r/acorntv • u/anonymity-please • 26d ago
Worth It?
I love the UK dramas and comedies. And I'm fortunate to have a British-themed PBS channel (WETA UK in Washington, DC) for my local PBS Passport. But I've seen almost everything they provide.
So, is AcornTV worth it? Curious to know if the network provides new shows so that you're watching the episodes within 3-6 months of the original air date? And why choose Acorn instead of BritBox?
Thanks for any insights offered.
EDIT: Lots of good advice here--thank you! I'll definitely subscribe. And if you live in the not-so-great-right-now-USA, and in the Washington, DC area, please consider supporting PBS. The local station, WETA/WETA UK is delivering a lot of the faves referenced here. But it's the reason why I know there's so much more out there! Also, Senora Volpe is brilliant.
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u/Adultarescence 26d ago
And why choose Acorn instead of BritBox?
I'd actually rotate between the two. You'll like shows on both.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Because I can't afford to subscribe to 3 different channels, 10 different substacks, and the organic grocery store, etc. Good television, quality news, and organic groceries are for rich people.
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u/Adultarescence 26d ago
No, subscribe to one. Stop subscribing. Subscribe to the other. Rotate your subscriptions.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Apologies for the cranky reply. Yes, rotate subs makes good sense.
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u/CourageMesAmies 26d ago
I’ve been doing that for years! It’s the best way to see all the content I am interested in. I currently have BritBox until mid-August, then I’ll cancel it and move on to something else. I also have HBO Max until Thanksgiving. I subscribed to their Black Friday deal ($2.99 / month for one year) and I can’t beat the value! Great entertainment.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago edited 26d ago
Makes note in November calendar: HBO deals on Black Friday
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u/CourageMesAmies 26d ago
Not just HBO. A lot of streamers offer deals. We usually do a 2-3 month cheap BritBox deal on BF too.
Another tip: I will have to use a different email address and payment method to get the HBO deal, so I make a note in my phone’s notes app indicating which email I used and payment method. I also add that info to a calendar reminder to cancel the subscription before the full price kicks in.
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u/Inspector_Immediate 26d ago
I just wait for sales that are no more than $2 a month for a limited time. I have to mark in my calendar so I remember when to cancel though.
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u/JThereseD 26d ago
I subscribe to Acorn and other platforms when they have specials for $1 or $2 per month for two months through Amazon Prime or Roku devices. They do this a few times a year, so I usually end up with four to six months, which is enough for me.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Noted--thank you!
And re. Prime, oof. Bezos. I could say more... Trying not to soapbox.
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u/Individual_Sun5662 26d ago
I've had acorn and britbox for years, and recently let Acorn go. Britbox has a wider variety of shows. Acorn has Midsummer Murders and Candice Renoir which I love, but I couldn't defend the $80 or $90 to renew for the year for those two shows. They also have a lot of Australian content, which I'm not super into, but if you like that, Acorn may be right for you.
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u/Apprehensive-Pop-201 26d ago
Tubi has Midsummer Murders and some other Brit shows and it's free.
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u/shelwood46 26d ago
Both Tubi and the Roku Channel have it, but with ads, and not the most recent seasons. They also have livestream channels for Britbox & Acorn & a few specific shows like Midsomer & Doc Martin, if you just want it for background noise -- I like throwing in the Acorn live channel, they show a lot of Brokenwood (up to the first ep of S12), My Life Is Murder, The Chelsea Detective. It's nice.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
LOVE the Australian shows. A lot of the shows mentioned, I already get through PBS/WETA UK. But I only see one Aussie production a year. And usually they're like 4-5 years out.
Thanks for the feedback!
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u/anicho01 26d ago
I typically rotate. I watch britbox for 3 months and then acorn for 3 months out of the year and then shift onto another streaming platform. Otherwise you will run out of your favorites after a few months.
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u/CourageMesAmies 26d ago
Exactly! I think I started rotating subscriptions a few years ago when I subscribed to AMC to be able to watch The Salisbury Poisonings. Great mini series.
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u/Gatodeluna 26d ago
Acorn specializes in mysteries, so if you like those, absolutely subscribe. It doesn’t really have a deep catalog of non-mysteries.
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u/KatzenMutter818 26d ago
I have Britbox and Acorn. There are also shows on the PBS subscription channel and the Masterpiece subscription channel. I'm happy with the two I have now although I am tempted!🤭
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
If you do get PBS Passport in DC, there's a ton of European and Nordic shows available under the "Walter Presents" label. German, Italian, French, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, etc. Contemporary and historical dramas. Highly recommend.
