With zero fanfare Apple launched a new website Tuesday called “Snapshot.” It appears they designed it as a discovery platform for fans to learn more about celebrities across Apple’s ecosystem of services, like Apple TV+, Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
While the concept shows promise, the execution leaves much to be desired in its current form because it’s so limited.
Celebrated Apple TV+ shows Slow Horses, Bad Sisters and The Velveteen Rabbit won BAFTA Television Craft Awards at a ceremony Sunday in London. Espionage thriller Slow Horses nabbed two while the others took home one apiece.
BAFTA’s craft awards are similar to technical Emmy and Oscars awards, bestowed separately from the main awards. The main BAFTA awards ceremony takes place May 11.
In an effort to attract new viewers in a hugely competitive streaming market, Apple TV+ unveiled a limited-time promotion Wednesday. It offers a steep 70% discount on Apple TV+ subscriptions for both new and qualified returning subscribers through April 24. The steal of a deal’s timing coincides with Friday’s premiere of Your Friends & Neighbors with Jon Hamm as a rich guy-turned-thief.
The special offer allows eligible customers to subscribe to Apple TV+ for just $2.99 per month for three months, a significant savings from the regular $9.99 monthly fee. This brings the total cost to approximately $9 for the three-month period, making it one of the most affordable ways to access a premium streaming service in today’s competitive market.
Update: Grab the two-thirds off discount on Apple TV+ subscriptions now, because it ends Thursday, April 24.
In a shock to dedicated fans, Apple TV+ canceled Mythic Quest after the show’s fourth season. The gaming-oriented workplace comedy concluded March 26 with an intended season finale, not a series finale. So Apple greenlit a redo of the last episode’s cliffhanger ending so it will actually end the whole show. Now it’s out.
Update: Attention, bereft Mythic Quest fans: The new season four ending is now streaming with a revamped episode 10, “Heaven and Hell.” It officially ends the show, typing up some loose ends and removing some cliffhangers. Reshooting a series ending is a rare thing in TV, so at least you have some closure. And if you haven’t checked out the spinoff anthology series Side Quest, there’s that, too.
British actor David Oyelowo stars in the new “surrealist family comedy” Government Cheese, coming to Apple TV+ in spring 2025.
Oyelowo is always good — he also features in Apple’s very popular sci-fi series Silo — so it may be worth checking this one out.
Update: The comedy series is now streaming on Apple TV+. The review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes says, “Peculiar and peppy, Government Cheese has some holes but gets by on the strength of its nutty writing and a collection of tangy performances.”
A handsome and charming hedge fund manager gets fired and turns to a life of crime, stealing from his well-heeled neighbors by night — inadvertently uncovering their surprisingly dangerous secrets. That’s the gist of the entertaining trailer Apple TV+ dropped recently for drama Your Friends & Neighbors. Starring Jon Hamm, Olivia Munn and Amanda Peet, it debuts April 11.
And get this — Apple has so much confidence in the new show, it green-lighted the second season before the first one even aired.
Update: Your Friends & Neighbors started streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday (actually Thursday evening, per the streamer’s usual practice). Reviews so far are good. The Daily Beast said Hamm aand Peet “are at the top of their game” in the show. For NPR, the drama brought to mind John Cheever’s classic novels about the soullessness of American suburbs. And Deadline said the series “combines social commentary, dark humor, twisty relationships and a murder mystery.” And the already planned season two might be darker in tone.
Murderbot is not a horror series. It’s sci-fi action comedy, no matter what the name implies — a new trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series makes that clear. And the trailer also shows that the plot sticks close to Martha Wells’ award-winning novels.
Watch the trailer for Murderbot season 1 that debuts in May to see for yourself:
Apple TV+ brought Lumon Industries to life Saturday in a surprise, star-studded event — and it confirmed renewal of Severance for season three in the process.
The streamer surprised thousands of the show’s fans with a Lumon-style Outdoor Retreat Team-Building Occurrence, aka ORTBO. It featured a panel discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert at the surreal workplace thriller’s primary location, Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Apple TV+ comedy The Studio brings a biting perspective to the entertainment industry, pulling back the curtain on Hollywood’s most absurd realities. The series, starring Seth Rogen, takes viewers deep into the chaotic world of a legacy movie studio struggling to survive in modern-day Hollywood, which is decidedly different from classic Tinseltown. So this The Studio review says green-light this one for your watchlist.
Unlike showbiz satires before it, The Studio focuses tightly on the clash between artistic vision and evolving corporate demands in a streaming-media world. And where else are you going to see Martin Scorsese weep and Ron Howard go ballistic? See three reasons to watch it below.
Apple TV+ controlled 8% of the U.S. streaming market in the first quarter of the year, according to market analysts. That’s the same share it had a year ago, showing Apple’s recent difficulties outcompeting its rivals.
