BBC Studios announced a new content agreement with Lemino, a Japanese video-on-demand streaming service operated by NTT DOCOMO. This inaugural partnership with NTT DOCOMO will enhance Lemino’s content portfolio with a variety of British dramas and factual programmes.

From 15th November onwards, Japanese audiences will be able to enjoy a line-up of the most coveted programmes distributed by BBC Studios:

· Sherlock Series 1-4: Sherlock Holmes was always a modern man – it’s the world that got old. Now he’s back as he should be: edgy, contemporary, difficult and dangerous, as award-winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch shows him in a new, contemporary light. Sherlock can tell a software designer by his tie, an airline pilot by his thumb. He has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else in the world, who staves off boredom by solving crimes. When a chance encounter brings ex-soldier and doctor John Watson (played by Martin Freeman) into Sherlock’s life, it’s apparent the two men couldn’t be more different, but Sherlock’s intellect coupled with John’s pragmatism soon forge an unbreakable alliance. With sparkling scripts and unforgettable performances from the two leads, this is Sherlock for a new generation.

· Death in Paradise Series 1-11: The series kicks off with Ben Miller starring as a straight-laced cop Richard Poole, who has been sent to the paradise island of Saint-Marie in the Caribbean to solve an impossible murder. He hates sun, sea and sand, but no matter – once he’s solved the murder he’ll be heading back to wonderful, cold, drizzly London. He does so, with brilliance and tenacity – only to discover his boss back home has conspired to keep him there. He’s trapped on an island he hates and people just keep getting murdered, until a shocking twist of events is revealed.

· Unforgotten Series 1-4: This crime drama focuses on a cold case reopened after 39 years. When the body of a young man is discovered in a derelict building, DCI Cassie Stuart – one of the Met’s smartest detectives – is called in to investigate. There are four suspects and each with a secret to hide. As their lies unravel, the people they love most begin to wonder what else they might be capable of. Unforgotten brings together one of the most accomplished acting ensembles seen on British television for years. The multi-award-winning cast includes Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bernard Hill, Trevor Eve, Ruth Sheen, Golden Globe and Bafta-winner Tom Courtenay and Bafta-winner Gemma Jones.

· Life Below Zero Series 1-9: This eye-opening series follows the drama and hardships experienced by four Alaskan households in different corners of this merciless territory as

they battle to make it through a long, dark, freezing winter. The huge US state of Alaska boasts some of the world’s most deadly weather, with temperatures regularly plummeting to a lethal -80 Fahrenheit, freezing exposed limbs in minutes. Yet it is also home to some of the toughest, most resilient, most isolated people in the world. Life is all about survival in the face of unrelenting weather, scarce resources and man-eating carnivores.

Lemino subscribers will also have access to other programmes such as iconic long-running British dramas like Call The Midwife Series 1-11 and Father Brown Series 1-10, period dramas The Pursuit of Love and Sanditon, as well as documentary series Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change The World.

Cheryl Png, Vice President of Distribution for Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan of BBC Studios Asia, said, “We are thrilled to partner NTT DOCOMO’s Lemino to bring the best of BBC Studios content to even more audiences in Japan. BBC Studios is known for our premium content, powerful storytelling and the ability to connect with a global audience. We look forward to working closely with NTT DOCOMO to showcase the depth and breadth of our programmes that we are confident Japanese viewers will enjoy.”