I know this convo is mostly about scripted but one of my very favorite things on TV in 2025 was MR. SCORSESE. Definitely worth subscribing for a month just to watch it. I also watch a lot of MLS which is now included with the regular subscription. I hope Apple stays on the path it's currently on, especially because who knows what will happed to HBO once the Ellisons are in charge.
I'm late here and there are already 86 comments, so apologies if any of this is redundant.
To amplify what someone else said, maybe Mid or Mid-Plus not only isn't so bad, but a reasonable thing to expect. How often do you come across Great in anything? In cinema, sports, literature, art? I know you know, it's a bloody difficult thing to accomplish, and it's that much more thrilling to come across a Pluribus or a Train Dreams when you finally do.
So, I'm fine with Mid-Plus, until it wears out its welcome. Ted Lasso and Shrinking would be two examples for me. They were better than average until the flaws started outnumbering the pleasures.
Good for you for taking the time to do the deep dives on Netflix. I don't have the patience, and so I find Netflix is the streamer I watch the least. I would say adios (and might some day in the future), but then they come out with The Diplomat, or Beef, or How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, and we keep them around.
I'm certainly in agreement that Mid-Plus is an excellent outcome for most of what's on all the streamers. And I quite enjoy my share of kinda mindless Mid TV.
I just think Apple TV has a lot of it, and most of it starts out very promising and then goes off the rails.
Everybody has their own thing about ranking shows. Sometimes a mid or mid plus show comes along at just right time and it leaves a viewer satisfied. Maybe if that show hit 6 months later different opinion . Now , I like Sugar because I like everything Colin Farrell is in even though it is Alien Noir. I like the vibe , the surprises , views of LA at night. Yeah it’s ridiculous but when I get that notice a new episode of Sugar has dropped , it will be the next thing I watch. . Can’t say that for other shows.
Understand this completely. I can remember way back and watching fun series like Paris Has Fallen or whatever just because they were entertaining enough and, duh, Paris. Sometimes it's just the vibe, absolutely, of the moment.
Tim, what a fascinating thesis! And the discussion above is terrific. Me, I probably align with those above who think Apple TV is “a cut above.” I’m a “passionate movie/show devotee” but don’t watch as nearly as many screen showings as you and many of your readers do. At a guess, I probably watch 40 movies and 30 shows a year. I suspect that annual level of watching explains my admiration of Apple TV. My wife and I subscribe permanently to Netflix (partly to donate the benefits of a family membership to others in the clan) and then duck in and out of Apple TV, Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Stan (Australia only?), and Binge (Australia only?). Plus there are two national broadcasters whose streamers surface a handful of fine movies/shows a year. Apple TV delivers all those shows you rated as excellent and above, plus a few more I’d rate as excellent, so this streamer makes up something like a fifth or quarter of my viewing, and all of it is superb.
Thanks, Andres. I do think Apple TV goes on really good creative runs -- that's a decent number of solid shows I ranked -- but overall I feel like it's dangerously tipping hard into the start well, finish badly territory.
However, like you mention, it's easy to just cherry pick what works for you. Not everything has to be judged on the whole -- plus we can all opt out and come back, still the defining highlight of the cut-cord era.
Okay that's a bold thesis. I don't watch a ton of TV, meaning I tend to watch about an hour on my own each evening and maybe a half hour with my family. So that's 1 1/2 hours of TV a day, we'll say. Possibly a tad more on the weekends. For me, Apple TV has a good bang for its buck. Right now we are watching Widow's Bay and it's simply excellent. And I say that as someone who doesn't care for horror. Shrinking is one of my absolute favorite shows on TV. I like Ted Lasso. Notably, you don't seem to care for Bill Lawrence shows, so that's a whole category off limits to you (I also ended up loving Rooster on HBO). Also, what's wrong with Murderbot? I had fun, personally. Not everything on Apple TV works while still being worth one's time. I actually disagree on Severance. I found the latest season (my God, only Season 2??) very frustrating and often dull. For All Mankind can be equal parts brilliant and irritating. I have heard good things about Star City. I'm actually enjoying Silo right now even though it often has pacing issues. Argh I need to catch up on Slow Horses.
But to answer your question, I would say Apple TV is quote unquote "prestige TV". Meaning every show has a sheen of prestige. Both how the shows are produced and the kind of cast hired. And I can tell you that based on conversations I have out in the wild, your typical upper middle class household thinks highly of Apple TV because of that top line quality. Even though I completely agree with you that some shows disappoint.
As an aside, I also agree with you on Netflix. Yeah, there's a lot of junk and if you just open the app and tap around, you will feel demoralized. But, if you have a list of shows and movies you want to watch, there's plenty of good stuff to watch there.
Well, I sort of get at this in other responses, but the money is part of the problem in some way -- a lot of series LOOK like they are going to be great, and often times they have multiple episodes where the investment looks quite solid. But then they go off the rails -- "MPG" and "Down Cemetery Road" as prime examples. "Murderbot" as fine, but fine is Mid.
(I liked the episodes of Rooster that Lawrence wrote! In fact, that's the issue -- as soon as, what, the third episode, when he stopped writing them, the show became very Mid-Minus and an easy dump for me. But hey, I loved Scrubs, Spin City and Lawrence might even tell you that I kind of irrationally like Cougar Town when most people didn't, so there's that).
Still love Silo, but weren't you saying it was really slow last year? I have really liked every season and even though I have access to the episodes, haven't jumped ahead this year (but will), mostly because there's so much good stuff elsewhere.
I liked the first couple of For All Mankind seasons so I could see starting Star City. It's just down the list is all.
And yep, we're going to watch Widow's Bay up here on vacation.
But overall, I see the trend being flashy starts -- "Your Friends & Neighbors," "MPG," "Down Cemetery Road" etc., that lead to way too many creative derailments, and that's a management issue from up top, which is defining the brand more and more.
Re Rooster. Episode 3 was bad but I give comedies more leeway. I was completely in by the season’s end. Shrinking also stumbled early on and then righted itself. I have always felt comedies take longer to come together. Hey I also like Cougar Town (unfortunate title)!
You are right that someone budget conscious who goes through TV fast might balk. But I have to be honest: I have the luxury of listening to critics as well as my own taste so I mostly don’t start shows that are getting meh reviews. I heard early on that the Friends and Neighbors show wasn’t it. Hilariously I have had friends tell me they love it. I think a lot of people read zero reviews and that’s just insane to me. Time is precious!
I remember a “cranky panted” critic writing a piece in the SF Chronicle some time back (his name escapes me) about Apple getting into the streaming content business…
His take: Cuz Apple has $$$ to burn they HAVE to be taken seriously…
I think what we’re seeing is the straight forward manifestation of that analysis…
EVERY Apple show “looks” good: They’re well produced, well filmed, plenty of talent behind and in front of the cameras…
Money only gets you so far though and the results?
