For the very first time, two beloved British programs are Emmy Eligible - AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT and FOYLE'S WAR - Submitted for Outstanding Television Movie

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

"Two strong contenders for Best TV Movie...Top-notch telefilms." —Gold Derby

"Deserving of Victory...Honor one of the best shows of the century...ladies and gentlemen of the Television Academy, please do your duty." —Mary McNamara, LA Times says on Foyle's

"One of television's masterpieces...so unbelievably good" —LA Times on Foyle's

"David Suchet's swansong as Hercule Poirot proved that the show has been one of TV's greatest achievements...and great TV performances of the past 30 years." —The Telegraph

To Watch the TV Movies, please visit: http://acorn.tv/awards (no password required)

For the very first time, Television Academy members can vote for two of Britain's most universally acclaimed television series of all time:  Agatha Christie's Poirot and Foyle's War. Acorn TV, the premier British TV streaming service in North America at Acorn.TV, submitted both series finales for Outstanding Television Movie and 13 other categories, including David Suchet (Hercule Poirot) and Michael Kitchen (Christopher Foyle) for Lead Actor in a Television Movie/Limited Series. The Television Academy begins voting on Monday, June 15, and the nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 16.

Miguel Penella, Chief Executive Officer of RLJ Entertainment, Inc., said, "Despite their storied histories, neither Agatha Christie's Poirot nor Foyle's War have been submitted for Emmy consideration before, so this will be the first and final time for voters to recognize these much-loved programs and actors. Acorn TV is thrilled to submit their final TV movies, Curtain and Elise, featuring iconic lead performances by David Suchet and Michael Kitchen, lavish production values, and stellar scripts. They are among the very best in television movies and offer a fitting goodbye to these universally beloved programs."

For the last 25 years, David Suchet has been synonymous with the brilliant Belgian detective, and with Curtain, he completed the unsurpassed feat of portraying Agatha Christie's iconic sleuth in all 70 Poirot stories. Curtain takes place in post-war 1940s England, where an ailing Poirot reunites with Captain Hastings (Supporting Actor contender Hugh Fraser) at Styles, the place where they solved their first murder thirty years prior. Knowing that one of the guests is a killer, Poirot tries to prevent another murder, understanding that his own death is nearing. Curtain was adapted by the late, great playwright and screenwriter Kevin Elyot.

Called "a gift from the gods" (The New York Times) and "a triumph from start to finish" (The Wall Street Journal), Foyle's War has been universally acclaimed by critics and fans alike. With Elise "the series ends on a perfect note" (The New York Times). After their colleague Hilda Pierce is nearly killed in an attempted assassination, Foyle and his loyal driver Sam (Supporting Actress contender Honeysuckle Weeks) must re-examine Hilda's top secret role during WWII to find out if there was a traitor at the heart of the Special Operations Executive. Pulitzer Prize-winning LA Times TV critic Mary McNamara recently called Lead Actor contender Michael Kitchen "An actor of rare and controlled brilliance. Each season, he gave the performance of a hundred lifetimes." Foyle's War is created and written by renowned novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz (Sherlock Holmes, James Bond novels).

Acorn TV was able to submit both movies since their UK production arm, Acorn Productions, co-produced both movies, and both premiered on Acorn TV. RLJ Entertainment, which owns Acorn TV, acquired all rights to Foyle's War in Nov. 2010 and owns a majority share of Agatha Christie Ltd, which manages Christie's extensive literary works.

Since 2011, Acorn TV has been a trailblazer in the digital movement for niche streaming services with its rapidly growing fan base of lovers of British mysteries and dramas, taking fans of high-quality productions to an "alternate universe of terrific British shows" (Los Angeles Times). Available at www.Acorn.TV and on a variety of devices, Acorn TV is the first British TV focused streaming service in North America and features US Premieres of first-rate international content EVERY week.

To Watch the TV Movies - Foyle's War: Elise, The Final Mystery and Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, Poirot's Last Case - and, for further information on the 14 Emmy categories, please visit: http://acorn.tv/awards (no password required)

About RLJ Entertainment

RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent owner, developer, licensee, and distributor of entertainment content and programming in primarily North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres including feature films and urban with distinct content via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Acacia (fitness), Athena (documentaries), and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, and digital streaming.

Through Acorn Productions, its UK production arm, RLJE owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle's War and is developing new programs. RLJE owns 64% of Agatha Christie Limited, which manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, Acorn TV, AcaciaTV, and UMC – Urban Movie Channel, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. Through its proprietary e-commerce web sites and print catalogs for the Acorn and Acacia brands, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers. For more information, please visit www.RLJEntertainment.com

Acorn TV/RLJE Press Contact: Chad Campbell, 301.830.6203, [email protected]

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SOURCE RLJ Entertainment, Inc.

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