In advance of the highly-anticipated season two premiere on January 9, fans are being given a number of ways to catch up on A Discovery of Witches Season 1, as AMC Networks uses a variety of platforms to lean into the return of one of 2019’s biggest hits, which drove record usage and subscriptions for its Sundance Now and Shudder streaming services.
The entire A Discovery of Witches Season 1 will be available on Sundance Now, Shudder and AMC+ as free content without a subscription from January 4 through January 18.
The first season will also appear on the AMC linear network as a full-season marathon on January 24, including special additional behind the scenes content with the cast and crew and interviews with author Deborah Harkness.
Season two will premiere on Sundance Now, Shudder and AMC+ on January 9, one day after the series’ UK Premiere. The second season consists of 10 new episodes, with a new episode arriving on all three platforms every Saturday.
A Discovery of Witches is the #1 title in the history of Sundance Now and remains one of the top series streamed each month. At the time of its premiere last year, it was the #1 title in the history of Shudder and remains among its top performing original series, along with Creepshow, Cursed Films and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs.
AMC will also feature the full second season on its linear network this June.
“A Discovery of Witches was a runaway hit for Sundance Now and Shudder last year, driving record usage and subscriptions at a time when our streaming services were gaining momentum in a crowded and increasingly competitive market,” said Miguel Penella, president of SVOD for AMC Networks.
He added: “With the arrival of the highly anticipated second season, we want to make sure new fans have the ability to catch up on the first season and those who loved the series have the ability to relive the experience as we anticipate the arrival of season two on January 9.
“There has never been a single series that has had the impact of A Discovery of Witches across our streaming platforms, which now include AMC+, so the arrival of a new season is a hugely significant moment for the fans and for our fast-growing platforms.”
Featuring lead performances from Teresa Palmer (Hacksaw Ridge) and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey), adapted from Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy, the 10-part second season finds Diana (Palmer) and Matthew (Goode) hiding in time in the fascinating and treacherous world of Elizabethan London – here they must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life.
In Elizabethan London, Diana and Matthew’s romance faces a barrage of new threats. Diana’s unleashed magic takes a dark and frightening turn, while Matthew struggles to re-inhabit the dangerous life he led over four centuries ago. They must overcome deep personal fears and jealousies, bearing their darkest secrets to one another if they are to stay alive, stay together and find a way back to present day.
While Diana and Matthew hide out in Elizabethan London, back in present day, Diana’s beloved aunts, Sarah (Alex Kingston, Doctor Who, ER) and Em (Valarie Pettiford, Half & Half), must take shelter with notorious witch hunter Ysabeau de Clermont (Lindsay Duncan, The Honourable Woman) at her ancestral home, Sept-Tours.
Meanwhile, in Oxford, Marcus (Edward Bluemel, Killing Eve) and Miriam (Aiysha Hart, Line of Duty) take on Matthew’s mantle to protect daemons Nathaniel (Daniel Ezra, All American) and Sophie (Aisling Loftus, War & Peace), whose pregnancy is advancing.
And Gerbert (Trevor Eve, Waking the Dead), Knox (Owen Teale, Game of Thrones), Satu (Malin Buska, The Girl King) and Domenico (Gregg Chillin, Da Vinci’s Demons) are determined to hunt down every clue they can to Diana’s and Matthew’s disappearance, and the secrets their allies are keeping from them.
Also starring James Purefoy (Rome, Pennyworth), Steven Cree (Outlander), and Adelle Leonce (Black Mirror) as new characters introduced in season two.
The show was commissioned by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK and Ireland, and Cameron Roach, Director of Drama, Sky Studios.
Made by Bad Wolf Limited, A Discovery of Witches has been adapted for screen by Pete McTighe (Doctor Who) and Susie Conklin (The Musketeers), who are also executive producers, along with other writers including Sarah Dollard (Doctor Who, Being Human).
The co-founders of Bad Wolf, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, and Lachlan MacKinnon are executive producers along with Deborah Harkness and Farren Blackburn and Kara Manley for Sky Studios.
Farren Blackburn (The Innocents), Philippa Langdale (Harlots) and Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man) are the directors. Filming took place in South Wales and on location in Oxford and Venice.