Apple TV?

[cellio]

My new Mac came with three months of Apple TV, which I started recently. I thought their model was: pay $X/month and stream what you like (like Netflix). It appears, though, that it's "watch some stuff for free but pay to rent or buy other stuff". For example, I watched the first episode of Picard, and then it wanted me to buy subsequent ones (which I didn't do).

What can I watch on Apple TV for free (not counting the monthly fee) that I might like? Their interface does not make it easy to answer this question; I don't see a way to search by genre, for example, or to filter for only free shows. The pictogram tiles, shown a few at a time without accompanying text descriptions, are frustrating to navigate. (Netflix drank that kool-aid too, but at least they have something you can click on to get more information without changing to another page. Apple TV does not.) Apple and Netflix assume that (a) I can read the titles in their sometimes fancy fonts with sometimes poor-contrast colors or small sizes right from the (small) art, and (b) that even if I could, the name alone would be meaningful. I'm afraid I need at least brief text descriptions; just art is not helpful.

If you know of specific shows or movies that you think I might like, please let me know. And if you know a way to find the no-additional-fees content, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks.

Comments

[gingicat]

So, no Ted Lasso or Foundation?

Edit: Picard is Paramount+ - viewable through Apple TV, but not actually part of that subscription. It's like Britbox or Acorn on Amazon, or the Washington Post through Apple News.

[cellio]

Ah, so some of the stuff they're offering is pass-through from, e.g., Paramount. Thanks for that clue. They displayed Picard prominently as an offering, so I clicked on it without noticing.

I do see Foundation there and will probably take a look (I've heard mixed reviews). I also see Ted Lasso but have no idea what that is. They missed the opportunity to easily tell me what it is, and I haven't gotten around to doing a search yet.

[gingicat]

Ted Lasso is about a found family coalescing around a British football team. (Seriously.) Skates a little close to embarrassment squick to me, but I really like it.

[ng_moonmoth]

I was tracking Foundation through the comments of those on my reading list who were watching it. Presuming for now that you are familiar with the original story from the books (longtime fan here myself, who chose the trilogy as one of the membership bonus books upon subscribing to the Science Fiction Book Club).

One viewer's reviews led me to comment that Salvor Hardin's aphorism, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent", did not survive the second episode. From which it veered into space opera, and then further into bad space opera. Another review followed a similar pattern, saying that after a few episodes it looked like a train wreck, and after a few more revealed itself as a multi-car train wreck. These are both people I know and whose opinions on SFF I feel I can trust.

So, if you feel you can enjoy it for its own sake, and not try to figure out any connection with the source material, it might be worth a look. Otherwise, your time is better spent elsewhere.

[cellio]

Thanks for the information. I had also gotten the impression that Foundation the TV show bears little similarity to Foundation the trilogy, but I hadn't been following closely because I didn't have access to the TV show until now.

Presuming for now that you are familiar with the original story from the books

It's been several decades, but yes. I wonder if I can set that aside. Might try, or might spend my time elsewhere. Thanks.