One might think that three months of new episodes of the mega hit Severance would have pushed up the Apple TV+ share of the market, but it got only a small bump over the previous quarter.
Still, that doesn’t mean the number of subscribers to Apple’s video service isn’t growing. While its share of the market is fairly static, the size of the whole streaming market keeps increasing.
In the week of its season 2 finale, Severance stayed near the top of the lists of most-watched streaming series, according to a pair of companies that track ratings. Week after week, the weird workplace drama on Apple TV+ keeps beating almost everything on any streaming service.
Plus, the new comedy The Studio became one of the popular series on streaming last week.
Like many viewers, I’m a big fan of hit Apple TV+ gaming office comedy Mythic Quest (especially the first couple of seasons). But the trailer for limited-series spinoff Side Quest, below, doesn’t exactly look like the stuff of myth. It doesn’t exactly fill me with breathless anticipation. But now the show is out, so you can judge for yourself.
The entire four-episode anthology series debuts on March 26, alongside Mythic Quest‘s season four finale. Hard to tell from a trailer, but it might amount to bonus points for super-fans of the main show who are sad to see it go at the end of a season.
Update: As of Wednesday, Side Quest now streams on Apple TV+. Reviews so far sound positive, though not ecstatic. The Hollywood Reporter called the limited anthology series “a pleasant but aimless ramble through the Mythic Quest universe,” for example.
In a fascinating new installment of its “Behind the Mac” series, Apple spotlights the pivotal role Mac computers play in editing acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. The 11-minute video posted Wednesday on the Apple YouTube channel and in a feature article on apple.com offers unprecedented insight into the creative process behind the thrilling season finale.
Note: Spoilers for season 2 of Severance, which recently concluded with its season finale on Apple TV+, lie below.
Also note: In a surprising little twist, Apple added a faux listing for Lumon Terminal Pro, just like the ones used in Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement Department, to Apple Store with a link to the video as well as Macs for sale. The Severance promos and tie-ins keep coming!
Comedy actor Seth Rogen shoulders a lot with new Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio, as he writes, directs, executive produces and stars in it as an embattled Hollywood studio head, according to two trailers the streamer dropped for the show, now streaming. Will Rogen’s series fare better than the show’s fictional “Continental Studios?” Well, as you can see in the trailers, he has a star-studded cast to work with, including himself, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn and guest star Bryan Cranston.
The 10-episode, half-hour comedy series premieres on Apple TV+ March 26, 2025. Watch the promising trailers below.
Update: We added the official trailer for The Studio under the teaser trailer, below. The new comedy series started streaming Wednesday on Apple TV+. Loaded with stars in guest cameos, the spoof of Hollywood filmmaking gets good reviews. AP News calls it “the defining portrait of modern Hollywood.” Other reviews throw around descriptions like “superb,” “spot-on, star-studded takedown” and “hilarious.” Apple TV+ press tends to stamp every show as “highly anticipated,” but this one actually was, and it sound justified in this case. It sounds like a must-see.
March 21, 2007: Apple launches the Apple TV, a gleaming-white set-top box with a remote control, for bringing iTunes media to the living room.
Unfortunately, the device lacks key features needed to make it a killer entertainment system. It’s something of a missed opportunity for Apple.
★★★★☆
It’s season finale time! In our Severance season 2 episode 10 recap of “Cold Harbor,” we find Mark S. carrying out a wild plan with his allies while his tattered team makes a dangerous last stand against Lumon Industries. At 75 minutes, the episode’s a long one, directed by Ben Stiller. And with the hit show just renewed for a third season, the Severance season two finale actually asks more questions than it answers — before delivering a twist at the end.
Last week’s penultimate episode gave us a slower burn than expected on the way to Friday’s climactic season finale, but it did its job. As the macrodata refiners scattered while Mark and his sister Devon teamed up with company soldier Harmony Cobel to fight Lumon, it felt more like everything was coming apart than coming to a frenzied boil. But that groundwork set the stage for Friday’s outstanding final episode.
Apple TV+ renewed Severance for a third season Friday, delighting fans of the surreal drama series on the same day its season two finale aired. And Apple CEO Tim Cook and show executive producer and director Ben Stiller had some fun with an X.com post, below.
“What Ben, Dan, Adam and the talented cast and crew behind Severance have brought to the screen is undeniable magic,” said Matt Cherniss, head of Apple TV+ programming. “We’re so proud to be the home for this brilliant series and look forward to audiences experiencing what’s in store for Season 3.”
As someone who lived in the French-speaking part of Switzerland for a few years, I’m no stranger to poking fun when I catch a whiff of the sometimes-preposterously self-important and pretentious side of the French persona. And the new Apple TV+ trailer for Carême reeks of it.
While the premise of the streamer’s upcoming French-language series sounds interesting — a rags-to-riches story of the world’s first celebrity chef, who also worked as a spy — the series looks overwhelmingly French.