That piece was from me in The Hollywood Reporter but otherwise, yes, agree totally. (I was writing about Apple TV as a streamer -- and talking with Jason Snell about it a lot -- before it launched. Every creator in town wanted part of that money. And the hope then was that it would be like a new HBO without Discovery as its owner! But money doesn't always buy quality. )
So, last night I was leaning towards a movie of some sort, and after consulting my "Shows to watch" list, decided on "American Gangster." Where to stream it, I wondered, and The Google pointed me to Netflix. Google also pointed to other streamers, all of which were listed as charged the usual four bucks ... but there was no mention that Netflix charged for "AG."
"Well, then" thinks I, to myself, "Good. I haven't watched Netflix for a while, so let's go"
But, surprise! Netflix also charges four bucks for "AG." That kind of pissed me off, but wasn't a deal-breaker .... until I noticed the running time was more than two and a half hours -- that was the deal-breaker. But that was my fault for tuning in too late at night -- can't blame Netflix for that. Still, I remember when most movies on Netflix came with the subscription -- that was the whole point of the red and white DVD envelopes -- but now we pay just to have the Netflix portal, then pay more for each movie. I totally understand why they charge extra to see something that was in the theaters last month, but where do they get off charging for a movie that's nearly 20 years old?
Your right about "mid" of Netflix, which seems to have a lot of shows that are just watchable, like "Friends and Neighbors." The first season was fun enough, which was definitely "mid," and an entertaining ride, but I haven't yet felt the urge to back for S'2. Still, it's not such a bad thing to have a lineup of reasonably entertaining shows that are mid-watchable. Imagine if every night you turned on the Toob to find a succession of shows as good as "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," "The Wire," and "Sopranos." Sure, that sounds like heaven, but it might be more like eating one fabulously rich dessert after another until the "thin mint" finally arrives and you explode like Mr. Creosote.
At any rate, I don't think we have to worry about drowning in high quality shows. Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for the next season of "Slow Horses" and "Pluribus."
Take a look at Lynn's comment below and see if there's an answer? I'm confused myself, but also haven't searched for that particular movie.
And I'll agree that too many Hall of Fame series that one just stumble onto with multiple seasons might be difficult way to watch. I mean, we're currently so enmeshed in "The Bureau" that it's a tall task to watch anything else.
I'm on my way to watch "The Odyssey" tonight at 10:15 p.m. in 70 mm with a three hour run time. Luckily I'm mostly still a night owl.
That should be fun — but those hours are for the young and relatively young. Back in school, I once made a three-film night of it with a fellow film nerd that took us from Santa Cruz to two different theaters in Berkeley (can’t recall what we saw), then we crossed the Bay Bridge to see “Once Upon a Time in the West” in SF before heading back to SC. But I was 21 at the time, and the horse of youth fled my barn a long time ago.
I look forward to hearing what you think of “The. Odyssey.”
Indeed. We made that odyssey in my buddy’s ancient Ford Falcon — which lacked a working heater — from late afternoon ‘til the very wee hours of the following day in the midst of a cold Bay Area winter.
?? I don't think you mean Netflix? I just checked and American Gangster is available on Netflix. You don't pay extra to watch. It comes with your subscription. It expires 7/31. Or are there tiers now and I am just confused? Do you possibly mean Amazon or the iTunes Store (which maybe is called Apple now)?
I first looked it up on Netflix on my laptop, which said it cost 4 bucks, so I tried the Toob and it told me the same thing. Maybe I’m in the wrong tier or something…
"Trying" apparently came out when I was off the grid and writing, and somehow the subsequent seasons never ever hit my awareness radar, which I think is strange. In fact, I saw "Trying" was coming up earlier this month, went to look at the trailer, was STUNNED that it had five seasons and found the trailer for this fifth season quite appealing and now it's on my list.
TRYING is such a warm and lovely show. The relationship between Jason and Nikki has to be one of the sweetest relationships in TV history. I wouldn't put it in the category of "great" but damn is it a feel-good show. All that being said, the originally story really does wrap up at the end of season three. Seasons 4 and 5 are not really necessary. I'm continuing to watch because Jason and Nikki are such lovely characters, but these seasons don't feel essential. [Note: TED LASSO and SHRINKING also wrapped up their stories after three seasons, and are coming back for a season four. I definitely think mediocre unnecessary later seasons can tarnish a show's legacy. Time will tell.]
Ted Lasso and Shrinking are mid? C’mon. Pluribus and The Studio and Widow’s Bay? That’s a whole lot of great right there.
I very rarely feel burned by an Apple show, and their commitment to good sci-fi stuff is impressive. Dark Matter, Foundation, For All Mankind, Star City, Silo, the list just keeps going on and on.
Guess it also depends on what you mean by mid. The Pitt is mid (essentially a network medical drama!), but it’s also one of the best shows on TV. Is it the lack of prestige ambition? Heaven protect us from a world where the only shows anyone tries to make are pure prestige. Takes all kinds. Apple spends a shitload of money but out of that you get Gary Oldman farting regularly for our amusement.
Now The Morning Show, on the other hand. That’s… really not it.
Wouldn't you say that The Pitt, despite its network-styled roots, is more like Mid-Plus, which is pretty solid overall and something others would love to attain (not to mention the fact that The Pitt is truly a buzz series and critical darling, when even Mid-Plus show are not). My definition of Mid is basically meh; mediocre. That first Ted Lasso season came out at exactly the right time but I never understood the appeal after that. Agree that the sci-fi swings are good, even if not my thing (probably true of Amazon as well). I would say that when Apple joins forces with the Brits, the results are better because duh, but then I'd have to explain away Down Cemetery Road (fine, I will -- it got stupid exactly when it should have been realistic; edit the last three or four episodes with rigor and you've probably got a Mid-Plus series.
I think Pluribus and The Studio are excellent -- and likely to be great, but let's see those second seasons first.
Shrinking apparently got a lot better, but wow did I not like what I saw in that first season. And that's the thing -- once you are really off something, it's hard to come back. I mean, hey, I came back for S3 of "Friday Night Lights" and I'm glad I did, but oooof, that second season.
Maybe it's the Gary Oldman Effect, but I have Slow Horses solidly in the Great category. I'm super-hopeful that Pluribus will continue as it has. Given those involved, not a bad bet.
I am reluctant to read this because we loved Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and thought Widow's Bay was a waste of time. I honestly thought you'd love MPG.
Glad to find Widow's Bay a dud. I managed two episodes and found it tedious. I enjoyed Max Pleasure, especially for Tatiana, until the final episode which was profoundly lame. But then Orphan Black was often ridiculously plotted but carried by her acting. Max Pleasure, not a great series but enjoyable. Loved that lady detective.
I'd like to think I'm getting a decent read on people's "frequency" as there are no bad likes/recommendations. I know I don't like the same things as everyone and if I see people like certain things (and why they do/don't) that's a pretty helpful reference point for me.
People like what they like, and that's awesome. I really enjoy and appreciate all the different viewpoints here.
Ah, see, none of us can be completely nailed down. I'm going to watch Widow's Bay though. And if that works, then my multitudes contained within will increase, no doubt.
Apple TV is the streamer that, more often than not, has resulted in disappointing and forgettable “content” from actors and/or directors that I truly admire (biggest one is Disclaimer - a huge whiff for a Cuarón project with all involved).
