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How to Watch The Secret Army Online: Stream the IRA Documentary from Anywhere

Published on March 27, 2024
Written by:
Lore Apostol
Lore Apostol
Cybersecurity & Streaming Writer

The Secret Army is a British film in which journalist Darragh MacIntyre investigates the mystery of the lost American documentary of the same name filmed inside the IRA in 1972. The documentary revealed unmasked members of the organization. The title premieres in the UK on March 27, 2024, at 9 pm GMT via BBC Two NI (North Ireland) and BBC iPlayer. You can also watch it on BBC Four on April 2, 2024, at 10 pm GMT. 

Due to geo-restrictions, this platform does not work outside its country of origin. All streaming services can read your physical location attached to your IP address, and BBC iPlayer is no exception. Because an error message is displayed, you cannot use BBC iPlayer's media library if you travel or live outside the UK. But don't worry—a simple workaround will enable you to solve this small setback. 

A VPN can bypass the geo-blockade by changing your IP address to a UK one, letting you stream The Secret Army from anywhere. You only need to run the VPN app using a UK server, as this step makes it look like you are in the UK, removing the error message.

That said, let's see when, where, and how to watch The Secret Army online from anywhere in the world, the title preview, why you need a VPN and more.

How to Watch The Secret Army Online With a VPN

You can watch The Secret Army online on BBC iPlayer with a VPN connected to a UK server. Here’s a detailed guide:

  1. Sign up for a VPN that unblocks BBC iPlayer (we recommend NordVPN).
  2. Download and install the VPN app made for your device or system.
  3. Open and fire up the VPN via a UK server.
  4. Load the BBC iPlayer service and start streaming the title.

Why Do You Need a VPN to Watch The Secret Army?

You need a VPN to watch The Secret Army because BBC iPlayer does not work for people outside the UK.

If you try to watch content from the BBC iPlayer library outside the UK territory without employing a VPN, you see a geo-related error message on your screen that reads: "BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. Sorry, it’s due to rights issues."

BBC iPlayer Geo Block

A VPN goes around geo-blockades by making you seem to be in a country where the desired streaming platform works. To stream The Secret Army safely from anywhere, run the VPN app on your device while connected to a UK server. This step assigns you an IP address that matches the location of the selected server and removes the error message.

We strongly recommend you turn to NordVPN to unblock all the live TV and streaming services available in just a few moments, as this is one of the top-rated VPNs on the market these days, and the list includes BBC iPlayer and several more. 

Where to Watch The Secret Army

The 90-minute IRA documentary premieres in the UK on Friday, March 27, 2024. It airs on BBC Two NI at 9 pm GMT and streams on the BBC iPlayer service soon after the broadcast ends. You can also watch the documentary on April 2, 2024, at 10 pm GMT on BBC Four. 

A premiere date for the US, Canada, and Australia has not been announced yet. 

Here's where you can stream The Secret Army:

Streaming Service Monthly Price Starting At Available Locations
BBC iPlayer Free (with ads) UK

How to Watch The Secret Army in the UK

The IRA documentary premieres on Friday, March 27, 2024, on BBC Two NI at 9 pm GMT in the UK. It also streams on BBC’s platform for free after the broadcast ends, so log in using your free BBC account credentials to stream The Secret Army on BBC iPlayer. The Secret Army will also air on BBC Four on April 2, 2024, at 10 pm GMT.

BBC iPlayer’s library offers many fan-favorite titles such as MasterChef, Peaky Blinders, Inside No. 9, The Gallows Pole: This Valley Will Rise, Call the Midwife, The Gold, and more.

BBC’s streaming service does not work outside the UK due to geo-restrictions stemming from licensing deals, but you can rely on a secure VPN set to a UK server to regain access when you travel abroad.

Can I Watch The Secret Army in the US, Canada, and Australia?

No, you cannot watch The Secret Army in the US, Canada, and Australia, as its premiere date for other countries remains unavailable. 

However, a safe VPN running on your device via a UK server can help you stream The Secret Army on BBC iPlayer in the US, Canada, Australia, and anywhere else.

Can You Watch The Secret Army Online Free?

Yes, you can watch The Secret Army for free in the UK via BBC iPlayer.

The Secret Army Preview

The Secret Army is a documentary film in which journalist Darragh MacIntyre investigates a 1972 IRA documentary that has been missing for almost 50 years. Darragh found the original film reel in New York. He stumbled upon the American production team while tracking down a few former IRA men.

Presenting himself as the director of a US crew making a film about the IRA called The Secret Army, Zwy Aldouby came to Ireland in March 1972, at the bloodiest point of the Northern Ireland Troubles, just when Colonel Muammar Gadaffi announced his support for the IRA.

Born Herbert Dubinsky in 1931, Aldouby lost family members to the Nazis but escaped to Palestine after WWII, later becoming a journalist and moving to the US in the 1950s, ending up being a Nazi hunter with ties to Israeli intelligence. 

Even though he had no apparent track record as a filmmaker, Aldouby was permitted to film unmasked IRA members planning and carrying out daily attacks and meet most of the IRA's underground leadership, known as the Army Council, between March and June 1972.

Among those filmed was young IRA leader Martin McGuinness, who decades later became the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.

Final Thoughts

You can stream The Secret Army on BBC iPlayer in the UK. This streaming service is geo-restricted, so people who travel abroad or live in another country must use a VPN set to a UK server to safely unblock iPlayer from anywhere.

We recommend NordVPN to get more than 5,800 high-speed VPN servers with stable connections in 50 countries worldwide, unlimited bandwidth, and the best privacy and security features to protect your devices from security breaches and safeguard your data online. You can even try NordVPN risk-free for 30 days via the company’s generous money-back guarantee.



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