Everything British Streaming on PBS for April 2026
Our monthly rundown of everything British coming to PBS and PBS Passport for April 2026.
April is a funny time at PBS Masterpiece, programing-wise. It's either jam-packed with premieres and finales because everything is three or four episodes long, or it gets skipped altogether because the March premieres fell on the late side of the calendar, and everything is six to eight episodes. For 2026, we once again have the latter scenario: The Forsytes and The Count of Monte Cristo are two of Masterpiece's biggest series for the spring season, making this the second major spring lineup in two years after 2025's return of Wolf Hall. Yet, since both are six episodes, and their lead in, Call the Midwife , as usual, runs eight, leaving the Sunday night lineup completely off this month's streaming list.
The Spring 2026 Sunday trio of British shows will continue to air weekly, but thankfully, the other corners of PBS are stepping into the breach. For those who are into British history, there's a late breaking addition from the BBC's 2023 lineup of specials celebrating Shakespeare's First Folio's 400th anniversary and a double dose of Lucy Worsley heading our way for April. As always, Walter Presents will have Friday debuts of crime shows and thrillers.
But the biggest debut is another brand new Acorn TV series coming out from behind the paywall for PBS viewers to fall in love with, along with a new season of a big fan-favorite.
Here's the list of April 2026 British premieres heading to most PBS stations and their various streaming outlets.
The Chelsea Detective Season 1
One of Acorn TV's biggest sleeper hits, The Chelsea Detective, finally starts coming out from behind the paywall to select PBS stations and their associated membership streaming services. Adrian Scarborough lands that perfect "schlubby-but-hot" mixture that served John Thaw and Martin Clunes so well as DI Max Arnold.
A working class detective whose failing marriage to an upperclass wife landed him the position of lead investigator in London's toniest district, Season 1 sees him paired up with Sonita Henry as DS Priya Shamsie, who has just returned from maternity leave. (Henry exited after Season 1 as the series retooled, with Vanessa Emme currently co-starring since Season 2.) The show is currently filming Season 4 so there's lots more to come.
All episodes of The Chelsea Detective Season 1 stream on select PBS Passports beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2026. As always, check your local listings.
My Life is Murder Season 3
Meanwhile, the Lucy Lawless-starring My Life is Murder has officially become a yearly binge drop from Acorn TV to PBS, with Season 3 arriving almost exactly a year after Season 2 did in 2025. Like The Chelsea Detective, Season 2 saw a lot of cast retooling, but since then, the show has remained stable, with Season 5 streaming in early 2026. Season 6 has not yet been announced, but considering Season 5 just ended its run, that's not a sign the show won't return. PBS can live on these for a while yet.
All episodes of My Life is Murder Season 3 stream on select PBS Passports beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2026. As always, check your local listings.
Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius
The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio publication was a much bigger deal in the U.K. than in America when it occurred in late 2023. PBS did have a small special or two, but nothing quite to the level of the BBC. Thankfully, some of those celebratory series are now crossing the pond in syndication, including Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius, which features a guest star roster that includes Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox, Adrian Lester, Dame Helen Mirren, Martin Freeman, and Jessie Buckley.
All episodes of Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius stream on select PBS Passports beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2026. As always, check your local listings.
One Step From Heaven (Un Passo dal Cielo) Season 5
Don't be fooled by the latest installment of Walter Presents' One Step From Heaven (Un Passo dal Cielo) calling itself Season 5. As we noted in June 2025, Season 3 was when the series expanded from ~12 episodes to ~19, yet PBS continued to release ten installments at a time. That meant Seasons 3 and 4 – which PBS obligingly released less than six months apart – were actually two halves of the show's original Season 3.
Season 5, which runs eight episodes, is therefore the first half of Season 4, a major turning point in the series, as Terence Hill exited the show and was replaced by Daniele Liotti as the series lead. One assumes PBS will debut the second half of the 18 episode season within six months again; with the show at eight seasons and counting, there's plenty more for Walter Presents to bring over.
All eight episodes of One Step From Heaven Season 5 will debut on PBS Passport and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel starting Friday, April 3, 2026.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution
Lucy Worsley takes on the thankless task of being the contrarian counterpoint no one asked for to honor America's 250th anniversary. Her newest two-part special, Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution, reminds us that the losers sometimes keep records of history as well, and theirs is a different tale than the one written by the winners. We're sure the costumes will be baller.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution premieres Tuesday, April 7, at 9 p.m. ET, on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel, with the second episode following on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. As always, check your local listings.
Mademoiselle Holmes Season 2
Fans of Astrid will rejoice as the Lola Dewaere starring Mademoiselle Holmes returns to PBS with its second (and sadly final) season. The French show, which streamed on TF1, was a major hit with the Walter Presents crowd when it debuted Season 1 in August 2025, and it's kind of a shame there won't be more after this set of installments, but at least we can all enjoy what is one of the more bonkers reimaginings in the Sherlock Holmes canon.
All episodes of Mademoiselle Holmes Season 2 will debut on PBS Passport and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel starting Friday, April 10, 2026.
Inspector Ricciardi (Il Commissario Ricciardi) Season 3
It's been over two years since Walter Presents brought over Inspector Ricciardi (Il Commissario Ricciardi) Season 2 in January 2024. However, that's not really its fault – Season 3 didn't arrive on RAI until November 2025, almost three years after the Italian debut of Season 2 in early 2023. Season 4, notably, has not yet been greenlit, so this may be the last of it.
The 1930s-set Italian crime drama brings back Lino Guanciale, who previously starred in the Walter Presents hit The Good Apprentice (L'Allieva). Based on the novels by Maurizio De Giovanni, Guanciale stars as Commissioner Luigi Alfredo Ricciardi, a detective with the secret ability to see ghosts of those who died violent deaths and hear their last thoughts.
All episodes of Inspector Ricciardi Season 3 will debut on PBS Passport and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel starting Friday, April 17, 2026.
Lolita Lobosco (Le Indagini Di Lolita Lobosco) Season 3
It's been 18 months since Walter Presents last brought over fresh episodes of Lolita Lobosco (Le Indagini Di Lolita Lobosco). Based on the wildly popular novels by Italian writer Gabriella Genisi, Seasons 1 and 2 arrived on consecutive Septembers in 2023 and 2024, now the third and final season finally arrives for April 2026.
Luisa Ranieri (Luisa Spagnoli) stars as the titular Deputy Chief Lolita Lobosco, whose return to her hometown of Bari has led to her investigating the truth behind her father's death in between mysteries-of-the-week, which she solves with an all-male team of investigators.
All episodes of Lolita Lobosco Season 3 will debut on PBS Passport and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel starting Friday, April 24, 2026.
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