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Flipboard Culture Desk

After spending more than $20 billion to produce original TV shows and movies, that are — relatively speaking — barely watched, Apple is pulling back. Bloomberg reports that while many of its shows have charmed critics, they have a smaller share of top 10 hits than any streaming service except Paramount+. COVID-19 and last year's strikes also led to costs ballooning on certain shows. Now, Bloomberg says Apple is trying to bring more "discipline and strategy" to its Hollywood operation. Here's more. We want to know: of this small selection, which is your favorite Apple show? If it's not listed, tell us in the comments which you like best.

flip.it/B4aN50

Bloomberg · Apple Tries to Rein In Hollywood Spending After Years of LossesBy Lucas Shaw

You might have heard that it was a busy news weekend — and that's our only excuse for missing just about all of your favorite Apple shows in our recent poll. No "Dickinson!" No "For All Mankind!" No "Slow Horses," for goodness' sake. So here's the follow-up: A poll with the great shows we didn't include first time round, and after this is done, we'll pit the top eight or so against each other to find out which is the true victor. It's the only election that matters this year, folks! So redux: Which is your favorite Apple show? And once again, if there's a show we missed that we haven't included in either poll, let us know in the comments!

OK folks, we're going for round three in our highly scientific and very serious poll on the fediverse's favorite Apple TV shows. Here, we're putting the highest scorers from both previous surveys against each other, plus a couple more that we forgot from rounds one and two. By hook or by crook, we'll find the best Apple show out there. And please don't tell us about any more shows we've missed. It's been a long week, and we are so tired.

flip.it/BfN0_S

EW.comThe 28 best Apple TV+ shows to watch right now (July 2024)From British espionage thrillers and genre-busting murder mysteries to feel-good comedies, here is our list of must-watch shows on the prestige streaming service.

The final result of our poll determined for once and for all that "Severance" is the fediverse's favorite Apple show, followed by "Ted Lasso," "Slow Horses" "For All Mankind" and "Foundation." Yet more recommendations creeping in in the comments — "Little America," suggested by @AlexMorin, who says it's a great pick-me-up, and "Watch the Sound With Mark Ronson," a suggestion of @BramMeehanPhoto@ohai.social. The overarching themes from the comments: 1.) Apple needs to put some more moolah into marketing and advertising its shows, and 2.) It has incredible quality — says @bowreality: "It’s like HBO back then. Small catalog but high quality shows and movies. Not saying I like it all but it’s the only one I am paying for now."

@CultureDesk From the choices given, Foundation. But we also really have enjoyed For All Mankind.

@CultureDesk no 'Severance', 'Silo', or 'For All Mankind'?
My pick would be 'For All Mankind' as it is probably the best thing we've ever gotten from Ronald D. Moore.

@fskornia Actually "Severance" was on our original list but we had a copy/paste fail (it's been a busy few days!). Going to add that and "Silo" to the list and sacrifice the first few votes!

@CultureDesk Yeah, it's been a long year since yesterday afternoon.

@fskornia Seriously! The Flipboard editorial team Slack messages have been a sight to behold!

@steven Such an innovative show — one of the first of those stylized, heavily fictionalized period dramas that are everywhere now, like "My Lady Jane" and "The Great."

@CultureDesk When you start the first episode, it's a heavy WTH??? until you buy into the premise. Then it's great.

@steven We just finished "My Lady Jane" on Prime. Similar vibes, highly recommend!

@CultureDesk Apple TV+ - the black hole of streaming services.

Where good talent goes in and no actual impact escapes from.

@Ductos If only some of the big bucks went to marketing!

@CultureDesk “Franklin” is the reason I subscribed to Apple TV+

@CultureDesk Apple TV is the classic service where you can sign up when there's a show you want to watch, then cancel when you're done -- they just don't have enough original content to keep going all the time.

Aside from Dickinson, other shows that I really enjoyed include Slow Horses and Shrinking.

I also enjoyed Ted Lasso and tolerated The Morning Show.

@CultureDesk Slow Horses is insanely good, Palm Royale has impeccable styling and is strong, Schmigadoon was great. You can really tell they have been spending like crazy, the quality of the writing is a very high bar.

@kynyc "Slow Horses" was our favorite Apple show of all time and we're silly not to have included it in the poll — the only excuse is that we've had a busy weekend! "Schmigadoon" season 1 was good but season 2 was even better!

@CultureDesk their rate of production has been breakneck to me, I can't watch 1/8 of all the good shit they have been putting out. I'm sure some shows like drops of god, the 3 hr Killers of the Flower Moon, the master of air etc are going to be well worth the time. So many new shows I've never heard of seem promising.

@CultureDesk pachinko was ok a bit soapy but I maintain that it's still well above the standard show from the competing services unless they got Jordan Peele or something.
Hahaha, I just noticed not once did you say Apple TV+, we both know why that's hilarious.