Disclaimer was such a disappointment and super annoying. Somewhere in the archive you can find me kicking it even though I don't normally waste time doing that. If I'm recalling correctly, I was yelling at the TV a lot. That's usually a sign!
There is a strain within Apple that seems to be desperate to make big deals with big creators and I agree, it generally leads to disaster. Apple wants the proximity to those people and those people want Apple’s cash.
That makes sense - they're a world leader in branding. Much like on the tech side they're going to be very selective in what they do, and spend what they need to.
Having a streaming channel means they need more volume to make a subscription worthwhile, so they have to take some shots while still spending on whatever they make. I mean, it's not like the costs are even a blip on their bottom line.
I'm wondering if there's going to be more partnership type stuff like with the F1 movie and carrying F1. They've got MLS and are sniffing around other sports. It might be more on the documentary side, and I think anyone looking to make a sports doc adjacent to what they've carrying (or want to be associated with until they get it) would have a good chance of getting this cash you speak of.
Very accurate. Especially early on, they were flashing a lot of money and everyone was coming over and that strategy left Apple with no great options, but they got a little bit better at it from the inception. A little.
Very fair. I would put some of the "Excellent" under "Great" but that's a nuanced decision I think. (I'm also partial to some in the mid-category some of which are excellent. I'd say Tehran (which I floated) is on the verge, but just short. But definitely improving. Some of the dumb choices are believable. Fauda shows a lot of the human side while being dead serious.)
We appreciate the MPG wave-off and will heed it like we did for DCR (I'd rather not type it out). And yeah, what a waste of a cast in both cases.
That's why this place and those who comment here are so valuable to me - filtering!
Hey, new Star Trek next week. We're closing out some other shows until then since other stuff is once/week.
We just finished, last night (Wednesday night) the third season of "The Bureau." You were right that we couldn't stop after the second even for a vacation break. We're joking that even though we still have places to go and see and eat and shop, a lot of that is taking a back seat to our joint spy addiction. ESPIONAGE!
I'm still laughing at this! IT'S SO ACCURATE. We even had tickets to the Portland Night Market and didn't go because it was too easy to say, nah, let's watch some spies. Also, that skit, taken all the way to the end, was perfect. It's kind of funny that they got so many actors to help.
OMG YES, RS! This is exactly what our life is like right now LOL. Even when we're out having dinner or something, there's a pause and one of us will say, "Hey, when Guillaume came back from that trip to Syria, did he call Nadia or was that before he left for Libya?" etc etc. Obsessed.
I ended up kinda hate watching MPG too because I like her so much and hoped against hope it would get better. But it didn't and the ending made it worse by setting it up for a second season. No thank you! I did enjoy For All Mankind (although some seasons were weaker than others) and Star City and even Widow's Bay, thanks a great deal to Matthew Rhys. I think after the current Silo season ends, I will probably drop Apple again until Pluribus comes back. I did watch both episodes of Lucky and was entertained but I don't really remember much about it! I've had a thing for Timothy Olyphant ever since Deadwood, it's got Annette Benning, where are they going wrong? Why are there so many kinda good shows that have excellent casts that never really pay off? I know how hard it is to make something great, but is it that just too much stuff is being produced? How do we get "them" to stop?
I think our expectations have somehow been very much lowered. But in reality there are a LOT of reasons for the quality drain. Believe it or not, it's actually NOT hard to demand that scripts come in early enough that dumb ideas/detours/bad ideas can be weeded out, but not enough people are doing that as executives ("tighten up your shit!") and there are fewer people who are fixers who can come in and save a series (I know one very well, so I hear about it a lot. It's just that fewer places even bother.)
I'd love a KB insight on this, but I'll hate-watch (dare-watch?) pretty much any sci-fi.
I just wondered if that hails from back in the Beforetime (I bet Tim remembers Bob Wilkins and Creature Features) when ANY sci-fi was a small miracle showing up on one of the 3-6 channels and bad sci-fi was better than any alternative.
Sci-fi shows are first-order for me, always. (Tim demands a lot of co-viewing time so I don't have much time to burn on hate watching. I absolutely loved Foundation on Apple, all seasons thus far, which Tim hasn't watched. And Silo is fun but (for me) not riveting. I seek riveting! Dark Matter was really good - Joel Edgerton is just great in this and I love multiverse stuff. Invasion was right in my wheelhouse (love alien invasions too!) but it was wobbly and kind of diffuse in its storytelling and I didn't love it.
I was aware of Foundation but hadn't gotten around to watch it. The fact that you loved it made me want to check it out as I am a sci-fi fan too. I know you are a serious sci-fi fan and boy is Foundation SERIOUS sci-fi. I found it a bit complicated at first but I am all in now after the 5th episode. So very well done and thought provoking which the best sci-fi does. I love having an excellent multi season show to dive into. Thanks!
I think the last sci-Fi I dare-watched was The Ark, which was quite the dare. The overarching story is actually interesting despite the…challenges.
Haven’t watched Dark Matter yet.
We co-watch at least a thing or two every evening. I did get her to enjoy (some) sci-Fi. We just watch stuff the other person isn’t interested in at other times.
Not everyone is up for say…Dark Star.
But yeah I think you might want to find a place for SNW.
My bad - Star Trek Strange New Worlds on Paramount. Prequel to the original series. Has the same feel and very strong cast combining younger versions of well known characters with interesting new ones. Strong recommendation.
Dare watch is good. I don't like "hate watch" but once I've invested enough time, and if some of the early episodes are good, then I find myself less willing to bail once the back end starts to crumble. It's part of why I wrote this column. If I keep watching Lucky and it starts to happen, I'm gone. And not just with Apple TV series.
Sugar actually IS fine, but just Mid, which is also fine -- plenty of my movie choices reside there -- but my point is that Apple TV doesn't have a deep enough bench to swing and miss this often.
When Apple is good it's very very good. But on the expense side, it's easy to drop my subscription for a few months or more until my favorite series return or I read enough to want to watch a new series. I'm just finishing a free three months because I bought a new iPhone a few months back. I'm watching now for Silo and maybe Star City if I like it. Then probably will cancel unless the drop Severance or Pluribus. Both are must sees. Mhz I signed onto a year's discount because there's usually something good in the Euro mystery-thriller space. And last, I actually enjoyed the latest Harlan Coben Netflix series, possibly because it was so ridiculously plotted that it was fun. And Brit Lower helped a lot. But sheesh those Boston accents. Give me a break. They should be outlawed. I thought the first two Coben series were well done escapism, then downhill, until the last one was unbearable to watch.
Saturdays too. He syndicated it in Stockton for a while too.
KTVU was a nice alternative - old days of indie TV.
Edit: Sugar...doesn't really hit me but who knows. Otherwise most things on my radar are returning shows. The "Bishop" show sounds super-interesting but who knows how long before it's available (or even filmed.)
