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Acorn TV: Where to Watch International TV Shows Online
If you’re tired of the same American reruns and want something with more grit, wit, or countryside charm, Acorn TV is the streaming service you’ve been missing. It doesn’t have the biggest library or the flashiest originals, but if you love British crime dramas, cozy mysteries, Canadian police procedurals, or Australian family sagas, this is where the real international TV scene lives.
What Acorn TV Actually Offers
Acorn TV isn’t just another streaming platform that throws in a few foreign shows as an afterthought. It’s built around one thing: curated international television. Most of its content comes from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland. You’ll find classic BBC dramas, ITV mysteries, and Channel 4 thrillers that never made it to Netflix or Hulu.
Think Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries - that stylish 1920s Australian detective series with hats, vintage cars, and sharp dialogue. Or Shetland, the moody crime drama set in the Scottish islands, where the landscape is as much a character as the detective. These aren’t just imports - they’re the kind of shows that build loyal fanbases because they feel authentic, slow-burning, and deeply rooted in place.
Unlike Netflix, which pushes global originals with big budgets and broad appeal, Acorn TV leans into niche. You won’t find K-dramas or Bollywood hits here. Instead, you get British police shows with dry humor, Irish family dramas with secrets buried in farmhouse attics, and New Zealand comedies that make you laugh while you’re still confused about the accent.
How It Compares to Other Streaming Services
Let’s be honest - if you’re looking for variety, Amazon Prime Video or BritBox might seem like better options. But here’s the difference: Acorn TV doesn’t just license shows. It commissions them. A lot of its most popular series - like Death in Paradise and Grantchester - were developed specifically for Acorn TV before airing elsewhere.
BritBox, owned by the BBC and ITV, has a deeper archive of older British classics. But Acorn TV has more current, exclusive content. If you want to watch a brand-new British mystery before it hits BBC One, Acorn TV is often the first place it appears.
Netflix has global hits, but they’re made for mass audiences. Acorn TV makes shows for people who already know what they like. There’s no algorithm pushing you to binge 12 seasons of reality TV. You open the app, see a new episode of Endeavour, and click play. No fluff. No distractions.
What You Can Watch Right Now
Here’s a snapshot of what’s actually worth your time on Acorn TV in early 2026:
- Grantchester - A charming vicar solves crimes in 1950s Cambridgeshire. The tea is always hot, and the secrets are always deep.
- Death in Paradise - A British detective moves to a Caribbean island and solves murders with a straight face while everyone else is in flip-flops.
- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries - 1920s Melbourne, flapper dresses, and a private investigator who doesn’t take nonsense.
- Shetland - Dark, atmospheric, and set against the wild cliffs of the Northern Isles. Think True Detective meets Outlander.
- The Durrells - A funny, heartwarming British series about a family moving to Corfu in the 1930s. It’s like Upstairs, Downstairs with parrots.
- New Blood - A young forensic analyst teams up with a jaded detective in London. One of the best modern British crime dramas you’ve never heard of.
There’s also a growing collection of Australian crime dramas like Underbelly and Redfern Now, plus Canadian series like Republic of Doyle and Letterkenny - yes, that’s on Acorn TV too.
How Much Does It Cost?
As of 2026, Acorn TV costs $7.99 per month in the U.S. and Australia. You can also get it as part of a bundle with AMC+ for $12.99/month. That bundle gives you access to AMC’s original series like The Walking Dead and Mad Men, plus all of Acorn’s international content.
There’s no free trial anymore - they removed it in late 2025. But they do offer a 7-day free preview if you sign up through Amazon Prime Video Channels or Apple TV. That’s the best way to test it out without committing.
Compared to Netflix at $15.49/month or Hulu at $9.99, Acorn TV is cheap. You’re not paying for hundreds of movies or reality shows. You’re paying for a tight, well-chosen selection of shows that actually reward your attention.
Who Is This For?
Acorn TV isn’t for everyone. If you like fast-paced action, superhero shows, or anything with CGI dragons, you’ll be bored. But if you like:
- Slow-burn mysteries with complex characters
- Shows set in small towns with big secrets
- British accents, dry humor, and awkward silences
- Period dramas with rich costumes and even richer dialogue
- Crime stories that feel real, not staged
Then this is your streaming home.
It’s especially great for people who grew up watching Midsomer Murders or Prime Suspect and miss that kind of storytelling. It’s also perfect for expats missing home, or anyone who just wants to escape the noise of mainstream TV.
Where to Watch Acorn TV
You can stream Acorn TV on:
- Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV)
- Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- Web browsers (acorn.tv)
- Through Amazon Prime Video Channels
- Through Apple TV Channels
No cable subscription needed. No antenna. Just an internet connection and a desire for something different.
It works well in Australia, the U.S., Canada, and the UK. If you’re traveling overseas, you can still access your account - as long as you’re not trying to watch something region-locked. Most Acorn TV originals are available worldwide, but a few BBC or ITV co-productions might be restricted based on your location.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
Streaming is drowning in content. Every service is trying to be everything to everyone. Acorn TV is the opposite. It’s small. It’s focused. It doesn’t pretend to be the biggest. It just does one thing really well: bring the best international TV to people who care.
In a world where algorithms push the same 10 shows to everyone, Acorn TV feels like a recommendation from a friend who knows your taste better than you do. You don’t need to scroll for hours. You open it, and there’s something good waiting - usually something you didn’t even know you were looking for.
It’s not flashy. It doesn’t have billion-dollar marketing campaigns. But if you’ve ever stayed up past midnight because you couldn’t stop watching a British detective solve a 20-year-old mystery - then you already know why Acorn TV still matters.
Is Acorn TV worth it if I only like American shows?
Probably not. Acorn TV specializes in British, Australian, Canadian, and Irish television. If you prefer superhero series, reality TV, or American procedurals like NCIS or Law & Order, you’ll find very little here that matches your taste. It’s designed for fans of slower, dialogue-driven, location-specific storytelling.
Can I watch Acorn TV outside the U.S. and Australia?
Yes. Acorn TV is available in over 30 countries, including the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe. Some shows may be geo-restricted due to licensing, but the platform itself works globally. You can access your account from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.
Does Acorn TV have subtitles?
Yes. All shows come with English subtitles. Some non-English productions, like Irish or Scottish dialects, also include optional subtitles for clarity. There are no subtitles in other languages like Spanish or French - the service is focused on English-language international content.
How often does Acorn TV add new shows?
New episodes drop weekly, usually on Mondays. Acorn TV releases new seasons of its original series like Grantchester and Shetland as they become available, often ahead of their broadcast in the UK. You can expect 2-4 new series per quarter, plus occasional specials and documentaries.
Is there a free trial for Acorn TV?
There’s no direct free trial on the Acorn TV website anymore. However, if you sign up through Amazon Prime Video Channels or Apple TV Channels, you can get a 7-day free preview. This is the best way to test the service before paying.
