Joanne Froggatt drama helps STV Player to major national award win
STV’s streaming service, STV Player, has won a major national award for gripping drama series The Commons, which has become a huge hit on the platform since premiering in January this year.
The eight-part series, which stars Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt, won Best Programme Acquisition at Tuesday’s Broadcast Digital Awards – one of the TV industry’s most prestigious awards ceremonies, which celebrates the most creative and innovative digital content from across the UK.
The Commons was praised by judges for being “female-centric, gripping and offering high production values” and for “helping STV move from just a Scottish catch-up service to a UK-wide digital destination”.
First screened on Australian streaming platform Stan, The Commons was brought to the UK by STV Player as part of its strategy to offer audiences more high-quality international drama series for free. The series is set in Australia in the not-so-distant future as the devastating impact of climate change is taking hold, and follows a neuropsychologist (Froggatt) who is desperate to become a mother at a time when bringing a child into the world is far more complicated than it used to be.
Originally launched as a catch-up platform in Scotland in 2009, STV Player was rolled out to the rest of the UK in 2020 as a standalone free streaming service, separate to the Scottish broadcast channel. It has also been shortlisted in the Best On Demand Service category at August’s Edinburgh TV Awards, alongside All4 and BBC iPlayer.
Blockquote open The Commons is a perfect example of the type of big-budget, high-quality, stop-you-in-your-tracks drama series that we’re focused on delivering to STV Player audiences across the UK.
Richard Williams MD, of Digital at STV
“Streaming services acquire new shows on a daily basis, so to be awarded for delivering the Best Programme Acquisition of the year is a significant feat for us. This recognition from Broadcast, as well as the enthusiastic viewer response to The Commons, encourages us to continue our strategy of seeking out the very best international drama series and bringing them to the UK for our viewers to enjoy for free. Blockquote close
ENDS
Media Contact
Stephen Innes, STV | stephen.innes@stv.tv