“Chef. Spy. Lover,” reads the tagline for the historical drama. Apple TV+ calls it “daring” and “provocative.” Ooh la la.
Carême premieres April 30 for those with a taste for that sort of thing.
As Apple TV+’s subscriber base continues to grow and the streamer enjoys lots of attention on Friday’s Severance season 2 finale, a new report Thursday suggests the streaming service remains a financial loser for the iPhone giant — to the tune of $1 billion in losses annually. And yet it should come as no surprise Apple TV+ bleeds money.
A fat billion a year in the red sounds bad, but it’s pretty much in line with the plan for losses of up to $20 billion over a decade for the still-nascent streaming service.
The latest addition to Apple TV+’s impressive lineup, Dope Thief brings a fresh perspective to the crime drama genre. Based on Dennis Tafoya’s 2009 novel of the same name, this gripping series follows two friends who pose as DEA agents to rob Philadelphia drug dealers. But the scheme spirals into chaos when they unknowingly target a major narcotics operation. With its first two episodes now streaming, and six more to go, here are 3 reasons to watch Dope Thief. The compelling show deserves your attention (so far).
Two lifelong friends have a good thing going, posing as DEA agents and ripping off small-time drug dealers in Philadelphia — until they shake down the wrong house, according to the Dope Thief trailer Apple TV+ dropped recently. Then they and everyone they care about are marked for death.
Clocking in at nearly three minutes, the trailer looks gritty and great, though maybe a little too relentless with the violence. If you’re a fan of intense crime dramas with high stakes, Dope Thief brings the heat. And if you’re looking for something equally thrilling, check out this dope snow crime series review on Cult of Mac. The new eight-episode crime series from Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott debuts Friday, March 14, on Apple TV+.
Update: The first two episode of Dope Thief started streaming Friday. Ridley Scott directs the first one. Reviews so far seems good-to-stellar. Esquire called it TV’s “next great crime thriller.” And surprisingly, a review in The Guardian said it’s like Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets Breaking Bad. In other words, not just grit, but humor.
In a move that will delight fans worldwide, Apple TV+ officially ordered a fourth season of its Emmy-winning soccer-comedy sensation Ted Lasso, according to a new report Friday. The announcement comes after more than a year of speculation following the third season’s conclusion in May 2023. It appears to hinge on a pivotal confirmation: Jason Sudeikis returns for Ted Lasso season 4. He signed on to reprise his role as the beloved, optimistic, heavily mustachioed and highly unlikely Premier League soccer coach.
“Ted Lasso has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+. “Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show.”
★★★☆☆
In our Severance season 2 episode 9 recap of “The After Hours,” we find a bit of a letdown instead of the hoped-for hot rush to next week’s finale. Innie Dylan, having fallen for his outie’s wife, gets crushed emotionally and quits Lumon. Burt takes Irving for a ride — and seemingly permanent exile. Innie Helly gets Irving’s map to the mysterious Exports Hall, only to be interrupted by Jame Eagan. And Mark and Devon team with a former foe — former Lumon Industries loyalist Harmony Cobel — to enact a plan against the company. But we still don’t know the plan, with all the bickering going on.
It’s not like it’s a bad episode. It’s just kinda bad for a great show like Severance. It feels like everything is coming apart rather than coming to an explosive boil. Perhaps that’s the groundwork needed for a dramatic finale. We’ll see.
Last week’s episode gave us Lumon and Cobel backstories. Cobel returned to her dying hometown, site of a long-shuttered Lumon ether factory, and came away with proof she invented the Severance procedure. The return to Lumon and the other characters didn’t please me as much as I expected it would.
★★★★☆
In our Severance season 2 episode 8 recap of “Sweet Vitriol,” we find a wavering Lumon loyalist — the terminated and nearly reinstated severed floor manager Harmony Cobel — facing old demons while searching for an important missing item. It seems to place her at the center of Lumon Industries’ mysterious technologies, and could be important to her return (or revenge).
Last week’s episode gave us the backstory of Mark S.’s wife Gemma, aka Lumon Industries’ Ms. Casey. With it came a deeper look at what’s really going at the company. This week we see some Lumon backstory, centered in Cobel’s dying hometown, site of a long-shuttered Lumon ether factory.
Apple TV+’s six-part docuseries Vietnam: The War That Changed America offers a profound and multifaceted exploration of one of the most controversial conflicts in American history. In this Vietnam: The War That Changed America review, I’ll tell you why the series is worth watching.
Narrated by actor Ethan Hawke, this series provides viewers with a surprisingly personal look into the Vietnam War and its lasting impact on both American and Vietnamese societies. I felt its biggest impact in the first few episodes, perhaps because that’s when the novelty of the storytelling felt freshest. I’ve been hearing about the Vietnam War for decades, so it’s surprising when a documentary sucks me in, as the first half of this one did.