When Apple first entered the streaming TV market, it did so with a unique approach. It didn’t focus on creating the most content and launched Apple TV+ with only a handful of shows. Likewise, his aspirations never seemed to grow until he became the biggest streamer. Despite mainstream hits like Ted Lasso, the service remains relatively niche.
That was all good because Apple’s focus was on one thing: quality. Do the best of the best.
Some have called TV+ the new HBO. At some point I would have agreed. Apple notably won the Best Picture Oscar for CODA, an award Netflix has yet to win. Ted Lasso won consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series. Sure, there were stumbles too (Amazing Stories, anyone?), but overall, the service’s early years brought critical acclaim and built a solid reputation.
However, more recently, the service’s focus on quality appears to have lost ground.
Better days on Apple TV+
There was a time when every new show on Apple TV+ seemed worthy of consideration. For me, the peak season for quality content was early 2022. Check out the following list of consecutive releases from that time of year, each with its accompanying Metacritic score:
- Compensation: 83
- The last days of Ptolemy Gray: 75
- We crash: 65
- Pachinko: 87
- Slow horses: 82
Severance, Pachinko and Slow Horses are among the best shows TV+ has ever produced. The “weakest” show of the bunch, WeCrashed, was still a lot of fun and one of the highlights of the year for me.
It’s these brilliant stretches of success that made me inclined to watch every new show that Apple released. While I don’t think there’s been as strong a back-to-back list since then, there have been enough hits to offset the occasional misses. You can also usually tell which programs might be “below average” offerings by Apple’s reduced marketing efforts.
Lately, however, misses have been appearing more regularly than Last Days often with significant fanfare backed by Apple.
The current state of the TV+ offer,r
So far in early 2024, here are the new series that TV+ has given us, complete with Metacritic scores:
- Criminal record: 73
- Airbenders: 72
- The new look: 62
- Constellation: 63
- The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin: 70
- Manhunt: 65
- Royal Palm: 57
- Sugar: 67
- Franklin: 57
It is a stark contrast to the days of early 2022.
To be clear, I’m not saying these shows are “bad.” However, with a couple of exceptions, they generally haven’t been that good either.
Palm Royale and Franklin are two that especially stand out as disappointments. Not just because they have the lowest critics’ scores. They also both have big budgets, big stars, and have received big marketing pushes. They are currently the face of TV+. And they are both mediocre.
I want Apple TV+ to live up to its reputation and deliver quality, reliable content. But right now he’s just not doing that.
What is the problem?
One of the main reasons could be the Hollywood strikes of 2023. Strikes by writers and actors continued throughout much of 2023, severely limiting the pipeline of new content that Apple could fund. It’s hard to know exactly what impact the strikes have had on the quality of TV+ content, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
It is also possible that increased quantity has made quality more difficult to preserve. These days, Apple not only releases new series regularly, but it also constantly releases new seasons of existing shows. Whatever creative forces at Apple are tasked with ensuring quality, their hands may be busier than ever.
In any case, if Apple wants to grow TV+ and reinforce its reputation as a source of prestige content, it has a lot of work to do.
The further we move from the hits of Ted Lasso, CODA, Severance and Silo, the more Apple TV+, if changes are not made, will become just another player in a crowded streaming pack, with little to distinguish itself.
What do you think? Are you watching less TV+ content than before? Let us know in the comments.
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