The finale of MPG!? Some random person just happens to have security cam footage showing her doing something horrible, a year after it happened? The cops at the time didn’t get it?! Get the fuck out of here with that. The 2 episodes of Lucky were fine but it’s part of the “this thing is convenient” plotting is annoying.
We groaned so loud at the cam/Ring/whatever footage as so ridiculous but also, at that point, ON BRAND. In fact, I think that was secondary to us laughing about Paula telling the woman on the golf course to essentially help her, "use your leverage" and save her from the people trying to frame and kill her, which pretty obviously this golf lady is part of. And boy would I have liked to see them re-enact the super duper slow reflexes of a cop with a gun pointed at a person facing the other way. I just imagined them saying, "Nah, let's just cut to him down, then we move on. At this point, nobody's really paying attention."
Yeah the Sansa Stark one that was on Prime recently with Andrew Koji (Steal) sounds like a slightly better version, with London.
Too bad on Lucky - I was interested because it's created by Jonathan Tropper, who gave us Warrior (Koji again) and the perhaps even lesser known Banshee (Antony Starr, aka Homelander). Friday Night Max Go for the win.
Maybe because I'm relatively new to Apple TV I'm still finding shows I like. Since I'm a sci fi fan, I have more content that I'm enjoying than the typical viewer. But yeah, I can see checking in and out of Apple TV because I'll run out of things to watch relatively soon.
As for Netflix, I dropped my subscription after 20 years. I struggled to find anything above mid and would zombie watch a bunch of crap. The final kicker was the email announcing the "updating of prices." WTAF is "updating prices?" F the executive who signed off on this patronizing language.
I'm still laughing at "updating prices," like they were updating their terms and 99.9 percent to people don't read those anyway so someone somehow that the term would sneakily decrease the amount of people who might bail.
Clearly didn't work on you!
Netflix suffers from an impossible way to find all the series it has, but for me that adds to the thrill of doing a deep dive and discovering stuff. But I wouldn't feel that way if I didn't already at least like the amount of series I'm aware of, that they keep churning out, etc. If I had to fish for every series it would be different, but that is one mammoth vault they have so bang for the buck still applies for me.
There are only so many hours in the day. I either settle for some filler or spend way too long digging for gold. I'll wait until som compelling shows up on Netflix
I'll find some for you. It's kind of my side job. Or my job. Or a job. Also, kind of enjoy it in a perverse way, like someone using a metal detector on the beach.
I also canceled Netflix a few months ago—I'm not saying I'll never resubscribe, but it will have to be for something I actively want to see, and nothing's tempting me at the moment. Considering that they've been featuring comedy specials with the likes of Tony Hinchcliffe and Louis CK, I feel pretty good about that decision. Also, I refuse to get the version with ads, and it seems like Netflix keeps raising its prices in order to steer everyone to the ad-supported tier.
Netflix comedy specials have definitely taken a turn for the worst, and it would be tough to argue that it's not for capitalism. They want the buck on the new thing, which right now seems to be awful right wing comedians.
As for the price raising, it's everywhere. I'm not liking it, and people are clearly thinking more about what they subscribe to with a streamer. But I think that's relevant to Apple TV right now. If ever there was a streamer (like Peacock as well), where you could theoretically subscribe for a month or two and never return until the next few enticing series, it's those two.
One of the reasons I feel OK about keeping Apple and cycling through the other streamers is that (last time we re-upped) you can get a whole year of Apple TV for $99. That seems like a reasonable price for a streamer with a relatively shallow catalog with a handful of must-sees, and most importantly, no ads.
Yeah but in your world, Peacock is essential for exactly those things. So I think that qualifies as being "of value" and worth the hold. I would have to up my EPL watching -- it's possible! -- to get more value. With "Undeclared War" returning, I'm just holding on and then hopefully Day of the Jackal will appear.
I think you're right, since I have enjoyed the sci-fi (including Star City, which grows on you nicely.)
Netflix I just drive in and hope to find a Detective Hole or Lupin...but rarely. Family watches a lot there so we keep it. They seem to be absorbing more outside series (that I've already seen elsewhere) it seems.
All the streamers seem to "trade" series (actually someone just bids on the rights when they are up, so the shows shift) so it's pretty common everywhere (and why apps that track shows and where they stream can often be wrong). I do like to get in my submarine and look at the weird and sometimes glorious shit they still have way down in the depths. I mean, who can find this stuff when Netflix itself rarely touts it?
I know this convo is mostly about scripted but one of my very favorite things on TV in 2025 was MR. SCORSESE. Definitely worth subscribing for a month just to watch it. I also watch a lot of MLS which is now included with the regular subscription. I hope Apple stays on the path it's currently on, especially because who knows what will happed to HBO once the Ellisons are in charge.
I'm late here and there are already 86 comments, so apologies if any of this is redundant.
To amplify what someone else said, maybe Mid or Mid-Plus not only isn't so bad, but a reasonable thing to expect. How often do you come across Great in anything? In cinema, sports, literature, art? I know you know, it's a bloody difficult thing to accomplish, and it's that much more thrilling to come across a Pluribus or a Train Dreams when you finally do.
So, I'm fine with Mid-Plus, until it wears out its welcome. Ted Lasso and Shrinking would be two examples for me. They were better than average until the flaws started outnumbering the pleasures.
Good for you for taking the time to do the deep dives on Netflix. I don't have the patience, and so I find Netflix is the streamer I watch the least. I would say adios (and might some day in the future), but then they come out with The Diplomat, or Beef, or How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, and we keep them around.
I'm certainly in agreement that Mid-Plus is an excellent outcome for most of what's on all the streamers. And I quite enjoy my share of kinda mindless Mid TV.
I just think Apple TV has a lot of it, and most of it starts out very promising and then goes off the rails.
I wonder if the Down Cemetery Road creative team has an inkling what a whipping post they've become amongst this group? Unlikely, yet I still wonder.
I'd be happy to pass it along when the avenue opens.
Everybody has their own thing about ranking shows. Sometimes a mid or mid plus show comes along at just right time and it leaves a viewer satisfied. Maybe if that show hit 6 months later different opinion . Now , I like Sugar because I like everything Colin Farrell is in even though it is Alien Noir. I like the vibe , the surprises , views of LA at night. Yeah it’s ridiculous but when I get that notice a new episode of Sugar has dropped , it will be the next thing I watch. . Can’t say that for other shows.
Understand this completely. I can remember way back and watching fun series like Paris Has Fallen or whatever just because they were entertaining enough and, duh, Paris. Sometimes it's just the vibe, absolutely, of the moment.
Grrrr. Nothing enrages me more than C.K.’s “redemption tour.” As Carol Love-Smernitch would say, no way, Jose.
Tim, what a fascinating thesis! And the discussion above is terrific. Me, I probably align with those above who think Apple TV is “a cut above.” I’m a “passionate movie/show devotee” but don’t watch as nearly as many screen showings as you and many of your readers do. At a guess, I probably watch 40 movies and 30 shows a year. I suspect that annual level of watching explains my admiration of Apple TV. My wife and I subscribe permanently to Netflix (partly to donate the benefits of a family membership to others in the clan) and then duck in and out of Apple TV, Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Stan (Australia only?), and Binge (Australia only?). Plus there are two national broadcasters whose streamers surface a handful of fine movies/shows a year. Apple TV delivers all those shows you rated as excellent and above, plus a few more I’d rate as excellent, so this streamer makes up something like a fifth or quarter of my viewing, and all of it is superb.
