The AMC+ series Dark Winds, which is executive produced by Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin, and has managed a 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Photo / Supplied
The local streaming market just got a little more crowded, with US network AMC launching its AMC+ service in NZ today.
AMC already offers two streaming services here, both priced at $7.99 per month: Acorn TV, which specialises in British television, particularly Midsomer Murders-style UK TV mysteries, and Shudder, which specialises in horrors.
The new, $9.99/month AMC+ will bundle Acorn and Shudder, plus movies and series - including Dark Winds, a series executive-produced by Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin - even if it's set in a different universe (it's a psychological thriller that follows two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest). Dark Winds has managed a 100 per cent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. (See AMC+'s featured lineup below).
AMC+ is available via the web or Apple and Android devices. In terms of usability and picture quality, it's a couple of steps behind the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Amazon's Prime Video and Apple TV+ in that there's no support for 4K high definition or smart TV apps (though the latter is promised "soon").
There are no immediate plans for a cheaper, ad-supported plan, as Netflix will introduce shortly, or for a Disney+ style move to add a more expensive, commercial-free plan while advertising is added to plans at its current pricing.
Because nothing can be simple in the world of streaming, the New Zealand version of AMC+ features one of AMC's best-known series, Mad Men (which has previously streamed on TVNZ+), but two of AMC's highest-profile hits, Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul, remain on Sky TV's Neon streaming platform.
A Sky spokesperson said Sky acquired local rights through an international distributor, and is unaffected by the launch of AMC+ in NZ.
And while TVNZ loses AMC's Mad Men, it will (stay with me) soon screen the latest series of AMC's Walking Dead, even if various spinoffs to the Walking Dead franchise will now appear exclusively on AMC+
Sky took a hit with the global launch of Disney+, which saw Disney withdraw most of its content from Sky and its peers around the world.
But Sky has otherwise managed to, so far, adroitly negotiate the rise of direct-to-consumer services - which have become something of a craze since Disney+ succeeded beyond anyone's expectations (in the June quarter, Netflix lost 1 million subs to finish at 220.7 million, while Disney added 14.4 million to nose ahead for the first time with 221.1 million total streaming subs - 151 million for Disney+ and the balance for Hulu and ESPN).
Sky has managed to keep rights to HBO, ESPN and Paramount content through the recent global expansion of HBO Max, ESPN+ and Paramount+.
The pay-TV provider is also angling to become a one-stop shop for content with its soon-to-be-released Android-powered Sky Box, which will allow its customers to add Netflix, Disney+, Amazon's Prime Video, Spark Sport Now, or indeed any streaming service offered to Kiwi's via Google's app store. And, yup, that will include AMC+ (you'll have to pay the usual monthly fee for each streaming service).
Sky's problem, though, will be whether the horse has already bolted, given the number of households that have already upgraded to smart TVs that offer easy access to the various streaming services.
And, more, the rise and rise of direct-to-consumer apps. At some point, HBO and others might want to follow Disney and make their own global streaming services the exclusive home of their content, without anyone else clipping the ticket.
Sky's plan will be to focus on being the king of convenience for access to entertainment content, and to hold on tight to local sports rights.
Source: AMC
Acorn TV ($7.99/month or bundled with the $9.99/month AMC+) offers exclusive originals, addictive dramas, arresting mysteries and more from Britain and beyond, including fan favourites such as Midsomer Murders, Vera, Agatha Christie's Marple, Shetland, Endeavour, Grantchester, Lewis, Inspector Morse and Poldark. The service also features a wide range of Acorn TV Originals, including Harry Wild, Recipes for Love and Murder, Darby and Joan, Hidden Assets, The Madame Blanc Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl, The Chelsea Detective, Queens of Mystery and Signora Volpe, among many others.
Shudder (also $7.99/month or bundled with the $9.99/month AMC+) offers the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural, from Hollywood favourites and cult classics to original series, documentaries and critically acclaimed new original movies. Popular series include Creepshow, The Boulet Brothers' Dragula, The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time and Slasher: Flesh and Blood, exclusive films include Mad God, Glorious and What Josiah Saw and documentaries include This is GWAR and Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, among many others.
