Bugger – another subscription service has hiked up its prices, and this time it’s affecting fans of good British TV.
BritBox, the brainchild of the BBC and ITV, silently raised the cost of its monthly subscription in Australia to AU$9.99 in January 2024, with its annual subscription set to follow suit, jumping up to AU$99.99 per year once February 22 rolls around. However, if you act fast, you can lock in a full year of BritBox at its current price of AU$89.99 – saving you a sweet AU$10 before the price goes up.
A full-year commitment might be intimidating, but if you’ve been keen to catch up on British TV series’ like Vera, Call the Midwife, Ghosts, Vigil, Broadchurch, and Death in Paradise, the current yearly subscription cost will save you a smidge under AU$30 over the monthly cost. Though, you won’t get the 7-day free trial with the year-long subscription, so if you want to test the service without paying anything upfront, you’ll need to opt for the AU$9.99p/m plan instead.
Even after the next price hike, the yearly subscription cost to BritBox is one of the most affordable streaming options, only beaten by Amazon Prime Video at AU$79 per year and Hayu at AU$6.99 per month. Netflix’s AU$6.99 per month Basic tier also comes in cheaper than an annual BritBox subscription, but you’ll have to deal with ads at that price.
Additionally, BritBox’s monthly and annual plans both allow up to four simultaneous streams – on Netflix you have to pay AU$22.99 for that privilege – so if you have a household full of British primetime telly lovers, the AU$89.99 yearly subscription to BritBox is well worth the value, especially with the top quality content you can find on there.
What to watch on BritBox
As one of the best streaming services in Australia, the biggest appeal for BritBox is its curated library – on the streaming platform you’ll only find shows, movies and documentaries directly from the UK, so you don’t have to sort through waves of unappealing content to find something that fits your interests.
There’s a lot of fantastic shows to watch on BritBox, and here’s a few we recommend to get you started:
Ghosts
This 2019 sitcom will have you laughing through each episode as it follows a group of ghosts, who are bound to the Button House, and the home’s new owners, Alison and Mike. The spirits initially want the couple to leave, attempting to scare them out of the house. But with ongoing financial issues keeping Alison and Mike from selling up, the two living occupants find themselves having to live peacefully alongside the spectral beings while maintaining and renovating their newly inherited home. It’s hilarious, and if you’re a fan of Horrible Histories, you’ll recognise the theatrical group of Them There in another top-notch performance.
Happy Valley
If you prefer a crime drama series, Happy Valley will keep you entertained. Set in West Yorkshire, Happy Valley follows Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant who’s dealing with a divorce and the trauma of losing her eldest daughter years prior. There’s three seasons of this series to indulge in, each following important points in Catherine’s life as she juggles her duties alongside her personal troubles. It’s a prime example of a great British drama, and will have you feeling every decision Catherine makes as she tries to take down a dangerous man who’s forever tied to her family.
All Creatures Great & Small
BritBox has all four seasons of All Creatures Great & Small if you’re interested in checking out this series. In 1937, recently graduated veterinarian James Herriot travels to Darrowby in Yorkshire to join a practice run by the eccentric Siegfried Farnon. It’s not all smooth sailing for James, but he soon warms up to the township and his coworkers, settling in to Darrowby and taking care of a variety of animals. Based on the novels by Alf Wright, All Creatures Great & Small is a delightful watch that will bring joy to fans of the original 1978 series and newcomers alike.