Welcome to another edition of ‘Up Next’ here at Screen Times. This week, ‘The Essex Serpent’ continues on TV+ as well as new episodes of ‘Shining Girls’, ‘Tehran’ and another big MLB Friday Night Baseball doubleheader. Bi-lingual thriller ‘Now & Then’ also arrives on the platform, which gives us strong ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ vibes and looks like it’s going to deliver plenty of entertainment, twists and turns.
This coming Monday sees the global premiere of ‘Prehistoric Planet’ on Apple TV+ as part of an epic five-night event, culminating on Friday, May 27th with a new episode being released each day. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the trailers for the series have generated an incredible buzz on social media and promise a television experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Check back for our review early next week.
The Week in Apple TV+ News
TV+ Sets Course For Mars in 'For All Mankind' Season 3
Finally, we have liftoff! This week, the trailer for the highly anticipated third season of ‘For All Mankind’ was finally released following months of anticipation and it promises plenty of tension and drama, the level of which only this show can deliver.
From Apple:
In season three, the Red Planet becomes the new frontier in the Space Race not only for the US and the Soviet Union, but also an unexpected new entrant with a lot to prove and even more at stake. Our characters find themselves going head-to-head as their ambitions for Mars come into conflict and their loyalties are tested, creating a pressure cooker that builds to a climactic conclusion.
We’re not sure about you, but we all let out a sigh of relief here at HQ at the sight of some beloved characters from previous years, whose fate, until now, remained unknown. Check out the trailer below:
Nikki and Jason Return For 'Trying' Season 3
Apple announced that season three of ‘Trying’ will debut on Friday, July 22nd and will follow Nikki and Jason as they try to keep their new family together following an emotional second season.
From Apple:
After a dramatic end to season two, the eight-episode third season picks up with Nikki (BAFTA nominee Esther Smith) and Jason (SAG Award nominee Rafe Spall) waking up as new parents to two children they are still getting to know. Now they just have to keep hold of them, which proves to be trickier than they initially thought. Thrown straight into the parental deep end, Nikki and Jason’s relationships with each other and with their nearest and dearest are tested as they desperately try to navigate the ups and downs of parenting — while hanging onto their kids, and their sanity.
We can’t wait for more ‘Trying’. You can read our thoughts on the show’s second season and how the show has cemented its place on the top shelf of Apple TV+ comedy here.
'Eva the Owlet' Lands at Apple
This week, Apple also announced a series order for ‘Eva the Owlet’ as part of the TV+ kids’ changemakers initiative. 'Eva the Owlet' is a new animated kids and family series based on the New York Times bestselling Scholastic book series ‘Owl Diaries’ by award-winning author Rebecca Elliott.
From Apple:
‘Eva the Owlet’ stars Eva, a creative, cheeky owlet who lives next door to her best friend Lucy in the woodland world of Treetopington. With big ideas and an even bigger personality, Eva goes on high-flying adventures, expressing herself in her journal along the way!
No date has yet been set but we’re expecting this one later in 2022.
With that, here’s our guide to your week ahead on Apple TV.
Apple TV+
Prehistoric Planet
Five Night Event | Documentary | 5 episodes | TV-PG
From executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Planet Earth”), and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, “Prehistoric Planet” will transport viewers 66 million years in the past to discover our world — and the dinosaurs that roamed it — all in stunning detail and set to an original score by multiple Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer. Debuting globally on Apple TV+ in an epic weeklong event from Monday 23rd May to Friday 27th May, the five-episode groundbreaking series combines award-winning wildlife filmmaking, the latest paleontological learning and state-of-the-art technology to unveil the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of prehistoric Earth for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.
Now & Then
Premiere | S1, E1-3 | TV-MA
Set in Miami and shot in both English and Spanish’, Now & Then’ is a multi-layered thriller that explores the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood, when the lives of a group of college best friends are forever changed after a celebratory weekend ends up with one of them dead. Now, 20 years later, the remaining five are reluctantly reunited by a threat that puts their seemingly perfect worlds at risk.
The Essex Serpent
S1, E3 | 42 min | TV-MA
After fishermen claim they were attacked by the serpent, Cora becomes more determined to understand what’s in the water.
Shining Girls
S1, E6 | 42 min | TV-MA
When Harper returns home from war, he finds a new beginning.