Thanks, Andres. I do think Apple TV goes on really good creative runs -- that's a decent number of solid shows I ranked -- but overall I feel like it's dangerously tipping hard into the start well, finish badly territory.
However, like you mention, it's easy to just cherry pick what works for you. Not everything has to be judged on the whole -- plus we can all opt out and come back, still the defining highlight of the cut-cord era.
Okay that's a bold thesis. I don't watch a ton of TV, meaning I tend to watch about an hour on my own each evening and maybe a half hour with my family. So that's 1 1/2 hours of TV a day, we'll say. Possibly a tad more on the weekends. For me, Apple TV has a good bang for its buck. Right now we are watching Widow's Bay and it's simply excellent. And I say that as someone who doesn't care for horror. Shrinking is one of my absolute favorite shows on TV. I like Ted Lasso. Notably, you don't seem to care for Bill Lawrence shows, so that's a whole category off limits to you (I also ended up loving Rooster on HBO). Also, what's wrong with Murderbot? I had fun, personally. Not everything on Apple TV works while still being worth one's time. I actually disagree on Severance. I found the latest season (my God, only Season 2??) very frustrating and often dull. For All Mankind can be equal parts brilliant and irritating. I have heard good things about Star City. I'm actually enjoying Silo right now even though it often has pacing issues. Argh I need to catch up on Slow Horses.
But to answer your question, I would say Apple TV is quote unquote "prestige TV". Meaning every show has a sheen of prestige. Both how the shows are produced and the kind of cast hired. And I can tell you that based on conversations I have out in the wild, your typical upper middle class household thinks highly of Apple TV because of that top line quality. Even though I completely agree with you that some shows disappoint.
As an aside, I also agree with you on Netflix. Yeah, there's a lot of junk and if you just open the app and tap around, you will feel demoralized. But, if you have a list of shows and movies you want to watch, there's plenty of good stuff to watch there.
Well, I sort of get at this in other responses, but the money is part of the problem in some way -- a lot of series LOOK like they are going to be great, and often times they have multiple episodes where the investment looks quite solid. But then they go off the rails -- "MPG" and "Down Cemetery Road" as prime examples. "Murderbot" as fine, but fine is Mid.
(I liked the episodes of Rooster that Lawrence wrote! In fact, that's the issue -- as soon as, what, the third episode, when he stopped writing them, the show became very Mid-Minus and an easy dump for me. But hey, I loved Scrubs, Spin City and Lawrence might even tell you that I kind of irrationally like Cougar Town when most people didn't, so there's that).
Still love Silo, but weren't you saying it was really slow last year? I have really liked every season and even though I have access to the episodes, haven't jumped ahead this year (but will), mostly because there's so much good stuff elsewhere.
I liked the first couple of For All Mankind seasons so I could see starting Star City. It's just down the list is all.
And yep, we're going to watch Widow's Bay up here on vacation.
But overall, I see the trend being flashy starts -- "Your Friends & Neighbors," "MPG," "Down Cemetery Road" etc., that lead to way too many creative derailments, and that's a management issue from up top, which is defining the brand more and more.
Yes for Star City. Maybe (which makes sense) a different cadence, but builds up well. And whoever did the production design better win something.
Re Rooster. Episode 3 was bad but I give comedies more leeway. I was completely in by the season’s end. Shrinking also stumbled early on and then righted itself. I have always felt comedies take longer to come together. Hey I also like Cougar Town (unfortunate title)!
You are right that someone budget conscious who goes through TV fast might balk. But I have to be honest: I have the luxury of listening to critics as well as my own taste so I mostly don’t start shows that are getting meh reviews. I heard early on that the Friends and Neighbors show wasn’t it. Hilariously I have had friends tell me they love it. I think a lot of people read zero reviews and that’s just insane to me. Time is precious!
Time is a flat circle! (And yes, time is everything. Our most important element. Not to be wasted.)
Remember how big the wine pours were on Cougar Town? Still funny.
I remember a “cranky panted” critic writing a piece in the SF Chronicle some time back (his name escapes me) about Apple getting into the streaming content business…
His take: Cuz Apple has $$$ to burn they HAVE to be taken seriously…
I think what we’re seeing is the straight forward manifestation of that analysis…
EVERY Apple show “looks” good: They’re well produced, well filmed, plenty of talent behind and in front of the cameras…
Money only gets you so far though and the results?
A few REALLY good shows and most mid to mid plus…
That piece was from me in The Hollywood Reporter but otherwise, yes, agree totally. (I was writing about Apple TV as a streamer -- and talking with Jason Snell about it a lot -- before it launched. Every creator in town wanted part of that money. And the hope then was that it would be like a new HBO without Discovery as its owner! But money doesn't always buy quality. )
So, last night I was leaning towards a movie of some sort, and after consulting my "Shows to watch" list, decided on "American Gangster." Where to stream it, I wondered, and The Google pointed me to Netflix. Google also pointed to other streamers, all of which were listed as charged the usual four bucks ... but there was no mention that Netflix charged for "AG."
"Well, then" thinks I, to myself, "Good. I haven't watched Netflix for a while, so let's go"
But, surprise! Netflix also charges four bucks for "AG." That kind of pissed me off, but wasn't a deal-breaker .... until I noticed the running time was more than two and a half hours -- that was the deal-breaker. But that was my fault for tuning in too late at night -- can't blame Netflix for that. Still, I remember when most movies on Netflix came with the subscription -- that was the whole point of the red and white DVD envelopes -- but now we pay just to have the Netflix portal, then pay more for each movie. I totally understand why they charge extra to see something that was in the theaters last month, but where do they get off charging for a movie that's nearly 20 years old?
Your right about "mid" of Netflix, which seems to have a lot of shows that are just watchable, like "Friends and Neighbors." The first season was fun enough, which was definitely "mid," and an entertaining ride, but I haven't yet felt the urge to back for S'2. Still, it's not such a bad thing to have a lineup of reasonably entertaining shows that are mid-watchable. Imagine if every night you turned on the Toob to find a succession of shows as good as "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," "The Wire," and "Sopranos." Sure, that sounds like heaven, but it might be more like eating one fabulously rich dessert after another until the "thin mint" finally arrives and you explode like Mr. Creosote.
At any rate, I don't think we have to worry about drowning in high quality shows. Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for the next season of "Slow Horses" and "Pluribus."
Until then, onward into the mist...
Take a look at Lynn's comment below and see if there's an answer? I'm confused myself, but also haven't searched for that particular movie.
And I'll agree that too many Hall of Fame series that one just stumble onto with multiple seasons might be difficult way to watch. I mean, we're currently so enmeshed in "The Bureau" that it's a tall task to watch anything else.
