Silver Spring, MD; September 16, 2008 — Available to U.S. audiences for the first time, Acorn Media announces the November 11, 2008 DVD debut of George Gently, Series 1, a new mystery series based on the long-running series of detective novels by Alan Hunter. Likened to Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders, the feature-length modern dramas boast clever writing, stylish direction, and strong casts.

Award-winning actor Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed, The Professionals) stars as Commander George Gently—an incorruptible, uncompromising cop transplanted from London’s Scotland Yard to England’s North Country in the mid-1960s. Gently’s reputation for honesty and relentlessness makes him almost as feared among his colleagues as he is among criminals. But he finds an odd ally in John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby, Nicholas Nickleby)—an overeager, opinionated young sergeant who plays fast and loose with police procedures. Together the two tackle cases involving murderers, drug dealers, gun runners, and more.

The powerful mysteries unfold against the beautiful backdrop of rural Britain, a region just beginning to feel the rumbles of the era’s social and cultural quakes.

Series 1 guest stars include Richard Armitage (Robin Hood), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), and John Kavanagh (The Tudors).

George Gently premiered in the U.K. on BBC1 in April 2007. Series 1 includes the first three feature-length episodes: Gently Go Man, The Burning Man, and Bomber’s Moon.

Special Features: Text interviews with Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, and writer/executive producer Peter Flannery and a biography of Martin Shaw.

Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., Acorn Media distributes distinctive home video releases to the North American market with a special focus on the best of British television. Acorn’s DVD sets are available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn Media at (888) 870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.