Apple TV+ ordered second seasons of both the Hailee Steinfeld-led comedy “Dickinson” and Jason Momoa sci-fi epic “See.”
The shows debuted with last Friday’s launch of Apple’s streaming service, along with the Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “Morning Show” and Ronald D. Moore’s space-race drama “For All Mankind,” both of which have already received their second-season orders. “Morning Show” was set for two seasons from the start, “For All Mankind” got its pickup ahead of Apple TV+’s launch.
Also available at launch were Sesame Workshop show “Helpsters,” Peanuts cartoon “Snoopy in Space,” and the “Ghostwriter” reboot, as well as the documentary feature “The Elephant Queen” and the first episode of “Oprah’s Book Club.” All of these are Apple originals, as the streaming service has no library content.
While Apple has not commented on its viewership data for the new streaming service, an individual close to the tech giant told TheWrap that the average time spent on Apple TV+ from last Friday’s launch to-date has been “well over an hour” per session and that the “majority” of viewers who watched one episode of a series watched the next.
Apple TV+ saw what the person described to us as “triple-digit growth” throughout the weekend. In other words, Saturday’s viewing was 3-times was Friday’s was, and Sunday’s viewing was 3x Saturday’s.
All told, the platform has drawn “millions” of viewers to-date, the individual told us.
Per Apple’s description, “See” takes place in the distant future, after a deadly virus decimated humankind. Those who survived emerged blind. Momoa stars as Baba Voss — the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see — who must protect his tribe against a powerful yet desperate queen who wants the twins destroyed. Alfre Woodard stars as Paris, Baba Voss’s spiritual leader.
“Dickinson” is described by Apple as a half-hour comedy series that audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson (Steinfeld). Set in the 19th century, the series is a coming-of-age story that finds Emily to be the unexpected hero for our millennial generation.
Apple TV+ is priced at $4.99/month. However, the service will be free for one year when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod Touch and a 7-day free trial is offered for new subscribers.