Amazon to Bring Original PBS Civil War-Era Drama MERCY STREET to Prime Members

Amazon and PBS today announced an in-season content licensing agreement to make Prime Video the exclusive premium subscription streaming home for the new PBS original series MERCY STREET, with each episode available to Prime members in the U.S. seven days after broadcast on PBS stations. In addition, all customers can today stream the first episode of the Civil War-era drama series on Amazon Video at no cost, starting three days before its broadcast premiere, via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices or mobile devices, or online at www.amazon.com/amazonvideo. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.

"Prime members love PBS period dramas like DOWNTON ABBEY and MR. SELFRIDGE and fans of those great shows are going to really enjoy Mercy Street," said Brad Beale, Vice President of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. "We are also excited to bring each episode of Mercy Street to Prime Video only seven days after it broadcasts on PBS stations. Prime members have valued having in-season access to shows like EXTANT and UNDER THE DOME and we're thrilled to provide even more in-season availability with PBS' Mercy Street."

"We're thrilled to premiere Mercy Street on local PBS stations, as it is a wonderful illustration of the high-quality dramatic and historical programming that is a hallmark of our work," said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Officer and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. "This collaboration with Amazon showcases Mercy Street to Prime Video members, bringing new fans to the series and our stations."

Executive produced by Ridley Scott (The Martian, The Man in the High Castle), David W. Zucker (The Good Wife, The Man in the High Castle), Lisa Q. Wolfinger (Desperate Crossing, The Untold Story of the Mayflower) and David Zabel (ER), Mercy Street, set on the Civil War home front of Virginia in the spring of 1862, follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the conflict; Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Returned and The Spectacular Now), a staunch New England abolitionist, and Emma Green (Hannah James of Winding Lane), a naive young Confederate belle. Political persuasions open a window into a world where the unprecedented medical demands create a chaotic atmosphere and challenge doctors, nurses and patients in unimaginable ways, while the pressure of Union occupation threatens to tear apart the Confederate family.

Based on both historical and composite characters, Mercy Street also stars Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) as Dr. Jedediah Foster, Gary Cole (Veep, The Good Wife) as James Green, Sr., Norbert Leo Butz (Bloodline) as Dr. Byron Hale, Tara Summers (You're The Worst, Boston Legal) as nurse Anne Hastings, Peter Gerety (Syriana, Charlie Wilson's War) as Chief Surgeon Alfred Summers, and Anna Sophia Robb (The Carrie Diaries, The Bridge to Terebithia) as Alice Green.

The six-episode Civil War drama series premieres on PBS stations on January 17, 2016, directly following DOWNTON ABBEY on Masterpiece. Prime members can view episodes of Mercy Street seven days after each episode airs via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at www.amazon.com/primevideo. Prime members can also download the series for offline viewing on compatible iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. Customers can find a list of Amazon Video compatible devices here: www.amazon.com/howtostream. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime.

Image courtesy of PBS

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