In just a few days, Apple will launch its very own streaming service, Apple TV+. On November 1, Apple’s service will open the floodgates to a host of other competitors reinvigorating the stream game, including of course Disney.
Where Apple is different from Disney is that it will only offer totally original content it has either made very recently. Apple has sunk billions into creating a catalogue of content to satisfy people on launch. Here’s a look at all the original content we know about so far according to the official page:
Dickinson (November 1, 2019)
Dickinson is written by Alena Smith, the same person behind both The Affair and The Newsroom. Both these series, focusing on love and the television industry respectively, have a fundamental psychological focus.
Dickinson follows a similar theme, exploring a young woman named Emily Dickinson going through 1800s society challenging social norms. The character, played by Hailee Steinfeld, explores themes of family, identity and being ahead of her time. As many of us know, Dickinson eventually becomes one of the most famous female American poets of all time.
The show however also has a modern twist, welcoming both hip-hop and rap into the score and having Wiz Khalifa play Emily’s mentor and love interest, ‘Death’.
The Morning Show (November 1, 2019)
The Morning Show is described as a “high stakes drama that pulls back the curtain on early morning TV”. The drama will follow Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon trying to survive and keep their head above water in the cut-throat environment of quick-fire news repoting.
The show will also cast Steve Carell as an older male anchor. It’s said by Aniston herself the show is about forming relationships and giving a voice to the sleep-deprived reporters that give the US news everyday. It’s said the show will have undertones of the #MeToo movement and confront the issues of female empowerment in the workplace.
See (November 1, 2019)
See sets the scene of a dystopia in the distant future, a time where humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction by a virus, with the remaining few devolving into a nomadic, hunter-gatherer culture. The twist is, the virus has caused the remaining humans to be born blind.
Fast forward centuries later and humanity has learned to live without sight. This changes however when Baba Voss, played by Jason Momoa, fathers two twins who both have the ability to see.
Voss must protect his tribe and his twins from an evil queen who believes the children were born out of witchcraft and wants kill them off. The show has an impressive US $15 million per episode budget and it’s also reported many of the cast and crew actually are blind as to be inclusive and add to the authenticity of the show.
For All Mankind (November 1, 2019)
For All Mankind embodies the genre of counterfactual history, answering the “what if” questions throughout history. In this case the show shows what if the space race never ended? The show follows the American-side of the space race as the nation continues amibtious efforts into space exploration even after a man was put on the moon in 1969.
Oprah (TBA)
Legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey joins forces with some of the world’s best authors to create a global book club community. The show also follows her working on other projects and attempting to connect with people around the world to share inspiring personal stories.
Helpsters (November 1, 2019)
Helpsters is a new educational kids show featuring colourful puppets. If that sounds awfully similar to Seasame Street, it’s because it’s made by the same people. Helpsters will show a selection of monsters tackling all sorts of tasks and issues, from mountain climbing to mastery of a magic trick. The overarching message of the show is that “everything starts with a plan.”
Snoopy in Space (November 1, 2019)
Spoony in Space is a 12-episode animation featuring Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. Snoopy embarks on becoming a NASA astronaut. Joined by Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang, Snoopy takes command of the International Space Station and explores the moon and beyond.
Ghostwriter (November 1, 2019)
Following a rag-tag team of kids, Ghostwriter follows the story of a neighbourhood bookstore haunted by a ghost with unfinished buinsess on earth. The ghost sends the kids messages through books in the store and they must come together to crack the code set by the ghost and discover the truth about it.
Ghostwriter is a re-imagining of Sesame Workshops’ 1992 series. Each episode story arc is grouped around literature, featuring classics and new works commissioned from popular authors like D.J. MacHale and Kwame Alexander.
The Elephant Queen (November 1, 2019)
Debuted at Sundance, The Elephant Queen, narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor (star of 12 Years A Slave), is a wildlife documentary which follows an elephant matriarch named ‘Athena’. She strives to protect her family who are forced to abandon their watering hole. The film covers themes of love, loss and the threats faced by endangered species.
Servant (November 28, 2019)
M Night Shyamalan is back with another psychological thriller. This time the story follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an undisclosed “unspeakable tragedy” that causes a major strain on their marriage. The tragedy also opens a door to a “mysterious force” which plagues their home and lives.
Hala (TBA)
Fellow Sundance debut, Hala follows a teenage girl finding herself torn between old and new worlds in Chicago. Played by Geraldine Viswanathan, the film is a coming of age drama centred on the life of a Muslim teen.
Truth Be Told (December 6, 2019)
Truth Be Told is a social commentary on the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage. Podcaster Poppy Parnell decides to delve back into a murder case she helped to lead with a series of articles against the murderer. She however considers whether she in fact put an innocent man behind bars and she must come terms with the possibility her articles were to blame.
Based on the novel by Kathleen Barber, Truth Be Told provides a unique glimpse into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts.
Little America (TBA)
Apple describes the show as being inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine, Little America will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America, when they’re more relevant now than ever.
Little America is written and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg (“The Office,” “SMILF”), who will serve as showrunner, and Kumail Nanjiani (“The Big Sick,” “Silicon Valley”) and Emily V. Gordon (“The Big Sick”). Alan Yang (“Master of None,” “Parks and Recreation”) will executive produce through Universal Television. The series will also be executive produced by Sian Heder (“Tallulah,” “Orange Is The New Black”), and Joshuah Bearman (“Argo”) and Joshua Davis (“Spare Parts”) will executive produce for Epic Magazine, alongside co-executive producer Arthur Spector (“The Shack”). “Little America” is produced by Universal Television.
The Banker (TBA)
1950s-set The Banker follows Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie in a civil rights drama. It tells the story of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morri, two black men who rise the ranks of real estate holdings and bank ownership. Their success allows their communities to flourish and challenge the systematic racism of the time.
Little Voice (TBA)
Little Voice explores the journey of finding your voice in the early 20s of New York. Through the medium of music, the show looks at how music can fuel romance, self-love, confidence and acceptance. The show itself is described as “A love letter to the diverse musicality of New York.”
Produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Star Trek,” “Lost”), Sara Bareilles, Jessie Nelson (“I Am Sam,” “Stepmom,” “Corrina, Corrina”) and Ben Stephenson (“Westworld”) are executive producers. Nelson will also write and direct the first episode.
The shows we don’t know the full details of…
Amazing Stories, Home Before Dark, Mythic Quest, A Christmas Carol, Masters of the Air, Ted Lasso, The Sky is Everywhere, Foundation, The Mosquito Coast, Mr. Corman, Oprah and Prince Harry take on mental health, Alabama, Lisey’s Story, Prehistoric Planet, Central Park, Home, Brie Larson CIA biography series, On the Rocks, Brie Larson CIA biography series, ‘Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang’, My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, Defending Jacob, Losing Earth, Wolfwalkers, Pachinko, Time Bandits, Calls, Children’s programming from Sesame Workshop, Shantaram, Swagger: A drama series based on Kevin Durant, You Think It, I’ll Say It, Damien Chazelle drama series, Vital Signs, Canceled: Elvis Biopic, Carpool Karaoke: The Series, Planet of the Apps.