I'm on my way to watch "The Odyssey" tonight at 10:15 p.m. in 70 mm with a three hour run time. Luckily I'm mostly still a night owl.
That should be fun — but those hours are for the young and relatively young. Back in school, I once made a three-film night of it with a fellow film nerd that took us from Santa Cruz to two different theaters in Berkeley (can’t recall what we saw), then we crossed the Bay Bridge to see “Once Upon a Time in the West” in SF before heading back to SC. But I was 21 at the time, and the horse of youth fled my barn a long time ago.
I look forward to hearing what you think of “The. Odyssey.”
I love the idea of a road trip to watch a bunch of movies! Ah, the things we did in our youth. We need to get shot of that more often!
Indeed. We made that odyssey in my buddy’s ancient Ford Falcon — which lacked a working heater — from late afternoon ‘til the very wee hours of the following day in the midst of a cold Bay Area winter.
Ah, youth…
?? I don't think you mean Netflix? I just checked and American Gangster is available on Netflix. You don't pay extra to watch. It comes with your subscription. It expires 7/31. Or are there tiers now and I am just confused? Do you possibly mean Amazon or the iTunes Store (which maybe is called Apple now)?
I first looked it up on Netflix on my laptop, which said it cost 4 bucks, so I tried the Toob and it told me the same thing. Maybe I’m in the wrong tier or something…
Do you have the ad tier? I never considered it because of my aversion to ads. I had no idea those subscribers don’t get everything!
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/what-to-watch/movies-and-series-unavailable-on-netflixs-ad-tier/
No, I don’t — I’m with you, totally averse to commercials … even though I spent close to 20 years helping to make them.
For that sin, I’ll doubtless do my time in Hell…
Laughed at this.
I feel like something is off here. Okay I am assuming you are in the US? So I hit play and the film worked.
https://www.netflix.com/us/title/70060009?s=i&trkid=13747225&shareType=Title&shareUuid=26F6BDE1-9E8A-4FDB-998B-C198EBDAA05E&trg=cp&unifiedEntityIdEncoded=Video%3A70060009&vlang=en
Only other question. What is your plan? I am on the Standard Plan which costs (sigh) $19.99.
https://www.netflix.com/account/membership
If all of this is true then you should call Netflix. The service is expensive and you should get everything.
Not sure where it ranks but just started the 5th and I think final season of Trying on Apple. 👍
"Trying" apparently came out when I was off the grid and writing, and somehow the subsequent seasons never ever hit my awareness radar, which I think is strange. In fact, I saw "Trying" was coming up earlier this month, went to look at the trailer, was STUNNED that it had five seasons and found the trailer for this fifth season quite appealing and now it's on my list.
TRYING is such a warm and lovely show. The relationship between Jason and Nikki has to be one of the sweetest relationships in TV history. I wouldn't put it in the category of "great" but damn is it a feel-good show. All that being said, the originally story really does wrap up at the end of season three. Seasons 4 and 5 are not really necessary. I'm continuing to watch because Jason and Nikki are such lovely characters, but these seasons don't feel essential. [Note: TED LASSO and SHRINKING also wrapped up their stories after three seasons, and are coming back for a season four. I definitely think mediocre unnecessary later seasons can tarnish a show's legacy. Time will tell.]
Ted Lasso and Shrinking are mid? C’mon. Pluribus and The Studio and Widow’s Bay? That’s a whole lot of great right there.
I very rarely feel burned by an Apple show, and their commitment to good sci-fi stuff is impressive. Dark Matter, Foundation, For All Mankind, Star City, Silo, the list just keeps going on and on.
Guess it also depends on what you mean by mid. The Pitt is mid (essentially a network medical drama!), but it’s also one of the best shows on TV. Is it the lack of prestige ambition? Heaven protect us from a world where the only shows anyone tries to make are pure prestige. Takes all kinds. Apple spends a shitload of money but out of that you get Gary Oldman farting regularly for our amusement.
Now The Morning Show, on the other hand. That’s… really not it.
Wouldn't you say that The Pitt, despite its network-styled roots, is more like Mid-Plus, which is pretty solid overall and something others would love to attain (not to mention the fact that The Pitt is truly a buzz series and critical darling, when even Mid-Plus show are not). My definition of Mid is basically meh; mediocre. That first Ted Lasso season came out at exactly the right time but I never understood the appeal after that. Agree that the sci-fi swings are good, even if not my thing (probably true of Amazon as well). I would say that when Apple joins forces with the Brits, the results are better because duh, but then I'd have to explain away Down Cemetery Road (fine, I will -- it got stupid exactly when it should have been realistic; edit the last three or four episodes with rigor and you've probably got a Mid-Plus series.
I think Pluribus and The Studio are excellent -- and likely to be great, but let's see those second seasons first.
Shrinking apparently got a lot better, but wow did I not like what I saw in that first season. And that's the thing -- once you are really off something, it's hard to come back. I mean, hey, I came back for S3 of "Friday Night Lights" and I'm glad I did, but oooof, that second season.
Maybe it's the Gary Oldman Effect, but I have Slow Horses solidly in the Great category. I'm super-hopeful that Pluribus will continue as it has. Given those involved, not a bad bet.
Maybe I should rethink categorizations? Hall of Fame over Great. All-Time Great over Great. I don't know. Show X > Show Y?
I'll figure it out.
Or maybe...?
Watch this:
* If you like shows like this
* If you have time
* Pretty soon
* Watch it NOW
* The Bureau (which I notice you're working into as many posts as someone else did. It's likely a winning strategy.)
I am reluctant to read this because we loved Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and thought Widow's Bay was a waste of time. I honestly thought you'd love MPG.
Glad to find Widow's Bay a dud. I managed two episodes and found it tedious. I enjoyed Max Pleasure, especially for Tatiana, until the final episode which was profoundly lame. But then Orphan Black was often ridiculously plotted but carried by her acting. Max Pleasure, not a great series but enjoyable. Loved that lady detective.
Rhys and Maslany together in second season of Perry Mason. Definitely mid but preferable to Widow's Bay in MR's post Americans career.
I'd like to think I'm getting a decent read on people's "frequency" as there are no bad likes/recommendations. I know I don't like the same things as everyone and if I see people like certain things (and why they do/don't) that's a pretty helpful reference point for me.
People like what they like, and that's awesome. I really enjoy and appreciate all the different viewpoints here.
I do too! This is why we do it. This is why we talk it out. Love it.
Fully. I read enough of your stuff to benefit greatly over the decades, and really appreciate the quality of this group.
Ditto!
Ah, see, none of us can be completely nailed down. I'm going to watch Widow's Bay though. And if that works, then my multitudes contained within will increase, no doubt.
Apple TV is the streamer that, more often than not, has resulted in disappointing and forgettable “content” from actors and/or directors that I truly admire (biggest one is Disclaimer - a huge whiff for a Cuarón project with all involved).
Disclaimer was such a disappointment and super annoying. Somewhere in the archive you can find me kicking it even though I don't normally waste time doing that. If I'm recalling correctly, I was yelling at the TV a lot. That's usually a sign!
