The BBC will be screening some of its most popular shows in the Ultra HD format over the Christmas holiday period.
Christmas Premiers including A Very British Scandal, starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany as the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, and psychological thriller The Girl Before, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo, about a woman who moves into a strange house designed by an enigmatic architect will be available in Ultra HD as part of 1,000 boxsets that are being made available.
Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer said: “For many of us, those precious days over the Christmas break are all about being curled up on the sofa with a box set. And this is a truly outstanding part of the BBC’s festive season. We’ve got over a thousand box sets ready to stream – more than ever before. So always something to watch, whoever you are and whatever you’re into.”
Around the World in 80 Days is a brand-new adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, and stars David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma and Leonie Benesch as the intrepid threesome Phileas Fogg, Passepartout and Abigail ‘Fix’ Fortescue. The first episodes will be available from Boxing Day, and it will be a boxset on iPlayer in the new year.
Also in the new year, iPlayer will have mystery thriller The Tourist available as a boxset and in Ultra HD as Jamie Dornan stars as a man searching for his identity through the vast and unforgiving Australian outback.
There are also festive specials from Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, Death in Paradise, Ghosts, Mandy, and Not Going Out.
A selection of films are also available on iPlayer, including A Star is Born, Mary Poppins Returns, Blade Runner 2049, Ready Player One, both recent Spider-Man films, Far From Home and Homecoming, and Christmas rom-com Last Christmas.