| Cult of Mac

Apple TV+ nabs record 53 Hollywood Critics Association Awards nominations

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Apple TV+ will clean up at this year's Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Apple TV+ will clean up at this year's Hollywood Critics Association Awards.
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ garnered a record 53 nominations for 16 shows across a range of genres — comedy, drama, documentary, anthology series, variety-sketch series — for the upcoming Hollywood Critics Association Awards.

Psychological thriller Severance and comedy Ted Lasso led the way with a dozen nominations apiece.

CODA coda: Tim Cook will address grads at leading school for the deaf

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Cook during a previous commencement address.
Cook during a previous commencement address.
Photo: George Washington University

Gallaudet University confirmed Saturday that Apple CEO Tim Cook agreed to deliver its commencement address next month. Cook responded to a student’s invitation via Twitter to speak at the school’s 152nd Commencement on May 13.

Gallaudet, located in Washington, D.C., calls itself the only university in the world where Deaf, deaf-blind and hard-of-hearing students live and learn bilingually in American Sign Language and English.

Apple and the university have close ties, with Gallaudet serving as an Apple Campus. Incoming students are equipped with a MacBook Pro or an iPad Pro. And the school praised Apple TV+ Oscar-winning film CODA for its realistic portrayal of a deaf family.

Two Apple TV+ shows beat anything on Netflix and Disney+ in Q1 2022

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Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+
Apple is managing to stand out in the streaming market in Q1 2022.
Photo: Cult of Mac

More streaming viewers watched the drama CODA on Apple TV+ than any other movie or series during the first three months of 2022, according to a ratings tracker. And the thriller Severance on Apple’s streaming service came in third place overall.

That means Apple TV+ streamed two shows with more viewers than anything on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu or Disney+.

These 3 hits prove Apple TV+ is a serious streaming contender

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3 hits show Apple TV+ is now a serious streaming contender
CODA, Slow Horses and Severance are popular because they are some of the best streaming shows available.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

CODA, Severance and Slow Horses all showed up in this week’s top 10 most-watched movies and TV shows. Each is from Apple TV+, and they show the streaming service has become a strong competitor against Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.

Perhaps this will silence any lingering doubts about Apple’s foray into film and TV.

‘The Slap’ shows why Apple should shake up its events

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Will Smith slaps Chris Rock:
"The Slap" won the Oscars.
Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC

Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony shows why Apple should go back to doing live events.

No, not because we need to see deranged audience members assaulting Apple execs onstage. However, the mere possibility that something can go seriously sideways gives live events an undeniable advantage over the type of canned productions Apple began cranking out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’m sure this goes against Cupertino’s deeply ingrained cultural bias toward controlling absolutely everything within its power. But if Apple doesn’t get back to putting on live events, its product launches will drift deeper into the uncanny territory of the overproduced infomercial. That’s boring — and it’s bad for both Apple and Apple fans.

CODA helps Apple TV+ become first streaming service to bag an Oscar for Best Picture

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CODA wins big at the Oscars
CODA was a big hit at the Academy Awards on Sunday.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ became the first streaming service to bag an Oscar for Best Picture, thanks to CODA‘s strong showing Sunday night at the Academy Awards. The movie won a trio of the prestigious awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.

Troy Kotsur, who nabbed the latter of the three, also made history by becoming the first deaf man to pick up an Academy Award.

Odds of Apple TV+ film CODA winning Best Picture Oscar just increased

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Emilia Jones stars as a child of deaf adults (CODA) in the Apple TV+ film.
Emilia Jones stars as a child of deaf adults (CODA) in the Apple TV+ film.
Photo: Apple TV+

Taking the top film prize at Saturday’s Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards puts Apple TV+ drama CODA in good stead to win the Best Picture prize at the upcoming Academy Awards. The prize the movie took has been a major predictor of Best Picture winners for decades.

Along with CODA’s win at the PGA Awards, the hit Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso took home a prize.

Ted Lasso takes 4 Critics Choice awards, CODA nabs 2 BAFTAs

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Ted Lasso tends to dominate during awards season.
Ted Lasso tends to dominate during awards season.
Photo: Apple TV+

Ted Lasso, the hit Apple TV+ sports comedy series, keeps winning awards. On Sunday night it picked up four at the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards ceremony, including Best Comedy, topping seven other nominees.

The streaming service’s indie film CODA also won a Critics Choice award, as well as a pair of BAFTA awards (aka the British Oscars) over the weekend.

Apple TV+ will screen indie hit CODA in theaters for free

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CODA will show for free in theaters from Friday, February 25 through 27.
CODA will show for free in theaters from Friday, February 25 through 27.
Photo: Apple TV+

In celebration of CODA‘s Oscar nomination for Best Picture, Apple TV+ said Friday it will celebrate by re-releasing the indie hit in theaters next weekend. And you’ll be able to watch it for free.

You can see the film for free in theaters from Friday, February 25 to Sunday, February 27.