With all their talk about the “transformative power of storytelling” and the gathering of the “world’s best storytellers,” it’s almost like no one at Apple has had a premium cable or Netflix subscription for the past fifteen years. Apple’s presentation of its new TV+ service might have come too late, but only time will tell, with the release of their original programming later this year, if it’s too little. For now, all we can do is speculate based on the few glimpse we got into these new worlds and the short introductions to them. Based on that, here’s what we’re most excited to see (in descending order).
SEE
Jason Momoa (Aquman) stars in a sci-fi series from Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) about a future where the human race has lost its sense of sight. It’s so far into the future that the idea of being able to see seems like a ridiculous fantasy, until a set of twins who can see changes everything. See also stars Alfre Woodard, Hera Hilmar, and Christian Camargo.
LITTLE AMERICA
Based on true stories, Little America will be an anthology series about immigrants in America, based on true stories and covering a wide range of human emotions and experiences. “We wanted to focus on immigrants doing everyday life stuff,” said co-creator Kumail Nanjiani (working again with his wife and The Big Sick co-writer Emily Gordon), pointing out how many films or series about immigrants that cut through the clutter often focus on larger-than-life individuals.
OPRAH’S UNTITLED MENTAL HEALTH DOCU-SERIES
If we’ve ever needed a series aimed at fostering wisdom and compassion over ignorance and stigma around the issue of mental health and the challenges it creates, it’s now.
SWAGGER
Inspired by basketball superstar Kevin Durant’s childhood, Swagger will explore the world of AAU basketball and the dreams and hopes of aspiring players.
CENTRAL PARK
We pre-ordered the special edition Bob’s Burgers album, so you know we’re absolutely here for a musical animated comedy from Burgers creator Loren Bouchard. Central Park will feature a family of caretakers who live and work in New York’s iconic park and end up saving it — and the world. The series stars Josh Gad (Frozen), Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Kristen Bell (The Good Place), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), Daveed Diggs (Hamilton), and Kathryn Hahn (Bad Moms).
TIME BANDITS
A remake of the 1981 fantasy film, Time Bandits features time-traveling pirate ships, tears in time and space, and a little boy at the center of it all. Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) is helming the ship, so we’re excited about the comedic possibilities for this adaptation.
AMAZING STORIES
A ten-episode science-fiction-fantasy-horror anthology series based on the Steven Spielberg-helmed 1985 anthology of the same name, itself based on a 1920s science fiction magazine. Spielberg will return to executive produce alongside Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Daryl Frank, and Justin Falvey.
A COMEDY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT US IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
While we wait to see what turn It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia takes after its beautiful season thirteen finale, creators Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day will head up a new series set in a video game development studio. The series will star Danny Pudi (Community) and F. Murray Abraham (Homeland among many others) will star.
ARE YOU SLEEPING?
I’m not a huge true crime podcast fan, and clearly I’m in the minority. It was only a matter of time until we had a drama series that centered on “an investigative journalist turned true-crime podcast host” (played by Octavia Spencer). Aaron Paul plays a serial killer, with Lizzy Caplan playing twin sisters whose parents were brutally murdered.