Tales of the Walking Dead – A new AMC Studios-produced series in the expanding universe around The Walking Dead franchise. Tales of the Walking Dead is an episodic anthology series with one-hour standalone episodes focused on both new and established characters set in the world of the original series, the most successful in the history of US cable television. The series stars Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna), Parker Posey (Lost in Space), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) and Olivia Munn (The Newsroom), among many others. Collider called the new series "genuinely unexpected and inventive." Series premiere available at launch with new episodes each Thursday until 27 Oct.
Firebite – An AMC+ Original series offering a high-octane, highly original spin on the vampire genre that follows two Indigenous Australian vampire hunters, Tyson (Rob Collins, Extraction) and Shanika (new Indigenous Australian star Shantae Barnes-Cowan) on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the South Australian desert. The series is created and written by Australia's celebrated Indigenous auteur voice, Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah), who also directs along with Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards) and Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man). The series also stars Yael Stone (Orange is the New Black) and Callan Mulvey (Avengers: End Game) in leading roles. The Guardian said the series "reinvents the vampire genre for the Australian outback." Full series available now.
Moonhaven – An AMC+ Original series that centres on Bella Sway (Emma McDonald, Queens of Mystery), a lunar cargo pilot and smuggler who finds herself accused of a crime and marooned on Moonhaven, a utopian community set on a 500 square mile Garden of Eden built on the Moon to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth. A sceptic in Paradise, Bella is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of the artificial intelligence responsible for Moonhaven's miracles and teams with a local detective to stop the forces that want to destroy Earth's last hope before they are destroyed themselves. The suspense thriller is from creator/showrunner Peter Ocko (Lodge 49) and stars Dominic Monaghan (Lost) and Joe Manganiello (True Blood). Variety said the show has a "tight, brisk narrative that lends each of the six episodes an electrifying cliffhanger." Full series available now.
Dark Winds – Based on the iconic Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman, AMC+ Original series Dark Winds is a psychological thriller that follows two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest, as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts. Executive produced by Emmy®-winner George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Oscar®-winner Robert Redford, the series is created and executive produced by Graham Roland (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) and stars Zahn McClarnon (The Son), who is also an executive producer, and Kiowa Gordon (The Red Road). Vince Calandra (Castle Rock) is showrunner and executive producer, and Chris Eyre is director and executive producer. Rolling Stone said the series "looks and feels like no other crime story on television." Full series available now.
That Dirty Black Bag – A raw, epic and romantic eight-part AMC+ Original series about the dark side of the Far West, That Dirty Black Bag features an ensemble cast led by Dominic Cooper (Preacher) and Douglas Booth (The Dirt). Paying homage to the classic spaghetti western, the story follows the eight-day clash between Arthur McCoy (Cooper), an incorruptible sheriff with a troubled past, and Red Bill (Booth), an infamous, solitary bounty hunter known for decapitating his victims and stuffing their heads into a dirty black bag, because, as he puts it: "heads weigh less than bodies." The Wall Street Journal called the series "both entertaining and intriguing." Full series available now.
61st Street – An AMC+ Original series, 61st Street is a propulsive thriller coursing through the dark heart of the infamous Chicago criminal justice system as police and prosecutors investigate a deadly drug bust that threatens to unravel the police department's code of silence. The series stars Emmy® Award-winner Courtney B. Vance (Lovecraft Country), Emmy® Award-nominee Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us), Mark O'Brien (City on a Hill), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), Tosin Cole (Doctor Who), Andrene Ward-Hammond (Your Honor) and Bentley Green (Snowfall). The Chicago Sun-Times said the drama is an "expertly crafted production with docudrama-style cinematography." Full series available now.
