BritBox to Bring The Sixth Commandment, This England to the U.S.

BritBox International has acquired The Sixth Commandment and This England to debut in the U.S. later this year.

Premiering October 4, The Sixth Commandment tells the story of Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke, Normal People) and his teacher, Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall), who meet and bond over their love of books and involvement with the Church of England. Soon, their friendship takes a deadly turn, culminating in a high-profile trial.

The series, written by Sarah Phelps (A Very British Scandal, The Pale Horse) and directed by Saul Dibb (The Salisbury Poisonings), is inspired by the documentary Catching A Killer: A Diary from the Grave. The cast includes Annabel Scholey (The Split, The Salisbury Poisonings), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten, A Discovery of Witches, Great Canal Journeys), Ben Bailey Smith (The Split, Andor), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste, Chernobyl) and Amanda Root (Summerland, Unforgotten).

The Sixth Commandment is produced by Frances du Pille (The Outlaws, The Watch). It is executive produced by Derek Wax, Phelps and Dibb for Wild Mercury Productions, Brian Woods for True Vision Productions and Lucy Richer for the BBC. The series is being distributed internationally by Banijay Rights.

This England, the six-part series based on Boris Johnson’s first months as the U.K.’s prime minister, is set to premiere in November. Co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People, A Mighty Heart) and executive produced by Richard Brown (True Detective, Catch-22), the drama follows Johnson (Kenneth Branagh) as he grapples with the pandemic, Brexit and his personal life.

This England is also produced by Emmy Award winner Josh Hyams (I Am…), Anthony Wilcox (On the Road) and Melissa Parmenter (The Road to Guantánamo). Fremantle handles global sales of the series. A Sky Original drama, the series was commissioned for Sky by Zai Bennett, Sky U.K.’s managing director of content, and Gabriel Silver, formerly senior commissioning editor for Sky Studios.

“We are proud to acquire The Sixth Commandment and This England for our lineup of unmissable television, including many other acclaimed BritBox Original acquisitions and co-productions, as the hallmark of quality of British television continues to resonate on a global scale,” said Reemah Sakaan, CEO of BritBox International. “Kenneth Branagh, Timothy Spall and Anne Reid all deliver incredibly powerful performances at the heart of these two gripping dramas, and combined with their world-class production pedigree, make both of these series a must-see for quality-seeking fans.”