AMC is gearing up for the biggest event of its year—the biannual season premiere of The Walking Dead—but the group of networks that also includes BBC America, IFC and Sundance also has several events and series ready to launch, AMC said Thursday at summer press tour in Los Angeles.

The Walking Dead hoopla kicked off at San Diego Comic-Con last week with the announcement that American Beauty’s Thora Birch would be joining the cast as a Whisperer in season 10. Every week from now until premiere on Sunday, Oct. 6, AMC will roll out new content to tease fans. This week, it’s first look photos at Birch in full costume as a creepy Whisperer.

Beyond The Walking Dead, AMC will again take advantage of the upcoming holiday season with the 23rd year of “Fear Fest,” starting Oct. 13 and featuring film franchises such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, Leprechaun, Alien and Stephen King Classics.

AMC Networks also is expanding its winter holiday programming offerings with “Best Christmas Ever,” starting Monday, Nov. 25 and running through Christmas Day. The 31-day event will feature more than 60 titles and more than 700 hours of holiday-themed movies, specials and family favorites such as Elf, The Polar Express, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street (’94), Four Christmases, Fred Claus, and Rankin-Bass Christmas classics including The Year Without a Santa Claus, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Jack Frost, and Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, among many others.

Shows returning to AMC include season four of Preacher on Sunday, Aug. 4, and season two of anthology series The Terror: Infamy as well as Lodge 49, which will feature a guest-starring turn by Billions’ Paul Giamatti, on Monday, Aug. 12.

Limited series The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park —- about Robert Chambers’ 1986 murder of Jennifer Levin—will air across AMC and Sundance on three nights Nov. 13-15.

“In the mid to late 1980s, two epic crimes rocked New York and the broader country—the Central Park Five case and the murder of Jennifer Levin. These events have a few things in common: they both took place in Central Park and the prosecutor who tried both cases was Linda Fairstein. What’s more, together they shine a startling light on how race, gender and socioeconomics profoundly influenced the course of justice,” said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks’ Entertainment Group, in a statement.

Preppy Murder, made with the participation of Fairstein, the Levin family and friends of Jennifer Levin and Robert Chambers, examines the circumstances that made Jennifer’s case play out the way it did – as a victim-blaming led narrative that fueled a tabloid media war. This story of sexism, elitism and an imperfect justice system both illuminates the past and has relevance to a vital conversation today.”

BBC America

BBC Studios is preparing to launch natural history streamer Wonderstuck, and as part of that launch that content will come to BBC America on Saturdays. Six-part natural history series Eden will be one of the first pieces of original content to be featured on the new streamer.

Along those lines, Sir David Attenborough’s Seven Worlds, One Planet will debut on BBC America in early 2020. Also coming to the network are a four-episode follow-up to Blue Planet II called Blue Planet Now, as well as Frozen Planet II, Planet Earth III and more.

Starting in September, BBC America will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Monty Python with Flying Circus episodes as well as classic movies Life of Brian and Holy Grail. And an animated Doctor Who special called The Macra Terror is coming this fall.

IFC

IFC is preparing for the return of the Baroness Von Sketch Show on Wednesday, Oct. 30, as well as the debut of new musical sketch comedy called Sherman’s Showcase on Wednesday, July 31. On Dec. 4, the network will premiere Toast of London, a BAFTA award-winning comedy starring Matt Berry as eccentric middle-aged actor Steven Toast.

Sundance TV

Finally, Sundance TV has This Close premiering Thursday, Sept. 12, about two best friends living in Los Angeles, and psychological thriller The Cry coming on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

[Images and videos courtesy of AMC Networks]

Tags: amc amc networks bbc america ifc summer tca 2019 sundance tv


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