Kin – In this AMC+ Original series, after a boy is killed, his family embarks on a gangland war with an international cartel –a war that is impossible to win. It's David and Goliath. Out-numbered, out-financed and out-gunned, the Kinsellas find themselves holed up in their Dublin stronghold while their businesses fail and family members and associates are picked off. But they have something the cartel does not: the unbreakable bonds of blood and family. Kin is a world where gangsters are treated like reality stars, with nicknames and celebrity status, where assassins dress up as women, and drug dealers keep exotic pets in their den. A world of drugs and guns and murder and loyalty and family and men...and a woman. The stellar cast includes Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire), Clare Dunne (Herself), Aidan Gillen (The Wire) and Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones). Forbes called the series a "uniquely gripping and emotional crime drama." Full series available now.
The Beast Must Die – After learning the police investigation into the fatal hit and run of her young son Martie has been dropped, Frances Cairnes (Cush Jumbo, The Good Wife) takes matters into her own hands in this AMC+ Original series. Posing as a novelist researching a new murder-mystery, Frances ingratiates herself with the family of George Rattery (Jared Harris, Mad Men), the man she suspects is responsible, and sets a plan in action to kill him. She's tracked by detective Nigel Strangeways (Billy Howle, The Serpent), who has reason to believe his department covered up George's involvement in the incident. Suffering from PTSD following the recent death of his partner, Strangeways throws himself into pursuing justice for Martie. But when he discovers an "undercover" Frances living with George and his family, he finds himself working to both prove George's guilt and head off Frances's plans for revenge before anyone else dies. IndieWire said the series is "an intense and reflective tale of grief, vengeance and privilege." Full series available now.
Cold Courage – Based on the award-winning novels from Finnish journalist Pekka Hiltunen, Cold Courage follows two Nordic women – Mari (Pihla Viitala, Deadwind), a fierce psychologist fighting for the underdog by any means necessary and Lia (Sofia Pekkari, Wallander), a shy graphic artist on the run from an abusive stalker – as they collide during a series of murders in present-day London. Drawn together through a clandestine group called the "Studio," they seek to right the wrongs of the powerful, influential and corrupt – starting with the dangerous, charismatic politician Arthur Fried (John Simm, Doctor Who), campaigning to put the 'Great' back into Great Britain. The New York Post said the series has "action, tension and an air of mystery providing the key ingredients needed to season this dependable thriller." Full series available now.
Anna – This AMC+ Original Limited Series tells the dystopian story of a world ravaged by a virus which kills adults but spares children, written and directed by Niccolò Ammaniti (who authored the critically-acclaimed and best-selling novel of the same name). Set on the island of Sicily, the crumbling hulks of shopping malls and abandoned cities pierce deserted wide-open spaces in a world reclaimed by nature and run by savage communities of survivors, most of whom are children. Anna (played by newcomer Giulia Dragotto) only has one guide: a book left by her mother with instructions on how to survive. But, with each passing day she discovers that the old rules no longer apply and instead has to devise new ones as she goes along in this Italian language drama that Wired called "a shocking and visionary series." Full series available now.
Pantheon - An AMC+ Original animated series based on a collection of short stories from Ken Liu. Pantheon focuses on Maddie (Katie Chang), a bullied teen who receives mysterious help from someone online. The stranger is soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David (Daniel Dae Kim), whose consciousness has been uploaded to the 'Cloud' following an experimental destructive brain scan. David is the first of a new kind of being: an "Uploaded Intelligence" or "UI," but he will not be the last, as a global conspiracy unfolds that threatens to trigger a new kind of world war. Additional cast includes William Hurt (Black Widow), Maude Apatow (Euphoria), Corey Stoll (Billions), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), and Taylor Schilling (Orange Is The New Black). Time Magazine called it a "gripping, cerebral, remarkably high-concept animated sci-fi series." First half of Season 1 available at launch with new episodes premiering each Thursday until 13 Oct.
