I’ve had it on my Android TV for years
Lmao title.
The irony is that both Apple and Google are not your friends.
Having paid for Apple TV+ (and been “given” “free” access by paying for a new computer), I can tell you that it’s the least bang for buck streaming service available in Australia.
It has a miniscule library which it disguises at every opportunity by mixing in content that is available from Apple, but not included in the subscription. It makes it worse by showing content from other streaming services that require their own subscription, which it’s happy to take your money for.
The entire library list fits on a web page:
In my opinion, value for money this is not.
Edit: Added link to page listing the entire library.
It is a streaming service you could subscribe for a month or two and get through everything of value that they have, then resubscribe a year or so later and repeat. I do not think its that different from the majority of streaming services unless you are hooked on something in their back catalog that has a ton of episodes, say Paramount with its Star Trek library.
I have enjoyed: Bad Sisters (season one, two is not as good) Severance Silo (last season was a little slow) Slow Horses (does get a bit repetitive as the seasons progress) Bad Monkey Sunny Masters of the Air For All Mankind (can be a little slow) Foundation (best to think of it not related to the books at all, and even then it can go from a bad episode to a great one back to back)
Masters of the air was the biggest let down ever.
It was alright.
But goddamn did they manage to rush the story.
I waited 15 years for bob3 / aka the mighty eighth / aka masters of the air.
It was good.
But I wanted so much more.
I think that applies to almost all book adaptations for the fans of the books. They always cut corners or change things, so rare to do it properly.
In this instance it could have done with being spread over at least two seasons but I think because of Hanks and Spielbergs involvement this limited the time available so they cut it short.
Idk, band of brothers AND the pacific seemed to do a very good job of it.
I got the impression that they rushed this.
We got our first trailer for the mighty eighth like back in 2012 or something, when hbo was presumably doing it.
I woulda thought Hanks and Spielberg woulda wanted to spread it out and not … compromised their vision.
It was alright, but compared to “the other two entries” it fell flat for me.
I think comparing anything to BoB is going to leave you disappointed, it would be in a lot of peoples top ten or even top five shows of all time. The Pacific was good but it was nowhere near the level of BoB. I think both Masters and Pacific suffer when compared to BoB as it feels much more tightly focused.
Spielberg is aware hes running out of time and is seemingly focused on fitting in as much as possible so he had less time to progress this. Plus as you mentioned, this has been stuck for quite a while, at some point you just want to move on.
The Pacific I initially didn’t enjoy because I directly compared it to BoB.
When I realized it was a telling of multiple memoirs vs bobs singular story, it made it work.
I went into masters of the air with that in mind, and still found myself thinking it was rushed.
On its own it’s alright, but they did a LOT of window dressing I felt like.
I enjoyed it, but was supremely let down.
It’s got a pretty shallow selection, but it’s pretty great stuff. See, For All Mankind, Foundation, and Masters of the Air are all pretty great IMHO.
Severance is great.
Slow horses is great too
Ted lasso and shrinking
I watched Season 1 of Foundation.
As a long time Isaac Asimov reader and owner of most of his sci-fi books, I was appalled at the series. It manages to completely negate the scope of the Foundation book series by ignoring the time constraints on a human lifetime, mashing in a completely different storyline involving Hari Seldon and completely murdering the whole intentions of the book series.
This was not why I think that Apple TV+ is poor value for money. It does however speak to the cultural values that Apple represents.
Apple are going to be doing a series based on Neuromancer as well.
As someone who really enjoyed the novel, I am not optimistic at all. I don’t mind having a different interpretation of the novel’s story, I do mind a low risk, shallow “made for streaming” reinterpretation.
what cultural values does Apple represent? I for one thoroughly enjoyed watching a sci-fi show for once where Black people are more than background characters
Hi Bob
It’s a gorgeously produced narrative wreck. I really wanted to like it and there were certainly interesting parts like the clones that were fascinating. It’s been a while but I remember feeling insulted like too many episodes have Harry or someone show up at the end to deliver a five minute exposition explaining what was happening.
Lots and lots of tell don’t show ruins the fun for me which is why I’m loving Severance right now, they’re soo good at showing not telling.
like too many episodes have Harry or someone show up at the end to deliver a five minute exposition explaining what was happening.
This sounds like some teenage level writing.
I mean not everyone can be Craig Mazin but Foundation was missing a lot of the basic elements that make for good storytelling
The thing about Severance is that from a sci-fi perspective it’s a horrifically believable story that has more than shades of Stephen King about it.
I am not a fan of horror and never have been.
In this case as an experienced sci-fi reader and technology professional, it’s ringing a little too close to home.
Can you spell Neuralink?
Absolutely, the themes are presented in a believable fashion and just as importantly the people in the Severance world react to the technology in believable ways.
I was where you were back when S1 aired. Gave S2 a chance and am positively surprised. It’s its own take on the material but given the later books it’s not that inconsistent.
When I next subscribe for a month so my partner can binge watch the latest season of Severance I’ll take a look, but the disappointment with the first season of Foundation was not something I will soon forget.
I’m pretty sure part of this is to spice up Apple One. In my region family plan of Apple One costs slightly more than two Apple Music subscriptions. That means that even in a two person household you’re breaking even immediately if you need/want iCloud, TV+ or Arcade.
