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Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Stefanie Hutson

If you're a fan of British game shows – or The Hardacres – BritBox's August US Lineup should make you happy. Keep reading for the full schedule + descriptions…

Looking for previous BritBox and Acorn TV US premiere schedules? Check out:

• What's New on BritBox?
• What's New on Acorn TV?

New Shows Coming to BritBox (US) in August 2026

August 1st Premieres

Antiques Roadshow, Season 46

For more than four decades, experts have travelled to historic venues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to examine objects brought in by members of the public. The finds range from family possessions and collectibles to items connected with major figures and moments in British culture.

Featured discoveries include rare Rolling Stones photographs, Star Wars memorabilia, wartime spy equipment, Beatrix Potter artwork, and a cigar once owned by Winston Churchill. Twenty-one hour-long episodes will premiere all at once.

Watch previous seasons HERE. 

August 5th Premieres

The Hardacres, Season 2

Set in 1890s Yorkshire, the series follows the working-class Hardacre family after an unexpected change in fortune allows them to leave the docks behind and move into a country estate. Claire Cooper and Liam McMahon star as Mary and Sam Hardacre, with Julie Graham as Ma and Shannon Lavelle, Adam Little, and Zak Ford-Williams playing the younger members of the family. Based on C.L. Skelton’s novels, the drama follows their adjustment to wealth and the social world that comes with it.

In season 2, the family faces the challenge of holding on to its estate during a period of economic difficulty. Their position is further complicated by the arrival of Lady Imelda Hansen, played by Michele Dotrice, a powerful new figure with connections to the neighbouring Fitzherbert family. Six hour-long episodes will be released at a rate of one per week.

Catch up on previous seasons HERE. 

August 10th Premieres

I Literally Just Told You, Season 4

Hosted by Jimmy Carr, this comedy quiz asks contestants questions about information revealed during the programme itself. Players need to remember everything from introductions and studio conversations to small details that may have seemed unimportant at the time.

Returning for a fourth season, the format once again combines memory tests, distractions, and comedy, with contestants competing to prove they were paying attention when the answers were first given. Five hour-long episodes will be released at once.

Catch up on previous seasons HERE.

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Season 14

Hosted by Jimmy Carr, this comedy panel show puts an irreverent spin on the familiar letters-and-numbers format. Rachel Riley handles the maths rounds, while Susie Dent oversees Dictionary Corner as comedians attempt the challenges amid jokes, distractions, and frequent departures from the game itself. Binge premiere of all thirteen 45-minute episodes. 

Catch up on previous seasons HERE. (S14 is actually available on Amazon Prime if you don't want to wait)

Pointless Celebrities UK, Season 8

Hosted by Alexander Armstrong, this quiz challenges contestants to find correct answers that were given by as few people as possible in advance surveys. Celebrity pairs compete across a series of general knowledge rounds, aiming to avoid high-scoring responses and reach the final with the lowest total.

Returning for season 8, the format remains the same, with new groups of famous contestants testing their knowledge while trying to uncover the most obscure correct answers. Binge premiere of all 12 hour-long episodes.

Catch up on previous seasons HERE. 

August 13th Premieres

Prey, Season 1

John Simm (Life on Mars) stars as Detective Constable Marcus Farrow, a respected police officer whose life is overturned when he is discovered at the scene of a violent crime and arrested for it. With the evidence stacked against him, Farrow escapes custody and goes on the run.

Now pursued by his own colleagues, he must avoid capture while trying to uncover what really happened and prove that he was framed. The BAFTA-nominated thriller follows his race to find the truth before the police close in. Binge premiere of all three 50-minute episodes.

Can't wait? It's also available HERE.

August 19th Premieres

Vanity Fair (2018)

Based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel, this seven-part period drama follows Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke, Bates Motel), a young woman from a poor background who is determined to gain wealth and position in early 19th-century English society. Her efforts bring her into the lives of the wealthy Crawley family and her more conventional friend Amelia Sedley (Claudia Jessie, Bridgerton), with their fortunes changing against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Waterloo.

The cast also includes Tom Bateman (Beecham House) as Rawdon Crawley, Johnny Flynn (Detectorists) as William Dobbin, Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) as Sir Pitt Crawley, and Michael Palin (Monty Python) as William Makepeace Thackeray. Binge premiere of all seven hour-long episodes. 

August 25th Premieres

The Good Ship Murder, Season 3

Set aboard a luxury cruise ship travelling through the Mediterranean, the series follows former police detective Jack Grayling (Shayne Ward, Coronation Street), who works as the ship’s cabaret singer while repeatedly becoming involved in murder investigations. He works alongside First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley, Emmerdale Farm), combining his investigative experience with her knowledge of the ship, its passengers, and its crew.

Season 3 begins with Jack off the vessel after losing his job and performing in a downmarket bar. When a murder at a monastery requires his help, Kate tracks him down, bringing the pair back together both professionally and romantically, with some assistance from Jamil (Zak Douglas, G’wed). Jack also returns to his former position aboard the ship, replacing temporary singer Eve Fontaine (Michelle Holmes, Casualty).

