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Britbox offers a wide variety of shows from the BBC, ITV and other content partners. (Courtesy image)

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) commercial arm BBC Studios is buying out peer broadcaster ITV’s stake in their streaming-focused joint venture Britbox International, the companies confirmed on Friday.

The announcement was made in a regulatory filing that affirmed BBC Studios will spend £225 million (around $321 million) to acquire ITV’s 50 percent stake in Britbox, giving BBC Studios full control of the streaming service.

As part of the deal, BritBox International CEO Reemah Sakaan will leave the company in the near future, with a new executive leadership team expected to be announced by the BBC in the coming days. She will remain with Britbox through the transitional period, the BBC said.

The deal values Britbox International at just north of £500 million (around $631 million).

“This is an important acquisition for us,” Tom Fussell, the CEO of BBC Studios,...

Rogers has added the Britbox streaming service on its Ignite platforms in Canada. (Courtesy graphic)

Rogers Communications has added hundreds of hours of British television series with the launch of Britbox on its connected TV systems in Canada.

Starting this month, Rogers customers with Ignite TV set-top boxes or Ignite Streaming devices, the latter of which is a white-label version of Comcast’s Flex smart TV box.

“This collaboration brings a rich tapestry of British storytelling – from classic British mysteries and contemporary dramas to live events and more – to an ever-growing app library, making it easier than ever for Rogers customers to access the ultimate entertainment experience,” a spokesperson for Rogers said in a statement.

Britbox operates as a streaming-focused joint venture comprised of the BBC and ITV, with original programs from both broadcasters distributed through the service. The service costs CA $10 per month (around U.S. $7.40 per month) or CA $100 per year (around U.

Earlier this year at Fantastic Fest, a lean-mean 86-minute stone-age horror/survival thriller called “The Origin” made its mark on the Austin-based genre film festival. Now retitled “Out Of Darkness,” the film, from Scottish writer/director Andrew Cumming (“Payback” “Beneath”) is coming out early next year.

Read More: The 21 Best Films Of 2023

The basic idea is spartan and simple.

Continue reading ‘Out Of Darkness’ Trailer: Bleecker Street’s Acclaimed Stone-Age Survival Thriller Opens In February at The Playlist.

Hollywood is overflowing with stories about films that took years of blood, sweat and tears to bring to the screen. Brian Helgeland’s Finestkind represents one of the longest kinds.

The Oscar-winning screenwriter of Mystic River and veteran director of such films as Legend, 42, A Knight’s Tale and Payback finished the script when he was 28. He’s now 62. “The joke is that I wrote it before Toby Wallace and Jenna Ortega were born and Ben Foster was 10 years old. It’s very strange, but everything happens for a reason. I just had to wait for this whole cast to grow up so I could cast them,” he explained at the film’s West Hollywood premiere on Tuesday referring to his actors who star opposite Tommy Lee Jones, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich and Clayne Crawford.

Finestkind, which hits Paramount+ on Dec. 15, tells the...

This Monday night at 10:00 Pm on TV One, crime enthusiasts can buckle up for the intense Season 2 Episode 13 of “Payback” titled “Eye for an Eye.” The episode thrusts viewers into the heart of a gripping investigation after a young man with a criminal history is shot and killed in broad daylight. Now, the challenge for investigators is to unravel the layers of the case and determine if the shooting was a random act or if it’s tied to a player from the victim’s troubled past seeking payback.

“Payback” continues its streak of delivering riveting crime narratives, exploring the complexities of justice and revenge. As the plot unfolds, audiences can expect a rollercoaster of emotions and a web of clues that keeps them on the edge of their seats. Tune in at 10:00 Pm for a thrilling episode that delves into the shadows of the past, posing the...

This Monday at 10:00 Pm on TV One, “Payback” Season 2 Episode 12, titled “I’m Not Scared,” presents a riveting story of justice and revenge. The episode unfolds two months after a man is acquitted of a murder charge, only to tragically become a victim of gun violence. The police are quick to suspect that the shooting is an act of revenge, sending shockwaves through both law enforcement and the community.

As the narrative intensifies, a startling revelation comes to light— the victim’s own cousin played a role in luring him to his untimely demise. The twist adds layers of complexity to the investigation, prompting questions about family loyalty and the intricate web of motives behind the act.

Tune in at 10:00 Pm for an episode that delves into the aftermath of a legal verdict and the consequences that follow, highlighting the blurred lines between justice and personal vendettas. “Payback” on...

For the past few years, Joel Silver has kept a relatively low profile, his most recent credit on the little-seen “SuperFly” remake of 2018. Still, the hard-charging producer behind some of the biggest hits of the ’80s and ’90s was attempting to mount a comeback. And his prospects looked promising with a series of feature film and TV projects at Amazon that were based on Donald E. Westlake’s Parker noir crime novels.

