Anthony Horowitz’s New Blood to get iPlayer debut

Anthony Horowitz’s seven-part investigative drama, New Blood, is to premiere on the BBC iPlayer ahead of its transmission on BBC One. It will be the first prime time drama series to do so.

“We have to recognise that young people don’t watch TV the way we did, and it’s very much in the spirit of New Blood that the show will premiere on iPlayer. I couldn’t be happier that we’re going to be ‘out there’ on demand – it’s a great way to launch a show which is very much about the younger generation – before we settle into our seven-week, 9pm slot.” – Anthony Horowitz

New Blood is described by the beeb as ‘a bold and surprising crime series.’ The story sets out to show a unique side of modern London through the eyes of two outsiders, Stefan and Rash, junior investigators for the Serious Fraud Office and the police, who are brought together by two seemingly unrelated cases.

Stefan and Rash are opposites in almost every way. What they do share are the same frustrations with life – underpaid, unappreciated and undermined. Lumbered with huge university loans, they can’t afford to buy a house and have little or no job security. New Blood will see Stefan and Rash come up against the uber rich and powerful – corporations, individuals, governments and the new breed of criminals who hide behind legitimate facades and are guarded by lawyers.

As their friendship is cemented across the series, they come to understand that by quietly pooling resources and combining their different skills they make a formidable crime-solving force. And at the same time, they might be able to help each other up the promotional ladder – if they don’t get themselves fired along the way.

“BBC iPlayer was the first platform that brought drama on-demand to audiences and has continued to be at the centre of innovation. Anthony Horowitz is a master storyteller who has a unique ability to tell compelling stories that appeal to audiences of all ages. New Blood is the perfect fit to be the first prime time drama series to premiere on iPlayer and to help young audiences find a way to consume content online.” – Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC Television and iPlayer