Latest news with #MrBatesvsThePostOffice
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
'One of the most important British dramas ever made' joins major streamer
A 'riveting' British drama that has been hailed for 'uncovering corruption at the highest level' has been added to a major streaming platform. Starring the likes of Will Mellor, Toby Jones and Monica Dolan, Mr Bates vs The Post Office took the nation by storm following its release last year, and launched one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history back into the spotlight. Following the story of former sub postmaster Alan Bates, who lost his Post Office in north Wales after being accused of theft, he discovers how hundreds of others were affected by the scandal despite not doing anything wrong. Dozens of innocent people were convicted of theft, lost their homes and went into debt and 236 went to prison. Four people also took their own lives. The programme prompted public outrage and help put the Horizon scandal under the spotlight. Now, however, the 'absolutely brilliant' series is available to watch on Disney Plus. Writing on google reviews, Mrs Franczak said: 'ITV's superlative drama will touch the British people. 'It has such resonance because it speaks to our times – it is about what is wrong with our society – the one where the villains in elite positions get away with their vile oppressive greed and unjustified power – people who are never brought to account even when there is a public Inquiry. 'It could have been you or it could have been me- it was the little people who suffered -people who we know, ordinary folks who just wanted to run a post office and got caught up in a nightmare of bureaucratic oppression, monumental injustice, incredible incompetence, bullyin [and] lies. 'Beautifully written. ITV should be very proud… Lets have the next chapter please and a film or five!' Mick also described it as 'brilliantly depicted but sickening to watch'. 'How could they so horrendously blight the lives of those 'little people' just to save 'the brand',' he said. 'I found the whole mini series riveting, bursting with human drama and have watched it again since its initial airing. 'I think that it provided some real insight as to the low, brutal tactics that an organisation like the Post Office (which remarkably seems to have the power to be both poacher and gamekeeper) with almost bottomless financial rescources will employ in pursuit of their objectives, no matter the consequences for the innocent 'little people'. 'I for one fought back the tears more than once during the mini series and I defy any-one with as much as half a heart not to do the same.' Paul S added: 'Absolutely brilliant because it shows just how much we, as a population are controlled from above. 'The sub posmasters of this country put everything into a one sided, misguided contract that is then abused by the Post Office to take down anyone they choose. 'Mr Bates is our Erin Brockovitch. This is must see TV that continually raises questions and proves corruption at the highest level. My praise to the cast and the production team and my heartfelt sympathy for the real life individuals affected by Horizon.' Writing on X @steve220459 also commented: 'Rarely has a factual drama fired me up as much as Mr Bates versus The Post Office. 'Ordinary decent working people whose lives have been utterly wrecked. This will surely place the matter at the centre of the public consciousness. Senior Post Office officials need investigating.' Meanwhile, @guyrowlanduk wrote: 'Congrats to Mr Bates vs The Post Office for their well deserved special award. 'One of the most important British dramas ever made. 'Over four consecutive nights, an audience that grew from 3.9 million to an eventual 15 million watched on in horror'.' The addition of the ITV drama to Disney Plus comes as part of a 'first-of-its-kind' deal between the two streaming services who are joining forces to share a curated and regularly refreshed selection of hit shows and movies across both platforms at no extra cost. This means that ITVX viewers will be introduced to a 'rotating rail' of Disney Plus content, titled 'Taste of Disney+', which started on July 16. More Trending The selection over the coming months includes critically acclaimed and award-winning titles such as The Bear, Andor and Only Murders in the Building, as well as reality hits such as The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and The Kardashians. At the same time, Disney Plus customers in the UK will be able to stream some ITV content on the platform, under the banner 'Taste of ITVX', at no extra cost. This includes multi-award-winning drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends, reality hit Love Island and popular crime dramas like Endeavour, Vera and Karen Pirie. Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to watch on Disney Plus and ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Post Office systems down after outage hits branches MORE: Jeremy Clarkson is launching 'ruthless' Who Wants To Be A Millionaire ITV spin-off series MORE: I'm a TV critic – I was so wrong about Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Disney and UK's ITV tie-up in joint streaming deal
U.S. entertainment giant Walt Disney and British broadcaster ITV will carry a selection of each other's shows on their respective streaming platforms, Disney+ and ITVX, to help attract new audiences, the companies said on Thursday. Disney+ customers in Britain will be able to stream drama "Mr Bates vs The Post Office", reality show "Love Island" and thriller "Spy Among Friends" and other shows on the platform at no extra cost under the banner " A Taste of ITVX ", they said. At the same time, ITVX viewers will be able to view a rotating selection of Disney+ shows, branded " A Taste of Disney+ ", which will include in the coming months the first seasons of "The Bear" and "Only Murders in the Building" at no cost. Both companies are focused on building their streaming audiences in an increasingly crowded field that also includes Netflix, Amazon Prime and the BBC's iPlayer. Disney offers three subscription plans in Britain, with the cheapest carrying ads. ITVX is predominantly ad-supported, although a minority of viewers pay for a premium ad-free service. ITV will sell the advertising for "A Taste of Disney+" on ITVX, and Disney will do likewise for the ITVX selection on Disney+ standard with ads, the companies said.