There is a strain within Apple that seems to be desperate to make big deals with big creators and I agree, it generally leads to disaster. Apple wants the proximity to those people and those people want Apple’s cash.
That makes sense - they're a world leader in branding. Much like on the tech side they're going to be very selective in what they do, and spend what they need to.
Having a streaming channel means they need more volume to make a subscription worthwhile, so they have to take some shots while still spending on whatever they make. I mean, it's not like the costs are even a blip on their bottom line.
I'm wondering if there's going to be more partnership type stuff like with the F1 movie and carrying F1. They've got MLS and are sniffing around other sports. It might be more on the documentary side, and I think anyone looking to make a sports doc adjacent to what they've carrying (or want to be associated with until they get it) would have a good chance of getting this cash you speak of.
I have to say that getting F1 and then sharing the right to air "Formula One: Drive To Survive" probably means I'll never cancel Apple TV.
They know what they're doing. That movie did a ton for all involved.
I'm sure Tim Cook wishes he could get SEC football before he departs, but a bit out of reach for now.
Very accurate. Especially early on, they were flashing a lot of money and everyone was coming over and that strategy left Apple with no great options, but they got a little bit better at it from the inception. A little.
Very fair. I would put some of the "Excellent" under "Great" but that's a nuanced decision I think. (I'm also partial to some in the mid-category some of which are excellent. I'd say Tehran (which I floated) is on the verge, but just short. But definitely improving. Some of the dumb choices are believable. Fauda shows a lot of the human side while being dead serious.)
We appreciate the MPG wave-off and will heed it like we did for DCR (I'd rather not type it out). And yeah, what a waste of a cast in both cases.
That's why this place and those who comment here are so valuable to me - filtering!
Hey, new Star Trek next week. We're closing out some other shows until then since other stuff is once/week.
We just finished, last night (Wednesday night) the third season of "The Bureau." You were right that we couldn't stop after the second even for a vacation break. We're joking that even though we still have places to go and see and eat and shop, a lot of that is taking a back seat to our joint spy addiction. ESPIONAGE!
Since you're in PDX, it's become like a Portlandia episode only with The Bureau instead of BSG?
I'm still laughing at this! IT'S SO ACCURATE. We even had tickets to the Portland Night Market and didn't go because it was too easy to say, nah, let's watch some spies. Also, that skit, taken all the way to the end, was perfect. It's kind of funny that they got so many actors to help.
It was a sincere homage. Plus they have shown they can pull folks.
I think I need to formalize a spy show list since I'm all about it as well.
OMG YES, RS! This is exactly what our life is like right now LOL. Even when we're out having dinner or something, there's a pause and one of us will say, "Hey, when Guillaume came back from that trip to Syria, did he call Nadia or was that before he left for Libya?" etc etc. Obsessed.
How do you think we felt when we watched S1 and my wife recognized our hotel?
Like Tim wrote - things will be dropped nonchalantly and not repeated. Much like Patriot (sad spies), it all makes sense eventually.
Glad you're enjoying!
While you're doing Paramount, have you watched SNW? New season next week. Really good show, especially for mutants like us.
I ended up kinda hate watching MPG too because I like her so much and hoped against hope it would get better. But it didn't and the ending made it worse by setting it up for a second season. No thank you! I did enjoy For All Mankind (although some seasons were weaker than others) and Star City and even Widow's Bay, thanks a great deal to Matthew Rhys. I think after the current Silo season ends, I will probably drop Apple again until Pluribus comes back. I did watch both episodes of Lucky and was entertained but I don't really remember much about it! I've had a thing for Timothy Olyphant ever since Deadwood, it's got Annette Benning, where are they going wrong? Why are there so many kinda good shows that have excellent casts that never really pay off? I know how hard it is to make something great, but is it that just too much stuff is being produced? How do we get "them" to stop?
I think our expectations have somehow been very much lowered. But in reality there are a LOT of reasons for the quality drain. Believe it or not, it's actually NOT hard to demand that scripts come in early enough that dumb ideas/detours/bad ideas can be weeded out, but not enough people are doing that as executives ("tighten up your shit!") and there are fewer people who are fixers who can come in and save a series (I know one very well, so I hear about it a lot. It's just that fewer places even bother.)
I'd love a KB insight on this, but I'll hate-watch (dare-watch?) pretty much any sci-fi.
I just wondered if that hails from back in the Beforetime (I bet Tim remembers Bob Wilkins and Creature Features) when ANY sci-fi was a small miracle showing up on one of the 3-6 channels and bad sci-fi was better than any alternative.
Sci-fi shows are first-order for me, always. (Tim demands a lot of co-viewing time so I don't have much time to burn on hate watching. I absolutely loved Foundation on Apple, all seasons thus far, which Tim hasn't watched. And Silo is fun but (for me) not riveting. I seek riveting! Dark Matter was really good - Joel Edgerton is just great in this and I love multiverse stuff. Invasion was right in my wheelhouse (love alien invasions too!) but it was wobbly and kind of diffuse in its storytelling and I didn't love it.
I was aware of Foundation but hadn't gotten around to watch it. The fact that you loved it made me want to check it out as I am a sci-fi fan too. I know you are a serious sci-fi fan and boy is Foundation SERIOUS sci-fi. I found it a bit complicated at first but I am all in now after the 5th episode. So very well done and thought provoking which the best sci-fi does. I love having an excellent multi season show to dive into. Thanks!
I think the last sci-Fi I dare-watched was The Ark, which was quite the dare. The overarching story is actually interesting despite the…challenges.
Haven’t watched Dark Matter yet.
We co-watch at least a thing or two every evening. I did get her to enjoy (some) sci-Fi. We just watch stuff the other person isn’t interested in at other times.
Not everyone is up for say…Dark Star.
But yeah I think you might want to find a place for SNW.
Oh sorry - what is SNW??
My bad - Star Trek Strange New Worlds on Paramount. Prequel to the original series. Has the same feel and very strong cast combining younger versions of well known characters with interesting new ones. Strong recommendation.
Yes! I'm putting it on my list now - I'm going solo back in the Bay Area for a few weeks soon, so the timing for this show is perfect-o. Thanks, RS!
Dare watch is good. I don't like "hate watch" but once I've invested enough time, and if some of the early episodes are good, then I find myself less willing to bail once the back end starts to crumble. It's part of why I wrote this column. If I keep watching Lucky and it starts to happen, I'm gone. And not just with Apple TV series.
Agreed. Fortunately there are other options so not going with the sunk cost unless there’s some ancillary benefit (e.g. world building)
Friday might on KTVU!
Same. I'm watching Sugar now and it's fine for me, not a teason to dump on Apple.
Sugar actually IS fine, but just Mid, which is also fine -- plenty of my movie choices reside there -- but my point is that Apple TV doesn't have a deep enough bench to swing and miss this often.
