April brings the national premieres of three titles to the US, amongst them the new seasons of a popular Aussie teen drama and a hit Kiwi mystery series.
For updates about shows from Australia and New Zealand added to US linear TV and streaming channels throughout the month, see the Down Under TV Viewing Guide.
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
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NATIONAL PREMIERES
Heartbreak High: Season 2 (AU)
This award-winning teen drama series, a revival of the hit 1990s Aussie series of the same name, has earned a passionate worldwide following for its honest depiction of what today’s teenagers face — from first love, sex, trauma, and break ups, to inclusivity, sexuality, neurodiversity, and the besties (or frenemies) who get them through it all.
In the sophomore season, chaos will reign supreme during Term Two at Hartley High — the lowest ranking school in the district — as new faces, a mystery assailant, and dirty tactics in the race for school captain throw any hopes for a peaceful term into disarray.
Joining the school’s staff is new Head of P.E. Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson, Bump, The Lincoln Lawyer, Fargo), an uber-masculine sports teacher who is set to put an end to the bleeding hearts of Hartley High. New to the student body are Rowan Callaghan (Sam Rechner, The Fabelmans), an unassuming country boy with a dry wit and a passion for classic cinema, who finds himself thrown headfirst into the chaos of Hartley High, not to mention a truly epic love triangle; and Zoe Clarke (Kartanya Maynard, Deadloch), an opinionated celibacy advocate who threatens to bring down the SLT (Sexual Literacy Tutorial) class with her gang of Puriteens.
Returning cast members include Ayesha Madon (Love Me, Chloé Hayden (Spooky Files), Thomas Weatherall (RFDS Royal Doctor Flying Service), James Majoos, Asher Yasbincek (How to Please a Woman), Will McDonald (Home and Away), Gemma Chua-Tran (Mustangs FC), Bryn Chapman Parish (Mr Inbetween), Sherry-Lee Watson, Brodie Townsend (Significant Others), Josh Heuston (Dive Club), Rachel House (Foundation), and Chika Ikogwe (The Tourist).
Heartbreak High: Season 2, a Netflix Series, premieres globally on Thursday, April 11, exclusively on Netflix.
Late Night with the Devil (AU-US-UAE)
Following its March world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival and subsequent release in cinemas, this critically-acclaimed horror film centers on the goings-on at the syndicated late-night talk show Night Owls, hosted by Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian, Oppenheimer, Dune). It’s long been a trusted companion to insomniacs across the country, but a year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans the show’s 1977 Halloween special to be a one-of-a-kind event, unaware that he is about to unleash evil into America’s living rooms.
Costars include Laura Gordon (Reckoning), Ian Bliss (Wentworth), Fayssal Bazzi (Total Control), Ingrid Torelli (Five Bedrooms), Rhys Auteri (A Good Deed), Georgina Haig (Back to the Rafters), and Josh Quong Tart (Underbelly).
Late Night with the Devil has its US streaming premiere on Friday, April 19, exclusively on Shudder, streaming bundle AMC+, and their digital channels, including Shudder on Prime Channels and AMC+ on Prime Channels.
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 10 (NZ)
In the tenth anniversary season of this hit Kiwi whodunit series, Detectives Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea), Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland), and Daniel Chalmers (Jarod Rawiri) continue to wrestle with the alarming murder rate in the small, quirky New Zealand town of Brokenwood.
With the help of the curious pathologist, Dr Gina Kadinsky (Cristina Ionda), they use all manner of unconventional methods to solve the town’s more macabre and unusual crimes — from one at a spooky crime scene amidst the Day of the Dead, to others involving a lovestruck dental patient, a vicious visit to a House of Horrors, and more.
In the Season 10 opener, “Case 43 | Brokenwood-o-saurus,” dinosaur fossils are discovered in the foothills of Brokenwood, and the town is buzzing about the potential boost for tourism. But when an expert paleontologist is found dead, the future doesn’t look so rosy.
(Trailer is from Season 9)
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 10 premieres in the US on Monday, April 29, exclusively on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Prime Channels.
LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
My Life Is Murder: Season 1 (AU)
Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess, Spartacus, Ash vs Evil Dead) stars in this hit mystery series as Alexa Crowe, a fearless and unapologetic ex-homicide detective-turned-private investigator (and bread baker!). Alexa’s unique skills and insights into the darker quirks of human nature allow her to provoke, comfort, and push the right buttons as she unravels the truth behind the most baffling crimes.
In Season 1, Detective Inspector Keiran Hussy (Bernard Curry, Wentworth, Home and Away), Alexa’s ex-boss, enlists her on his trickiest cases. Assisting Alexa as she unmasks hidden passions and dangerous secrets lurking in the energetic city of Melbourne is ambitious twenty-something Madison Feliciano (Ebony Vagulans, The Letdown, The Heart Guy).
Guest stars in the 10-episode first season include Danielle Cormack (Wentworth), Don Hany (East West 101), and Grant Piro (Jack Irish).
My Life Is Murder: Season 1 is confirmed for airing on or after Monday, April 1, on the following public TV stations and state/regional networks: Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), Idaho Public Television, Iowa PBS, KETC, KPBS, KQED, KRSU, KUHT, KVIE, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), PBS Wisconsin, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, WBGU, WFYI, WGBH, WLRN, WMVS, WNED, WNEO, WPBS, WSBE, WTTW, WXXI, and Wyoming PBS.
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The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 9 DVD
My Life Is Murder: Series 1 DVD
