High (and Backhanded) Praise for Apple TV+

High Praise for “Slow Horses”

11 APRIL 2022 - Vogue is really into one of Apple’s newest shows. The site for the magazine says the Gary Oldman/Kristin Scott Thomas/Jonathan Pryce series “Slow Horses” is TV's new spy thriller to beat. I won’t tell you more about what they said because - honestly - reading it, I know more about the show than I want to. The person writing it up for Vogue got to see all six of the season’s episodes through press screeners, and doesn’t seem overly concerned that the rest of us did not. Suffice to say, it has gotten very positive notice.

Reelgood: Apple TV+ Lands Three Titles in Top-Ten for First Week of April

The crew at Slough House had a notable premier week - that’s the word from the good folks at Reelgood. Watching what it’s five-million users watched between 31 March and 6 April, “Slow Horses” was one of three Apple TV+ titles in the Reelgood top-ten. The spy show premiered in ninth place for the week. The next to last episode of “Severance” season one took the fifth spot. And still riding high on its Oscar wins for Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture - the Apple TV+ film CODA came in at number three.

GQ UK: Apple TV+ a Streaming Force to Be Reckoned With

The British edition of GQ has strung a series of backhanded compliments into something like praise for Apple TV+. They really didn’t like CODA, though they definitely see the value in its Oscar win for Best Picture. They also don’t think “Ted Lasso” is funny, though I’m not really sure that that show is for a British audience, despite its setting. 

That said, shows like “Severance,” “WeCrashed,” “Slow Horses,” “Pachinko,” “Roar,” and “Shining Girls,” as well as films like Killers of the Flower Moon and Emancipation (assuming the Will Smith issue hasn’t killed that) make Apple TV+ a force to be reckoned with in GQ UK’s estimation. Asking the rhetorical question, “Is Apple TV+ worth it?” the publication responds, “The message is clear: Apple TV+ is more than ready to play with the big boys.”