David Farnor | On 11, Sep 2019

It’s official: Apple TV+ will launch on 1st November, with the online giant finally dropping the full details about its plans to take on HBO, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Like the House of Mouse’s subscription service, also launching autumn, Apple’s new service has its work cut out for it to make an early impression and stand out from an already fiercely competitive crowd. Earlier this year, the tech firm, which is increasingly becoming a media firm too, staked its claim for a place in viewers’ living rooms with a star-studded preview, with names behind its content ranging from Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Octavia Spencer to J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa and M. Night Shyamalan.

It will launch on 1st November in more than 100 countries, including the UK. The platform will cost £4.99 a month, with a seven-day free trial, and will be available through the Apple TV app, which is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and iPod touch and will soon be on Mac. The Apple TV app is also available on select Samsung smart TVs, and will come to Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future. Alternatively, you can sign up and watch Apple TV+ originals through their web browser at tv.apple.com.

Apple will also be using its new service to leverage its own hardware, with customers who purchase any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch getting one year of Apple TV+ for free, which is worth approximately £60.

“Apple TV+ is an unprecedented global video service with an all-original slate,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “We look forward to giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to enjoy these compelling stories within a rich, personalised experience on all the screens they love.”

Now, we know what that slate will comprise, with nine original programmes confirmed as available from launch this November, including starry drama The Morning Show and epic sci-fi See. Most series will premiere, Hulu-style, with three episodes available at first, and then an additional episode released weekly, although some will also be released all-at-once.

Here’s the line-up:

See (1st November)

an epic drama starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, is set 600 years in the future after a virus has decimated humankind and rendered the remaining population blind. When all humanity has lost the sense of sight, humans must adapt and find new ways to survive. See the trailer here.

The Morning Show (1st November)

A cutthroat drama starring and executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and starring Steve Carell, explores the world of morning news and the ego, ambition and the misguided search for power behind the people who help America wake up in the morning. See the trailer here.

Dickinson (1st November)

Adarkly comedic coming-of-age story, explores the constraints of society, gender and family through the lens of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson. See the trailer here.

For All Mankind (1st November)

A new series from Ronald D. Moore that imagines what would have happened if the global space race never ended and the space program remained the cultural centrepiece of America’s hopes and dreams. See the trailer here.

Helpsters (1st November)

A new children’s series from the makers of Sesame Street that stars Cody and a team of vibrant monsters who love to help solve problems.

Snoopy in Space (1st November)

A new original from Peanuts Worldwide and DHX Media takes viewers on a journey with Snoopy as he follows his dreams to become an astronaut. Together, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew take command of the International Space Station and explore the moon and beyond.

Ghostwriter (1st November)

A reinvention of the beloved original series that follows four kids who are brought together by a mysterious ghost in a neighbourhood bookstore, and must team up to release fictional characters from works of literature.

The Elephant Queen (1st November)

An acclaimed documentary film and cinematic love letter to a species on the verge of extinction, follows a majestic matriarch elephant and her herd on an epic journey of life, loss and homecoming.

Oprah (1st November)

Oprah Winfrey joins the world’s most compelling authors in conversation as she builds a vibrant, global book club community and other projects to connect with people around the world and share meaningful ways to create positive change.

 

New shows and films will also be announced and added each month, although the pace and quantity of that has not yet been confirmed. What we do know, though, are that these titles are coming in the near future:

Servant (date TBC)

A new psychological thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.

Truth Be Told (date TBC)

A gripping new series starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul, explores America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race.

Little America (date TBC)

Inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine, brings to life the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America.

The Banker (date TBC)

A feature film inspired by a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as two African American entrepreneurs who try to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and quietly provide housing loans to the African American community in Jim Crow Texas. Nia Long and Nicholas Hoult also star.

Hala (date TBC)

A feature film and official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing.

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