Alas, the Silver comeback has hit a snag. Sources say Amazon has fired the polarizing Hollywood figure from at least two films — one starring Mark Wahlberg, the other Jake Gyllenhaal — for being verbally abusive to two female executives. But sources close to Silver say Amazon is retaliating against the producer after he pushed back on the studio’s calls to use artificial intelligence to finish a movie during the strike. Amid the chaos, Silver’s longtime friend Robert Downey Jr....

As the streaming landscape continues to readjust after a turbulent few years, some platforms are riding the wave more comfortably than others. A case in point is SVOD service BritBox International, which was founded in 2017 as a joint venture by U.K. broadcasters ITV and BBC.

Available in eight markets outside the U.K. including the U.S., Canada and Australia, BritBox offers a uniquely specific output: namely, British content for international audiences. (A sister service with the same name operated solely by ITV is available in the U.K.).

In terms of genre, there’s everything from drama to soaps plus crime, comedy and what BritBox CEO Reemah Sakaan calls “British pastimes,” meaning shows about things like antiques and gardening. The streamer also boasts its own original content, such as upcoming Cary Grant biopic “Archie,” which stars Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter”) as the Hollywood legend.

“You look for real British specificity in the storytelling,...

This Monday on TV One, “Payback” unfolds Season 2 Episode 11, titled “Brother’s Keeper,” at 10:00 Pm. In this gripping episode, northern Virginia police find themselves entangled in a complex web of crime. The storyline kicks off when a gunshot victim is identified as a recent suspect in an earlier killing, raising questions about potential connections between the two incidents.

As the narrative unfolds, law enforcement grapples with the challenging task of determining whether these crimes are isolated acts of violence or if a more sinister motive, possibly rooted in revenge, binds them together. Viewers can anticipate a suspenseful and intense hour as the investigation unravels, revealing the intricate details of a case that blurs the lines between justice and personal vendettas.

Tune in on December 4, 2023, at 10:00 Pm for an episode that promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with its intricate plot and a captivating exploration of crime,...

Prepare for an intense episode of “Payback” as Season 2 unfolds its tenth chapter, aptly titled “Caught on Camera.” Scheduled to air on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 10:00 Pm on TV One, this gripping episode delves into a harrowing incident in Detroit that unravels a tale of tragedy, revenge, and deadly secrets.

The narrative kicks off with Detroit police responding to what seems like a routine accident. However, things take a sinister turn as they discover that the unresponsive driver, a father of six, wasn’t a victim of the crash but had fallen prey to a gunshot. As the investigation unfolds, the spotlight shifts to his former girlfriend, raising suspicions of a lethal vendetta.

“Caught on Camera” promises viewers a rollercoaster of emotions, blending suspense and intrigue as the police navigate through the chilling aftermath of the incident. Don’t miss this riveting episode that unveils a web of deception and vengeance,...

On Monday, November 20, 2023, at 10:00 Pm, TV One presents Season 2 Episode 9 of “Payback.” This episode explores murders driven by an intense desire for revenge, where individuals become so consumed with “getting even” that they cross moral boundaries in pursuit of ultimate retribution. The show adopts a straightforward narrative style, shedding light on the dark consequences of obsession and the extreme lengths some go to seek vengeance.

As with previous episodes, “Payback” maintains its focus on real-life cases, providing viewers with a glimpse into the chilling motivations that lead individuals to commit acts of violence in the name of payback. Expect a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche and the consequences of unchecked revenge.

Release Date & Time: 10:00 Pm Monday 20 November 2023 on TV One

Payback Cast – Season 2 Episode 9 Main Cast...

Warning: This article contains Major Spoilers for all six episodes of Payback

Now we’ve streamed all of ITV’s latest crime thriller Payback on Itvx, we’re really going to miss being thoroughly confused, because its six mega-twisty episodes kept us guessing right to the end.

Writer Debbie O’Malley left no plot stone unturned in newly widowed Lexie’s quest to find out who killed her accountant husband Jared and just what he’d done with £27 million of crime lord Cal Morris’ hard-crimed cash.

In fact, the only questions we’ve got are: how did they manage to make financial crimes so exciting? How was Cal so terrifying, and yet so unfathomably likeable? And – after she spent all six episodes wearing a distinctive olive green number – does Lexie not own more than one coat?

We can’t answer these questions, but if you’re still curious about some of...

To celebrate the release of WWE: Payback 2023 on DVD now, we’re giving away DVDs to two lucky winners!

John Cena hosts one of the most exciting WWE events of the year! WWE’s top Superstars put it all on the line for Payback, including two Match of the Year contenders — a chaotic cage match and wild street fight — and a gripping collision for the World Heavyweight Championship! Featuring Seth Rollins, Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch, LA Knight and more!

Match Highlights:

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Street Fight for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Finn Bálor & Damian Priest

Women’s World Heavyweight Championship Match

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Steel Cage Match

Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch

United States Championship Match

Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Austin Theory

LA Knight vs. The Miz… with special guest referee John Cena!

