BBC Thriller 'Boat Story' to Stream on Amazon Freevee
Paterson Joseph and Daisy Haggard in "Boat Story"
(Photo: BBC)
If you are an Anglophile who hasn't heard of Amazon Freevee — or the concept of FAST channels, which are essentially free streaming channels supported by ads — it's probably time to start learning about them. A fast-growing free streaming niche, FAST apps like Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV are rapidly growing in popularity and adding tons of content of interest to those who love British television. (Pluto TV's Classic Doctor Who channel is pretty fantastic, even if it does seem to show "Time and the Rani" a truly ridiculous amount.)
Amazon's FAST app — Freevee — already includes channels for everything from Midsomer Murders to the U.K. version of Antiques Roadshow, but it also appears as though it aims to become a destination for new content in addition to its stable of old favorites. The service has acquired the rights to the upcoming BBC thriller Boat Story, which will make its U.S. premiere on Freevee following its U.K. broadcast later this year.
The series stars Paterson Joseph (Vigil) and Daisy Haggard (Breeders) as Samuel and Janet, two strangers who can't believe their luck when they stumble upon a shipwrecked boat full of cocaine. Since they're both badly struggling, they agree to sell the drugs and split the cash, an amount of money that could easily change both their lives. However, they quickly find themselves entangled with the police, masked hit men, and a sharp-suited gangster known only as “The Tailor.” When they are pushed to the very edge, can they trust each other and get away with their lives and money?
Alongside Joseph and Haggard, the series ensemble includes Tcheky Karyo (The Missing), Joanna Scanlan (The Larkins), Craig Fairbrass (A Violent Man), and Phil Daniels (House of the Dragon).
Boat Story is written by Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste), who also directed block one of the series, with Alice Troughton helming block two and Daniel Nettheim taking over for block three. The series is produced by the Williams' award-winning production company, Two Brothers Pictures (The Tourist), in association with All3Media international.
“We loved making The Tourist and Boat Story picks up where that left off – tonally at least," the brothers said in a statement when the series was announced. "It’s a morality tale and a thriller and other things that make it hard to define even though we seem to be attempting to define it. It’s full of vulnerable, messed up and eccentric characters and we’ve cast some of our favourite actors to play them. We are excited to bring this to life along with our fellow directors.
Both Harry and Jack Williams, alongside Christopher Aird (Liar), Sarah Hammond (Fleabag) and Daniel Walker (The Tourist) serve as executive producers for Two Brothers Pictures, with Tommy Bulfin and Nawfal Faizullah as executive producers for the BBC. Matthew Bird (Isolation Stories) is the series' producer.
Boat Story is set to premiere this autumn on BBC One and will stream on Amazon Freevee in the U.S. at a later date.