True Crime Story: It Couldn't Happen Here - New York Times Best-Selling Author and actress Hilarie Burton Morgan (The Walking Dead) visits different small US towns to shine light on the ways crime impacts rural communities and their judicial systems. Too often the heartbreaking events in these towns are overlooked because they lack the media platforms and advocacy resources found in larger cities. In each episode, Hilarie hears the facts of the case from family members and local insiders to understand the challenges the community faced investigating the crime, learns the lasting impact the crime has had on the fabric of the town, and calls attention to where justice currently stands. First half of Season 1 available at launch with new episodes premiering each Thursday until 13 Oct.
Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire – Based on Anne Rice's iconic, bestselling novel, Interview with the Vampire is an AMC+ Original series that follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson, Game of Thrones), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid, Belle) and Claudia (Bailey Bass, Avatar: The Way of Water) in an epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, Talk Radio). Chafing at the limitations of life as a Black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat's offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion. But Louis' intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat's newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement. Executive produced by award winning producer Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad), creator and showrunner Rolin Jones (Perry Mason), along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice, the series' first season consists of seven episodes. Debuts 2 October simultaneously with the US premiere with new episodes streaming each Sunday.
Documentary Now! – Created, written and executive produced by the powerhouse comedic trio and Saturday Night Live alumni Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and Seth Meyers, the Emmy® Award-nominated series parodies some of the world's best-known documentaries. Starring Armisen and Hader, each episode is shot in a different style of documentary filmmaking and honours some of the most important stories that didn't actually happen. The critically acclaimed series also stars Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen) and guest stars a wide array of well-known celebrities, including Jack Black (Tenacious D), John Slattery (Mad Men), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) and many others. The upcoming season guest stars Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman), Cate Blanchett (Carol), and Trystan Gravelle (Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power). Seasons 1-3 available at launch with Season 4 (aka Season 53) premiering on 19 October with new episodes each Wednesday.
Sherman's Showcase - Created by and starring Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle, this Emmy® Award-winning show features witty sketches, cultural nostalgia and original songs that earned the series a 100% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A-list guest stars include John Legend, Tiffany Haddish, Common, Quincy Jones, Marlon Wayans and many more. The Washington Post called the show "consistently funny." Season 1 available at launch with Season 2 premiering 26 Oct.
True Crime Story: Indefensible - Academy Award® nominee Jena Friedman travels the US to unspool real cases on the ground, but unlike most true crime shows, this one doesn't end when the criminal gets locked up. Jena finds there's always more to the story and drives to a different outcome beyond the simple whodunnit. Using her unflinching comedic point of view and disarming interview skills, Jena uncovers the "why" and "how," not only of crimes themselves but of the dysfunction within the criminal justice system. First half of Season 1 available at launch with new episodes premiering 27 Oct.
Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches – The second series in the expanding Anne Rice universe, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches will follow Interview with the Vampire exclusively on AMC+. Based on the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy, the first season of eight episodes will be produced by AMC Studios. The series will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon (Alexandra Daddario, The White Lotus) who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations. Esta Spalding (Masters of Sex) and Michelle Ashford (John Adams) are both executive producers and writers of the series, with Spalding also serving as showrunner. Premieres in 2023.
The Walking Dead: Dead City - A new AMC+ Original series set in The Walking Dead Universe, starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The Walking Dead: Dead City follows the popular Maggie and Negan characters travelling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror. The first season will consist of six episodes. Eli Jorné, who has been a writer and co-executive producer on The Walking Dead for multiple seasons and has an overall deal with AMC Studios, will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the series, which is overseen by Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead Universe. Cohan and Morgan will also serve as executive producers. Premieres in 2023.
Untitled The Walking Dead Universe Series - Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira will reunite for a new series in the expanding universe around The Walking Dead. The series will continue the journey and love story of the Rick Grimes and Michonne characters. Lincoln and Gurira have been actively involved in conceiving the creative and the continuation of their characters' story. Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead Universe, will serve as showrunner on the series, which will begin with six episodes. Lincoln and Gurira are both executive producers. The series will present an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead... And ultimately, a war against the living. Premieres in 2023.
The council has also been served with judicial review proceedings.