@CultureDesk The real tragedy is that Apple seemingly puts no advertising money behind all its incredible shows.

@CultureDesk Slow Horses! Though I enjoyed four others in the poll (and never even heard of one of them).

Among other things, Apple just does a terrible job of marketing, and communicating with their user base (and, ugh, the interface).

@BramMeehan @CultureDesk Yes! How could I forget Slow Horses?! That show is incredible!

@CultureDesk Severance got my vote but I also enjoyed Ted Lasso and MY GOD, Bad Sisters was criminally overlooked.

@CultureDesk Slow Horses a glaring omission. Just received a heap of Emmy nominations.

@bobthomson70 Agreed, and our personal favorite — it's been a busy few days! Perhaps we should turn this into a bracket and include all the great shows we missed in the second half!

@CultureDesk Apple TV+ for me is a great example of quality over quantity. Netflix has lots of content but it’s more like the bargain DVD bin in a dollar / pound store. ATV has fewer series but way more ones worth watching.

@CultureDesk Ted Lasso is the only show in recent memory that I’ve watched start to finish more than one time. I’ve watched it 4 times. Genuinely feel good tv show.

@CultureDesk Foundation and For All Mankind are by far and away my faves

Also The Morning Show, Severance, Franklin, Pachinko…

@varmazis We are very cruel to make people choose!

@CultureDesk

Really enjoyed Foundation. I love it's scale and ambition. I am hoping that the budget issues for Apple + do not affect Season 3 too much. Lee Pace and Jared Hess are so good.

I also heard good things about 5 Days at Memorial. Started watching Servant and want to return back to it.

I liked The Afterparty (but can see why it was cancelled) and Schmigadoon (should have had a Season 3.

Liked season one of Ted Lasso but increasing disliked the show.

@seanbala Every time someone comments there's a show that we'd forgotten about and loved — "The Afterparty" season one was fab. Had not heard about the cancelation of "Schmigadoon." What a shame!

@CultureDesk I know, right?! Kristen Chenowith proposed that the third season be called "Schmicked"

I enjoyed the concept of "The Afterparty," which became more interesting the more I thought about it. In a mystery, you are getting the story of one person, it makes sense that they would tell it in a unique way. The genre homages / pastiches obscured clues that in an objective telling would have been clearer.

Who knows - maybe someone else will pick them up?

@seanbala

@CultureDesk

Am I going to have to sign up for Apple+

I love the Foundation books

Too many streaming services

@griff @seanbala Boosting this one as we recall a poll and heated debate a few months back as to whether "Foundation" the TV show was really an adaptation of the books. Hopefully the Mastodon community will be able to give you an answer as to whether it's worthwhile signing up! We have watched a LOT of Apple shows — turn to it more often than any other streaming service these days — and while there've been a few duds, they're mostly good (or at least they start well!).

@CultureDesk I feel like 50% of these shows could be completely made up and no one would know.

@Beeks Now there's a fun game — spot the real Apple show, or make up your own! "Metal Party" "Further Investigation" "Rebel Pigeon."

@CultureDesk Still Up and The Big Door Prize are good ones too, something a bit different and whimsical.

@bobthomson70 Yes to "The Big Door Prize!" The acting in it is just brilliant — especially from the young actors! Are we going to have to do another poll?! 🤦🏻‍♀️

@CultureDesk think you are :) There is a lot on Apple TV+ :)

@rednikki "Severance" was on our first list here — we had so many comments about omissions such as "Slow Horses" that we decided to run a second poll (and potentially some kind of bracket eventually!)

flipboard.social/@CultureDesk/

@CultureDesk why not ask me to choose my favourite nonexistent offspring whilst you're at it!

@shamus *frantically writes down new poll idea*

@CultureDesk There is no other choice other than FOR ALL MANKIND, arguably one of the most ambitious TV series to grace our plasma screens in years. It is criminally underrated, has great attention to detail, and has significantly thought out its alternative history. Incredible acting too -- especially from Wren Schmidt and Coral Peña. I wrote about it here:

edrants.com/for-all-mankind-is

Reluctant Habits - a cultural forum in ever-shifting standing · For All Mankind is the Best Show on Television — Why Aren’t You Watching It? - Reluctant HabitsFor All Mankind has been criminally overlooked by audiences and the media. It's time for you folks to get on the bandwagon. This show is too brilliant to be ignored.

@CultureDesk Little America! Whenever you need a pick-me-up, watch an episode!

@CultureDesk Want to jump back in with a plug for Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson — not one of my top Apple series, but I did learn an interesting thing or two from every episode.

@CultureDesk @AlexMorin @bowreality I get lots of services, I like houseguests to have what they want. But Apple TV is a personal favorite. So much great stuff.