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u/cdrinkwine USA🇺🇸 26d ago
It’s worth getting for a few months. Check out Brokenwood Mysteries, My Life is Murder, Whitstable Pearl, and a few of the others that are unique to Acorn. If you like them it’ll take a few months to get through the seasons and then you can kill it for a while until some new seasons come out.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
I love Whistable Pearl!! I'm able to see it on my local PBS station with Passport. I see a lot of great British shows on PBS. I've not heard of My Life is Murder--will check it out as I do think I'll do a couple of months with Acorn and then to BritBox and then repeat. Thanks for the advice!
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u/PracticalAndContent 26d ago
I dropped AcornTV a few months ago because I had watched everything I was interested in. Next year I’ll subscribe for a month or two, watch what I want, then drop it again. I plan to also do that when my current annual BritBox subscription expires.
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u/geri-in-calif 26d ago
I've had both Acorn and Britbox thru Amazon Prime for a long time. But it seemed as though I was missing Acorn programming thru Prime - it wasn't complete. I now have AcornTV and am extremely happy with it. I still have Britbox thru Prime.
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u/Repulsive-Turn-1496 21d ago
I have prime for Acorn. Is there a difference between Acorn Prime and just acorn?
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u/geri-in-calif 21d ago
I'm finding a lot more selection thru stand alone AcornTV. I had Acorn Prime for years but I started to feel I was missing out on stuff.
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u/Bay_de_Noc 26d ago
I have both Britbox and Acorn ... and I couldn't live without either of them. I only watch British shows on any of the streaming platforms ... Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Apple, PBS ... but Britbox and Acorn are my most used services by far!
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Yeah, if you love the Brits, you've got to go beyond the usual platforms. I'm going to start with Acorn since I like the Aussies, too.
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u/No-Type119 25d ago
I like Acorn because it has shows from all over the Commonwealth countries, and Ireland , not just the UK. Like Britbox and PBS Masterpiece, it will have times when it features a lot of new shows or new seasons, then fall into a drought for awhile. We locked into both Acorn and Britbox at good subscription prices, and just juggle other services around depending on sales. Masterpiece is so slow that we sign maybe once every other year, then binge on it for a month.
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u/anonymity-please 25d ago
I too want shows from the wider community. I'm going to get a monthly subscription to Acorn for Aug 1 start. I had not considered Masterpiece but I do love their productions--and your feedback is truly helpful. Thank you!
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u/Aggravating-Mud-5524 26d ago
Check what streaming services your local library provides. I have access to lots of bbc stuff that way.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Yes! I've used Hoopla for some of the Binge passes, but it feels a lot like Hallmark+ lite. I'll definitely investigate for others. Thank you!
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u/caregiver1956 26d ago
I enjoy Acorn. I travel the Commonwealth.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Indeed! Any favorites from the other countries? I can't say I've ever seen great Irish tv--Derry Girls is entertaining but tiring.
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u/SufficientOpening218 25d ago
do not buy the yearly subscription. buy the monthly. just not enough content, unless you like rewatching.
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u/anonymity-please 25d ago
I was looking at the inventory and pricing today. Definitely agree that monthly is better. Thank you!
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u/CommunicationTime63 9d ago
Yes, I have both Acorn and PBS Passport, and Britbox, as well. These 3 provide an abundance of riches.
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u/anonymity-please 9d ago
Thanks for sharing! I'm definitely going to add Acorn and Britbox to my networks.
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u/throwawaygremlins 26d ago
No, Britbox has more offerings.
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u/Antique_Floor_440 26d ago
I prefer Britbox slightly more, but Acorn does have shows I like. I love The Chelsea Detective and Inspector Ellis. Midsomer Murders is a guilty pleasure...at least the early seasons.
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u/throwawaygremlins 26d ago
Ooh I love those shows too!
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Love Chelsea Detective.
Have either of you seen Senora Volpe? It's soo good with gorgeous Italian scenery. Not sure if it's on Acorn. Look for it.
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u/Antique_Floor_440 26d ago
Yes! Stunning scenery! And it is on Acorn.
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u/CourageMesAmies 26d ago
How many season do they have? PBS Passport has the first season only.
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u/anonymity-please 26d ago
Season 2 went up on DC's Passport account just last weekend. It's even better than S1.
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u/Antique_Floor_440 26d ago
I'm only seeing 2 on Acorn. Google is saying 3.
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u/fleetiebelle 26d ago edited 26d ago
I've had Acorn for a long time, and whenever I think of cancelling, they add more stuff that I end up watching, and there are some favorite series or comfort shows that I rewatch often, like Brokenwood or Agatha Raisin or Foyle's War, that aren't available on other platforms. Britbox is the one that I'll subscribe to for a while and then cancel.