Apple TV+
At $4.99/month, Apple’s new TV subscription is an interesting proposal. On one hand, it’s crazy cheap compared to other streaming services. On the other hand, you currently only get access to about a dozen shows, as Apple doesn’t have any sort of back catalog; it’s just their brand new, original content.
Don’t get me wrong, the shows I’ve watched so far were really well made, and they were engaging. I’ve really enjoyed “The Morning Show” and “For All Mankind”. Both shows have one hour episodes that are compelling enough that I remember to come back to the app every Friday to catch the new episodes. The Apple TV+ catalog seems to focus on dramas, but there is a variety of content, ranging from a nature documentary, to a thriller, to a “Snoopy” cartoon. I’m also pleased to see that Apple has taken a very hands off approach to regulating their catalog — it doesn’t seem that they’re censoring anything for the sake of maintaining a “family friendly” rating — by all accounts, they appear to have given the artists free range for creative expression.
Apple’s venture into original video content had a shaky foundation, though, let’s not forget. A moment of silence is due for Apple’s seemingly-forgotten, previous endeavors with original TV content, “Planet of The Apps” and “Carpool Karaoke”… These shows were released a couple years ago as an odd benefit for Apple Music subscribers, and they still exist in the music app, for better or for worse. While “Carpool Karaoke” without James Corden was a completely uninteresting flop, “Planet of The Apps” was actually a cool idea, and I wish they’d at least tossed it in with the available Apple TV+ content rather than leaving it to rot in the music app, which didn’t make a lot sense in the first place. Oh well, I’m glad they didn’t give up.
The bottom line is this: you should give Apple TV+ a shot. Maybe the shows that I really enjoyed won’t be the ones for you, but there is a lot of variety, and it’s all very well produced. On top of that, Apple is clearly committed to succeeding in this arena, because they’re dropping billions on producing this content, and have a lot of other cool shows slated for the coming months. You get at least a week for free, and anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV will qualify for a free year: there’s no reason not to try it.