ITV Hub will be replaced by ITVX, the company’s brand-new streaming service, on December 8. ITVX will host fresh and exclusive programs, despite the fact that this may seem like just the latest in a long line of rebrandings that don’t seem to make any real difference (we’re looking at you, All4, the artist formerly known as 4OD and soon to be known as Channel 4).
You’ll be able to watch the ITV channels live on ITVX just like you can on ITV Hub right now, but let’s hope the new service has fixed the live-streaming issues that so many football fans had during the 2016 Euros.
ITVX: Free and Paid For Options (Including BritBox)
ITVX will offer over 10,000 hours of free streaming programming, including past and present ITV dramas and documentaries, certain US series, and hundreds of movies (however, like ITV Hub, there will be advertisements) (including the Back to the Future trilogy).
A premium subscription option is also available, which eliminates advertisements and adds BritBox—the boxset streaming service that ITV previously developed with the BBC and now owns—which adds an additional 6,000 hours of series from ITV, the BBC, Channel Four, and Channel Five.
ITV has not yet disclosed the price of this paid subscription, but it does raise the question of what will compel UK fans to fork over money for yet another streaming service. In comparison to Netflix’s 17 million UK members, BritBox and ITV Hub+ have about 5 million subscribers combined.
With Prime, NOW, and other subscription services, we’re starting to spend a considerable amount each month just to keep up with all the new TV. This is undoubtedly unsustainable in the long run, therefore ITVX will have to strive to compete with more well-known brands.
New ITVX Dramas Coming Soon
With a spy thriller, a historical murder mystery, and contemporary fact-based dramas like Litvinenko, it is clear that the new streamer is serious about original dramas and pursuing prestige. Here is a peek at the drama series that will be exclusive to ITVX and debut on the platform in December and early 2023:
A Spy Among Friends (December 8th)
A six-part Cold War spy drama starring Damien Lewis from Homeland, Anna Maxwell Martin from Line of Duty, and Guy Pearce will be based on the true story told in Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book (Memento,Mare of Easttown).
The Confessions of Frannie Langton (December 8th)
Based on the Sara Collins book of the same name, this gripping period drama is a four-part murder mystery in which enslaved woman Frannie Langton is taken from a Jamaican plantation to work as a maid in Georgian London only to be held responsible when tragedy strikes the family for whom she works.
Litvinenko (December 15th)
This four-part real crime thriller starring David Tennant (Des, Doctor Who) and centres on the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian KGB agent whose death from Polonium poisoning made headlines in 2006 and who spent his final days assisting the Met Police with their investigation.
Riches (December 22nd)
The Richards family’s exploits are the main subject of this glitzy, high-stakes family tale. Ted Lassos, Hugh Quarshie (Holby City), and other members of the stellar cast Brendan Coyle from Downton Abbey, Hermione Norris from Cold Feet, and Sarah Niles.
Without Sin (December 28th)
In this four-part psychological thriller, Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) plays the bereaved mother who begins to get close to the guy she thinks killed her daughter.
Nolly (early 2023)
The BAFTA-winning Helena Bonham Carter will portray actress and legendary Crossroads soap queen Noele Nolly Gordon in Russell T. Davies’ historical drama about her unceremonious dismissal (The Crown).
Other ITVX Programmes Coming Soon
The natural history documentary A Year on Planet Earth by Stephen Fry debuts on December 22. Documentaries about genuine crimes like The Case Against Cosby and Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight are also available.
ITVX will also release complete box sets of new ITV shows on their first day of broadcast, similar to BBC iPlayer, which is good news for binge viewers. The recently premiered season of the acclaimed crime drama Unforgotten starring Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me) and the true crime drama Stonehouse starring Keeley Hawes (Crossfire) and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), which tells the tale of a 1970s MP who staged his own demise, are two early examples. Early 2023 will see the arrival of both.
Classic Series to Watch on ITVX
We’ll have the opportunity to watch or rewatch some current UK drama shows on ITVX, including:
Broadchurch
David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, and Oscar winner Olivia Colman all appeared in Chris Chibnall’s Broadchurch, one of the most well-liked mystery drama shows in the UK in recent years (The Crown). It starts with the horrific case of an 11-year-old boy’s murder, which shocks and raises suspicion in a little seaside town on the Dorset coast.
Brideshead Revisited
This acclaimed 1980s ITV drama is based on Evelyn Waugh’s same-titled 1945 novel about the love affairs of the rich main character Charles Ryder. The trio of Oscar winners John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, and Jeremy Irons are part of the remarkable cast.
Quiz
The notorious coughing Major who faked his way to $1 million on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is the subject of this true crime drama.
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Victoria
provides us one of Michael Sheen’s best performances, the host of the quiz show Chris Tarrant, who he portrays in a spooky, eerie manner. Our reviews at the time stated, If you shut your eyes, you’d believe it was him. Even if they don’t even somewhat resemble each other, you would still think it was him if you opened your eyes. The only explanation is wizardry.
A Confession
Fans of Downton Abbey and The Crown will like this historical drama about Queen Victoria’s early life, which Jenna Coleman abandoned her Doctor Who role as Clara Oswald to play in. It ran for three seasons and had the same alluring grandeur and romance.
The true story of Sian O Callaghan’s abduction and DS Steve Fulcher’s (Martin Freeman’s) persistent search for her is told in a crime drama by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Jeff Pope.
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Thunderbirds, Supernatural, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Stingray, and the US dystopian import The 100 are just a few of the great sci-fi and fantasy shows that will be available to stream. These series were previously available to stream on BritBox.