All Freeview and Sky customers will be able to see the opening episode of Fear the Walking Dead, the much anticipated spin-off from AMC’s global hit The Walking Dead.
The series is a prequel which explains for the first time the origins of the zombie population which terrorise the cast of the original series. Its debut in the US earlier this week draw 10.1 million live/same day viewers, making it the number 1 series premiere in US cable television history.
In the UK Fear the Walking Dead is the centrepiece in the new AMC channel which launches this week exclusively from BT. The channel will be free to all BT TV customers and Sky viewers who pay for the BT Sport pack.
To mark the show’s arrival in the UK on 31st August, the opening episode will be available on BT’s Freeview channel, BT Showcase, and the AMC channel will be made free to air for all Sky customers for one night only.
AMC will also premiere the acclaimed drama ‘Rectify’ on 1st September and offer audiences another chance to enjoy past AMC hits Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Other series to be shown on AMC include Manhattan, a largely fictional period drama about the Manhattan Project, Sony Pictures Television’s Cleaners and comedy-drama Weeds.
The channel’s line-up will also include a number of UK TV film premieres, including Only God Forgives starring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas on 29th August, The Beaver starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson on 15th September and Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers on 17th September.
“BT customers will soon have exclusive access to some of the most anticipated new original series and movies as part of AMC’s launch later this week,” says Delia Bushell, Managing Director, BT TV & BT Sport.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing the most compelling new content from one of the world’s most celebrated TV channels for audiences in the months ahead.”
“We’re excited to offer audiences a terrific line-up of exclusive original series and films on AMC as part of our first-ever launch in the UK in partnership with BT,” commented Bruce Tuchman, President of AMC Global and Sundance Channel Global.
“Combined with the first window UK premieres of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and ‘Rectify’, AMC will offer an unparalleled selection of programming that will appeal to a wide range of adult audiences.”