Tehran
S2, E4 | 42 min | TV-MA
Tamar attends an elite pool party to target Peyman. Marjan reconsiders the orders she’s been given about Faraz.
Harriet The Spy
S1, Part 2 | Animation | TV-G
The second half of ‘Harriet The Spy’ arrives on TV+ this week. Outspoken and perpetually curious. That’s 11-year-old Harriet in a nutshell. But if she’s going to be Harriet M. Welsch, future writer, she’ll need to know everything. And to know everything means she’ll need to spy … on everyone.
MLB Friday Night Baseball
Cardinals @ Pirates / Rangers @ Astros
This week’s big doubleheader gets underway on Friday 6:35 p.m. ET as the St. Louis Cardinals head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates. After that, the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros will battle it out at Minute Maid Park.
Apple Arcade
Warped Kart Racer
Racing | 12+
Get warped into the ultimate kart racing game - by yourself, or multiplayer - featuring the stars of 20th Television’s hit animated shows: American Dad!, Family Guy, King of the Hill and Solar Opposites! Experience iconic locations and even some surprise ones in your quest for karting glory! TAKE CONTROL of one of 20 playable characters across 16 maps and beat your friends in riotous races and brutal battles.
Apple Fitness+
This week marked Global Accessibility Awareness Day and Apple Fitness+ announced a brand new addition of Audio Hints to make the service even more accessible to more people. Audio Hints play helpful cues in addition to the coaching being given by the trainer to provide even more info about what's happening on screen. This feature will be of use to anyone who is blind or visually impaired following along with each move in a particular workout. These are available via the on-screen controls in every studio workout on the service.
Apple Music
BEATstrumentals - Apple Music Playlist
Whether it’s the Chillhop Raccoon or the Lo-Fi studying girl, relaxing hip hop-style beats attract millions of views on YouTube with countless live channels streaming 24/7 and you can find plenty of this over on Apple Music too. This fantastic playlist from the Apple Music editorial team contains beats derived from jazz, soul, funk and more - perfect for unwinding to after a long day or helping you focus during work.
ScreenTimes Apple TV Recommendations
The Flight Attendant
HBO Max | 15 episodes currently available, season two finale airing next week | TV-MA
Devon: “Kaley Cuoco stars as Cassie, the fun-loving, world-traveling flight attendant who stumbles into some pretty intense situations. The first season kicked off with Cassie waking up next to the dead body of her one-night fling and only got more unhinged from there. This season has a life-or-death mystery at its center as well but sees Cassie much more grounded than before, which I find to be a refreshing change. Cuoco has some funny moments as you’d expect, but she also knows how to lay on the drama anytime it’s needed. Her performance, along with the stellar support casting including Mythic Quest’s Jessie Ennis this season, makes The Flight Attendant a really enjoyable watch. The season two finale is coming next Thursday, which gives you just enough time to catch up!.”
The Sadness
Shudder | 1 hr 39 min | Unrated
James: “As a big fan of horror, I’ve become rather bored of the zombie genre in recent years, simply because I’d seen it all - or so I thought. ‘The Sadness’, which follows a young couple trying to reunite amid a city ravaged by a plague that turns its victims into bloodthirsty sadists, is quite unlike anything I’ve seen before - maybe because everything in the film is made more uncomfortable given the pandemic that we’ve all lived through over the last few years. Or maybe it's just because of how disturbing and completely insane this film actually is. There’s an almost cartoonish amount of gore at times, but it’s delivered in such a ruthless way that makes the film quite difficult to watch at times. This is an unrelenting slice of brutal horror that is absolutely NOT for the faint of heart!
The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk
BBC iPlayer | 2 Seasons
Jonathan: “My pick is something I was reminded of the other day which I’m sure has passed a lot of people by. ‘The Mind...’ is the fictional life of comedian Herbert Clunkerdunk (Spencer Jones) and his constant quest to be cast in a TV show or do a gig while navigating the perils and responsibilities of parenthood. It sounds very familiar but what Jones brings to the setup is an incredibly bizarre and inventive sense of humour in a world that’s slightly removed from reality. Whether it’s transforming his face with homemade eyes or giving his door a life of it’s own via a letterbox mouth, the lo-if creativity is incredible and you can’t help but be charmed - and amused - by it all.”