Apple TV+ spring 2020 boasts Amazing Stories, Chris Evans and 5 more shows

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Chris Evans plays a conflicted district attorney in Defending Jacob on Apple TV+.
Chris Evans takes on a dramatic role in Defending Jacob on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

No less than seven new shows will debut on Apple TV+ before the middle of this year. There’s Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories reboot, a thriller starring Chris Evans, a mystery, two comedies and a pair of multipart documentaries.

And Apple says an animated comedy by the creator of Bob’s Burgers will launch this summer. Here’s a rundown of the other new Apple TV+ shows coming in early 2020.

Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories

The first image from Steven Spielberg’s <em>Amazing Stories</em> on Apple TV+
The only image so far from Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories seems to imply a UFO sighting.
Photo: Apple

From its initial announcement in 2017, the Apple TV+ “reimagining” of Steven Spielberg’s anthology sci-fi/fantasy series Amazing Stories has drawn attention. And now it finally has a release date: Friday, March 6.

None of the subjects for the individual episodes have been announced, but the single image released today hints at alien visitors. While Spielberg will be at the helm of Amazing Stories, the showrunners are Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Once Upon a Time).

Chris Evans’ Defending Jacob

Captain America put away his shield to star in Defending Jacob, which Apple calls “a gripping, character-driven thriller.” It tells the story of a small-town district attorney (Chris Evans) dealing with a shocking crime “who finds himself torn between his sworn duty to uphold justice and his unconditional love for his son,” according to Apple.

Defending Jacob will premiere exclusively on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 24.

British comedy Trying

Trying is the first original U.K. series to debut on Apple TV+. This comedy centers on a couple, Jason (Rafe Spall) and Nikki (Esther Smith), who really want a baby. But it’s the one thing they just can’t have. The show will premiere Friday, May 1.

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet

Apple already announced that all nine episodes of the comedy Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet will become available on Friday, February 7. The soon-to-be-released show follows the developers of a fictional video game that rockets up the charts to become the most popular title ever.

Home Before Dark

Home Before Dark debuts this spring on Apple TV+
Home Before Dark is a murder mystery with a girl detective.
Photo: Apple

The mystery in the Apple TV+ spring 2020 lineup is Home Before Dark, based on the real-life story of Hilde Lysiak, a young girl who unearths a cold case that everyone in her small town, including her own father, tried hard to bury. Apple said today that it already picked up season 2 of this show. The company also revealed the debut date for season 1 of Home Before Dark: Friday, April 3.

Visible: Out on Television

According to Apple, Visible: Out on Television “investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television.”

This five-part documentary series will launch on Apple TV+ on Friday, February 14.

Home

Apple TV+’s other documentary series gives a look inside some very innovative houses. Each of the nine episodes of Home will center on “the boundary-pushing imagination of the visionaries who dared to dream and build them.”

It is scheduled to launch Friday, April 17.

Central Park coming this summer

Loren Bouchard, who won an Emmy for Bob’s Burgers and has been nominated for plenty more, created Central Park for Apple TV. Cupertino said today that this animated musical comedy, which follows a family that lives in Central Park, will premiere exclusively on Apple TV+ this summer.

Growing Apple TV+

Apple launched its streaming video service last fall with just a handful of original content. However, the company continues to add new shows. For example, the highly rated Little America debuted Friday.

A subscription to Apple TV+ costs $4.99 a month. Or those who purchase a new Mac, iPhone, Apple TV or iPad get a free year of the service.

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