Ed Whitmore, British crime drama Manhunt was ITV’s highest rated drama launch in six years and one of the highest rated UK programs in 2019, and remains a top series on Acorn TV in the U.S. Called “Tremendously satisfying” and one of the best international series of 2019 by The New York Times, this true crime drama features Doc Martin star Martin Clunes as real-life detective DCI Colin Sutton who determinedly and tenaciously pursued serial killer Levi Bellfield (Trailer). 2020 Edgar® Award nominated is episode one.
Written by Kathrine Valen Zeiner & Trygve Allister Diesen, Nordic crime drama Wisting is now streaming on Sundance Now and was highly rated in its origin country. Called “Seamlessly woven thriller… superbly layered drama” by The Wall Street Journal, Wisting is set in the unique and stunning landscape of Norway and follows a recently widowed homicide detective William Wisting (Sven Nordin, Academy Award-nominated film Elling, Lilyhammer) as he wrestles with the most challenging and shocking case of his career: tracking down a wanted American serial killer living in Norway. A tough New York-based FBI agent, Maggie Griffiths, (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix trilogy, Memento, Jessica Jones) arrives to help hunt down the notorious killer – one that got away from her 20 years ago (Trailer). 2020 Edgar® Award nominated is episode one.
Named after renowned writer Edgar Allan Poe, The Edgar® Awards honors the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2019. The Edgar® Awards will be presented to the winners at our 74th Gala Banquet, April 30, 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.
Acorn TV is North America’s largest streaming service specializing in British and international television with over 1 million paid subscribers in the U.S and Canada. Acorn TV adds exclusive new programs every week to a deep library of mysteries, dramas, and comedies with no commercials. Coming up in 2020, Acorn TV will feature five commissioned series, including Irish period mystery series Dead Still, Irish comedy drama The South Westerlies, and New Zealand thriller The Sounds, as well as several returning favorites that include award-winning Australian drama Mystery Road and Canadian hit drama Murdoch Mysteries.
Sundance Now is for culture craving TV watchers looking for their next series to obsess over and offers a rich selection of original and exclusive series from engrossing true crime to heart-stopping dramas and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world, all streaming commercial-free. In the past year, Sundance Now has exclusively premiered several distinctive critically acclaimed Sundance Now Original Series, including supernatural thriller A Discovery of Witches starring Matthew Goode and Theresa Palmer; glamourous thriller Riviera starring Julia Stiles; British thriller The Cry starring Jenna Coleman; and French crime drama The Bureau, as well as exclusively streamed Emmy-winning comedy State of the Union starring Rosamund Pike and Chris O’Dowd.
Up next: Acorn TV features the exclusive U.S. premieres of Agatha Raisin, Series 3 (Feb. 10) starring Ashley Jensen; Irish psychological drama Blood, Series 2 (Mar. 9) starring Adrian Dunbar; Acorn TV’s first feature film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears continuing the popular Aussie series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (Mar 23) and critically acclaimed British drama Deadwater Fell (Apr. 6) starring David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Fight, Vera). While Sundance Now features Danish dramedy Couple Trouble (Feb. 6); Aussie drama Playing for Keeps (Feb. 20), and the season finales of true crime docuseries The Preppy Murder (Feb. 4), Wisting (Feb. 19), and exciting French crime drama The Red Shadow (Feb. 27).
ABOUT AMC NETWORKS
Known for its groundbreaking and celebrated original content, AMC Networks is the company behind the award-winning brands AMC, BBC AMERICA, IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, and IFC Films. Its diverse line-up of popular and critically-acclaimed series and independent films include Killing Eve, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, which has been the #1 show on basic cable television for nine consecutive years, as well as Portlandia, Brockmire, Love After Lockup, and the films Boyhood, Death of Stalin, and many more. Its original series Mad Men and Breaking Bad are widely recognized as being among the most influential and acclaimed shows in the history of TV. The Company also operates AMC Studios, its production business; AMC Networks International, its international programming business; the subscription streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now; Acorn TV; and UMC (Urban Movie Channel); and Levity Entertainment Group, the Company’s production services and comedy venues business. For more information, visit http://www.amcnetworks.com.