South Wales Argus
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Disney+ and ITV announce brand new streaming partnership
The "first-of-its-kind" initiative will see the development of a promotional selection called a 'Taste of ITVX' and a 'Taste of Disney+' on both sites. Starting on Wednesday, July 16, a curated and regularly refreshed selection of hit shows and movies from Disney+ and ITVX will be available to viewers on both platforms. ITV and Disney+ Plus announce new streaming partnership Disney+ customers in the UK will be able to stream some of ITV 's "most acclaimed" scripted and unscripted content. This includes the award-winning drama 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' and selected seasons of the hit reality show 'Love Island'. At the same time, ITVX users will be able to enjoy 'The Bear', the Star Wars series 'Andor' and the popular mystery programme 'Only Murders in the Building'. There will also be a number of reality shows like 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' and 'The Kardashians" as well as family favourites like 'Lilo and Stitch: The Series'. Joe Earley, President, Direct-to-Consumer at Disney Entertainment, said: 'We are proud of this innovative collaboration with ITV, which will allow us to bring Disney+ customers some of the UK's favourite and buzzworthy shows and encourage ITVX viewers to discover some of Disney+'s award-winning series and blockbuster films.' Recommended Reading: Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at ITV, added: 'Disney are fantastic partners with a brilliant breadth of content. "This mutually beneficial alliance allows us to show our complementary audiences a specially selected collection of titles, regularly updating, that gives a flavour of the range in our respective offerings. "For us, this deal means even more great content for viewers on ITVX, and even more opportunity for viewers to find and enjoy our distinctive titles and services.'
Mint
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
ITV and Disney+ join forces: Love Island USA fans can now stream it somewhere new
Love Island USA fans, we have some interesting news in store for you. The show can now be streamed on Disney+. No, this is not a drill. ITVX and The Walt Disney Company have joined hands for some super entertainment for all fans. Titled as A Taste of ITVX and A Taste of Disney+ and releasing on July 16, the initiative will give UK audience access to hit shows. For Love Island USA fans, this means they will have a chance to catch up on all the controversies featured in the reality show, from Cierra Ortega's exit to the dumping of Hannah Fields by other contestants. Disney+ users in the UK will soon be able to watch popular titles like Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Love Island USA and A Spy Among Friends. And, that too at no extra cost. On the other hand, popular shows from Disney+ will soon be available to ITVX viewers through a special rotating collection. The selection, free to access, will include The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, The Kardashians and more. 'This mutually beneficial alliance allows us to show our complementary audiences a specially selected collection of titles,' said Kevin Lygo, the managing director of media and entertainment at ITV. 'For us, this deal means even more great content for viewers on ITVX, and even more opportunities for viewers to find and enjoy our distinctive titles and services," he added. According to The Guardian, ITVX closed the year to March on a high note, clocking 14.3 million monthly users and 1.7 billion hours of streamed content. In contrast, Disney+, which continues to trail behind Netflix and Amazon in the UK, is hoping that its new partnership with ITV will help pull in a wider, more diverse audience. Season 7 of Love Island USA is currently available to watch on Peacock. Starting July 16, you can watch Love Island USA Season 7 on Disney+. It's a content swap where each platform offers select shows for free.
Engadget
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Disney and ITV partner up to show each other's shows on their streaming services
Disney and the British free-to-air broadcaster ITV have launched a new partnership that will allow them to show each other's shows in an effort to reach new audiences. ITV viewers will be able to watch shows including Only Murders in the Building , Andor , and The Bear – which lives on Disney+ in the UK – while Disney will take advantage of ITV's various dramas and reality TV offerings. Mr Bates vs The Post Office , ITV's BAFTA award-winning four-part dramatization of the British Post Office scandal, will be available to Disney+ subscribers, as well as selected seasons of the ever-popular Love Island dating show. The thinking seems to be that ITV's typically older viewing demographic could be drawn to Disney's more adult-focused shows, with ITV's output likely to appeal to streaming audiences that skew younger. That said, family-friendly Disney+ shows including Lilo and Stitch: The Series and Phineas and Ferb will also make their way to ITV as part of the deal. ITV has its own streaming platform, called ITVX, which is free to watch in the UK with ads, or ad-free as part of a monthly subscription. Disney's content will live on ITVX in the UK, and will be badged as "A Taste of Disney+", with Disney+ offering its "A Taste of ITVX" library to its own subscribers. Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment at ITV, said in a press release that the plan is for both libraries to be regularly updated. Traditional broadcasters striking deals with streaming platforms is nothing new. Netflix has been licensing shows from the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK for a number of years, for example, and back in 2022 Disney and the BBC started co-producing Doctor Who , with Disney+ becoming the home of the long-running sci-fi show outside of the UK. More often than not, though, these relationships tend to be one-way affairs in terms of where the content is distributed, so this even divide between two platforms seems more novel. The selected shows and movies for the launch window will be available to stream on their respective platforms from July 16.
