“Avoidance,” featuring BAFTA-winning British comedian Romesh Ranganathan, will premiere on BritBox International in North America and South Africa in September.
Created and written by Ranganathan and Benjamin Green (“Romantic Getaway”) and starring Ranganathan (BBC’s “The Ranganation,” Netflix special “The Cynic”), the series follows anti-hero Jonathan who is struggling to get back on his feet after breaking up with partner Claire (Jessica Knappett, “Ghosts”). After Claire has accused him of being impossible to live with and keen to avoid conflict at all costs, Jonathan moves in with his sister (Mandeep Dhillon, “CSI: Vegas”) and her wife (Lisa McGrillis, “Mum”). For the sake of his nine-year-old son, Spencer, Jonathan starts to rebuild his life and pull himself together.
The series will premiere Sept. 20. “Avoidance” is also available on BritBox in Australia.
BritBox will also debut Season 2 of “The Curse” on September 6. Set 18 months after the first season, which saw the show’s cast accidentally pull off the biggest gold heist in history, this time the action moves to Spain’s Costa del Crime where Albert Fantoni (Allan Mustafa, “Love Wedding Repeat”), Natasha (Emer Kenny, “Karen Pirie”), Mick (Tom Davis, “Murder in Successville”) and crew once again find themselves in way over their heads. The series is also available in Australia.
This fall, the service will add a new four-episode mini-series to its “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” library. Starring Brendan O’Carroll in his drag persona, Mrs. Agnes Brown, the series revolves around the loud-mouthed Irish matriarch, whose favorite pastime is meddling in the lives of her six children and her friends.
“Comedy has always been a crown jewel in BritBox’s breadth of quality TV, reflecting the enduring love for British wit and humor across the world,” said Reemah Sakaan, CEO, BritBox International. “With ‘Avoidance,’ ‘The Curse,’ ‘The IT Crowd’ and ‘Mrs. Brown’s Boys’ joining our collection of long-time comedy favorites and line-up of fresh new talent, we are on a mission to bring a subscription full of smiles to our fans.”
Over the last six months, subscribers for the “best of British” streamer, which is backed internationally by BBC and ITV, grew 7% to 3.2 million, ITV’s recent half-yearly results revealed.
“Avoidance,” which premiered on BBC One in the U.K. in 2022, is a BritBox original in the U.S., produced by Ranga Bee Productions and CPL Productions with BBC Studios handling global distribution. BritBox International licenses “The Curse” from Banjiay Rights, “The IT Crowd” from Fremantle and the BBC Studios’ Comedy production of “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” from BOXPIC Limited.
