April brings a brand new Aussie foodie series and a new season of a favorite Kiwi mystery series, plus more, for viewers in the US.
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.
(For details about the premieres of shows from the UK, Canada, Ireland, and countries in Europe and elsewhere, visit The British TV Place, The Euro TV Place, and The Global TV Place.)
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
Videos below may contain content that is not suitable for everyone.
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NATIONAL PREMIERES
Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations (AU)
In this new foodie program, best-selling Australian cookbook author and television presenter Donna Hay hosts this series of sunny celebrations by the sea, where she styles and cooks delicious food in beautiful locations. With Sydney’s harbour as the backdrop, she uses fresh produce to create simple and stunning food.
Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations, a Disney+ Original, premieres globally on Wednesday, April 1, exclusively on Disney+.
Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay
Everyday Fresh: Meals in Minutes by Donna Hay
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 12 (NZ)
Every time there is a new season of this fan-favorite Kiwi whodunit series, I exclaim, “Yay!” For eleven seasons, I and my Brokenwood brethren have delighted in the show’s murder mysteries and humorous interplay between the characters, and soon we will thrill to the twelfth.
For folks who might not know about this brilliant series, The Brokenwood Mysteries follows Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea, Go Girls), Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland, The Almighty Johnsons), and Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers (Jarod Rawiri, Shortland Street) as they investigate crimes in the sleepy, secret-filled town of Brokenwood, New Zealand. Assisting them is medical examiner Dr. Gina Kadinsky (Cristina Serban Ionda, Filthy Rich), who’s got a thing for Mike while Mike’s got a thing for talking to dead people (the murder victims) during their investigations.
Here’s what we can look forward to in Season 12:
- Episode 1201 — “They’re Out There Alright” — When a man is found dead in a crop circle, alien abduction theories spark in Brokenwood.
- Episode 1202 — “Angels and Demons” — Mike and Kristin investigate when a young priest’s wife dies in the church cemetery.
- Episode 1203 — ” Midnight in the Garden” — A lavish New Year’s Eve masquerade comes to a tragic end after the death of its mysterious host.
- Episode 1204 — “No Return Ticket” — A celebratory vintage train ride ends in tragedy when a bride’s body is found beside the tracks.
- Episode 1205 — “Death Has Four Strings” — Brokenwood’s ukulele orchestra rehearsal hits a sour note after a property developer is killed.
- Episode 1206 — “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” — When a woman is murdered in Ray’s restaurant, Mike uncovers a deadly scheme.
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 12 premieres in the US and Canada on Monday, April 6, exclusively on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Prime Channels. New episodes will drop each Monday through May 11.
LOCAL/REGIONAL PREMIERES
My Life Is Murder: Season 3 (NZ)
Lucy Lawless (Spartacus, Xena: Warrior Princess) stars as irrepressible investigator Alexa Crowe in the third season of this light mystery-crime dramedy. Back in her hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, Alexa dives into ten new cases that pit her against fascinating, powerful, and surprising suspects each week, from eccentric billionaires and grieving florists, to tango dancers and fiery fashionistas.
In Season 3, Alexa investigates the death of a young teacher at a tango club, the discovery of a crime novelist’s dead body, the death of a champion thoroughbred’s handler, a death at an upscale retirement village, and a mystery involving Christmas lights, amongst other cases.
Returning cast members include Ebony Vagulans (The Heart Guy) as Alexa’s sidekick, Madison, Rawiri Jobe (The Brokenwood Mysteries) as Detective Harry Henare, Joe Naufahu (Game of Thrones) as cafe owner Reuben, and Martin Henderson (Virgin River) as Alexa’s brother, Will.
My Life Is Murder: Season 3 is confirmed for premiering on or after Wednesday, April 1, on the following public TV stations and state/regional networks: Georgia Public Broadcasting, Iowa PBS, KERA, KLVX, KPBS, KQED, KRSU, KUHT, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Oregon Public Broadcasting, PBS Wisconsin, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, WDSC, WFYI, WGBH, WLIW, WLRN, WNED, WNEO, WOSU, WPSU, WSBE, WTTW, and Wyoming PBS.
NON-PREMIERE PROGRAMS BEING ADDED TO STREAMING SERVICES
Playing for Keeps: Seasons 1-2 (AU)
Set on the sidelines of professional football in Australia, this contemporary drama centers on the lives of the real power players of the (fictional) Southern Jets Football Club: the WAGs, the players’ wives and girlfriends. Away from the grandstands and the locker rooms, theirs is a world filled with glamorous lifestyles, designer fashions, and scandal-making dramas that get played out in the flesh and across social media.
The cast includes Madeleine West (Neighbours), Annie Maynard (Upper Middle Bogan), Cecelia Peters (The Wrong Girl), Olympia Valance (Surviving Summer), and Isabella Giovinazzo (Home and Away), amongst others.
Playing for Keeps: Seasons 1-2 begins streaming in the US and Canada on Monday, April 13, on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Prime Channels.
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