Some of you may be too young to remember when HBO would do free weekends from time to time. This was back when cable was a big deal, and streaming wasn’t a thing yet. If you had a cable package that didn’t include the premium HBO channel, they would sometimes give you the chance to check out their programming and film selection for an entire weekend! That’s not as much of a big deal these days but the spirit of it lives on in Apple TV+ and the free weekend coming up.
Apple TV+ might not be as big as Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu, but they have been putting out some premium content that is arguably a cut above what their larger competitors offer. One of the better examples that comes to mind is “Ted Lasso.” The hit series starring Jason Sudeikis was developed by “Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence, and was a massive success for Apple on every possible level.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t talk about the ongoing series “For All Mankind.” It’s an alternative history piece where the Russians beat America to the moon landing. The resulting disappointment amongst the US Government and NASA puts the space race into overdrive. The story then continues to show the developments and advancements that were produced by this, leading to a much more advanced space program than we have today. It was created by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “God of War“), Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi.
You know what else is awesome? “Shrinking.” Starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, it’s also a product of the creative mind of Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent on “Ted Lasso“), and recently wrapped up its second season. It features Segel as a therapist who’s not exactly going through a wonderful time in his life. Ford’s character, also a therapist, is going through his own battles as well with Parkinson’s Disease.
[Editor’s note: If Harrison doesn’t win every single award possible for his performance this season, there is no justice.]
If this sounds like an ad for Apple TV+, it’s not meant to be one. We love good television. It just so happens there’s a lot of good stuff Apple TV+ is doing, and they probably deserve a bit more attention. We didn’t even mention “See,” “The Morning Show,” “Slow Horses,” “Monarch,” “Silo,” “Invasion,” “Severance,” “Foundation,” “Dark Matter” (not that one), and a ton of original films.
If you have an Apple ID, that’s all you need to access this free weekend that runs January 3rd-5th. Watch it, enjoy it, thank us later.
