BBC Brings 'Banished' to American Audiences on iTunes

The series is set in 18th-century Australia.

Australian historical drama Banished is making its way to the United States via iTunes.

In a first for a BBC series, the seven-part drama is premiering exclusively through the Apple-run media store. The entire first season is available for purchase, and the premiere is available for free for its first two weeks on iTunes.

Soumya Sriraman, executive vp franchise and digital enterprises at BBC Worldwide North America, says that titles from the British broadcaster, such as Sherlock, Orphan Black and Doctor Who, have historically done well on iTunes. "Finding the right home for a particular show is often a combination of variables," she adds, pointing to Apple TV and the ease of discoverability as one reason iTunes was the right distribution partner for Banished.

A co-production between BBC2 in the United Kingdom and BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand, Banished is set in 18th-century Australia and tells the story of the first British convicts sent there to establish the country as a penal colony. It stars Russell Tovey (The Night Manager), Orla Brady (Into the Badlands), Julian Rhind-Tutt (The Hour), Myanna Buring (Ripper Street) and David Wenham (Top of the Lake).

The series premiered in the U.K. in March to 3.4 million viewers, one of the largest premieres for BBC2. It was canceled after its first season due to budget constraints.

RSJ Films (Accused) and See-Saw Films (Top of the Lake) co-produced the series, which was created and written by Jimmy McGovern (Accused).

The full season of Banished will cost $14.99 for HD on iTunes until Feb. 1. After that, it will cost $19.99 to purchase the season in HD.