When Apple is good it's very very good. But on the expense side, it's easy to drop my subscription for a few months or more until my favorite series return or I read enough to want to watch a new series. I'm just finishing a free three months because I bought a new iPhone a few months back. I'm watching now for Silo and maybe Star City if I like it. Then probably will cancel unless the drop Severance or Pluribus. Both are must sees. Mhz I signed onto a year's discount because there's usually something good in the Euro mystery-thriller space. And last, I actually enjoyed the latest Harlan Coben Netflix series, possibly because it was so ridiculously plotted that it was fun. And Brit Lower helped a lot. But sheesh those Boston accents. Give me a break. They should be outlawed. I thought the first two Coben series were well done escapism, then downhill, until the last one was unbearable to watch.
Nope not unless they decide to flood the zone which isn’t their style.
Saturdays too. He syndicated it in Stockton for a while too.
KTVU was a nice alternative - old days of indie TV.
Edit: Sugar...doesn't really hit me but who knows. Otherwise most things on my radar are returning shows. The "Bishop" show sounds super-interesting but who knows how long before it's available (or even filmed.)
Reason. Where's the edit button?
3 dots. Use it often...cuz I need to.
I don't have that option, at least on my phone
I do web when I can let me check the phone...it's there on web on the phone (upper-right corner of the post)...and in the app. It's not large.
The finale of MPG!? Some random person just happens to have security cam footage showing her doing something horrible, a year after it happened? The cops at the time didn’t get it?! Get the fuck out of here with that. The 2 episodes of Lucky were fine but it’s part of the “this thing is convenient” plotting is annoying.
We groaned so loud at the cam/Ring/whatever footage as so ridiculous but also, at that point, ON BRAND. In fact, I think that was secondary to us laughing about Paula telling the woman on the golf course to essentially help her, "use your leverage" and save her from the people trying to frame and kill her, which pretty obviously this golf lady is part of. And boy would I have liked to see them re-enact the super duper slow reflexes of a cop with a gun pointed at a person facing the other way. I just imagined them saying, "Nah, let's just cut to him down, then we move on. At this point, nobody's really paying attention."
Oh yes. The shooting?! WTF was that? If she twitched, you shoot her. I don’t even care if there is a season 2. Bring back She-Hulk.
A good laugh over here...
Also, if someone ever came out of the woods on a golf course and approached me, I'd take the driver out like a bear was approaching.
Yeah the Sansa Stark one that was on Prime recently with Andrew Koji (Steal) sounds like a slightly better version, with London.
Too bad on Lucky - I was interested because it's created by Jonathan Tropper, who gave us Warrior (Koji again) and the perhaps even lesser known Banshee (Antony Starr, aka Homelander). Friday Night Max Go for the win.
"Steal" on Prime was really good. Would love to see that have a second season.
Also I'm not sure you get a gold star or a demerit for using "Max Go" ...
Steal was good. Another role where Andrew Koji is consciously not kicking ass.
I thought you also liked SBU Theater (but Max Go was the name for that Friday night slot, no?)
Warrior
Banshee
Hunted
Strike Back
Did I miss any?
Strike Back was my jam.
Still unmatched. Lot of interesting folks may their way through. Even just the commanders...
Friday night...
I love Warrior. The setting permits wide latitude to be outrageous and unrealistic. Steal was a lot of fun.
Lots of fun and interesting plot lines in Warrior. Folks from that show are starting to pop up elsewhere.
Maybe because I'm relatively new to Apple TV I'm still finding shows I like. Since I'm a sci fi fan, I have more content that I'm enjoying than the typical viewer. But yeah, I can see checking in and out of Apple TV because I'll run out of things to watch relatively soon.
As for Netflix, I dropped my subscription after 20 years. I struggled to find anything above mid and would zombie watch a bunch of crap. The final kicker was the email announcing the "updating of prices." WTAF is "updating prices?" F the executive who signed off on this patronizing language.
I'm still laughing at "updating prices," like they were updating their terms and 99.9 percent to people don't read those anyway so someone somehow that the term would sneakily decrease the amount of people who might bail.
Clearly didn't work on you!
Netflix suffers from an impossible way to find all the series it has, but for me that adds to the thrill of doing a deep dive and discovering stuff. But I wouldn't feel that way if I didn't already at least like the amount of series I'm aware of, that they keep churning out, etc. If I had to fish for every series it would be different, but that is one mammoth vault they have so bang for the buck still applies for me.
There are only so many hours in the day. I either settle for some filler or spend way too long digging for gold. I'll wait until som compelling shows up on Netflix
I'll find some for you. It's kind of my side job. Or my job. Or a job. Also, kind of enjoy it in a perverse way, like someone using a metal detector on the beach.
So you're a Detectorist on Netflix.
One of the reasons why I hang out here
I also canceled Netflix a few months ago—I'm not saying I'll never resubscribe, but it will have to be for something I actively want to see, and nothing's tempting me at the moment. Considering that they've been featuring comedy specials with the likes of Tony Hinchcliffe and Louis CK, I feel pretty good about that decision. Also, I refuse to get the version with ads, and it seems like Netflix keeps raising its prices in order to steer everyone to the ad-supported tier.
Netflix sent me an email suggesting I might like the latest Louis CK special. No frigging way Netflix.
Ha.
Grrrr. Nothing enrages me more than C.K.’s “redemption tour.” As Carol Love-Smernitch would say, no way, Jose.
Definitely a superb use of no way Jose.
Netflix comedy specials have definitely taken a turn for the worst, and it would be tough to argue that it's not for capitalism. They want the buck on the new thing, which right now seems to be awful right wing comedians.
As for the price raising, it's everywhere. I'm not liking it, and people are clearly thinking more about what they subscribe to with a streamer. But I think that's relevant to Apple TV right now. If ever there was a streamer (like Peacock as well), where you could theoretically subscribe for a month or two and never return until the next few enticing series, it's those two.
One of the reasons I feel OK about keeping Apple and cycling through the other streamers is that (last time we re-upped) you can get a whole year of Apple TV for $99. That seems like a reasonable price for a streamer with a relatively shallow catalog with a handful of must-sees, and most importantly, no ads.
I'm stuck with Peacock because of the Tour de France and English Premier League. Oh well, at least Im not an NFL fan
Yeah but in your world, Peacock is essential for exactly those things. So I think that qualifies as being "of value" and worth the hold. I would have to up my EPL watching -- it's possible! -- to get more value. With "Undeclared War" returning, I'm just holding on and then hopefully Day of the Jackal will appear.
I think you're right, since I have enjoyed the sci-fi (including Star City, which grows on you nicely.)
Netflix I just drive in and hope to find a Detective Hole or Lupin...but rarely. Family watches a lot there so we keep it. They seem to be absorbing more outside series (that I've already seen elsewhere) it seems.
All the streamers seem to "trade" series (actually someone just bids on the rights when they are up, so the shows shift) so it's pretty common everywhere (and why apps that track shows and where they stream can often be wrong). I do like to get in my submarine and look at the weird and sometimes glorious shit they still have way down in the depths. I mean, who can find this stuff when Netflix itself rarely touts it?
It’s its own hobby. (Now I want a particular ice cream sandwich.)
Is then next gear for Netflix to just buy up everything? And maybe add seasons to stuff that still has legs?