To celebrate the release of WWE: Payback on DVD we are giving away a DVD copy.

John Cena hosts one of the most exciting WWE events of the year! WWE’s top Superstars put it all on the line for Payback, including two Match of the Year contenders — a chaotic cage match and wild street fight — and a gripping collision for the World Heavyweight Championship! Featuring Seth Rollins, Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch, LA Knight and more!

Match Highlights: World Heavyweight Championship Match – Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Street Fight for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship – Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. Finn Bálor & Damian Priest Women’s World Heavyweight Championship Match – Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez Steel Cage Match – Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch United States Championship Match – Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory LA Knight vs. The Miz… with special guest referee John Cena!

Payback 2023 is available to buy...

When it comes to intrigue and drama, bookkeepers don’t instantly spring to mind. But Payback, the latest series from the team behind the monster hit Line of Duty, centers on a widow, Lexie Noble, who learns her just-murdered husband—an accountant—was mixed up with the Scottish underworld. “[Her] life implodes overnight after she discovers the life she has been living has possibly been funded by dirty money,” executive producer Madonna Baptiste says. She calls the six-episode tale a “thriller seen through the eyes of an ordinary woman thrown into an extraordinarily dangerous world.” Indeed, an impatient crime boss threatens her family, demanding she find the millions her husband apparently embezzled. But the mom of two is reluctant to go to the police, who suspect her of killing her spouse. According to Baptiste, writer Debbie O’Malley (All Creatures Great and Small) “was surprised to find out how much of ...

A character describes the complicated process of a financial transfer to another character in ITV’s latest crime drama miniseries, Payback. The person to whom it is being explained wonders if the process is too confusing. The word he specifically uses is “convoluted”. I would describe the plot of Payback with the same words, but I would preface it by adding a “needlessly” before it. I admit that I don’t exactly understand the nitty-gritty of finance, but I am sure that’s the case for most of the viewers other than people working in that field. The thing is, Payback has a lot of money-related matters going on in its narrative, and it throws around quite a lot of jargon, which kind of goes over your head. It would have been alright if all these were actually important to understand the main plot, but as you keep watching the series,...

Bloody Disgusting has learned the sad news this week that Waxwork (1988) director Anthony Hickox, who was prolific in the ’80s and ’90s, has passed away at the age of 64 years old.

Deadline reports, “Hickox had spent his recent years in Romania, where police found him dead last week at his house in Bucharest after friends had reported not seeing him for some time, according to close friend and InterTalent Rights Group CEO Jonathan Shalit.”

In addition to Waxwork, a favorite among the staff here at Bloody Disgusting, Anthony Hickox also directed the film’s only sequel, Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992).

Hickox also directed a slew of other horror movies around the same time, including the Bruce Campbell-starring Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), and Warlock: The Armageddon (1993), as well as the 1990s films Full Eclipse (1993), Payback (1995), Invasion of Privacy (1996), and Storm Catcher (1999).

Anthony Hickox...

Murder, money laundering, and people trying to one up each other—that’s how I would describe ITV’s latest crime drama Payback. The plot of the show is extremely dense and often confusing. But it does offer clarity to the audience in the end, nonetheless. In this article, I am going to make an attempt to simplify things for you and analyze the Payback‘s twisted ending.

Lexie Noble’s seemingly normal life turns upside down when her husband Jared gets murdered by random goons while buying cigarettes. She witnesses the whole thing going down and fails to save him. Jared was an accountant who seemed to be doing really well with the accounting firm, which he started with Lexie, an accountant herself. But Lexie soon finds out that she is in severe monetary trouble, as Jared apparently hasn’t left her anything.

Spoilers Ahead

Who Is Cal Morris,...

Crime is in the air this week, so who better to draft in than the queen of crime, Steph Seelan? Steph holds down the fort for Kay as we find trouble at the gym with Mrs Sidhu Investigates on Drama, a villainous Peter Mullen after his money in Payback on ITV, and a teen drama about reintegrating into secondary school life with Everything Now on Netflix. Plus Morven Christie drops by to talk to Boydy, and we mull over the most magnetic actors on screen.

Listen to the episode on :a[your podcast app of choice]{href='https://podfollow.com/pilot-tv-podcast' } or the player above. And if you want to subscribe to Pilot TV+, :a[find all the details here]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/pilottv/' }.

As the WWE Superstars head to Pittsburgh, Penn. for this Sunday’s premium live event, Payback is on the minds of Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, Seth “Freakin’” Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, and more. We’ll also see the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn take on The Judgement Day in a “Steel City Street Fight.” You can watch WWE Payback 2023 this Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. Et on Peacock. Stream the action live with a Subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch WWE Payback 2023 When: Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. Et Where: Peacock Streaming: Watch with a Subscription to Peacock. Sign Up $5.99+ / month peacocktv.com About WWE Payback 2023

Payback 2023’s main event likely won’t have any titles on the line — but it will seek to end a blood feud between two of the greatest female Superstars of all time. Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus...