Apple +: Mankind & Morning

Apple has this new little service called Apple + which launched earlier this month. I’ve watched 4 of the 6 shows that were in the initial launch. Here is a breakdown of what to watch. 

See: Staring Alfre Woodard and that’s about as good as it gets. I like Jason Mamoa in The Game of Thrones but he’s didn’t speak in the show. This show just proves why I fell asleep while watching Aquaman, twice! Yes twice. I will give the show two pluses. First, to Mamoa’s credit, his action sequences are completely flawless. A true testament to his ability to bring physical to the screen. Second, the only good acting in the show was that of Alfre Woodard. Sadly the writers were not kind to Woodard in the line department. I would certainly pass on this show. Although the fight scene in episode 4 is worth watching at some point. 

For All Mankind: My initial response to the show, give it time. Get through the male dominated first two episodes to get to the real story line of the show. Based on alternate timeline of the space program. I will say this, the writers and cast really are doing a great job with bringing this show to life. While there are only a few heavy hitter actors brought on board, there are some real veteran actors to make this show special. In episode 3 I was delighted to see Sonya Walger (Lost, Flashfoward) joined the cast in a kick ass role! Chris Bauer is another great veteran who rules the show, best known as Andy Bellefluer in True Blood. 

Ghost Writer: This one is for the kids, all three kids love this show and it’s actually done pretty well. The casting is all unknowns but the focus is a lesson on friendship and how every family is different and handles problems differently. At the root of each episode is a book that they do give little details here and there. By the end of the episode I find myself racking my brain if I’ve read the book. Even better the kids are interested in the books. Another plus about the show is they are picking books that are not your usual choices. Granted the first episode is Alice in Wonderland, the subsequent episode have been lesser popular books. 

The Morning Show: Okay, now I know everyone is harping on this show. And I was skeptical, but I am hooked. The level of drama written into this series is near perfect. Like Big Little Lies perfect. Now, just to be clear, you need to push past the first episode on this one. It’s not until the third episode does the show begin to soar. Anniston just keeps getting better and better with each episode and I am loving her moments of manic. Cathartic in a way! Witherspoon did wither a little the first two episodes but the writers finally hit their stride in episode three. The only ding I have to give the show right now is, after episode 4 I am not in love with Billy Cudrup in the role of Cory Ellison. That said, I am a huge fan of Mark Duplass (The League) and he had a rough start in the first 3 episodes. Thankfully he found it in the 4th. 

The Mission from Amazing Stories “still my favorite”

All is all, pretty good start to Apple TV+. Snoopy in Space is just a nice to have in this day in age. I am still trying to get used to the voices. I hope they start changing the actors because there is always some one out there who can do a better Peppermint Patty. What I am really excited about is all the content that is coming in the coming months on Apple TV+. In March there is the reboot of Amazing Stories which I can’t wait to share with the kids. Also that month is Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) new show and the release of Oprah’s new documentary movies.

Speaking of Movies, there are a lot of movies on the way. Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola are teaming up again and are just finishing up production of a film titled On The Rocks. Lost in Translation is still one of my favorite of Coppola’s films. But the tv series is where the bank is coming from for Apple. From Simon Kinberg’s (X-men Movies) new sci-fi series to M. Night Shymalan series drama coming to Apple. But I am very much interested in seeing what Terry Gilliam does with Time Bandit’s as a TV series. I would never want to see that film redone but a TV series is truly the genre it should have inhabited back in the 1980’s.