Apple TV+ trivia: 79 facts about the new streaming service

Apple TV+ is a new streaming service by Apple Inc. It will be home to many original series and movies.

So let’s find out some trivia and facts about this new streaming service!

1. Apple TV+ is an upcoming American over-the-top ad-free subscription video on demand web television service
2. It was announced by Apple Inc. in 2019
3. During their March 25 Apple Special Event held at Steve Jobs Theater
4. Celebrities involved with Apple TV+ projects appeared on-stage for the announcement
5. Including Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Jason Momoa
6. It is pronounced Apple TV Plus
7. Apple TV+ content will be viewable through Apple’s TV app
8. Which is slated to become accessible to numerous consumer electronics devices
9. Including those of Apple’s competitors
10. During 2019
11. Apple TV+, along with the simultaneously announced Apple TV Channels a la carte premium video subscription aggregation service
12. It is part of the company’s concerted effort to expand its service revenues by making recurring monthly charge distributed video content available widely to the public
13. In October 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook was reported as saying that television is “of intense interest to me and other people here”
14. He added that Apple has “started focusing on some original content” which he called “a great opportunity for us both from a creation point of view and an ownership point of view. So it’s an area we’re focused on”
15. In June 2017, Apple began to take its first major steps in forming its new television unit by hiring outgoing Sony Pictures Television presidents Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg to oversee all aspects of worldwide video programming
16. In August 2017, Apple hired Matt Cherniss as head of domestic creative development
17. In October 2017, it was reported that Apple had hired Morgan Wandell, formerly head of international productions for Amazon, as head of international creative development
18. That same month, following reports of sexual abuse allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, Apple announced that they were severing ties with The Weinstein Company and cancelling a planned biopic series about Elvis Presley
19. In October 2017, Apple hired Jay Hunt as the European creative director of the worldwide video unit
20. In December 2017, Apple hired Michelle Lee as a senior creative executive in the worldwide video unit
21. Later that month, Apple hired three more executives to join their worldwide video unit
22. Tara Sorensen as head of Children’s Programming, Tara Pietri as head of Legal Affairs, and Carina Walker as an international development executive
23. In January 2018, Apple hired Dana Tuinier as the creative executive in charge of comedy for their worldwide video unit
24. In February 2018, Apple hired Carol Trussell as head of production for their worldwide video unit
25. In March 2018, Apple hired Angélica Guerra as head of Latin American programming for their worldwide video unit
26. In April 2018, Apple signed Kerry Ehrin to a multi-year overall deal to produce original content
27. In May 2018, it was reported that Apple was expected to begin selling subscriptions to certain video services directly via its TV application on iOS and tvOS
28. Rather than asking Apple device owners to subscribe to those services through applications individually downloaded from Apple’s application store
29. In June 2018, Apple signed the Writer’s Guild of America’s minimum basic agreement and Oprah Winfrey to a multi-year content partnership
30. That same month, Apple announced that they given a multi-series order to Sesame Workshop to produce various live-action and animated series as well as a single puppet-based series
31. In July 2018, Apple hired Joe Oppenheimer as a creative executive on the international creative development team in the worldwide video unit
32. In September 2018, it was reported that Apple had decided to shelve Vital Signs
33. A six-episode biopic television series centering on the life of hip-hop producer and performer Dr. Dre and starring Ian McShane, Sam Rockwell, and Michael K. Williams
34. Due to concerns about the show’s content being too graphic with moments cited including characters doing cocaine, instances of gun violence, and an explicit orgy scene
35. Reports further indicated that Apple CEO Tim Cook was taking a hands-on approach in regards to the company’s worldwide video unit with programming decisions reportedly being aligned to Cook’s personal tastes, with a preference for family-friendly shows
36. Various programs in different stages of production have apparently had their content altered including the toning down of the Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston morning show drama series and the removal of crucifixes from a scene in the M. Night Shyamalan drama series
37. Additionally, Apple reportedly passed on a television series from comedian Whitney Cummings about the #MeToo movement because it was “too sensitive a topic”
38. The Cummings series was ultimately put into development by Amazon Video in October 2018
39. In October 2018, it was reported that Apple would be distributing their future original content through a still-in-development digital video service to be located within their TV application that is pre-installed in all iOS and tvOS devices
40. The service was expected to feature both original content, free to owners of Apple devices
41. As well as subscription “channels” from legacy media companies such as HBO and Starz
42. Which would allow customers to sign up for online-only services
43. Later that month, it was further reported that Apple intended to roll out the service in the United States during the first half of 2019
44. And that it would expand its availability to around 100 countries in the months following its initial launch
45. In November 2018, Apple entered into a multi-year agreement with entertainment company A24 to produce a slate of original films in partnership with their worldwide video unit
46. In December 2018, Apple hired Sony Pictures’s head of feature casting Tamara Hunter as the head of casting for their worldwide video unit
47. That same month, Apple signed a deal with DHX Media, and its subsidiary Peanuts Worldwide, to develop and produce original programs
48. Including new series, specials and shorts based on the Peanuts characters created by Charles M. Schulz
49. One of the first productions created through the deal was an original short-form, STEM-related series featuring astronaut Snoopy
50. Also that month, Apple signed Justin Lin, and his production company Perfect Storm Entertainment, to a multi-year overall deal to produce original television content
51. In January 2019, Apple signed Jason Katims, and his production company True Jack Productions, to a multi-year overall production and development deal to produce original television content
52. That same month, Apple signed a first look deal with Imagine Documentaries to develop non-fiction features and series
53. In February 2019, Harpo Productions hired Terry Wood as executive Vice President in which Wood will oversee Harpo’s production of original programming for Apple as part of the multi-year agreement between Oprah Winfrey and Apple
54. In March 2019, it was reported that five television series commissioned by Apple had finished filming and six series would finish filming in the next few months
55. Furthermore, it was revealed that the crucifixes in the untitled M. Night Shyamalan series would remain
56. On March 25, 2019, Apple held a press event to announce Apple TV+
57. At the event, Apple showed a teaser of its upcoming original content
58. And formally announced some of its content with actors and producers attached to the content attending the event
59. Furthermore, Helpsters, the first series from Sesame Workshop (which also produces Sesame Street), was announced
60. And Oprah Winfrey announced her first projects for Apple TV+ including a documentary about workplace sexual harassment
61. A documentary series about mental health as well as a revival of Oprah’s Book Club
62. On April 10, 2019, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced on Instagram that he was working alongside Winfrey on the mental health documentary series as a co-creator and executive producer
63. Also in April 2019, Apple hired Molly Thompson as Head of Documentaries for its worldwide video unit
64. On September 10, 2019, Apple announced at their yearly keynote that Apple TV+ would launch on November 1, 2019, at $4.99 USD a month
65. With a 1-week free trial
66. For an account that can be shared with up to six family members
67. Apple also announced that they would be giving away a year of Apple TV+ for free to anyone who bought a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV beginning that same day
68. On October 17, 2019, Irish telecommunications company eir confirmed it will be the first non-Apple related company to use the Apple TV 4K set-top boxes as its main source of supplying digital television content along with Apple content
69. During the announcement of Apple TV+, Apple announced a number of prominent names of writers, directors, and stars that will be featured in the service
70. As of March 2019, five of the upcoming series had already completed production
71. With six more already well into filming
72. On September 10, 2019, Apple announced that Apple TV+ would have eight original series
73. Seven scripted and one non-scripted
74. And one original documentary available at launch
75. With plans to launch new original content every month thereafter
76. Most series are expected to launch with three episodes
77. With a new episode being released weekly thereafter
78. Although Apple has stated that not all series will follow this model
79. And that some series might instead launch all at once