There has been a lot of buzz over Apple TV+, a subscription service set to launch November 1st with all original content. This approach to video streaming is different than other providers like Amazon, Netflix, HBO, and HULU, who offer a substantial amount of cost-increasing catalog material in addition to exclusive programming. Apple is counting on the fact that this distinction will make a difference to entertainment-thirsty and cost-conscious consumers.
With more and more people “cutting the cable,” content providers are in a frenzy to compete for your eyes, and your pocketbook – and Apple wants in on the action. They anticipate that viewers will have no problem dropping $4.99 per month to add Apple TV+ to whatever other streaming services they currently use. An entire month of ad-free binge-watching by sacrificing one White Chocolate Mocha in any given 28 to 31 day period? Most would find that a fair tradeoff. But the content will have to be good.
The diverse lineup of shows Apple is introducing indicates that they are trying to hit every segment of the market – from comedies and dramas to documentaries and kids shows. And they aren’t holding back when it comes to bringing in some of the biggest producers, writers, directors, and actors in Hollywood. Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Ron Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, Jenifer Aniston, Steve Carrel, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Momoa, Hailee Steinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, and Snoopy are but a few.
We have compiled a list of shows that will be available for streaming when AppleTV+ launches on November 1st. Additional content is scheduled for release at a later time, but perhaps this preview will help you decide if you’d like to be in on the watercooler conversations come the following Monday morning.
The Morning Show
Drama, Rated TV-MA
Writer: Kerry Ehrin
Director: Mimi Leder
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell
“The Morning Show” explores the cutthroat world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the minefield of high-octane jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, “The Morning Show” is an unapologetically candid drama that looks at the power dynamics between women and men, and women and women, in the workplace.
See
Drama, Rated TV-MA
Writer: Steven Knight
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jason Momoa, Alfre Woodard, Hera Hilmar
“See” takes place in the distant future, after a deadly virus decimated humankind. Those who survived emerged blind. Jason Momoa stars as Baba Voss — the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see — who must protect his tribe against a powerful yet desperate queen who wants the twins destroyed. Alfre Woodard stars as Paris, Baba Voss’s spiritual leader.
Dickenson
Comedy, TV-14
Writer: Alena Smith
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe
“Dickinson” is a half-hour comedy series that audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender
For All Mankind
Drama, Rated TV-MA
Writer: Ronald D. Moore
Director: Seth Gordon
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel Vansanten
Enter a captivating “what if” take on history from Golden Globe nominee and Emmy Award winner, Ronald D. Moore. Told through the lives of astronauts, engineers and their families, “For All Mankind” imagines a world in which the global space race never ended and the space program remained the cultural centerpiece of America’s hopes and dreams.
Helpsters
Kids Series, Rated TV-Y
Starring: Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Martin Robinson, Tim Lagasse, Ingrid Hansen, Jennifer Barnhart
“Helpsters” is a new live-action pre-school series from the makers of “Sesame Street.” Cody and the Helpsters are a team of vibrant monsters who love to solve problems. Whether it’s planning a party, climbing a mountain or mastering a magic trick, the Helpsters can figure anything out — because everything starts with a plan.
Snoopy in Space
Kids Series, Rated TV-G
Starring: Ethan Pugiotto, Terry McGurrin, Rob Tinkler, Nicole Byer
Blast off with Snoopy in a series of 12 animated shorts featuring Charlie Brown and the beloved Peanuts gang. Snoopy fulfills his dreams and embarks on his next big adventure: becoming a NASA astronaut. Joined by Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang, Snoopy takes command of the International Space Station and explores the moon and beyond.
Ghost Writer
Kids Series, Rated TV-G
Writer: Luke Matheny
Director: Luke Matheny
Starring: Isaac Arellanes, Amadi Chapata, Justin Sanchez, Hannah Levinson
When a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world, four kids must team up to solve an exciting mystery surrounding the ghost’s unfinished business. Armed with secret messages only they can see, the young heroes chase down the truth — and become friends in the process.
“Ghostwriter” is a re-imagining of Sesame Workshops’ 1992 series. Each episode story arc is grouped around literature, featuring classics and new works commissioned from popular authors like D.J. MacHale and Kwame Alexander.
The Elephant Queen
Documentary, Rated G
Writer: Mark Deeble
Directors: Mark Deeble, Victoria Stone
Narrator: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Embark on an epic journey of family, courage and coming home. “The Elephant Queen” is a genre-crossing wildlife documentary, uniquely crafted as a character-driven narrative. Its enduring themes are built upon a foundation of authenticity and integrity, brought from filmmakers Mark Deeble (“Voyage of Time”) and Victoria Stone’s (“The Queen of Trees”) 60 years of collective experience in the rich tradition of wildlife documentary filmmaking and production. Deeble and Stone, who are Emmy and Peabody Award winners, spent 25 years living in the East African bush, preparing them for the unforgettable odyssey of “The Elephant Queen.”
So there you have it, the list of shows that will be debuting on Apple TV+ November 1st. Are you going to bite the bullet and add Apple’s new streaming service to your line-up? Will it quench your thirst for content? Let other Rocket Yard readers know!
Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, and other platforms, including online at tv.apple.com. Images and select content in this article provided by Apple.
I bought the iPhone11 Pro and they gave me a free year of Apple TV.
Dammit..some of these look quite good.
Apple has such an insidious ability to creep deeply into our pockets.
Three out of eight, and two of those are skeptical “maybes.”
Apple is already so involved with entertainment that they can hardly manage to do anything else—just look at every OS since 10.10, at least.
It used to be that Apple products were for the thoughtful and intelligent. That wasn’t profitable enough. Now they rely on a customer base that just wants the next thing from Apple, whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent, just so long as it’s new.