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The Spring-TV Edition Monday, January 20, 2020

Apple Solidifies Its Spring TV+ Slate, by Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter

Outside of the two renewals, Apple's announcements were focused on setting its spring slate as the company's rollout plans begin to take shape. Originals, be they scripted dramas and comedies or docuseries, will pick up in February with two series, Mythic Quest (all episodes on Feb. 7) and the LGBTQ doc Visible: Out on Television (Feb. 14, all episodes). The episodic anthology Amazing Stories is set to bow March 6 with its first five episodes, though there was no information about when the remainder of the series from executive producer Steven Spielberg will return.

In April, Apple ramps up its release pattern with three originals — Home Before Dark (April 3, three episodes); the real estate docuseries Home (all episodes); and the Chris Evans vehicle Defending Jacob (April 24, first three episodes). Apple's first U.K. comedy, Trying, arrives May 1, followed June 5 by the docuseries with all episodes of both available at launch. The animated comedy from Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard and featuring a star-studded voice cast, will launch in early summer; a formal premiere date has not been revealed for the comedy that Apple picked up straight-to-series amid competition from both Netflix and Hulu.

How Apple TV+ Put Diversity At The Forefront During Its TCA Debut, by Tim Baysinger, The Wrap

If there was an early theme on Sunday, it was Apple’s commitment to diversity. Apple’s TCA slate featured series about immigrant stories, as well as one focusing on LGTBQ representation.

Even Apple TV+'s Biggest Stars Don't Know How Their Shows Are Doing, by Kelsey Sutton, Adweek

“They’re happy—that’s all we know,” said Witherspoon, who stars as newswoman Bradley Jackson in the series and also executive produces. “The only metric I really have of it is from Rotten Tomatoes.”

“That’s the thing with these streaming services,” added Aniston, who plays Alex Levy in the show. “There are no ratings.”

SAG Awards: Jennifer Aniston Lands Apple TV Plus Its First Major Hollywood Win, by Michael Schneider, Variety

Apple TV Plus is on the board. The new streaming service won its first major Hollywood honor on Sunday, as “The Morning Show” star Jennifer Aniston picked up a SAG Award for best female actor in a drama.

Stuff

New Apple iPhone 11 Ads Show Off Slofies On A Snowboard, by Wesley Hilliard, AppleInsider

The first spot is called "Whiteout" and shows a professional snowboarder crashing through a snow drift using the front facing camera's slow-mode feature.

The iPad Pro Can Now Run Fortnite At 120 Frames Per Second, by Sam Byford, The Verge

This mode makes the most of the screen’s high refresh rate to deliver ultra-smooth performance.

Notes

Apple's Cook Says Global Corporate Tax System Must Be Overhauled, by Padraic Halpin, Reuters

Everyone knows that the global corporate tax system needs to be overhauled, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said on Monday, backing changes to global rules that are currently under consideration.

The growth of internet giants such as Apple has pushed international tax rules to the limit, prompting the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to pursue global reforms over where multinational firms should be taxed.

Pressured By Simmons Over Film, Oprah Winfrey Was Caught In A Bind, by Ben Sisario, New York Times

Ms. Winfrey said that she still believed Ms. Dixon, though she also thought there were inconsistencies in her account that the film had not adequately addressed, in addition to other issues she had with the film.

She said it was those reasons, and not Mr. Simmons’s protestations, that led her to pull support.