Catch up on previous seasons HERE. 

BBC Select Offerings (Included with BritBox Premier)

• August 2, 2026: Europe on the Edge with Katya Adler S1 | Now, Available in Canada, Already Available in United States | 3 x 60’ | Released All At Once  – Aggression, ambition and allies. Western Europe has long played a central role on the global stage, but how will it confront the challenges of a turbulent new era? In this documentary, Katya Adler travels around Europe, visiting factories, sporting events, military bases and ordinary people, to assess how the rapidly changing world is affecting their finances, society and hopes for the future. 

• August 6, 2026: Ancient Treasures with Bettany Hughes S5 | North America Premiere | 5 x 60’ | Released Weekly – Historian Bettany Hughes returns to explore more of humanity's most captivating stories. From the snowy peaks of Switzerland to the desert landscapes of Uzbekistan, Bettany's travels reveal how geography and history have shaped civilizations.  

• August 6, 2026: Mayhem! The Scandalous Lives of the Georgian Kings S1 | North America Premiere | 4 x 60’ | Released All at Once – Combining dramatic reconstruction with expert testimony from leading historians, this thrilling documentary will turn everything you thought you knew about the Georgian era on its head. It covers the tumultuous lives of George I who was catapulted onto the British throne, George II famed for his military exploits, George III who was mad or misunderstood, and George IV, the party king.  

• August 13, 2026: A Tale of Two Britains | Available in North America | 1 x 60’ | – 1930s Britain was a period of dramatic change. Emerging from bleak economic depression, the country shifted into a time of rising prosperity with new innovations in technology and a consumption boom.  

• August 13, 2026: The Wonderful World of Blood | Available in North America | 1 x 50’ – Michael Mosley takes an in-depth look at blood. He carries out six experiments on his own blood, from starving it of oxygen to injecting it with snake venom and even eating it. 

• August 13, 2026: The Tech Billionaire Takeover | United States Premiere | 1 x 60’ | Released All at Once – A new breed of tech billionaires are building their own countries, replacing democracy as we know it and targeting the global financial system. Matt Shea goes inside their world.

• August 15, 2026: Inside the Rage Machine | Now Available in Canada, Already Available in United States | 1 x 50’ – The inside story of how social media algorithms designed to connect us have been systematically tearing us apart. Insider testimony and whistleblower documents expose a machine built on outrage and division. Not as a side effect but as part of a business model. Radicalisation. Real world violence. Societies fractured. Consequences of a system built to shape how we think, feel and see the world. 

• August 20, 2026: Antiques Roadshow S49 | North America Premiere | 20 x 60’ | Released 2x on Premiere, Then Weekly – Amazing items, poignant stories, beautiful locations. Fiona Bruce and the experts uncover fascinating family and social history embodied in priceless, personal and peculiar items. The season premiere features unique access to Windsor Castle and personal items belonging to Queen Elizabeth II.

• August 20, 2026: Battle of the Atlantic: The U-Boat War | Now Available in North America | 3 x 60’ | Released All at Once  – In the summer of 1942, as Nazi submarines dominate a brutal naval war, Britain’s position grows increasingly fragile. Archive footage and new historical insights reveal how the Allies fought back and ultimately turned the tide.  

• August 20, 2026: Queen Victoria’s Men | Available in North America | 1 x 90’  – The story of how Queen Victoria’s fiery passions would lead her into one of the great romances in history with Prince Albert; entangle her in scandalous relationships with her Prime Ministers; and set her on a collision course with her Royal court. 

• August 27, 2026: Expedition Volcano S1 | Available in North America | 2 x 55’ | Released All at Once – An extraordinary expedition to the planet's most dangerous, spectacular and least known volcanoes tackles earth science's biggest questions: What drives the Earth's tectonic plates, and why do volcanoes erupt? 

• August 27, 2026: Where the Wild Men Are with Ben Fogle S7 | Available in North America | 12 x 60’ | Released All at Once – Ben meets more individuals and couples who inhabit inhospitable parts of the world such as Peru, Morocco, Panama and Sri Lanka. 

• August 27, 2026: Will Robots Take My Job? S01 | North America Premiere | 1 x 50’ – Robots can already do many jobs more quickly than humans. In Silicon Valley, plans are underway for massive changes in the workplace – prompting fears that millions of people will be replaced by robots and AI.

More Ideas to Hold You Over…

Need more ideas? 

• British TV Show Status Updates: July 2026
• 9 Delightfully Absurd British TV Mysteries
• 20 British Crime Dramas That Changed TV Forever
• The Best British TV Crime Dramas of the 2020s (So Far)

If you don't have BritBox you can sign up HERE on their website, or HERE on Amazon Video (useful if you prefer to manage subscriptions through Amazon or you don't have a smart TV that supports BritBox).

 

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