Friday means new content on Apple TV+ — and this week that takes the form of the penultimate episode of Defending Jacob and a new quarantine episode of comedy Mythic Quest.
The preview for the Defending Jacob episode reads: “As the trial begins, Jacob’s fate hangs in the balance.” Meanwhile, the special quarantine edition episode of Raven’s Quest is described like this: “As the MQ staff works from home, Poppy struggles with solitude, while Brad and David start a charitable competition.”
Apple TV+ is also now showing a preview holding page for the documentary series Dear, coming June 5. The documentary will profile “10 game-changing icons and those whose lives they’ve inspired.”
Six months on: How is Apple TV+ faring?
Six months down the line, Apple TV+ still hasn’t made quite the impact that some predicted it could. Apple hasn’t yet released any official subscriber numbers, although a recent report suggested somewhere in the vicinity of 10 million. (But many of those will be on a one year free trial, meaning that most likely only a few million people are actually paying the $4.99 monthly fee.)
Response to Apple Originals has generally been pretty good. Quality of the shows has been consistently high, and Apple has managed to attract an A-list cast of stars to feature in its shows. However, there haven’t yet been any breakout hits causing people to flock to the new service — even if Defending Jacob has reportedly done well by Apple TV+ standards.
Apple might be pivoting its Apple TV+ strategy, however. So far, it has focused on promoting Apple Originals, with nothing in the way of reruns previously seen elsewhere. But this week a report circulated that Apple TV+ is considering adding existing content to help bolster its selection. The same day that report was published, another claimed that Apple has secured the rights to World War II movie Greyhound, written by and starring Tom Hanks. The film was originally going to debut in theaters. But the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a shift in strategy.
Which Apple TV+ shows are you enjoying? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
