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Post by Jeremy on Nov 1, 2019 13:15:55 GMT -8
Question for November: What are the odds that Apple TV Plus succeeds?
On the one hand, the service (which launched today) is cheaper than any of the major streaming services, at just $4.99 per month. Their flagship TV series, The Morning Show, has some powerhouse names attached (even as they come with a hefty price tag), and plenty of other shows from big-name producers (including Oprah Winfrey and M. Night Shyamalan) are on the way. It's easily accessible, and stems from one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
On the other hand... the site's library is exclusively composed of originals, with no back-catalog to hook discerning viewers. It's been largely swept into the shadow of Disney Plus, a much larger service which has sucked up most of the publicity in recent months (and which launches in a few days). None of the new shows have received particularly great reviews, with Morning Show mainly earning attention thanks to its star-studded cast. And in the age of Peak TV, how many streaming services is too many?
I'm skeptical that it turns out to be a hit, even if the next few shows generate more buzz.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Dec 9, 2019 16:48:14 GMT -8
Question for November: What are the odds that Apple TV Plus succeeds? On the one hand, the service (which launched today) is cheaper than any of the major streaming services, at just $4.99 per month. Their flagship TV series, The Morning Show, has some powerhouse names attached (even as they come with a hefty price tag), and plenty of other shows from big-name producers (including Oprah Winfrey and M. Night Shyamalan) are on the way. It's easily accessible, and stems from one of the most recognizable brands in the world. On the other hand... the site's library is exclusively composed of originals, with no back-catalog to hook discerning viewers. It's been largely swept into the shadow of Disney Plus, a much larger service which has sucked up most of the publicity in recent months (and which launches in a few days). None of the new shows have received particularly great reviews, with Morning Show mainly earning attention thanks to its star-studded cast. And in the age of Peak TV, how many streaming services is too many? I'm skeptical that it turns out to be a hit, even if the next few shows generate more buzz. Probably better now that they've secured Masters of the Air, the third Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-produced WW2 series, following up Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Apparently HBO didn't want to cough up another 200 million dollars. Who knows though-I haven't really seen any excitement for Apple TV Plus. On another note, I have finished the first two seasons of Halt and Catch Fire. Spoilers. Season 1 was a very odd experience. Overall I liked it, but there was plenty that didn't work about it too, from Gordon's manic episodes to Joe and Cameron's forced relationship, not to mention the clunky dialogue and odd pacing. I think the show did find its footing in its final three hours, and the big twist really landed well and re-contextualized the whole series. It really drove home the inherent tension that these characters are trying to change history, but they are fictional characters, and probably will not be remembered. Season 2 was a drastic improvement in every way. The character dynamics were re-calibrated and improved, the pacing was better, and though Gordon's story-line didn't work at points (his little get together with Jules in California felt like it was ripped from Season 1), it ultimately came together with Donna's in a very satisfying and believable manner. Speaking of Donna, the Donna/Cameron dynamic was the engine behind this season instead of Gordon/Joe (though they still have a genuine friendship which is nice to see, and Joe's characterization was massively improved this season as well), which worked out for the better. The two women respect each other quite a bit, but they don't always see eye-to-eye. It's a really fascinating relationship and I hope it gets more focus in Season 3. The overall quality leap was just damn impressive. The three episode stretch that closed out the season-"Limbo", "Kali", and "Heaven is a Place"-cemented it as one of my all time favorite shows. Can't wait to see Seasons 3 and 4.
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 9, 2019 17:41:43 GMT -8
It's always tough to get people into Halt and Catch Fire, since it doesn't catch fire (haha) until the seventh or eighth episode. But it definitely improves from there - S2 benefits immeasurably from the Donna/Cameron dynamic, and S3 and S4 are excellent throughout.
Apple TV Plus remains an odd beast. On top of the insane levels of money they're putting into new shows (Masters of the Air will reportedly cost about $25 million per episode), they're betting on audiences being uninterested in streaming services with established backlogs. It hasn't exactly flopped yet, but none of their shows have attained the same level of buzz as, say, The Mandalorian.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Dec 9, 2019 20:02:29 GMT -8
I watched four episodes of Halt and Catch Fire last year and couldn't tell you a thing about them now. Uh, there's a scene where Mommy disassembles a Speak-and-Spell?
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 9, 2019 20:06:52 GMT -8
And there's the problem. Most people who tried the show tuned out midway through Season One.
What if I told you that the Speak-and-Spell mommy is developed into one of the best TV characters in recent memory?
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Dec 9, 2019 20:36:16 GMT -8
And there's the problem. Most people who tried the show tuned out midway through Season One. What if I told you that the Speak-and-Spell mommy is developed into one of the best TV characters in recent memory? I misread this as "the Speak-and-Spell is developed into one of the best TV characters in recent memory" and my interest in the show increased 4000%.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Dec 10, 2019 17:50:17 GMT -8
I watched four episodes of Halt and Catch Fire last year and couldn't tell you a thing about them now. Uh, there's a scene where Mommy disassembles a Speak-and-Spell? I watched four episodes of this vampire show a few years ago. I couldn't remember anything except for the fact that a praying mantis was in it at some point. I kid, I kid. Yes, Season 1 is rough. But this show was built around a show with a really rough first season (Though personally, I'd rather watch Buffy Season 1 for the fun camp factor than Halt Season 1, but it's far worse from a craft perspective). Shows can improve drastically. It's rare, but it happens.
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