UK smash hit ‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’ confirms US premiere date on PBS
PBS has announced that they’ll be airing Mr Bates vs the Post Office in the US soon!
Dramatising one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history, ITV’s four-part mini-series has broken UK viewing records since it launched on New Year’s day.
The hit show was the talk of the country last month, leading to the Prime Minister announcing a new law to pardon the wrongly convicted victims.
After becoming ITV’s biggest new drama launch in over a decade with over 13 million viewers, beating the launch of Downton Abbey in 2010, it’s no surprise that the series has been snapped up quick by a US broadcaster.
“Yay! I’ve been wondering how I can watch this! Thank you, PBS Masterpiece!” wrote one excited fan on Facebook.
“I was hoping that PBS would pick this up. It’s just a shame that it took a tv drama to draw attention to a real life heartbreaking scandal,” said another user.
When’s the US release date?
It’s just been officially confirmed that Mr Bates vs The Post Office will premiere on Masterpiece on PBS at 9/8c on Sunday 7 April 2024.
All four episodes will also be available to stream on PBS.org, the PBS App and the PBS Masterpiece channel on Amazon Prime Video.
Created with direct input from the innocent people caught up in the scandal, Mr Bates vs The Post Office stars Toby Jones (Detectorists, Empire of Light) as the titular Mr Bates.
Rounding out the ensemble cast are Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack), Monica Dolan (The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe), Julie Hesmondhalgh (The Pact), Alex Jennings (Victoria), Ian Hart (The Responder), Lia Williams (The Crown), Will Mellor (Coronation Street), Clare Calbraith (Grace), Amit Shah (Happy Valley), Adam James (Vigil), and Katherine Kelly (Gentleman Jack).
“When money started to seemingly disappear from its local branches, the government-owned Post Office wrongly blamed their own managers for its apparent loss,” explains the official synopsis for Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
“For more than a decade, hundreds were accused of theft and fraud, and many were even sent to prison – leaving lives, marriages, and reputations in ruins. But the issue was actually caused by errors in the Post Office’s own computer system – something it denied for years.
“Revealing a shocking David vs. Goliath fight for justice, this is the story of the decent ordinary people who were relentlessly pursued, coerced and controlled by a powerful corporation, and their ongoing battle, against seemingly insurmountable odds, to right so many horrific wrongs.”
“Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a testament to the people who persisted in their search for truth and justice,” commented Susanne Simpson at Masterpiece.
“The producers of this powerful drama have reignited the public interest in the Subpostmasters’ 20-year quest for justice. I’m incredibly proud that Masterpiece will bring this story to the American audience,” she added.
It’s always a pleasure to see Lesley Nicol back on our screens, and we’re hoping she might make a return as Mrs Patmore if the rumoured seventh season of Downton Abbey goes ahead!
The complete Downton Abbey box set is available on DVD on Amazon.