Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Release date and where to watch in Australia


Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Image source: TMDB

Mr Bates vs The Post Office, a new drama series from ITV starring Toby Jones is screening in Australia beginning next week. 

The British Post Office scandal caused “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history”, falsely accusing hundreds of sub-postmasters of theft and fraud.

As a result, their entire life savings were stripped away, leading to loss of jobs and homes, bankruptcies, debts, imprisonments — ruining their lives, basically. 

The new UK drama revisits these harrowing events and how justice was ultimately served.

What’s in this Guide?

Mr Bates vs The Post Office release date

The four-episode British drama premieres in Australia on Thursday, 5 December, with episodes rolling out on streaming TV weekly. 

EpisodesRelease DatesStreaming Service
Episode 1Thur, 5 Dec 2024BritBox
Episode 2Thur, 12 Dec 2024BritBox
Episode 3Thur, 19 Dec 2024BritBox
Episode 4Thur, 26 Dec 2024BritBox

Where to watch Mr Bates vs The Post Office in Australia?

This new series from ITV will be streaming in Australia on BritBox. If you’re a new customer, you can catch the show’s premiere next week for free using a 7-day trial.

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How to sign up for BritBox?

You can stream every episode of the new series about the British Post Office scandal in Australia via BritBox. There’s a free trial when signing up, giving you access to BritBox’s library of shows and movies for one week. After that, a BritBox subscription costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 yearly.

There’s already 4K streaming on BritBox supported for selected devices, including Samsung smart TVs with 4K. Users can do concurrent TV and movie streaming on the app for up to four devices.

To sign up, go to the BritBox website, click the ‘Start Watching Now’ button and follow instructions. After entering your email address and password, you’ll need to select a subscription between monthly or yearly, and submit your payment information. You can start streaming TV shows with a free trial after that. 

If you don’t cancel before the trial ends, your BritBox subscription will continue. 

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What is the plot of Mr Bates vs The Post Office?

In this dramatic retelling of the British Post Office scandal, Fujitsu’s IT system called Horizon malfunctions, causing substantial cash shortfalls. With the Post Office insisting that Horizon is not at fault, innocent subpostmasters take the blame, destroying their homes and families.

When news about Horizon’s problems are reported years later, the subpostmasters accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting reunite to seek justice. Led by Alan Bates, played by Toby Jones, they become stronger in number as they persistently fight for years and years against the Post Office. 

ITV’s broadcast of the drama in the UK earlier this year helped the case get more support and traction, making it a major political issue. It is written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by James Strong.

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Cast of Mr Bates vs The Post Office

The cast of the new UK drama consists of the following actors: 

  • Toby Jones as Alan Bates
  • Monica Dolan as Jo Hamilton
  • Julie Hesmondhalgh as Suzanne Sercombe
  • Alex Jennings as James Arbuthnot
  • Ian Hart as Bob Rutherford
  • Lia Williams as Paula Vennells
  • Will Mellor as Lee Castleton
  • Amy Nuttall as Lisa Castleton
  • Krupa Pattani as Saman Kaur
  • Amit Shah as Jas Singh
  • Colin Tierney as Martin Griffiths
  • Clare Calbraith as Gina Griffiths
  • Shaun Dooley as Michael Rudkin
  • Lesley Nicol as Pam Stubbs
  • John Hollingworth as James Hartley
  • Adam James as Patrick Green QC
  • Katherine Kelly as Angela van Den Bogerd
  • Isobel Middleton as Kay Linnell
  • Ifan Huw Dafydd [cy] as Noel Thomas
  • Mark Arends as Richard Roll
  • Andrew Havill as Stuart Wentworth QC
  • Pip Torrens as Lord Justice Fraser

Mr Bates vs The Post Office trailer

Here’s a preview of the new British drama streaming in Australia from December 5!

Other shows you might like to watch

Wondering what other TV shows are streaming on BritBox? We’ve rounded up some of the latest releases you can watch on the streamer, including: