BATTLE OF THE STREAMERS ON THE COVER .
SUPER TED Battle of the streamers IS APPLE TV+ CATCHING UP?
N etflix is under siege. More than two decades after the media company was founded – and 14 years since it moved into streaming – its competitors have woken up. The firm has built a critical mass of over 200 million subscribers, streams in almost every country, and has been making its own Netflix Originals since 2011. These films and television shows have also aligned themselves with the entertainment industry’s big hitters, with Mank , Two Distant Strangers , If Anything Happens I Love You , My Octopus Teacher and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom snagging seven Academy Awards between them at this year’s Oscars. But Netflix’s position as king is being seriously challenged – and not only by Amazon and Now, but by relative newcomer Apple TV+. When it launched in 2019, critics heralded its simple and convenient way of putting shows in front of viewers’ eyeballs – one update to iOS and the new streaming icon can appear on devices around the world. Where it lacked experience was in content. Known as a family friendly and risk- averse company, its shows failed to surprise or delight audiences – until recently, that is. At this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, Apple has landed 35 nominations. This includes 20 for Ted Lasso , which broke records by becoming the most nominated series of this season, and the most nominated freshman comedy series ever. Ted Lasso dominated major categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Sudeikis; two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple; four nominations for Outstanding Support Actor in a Comedy Series for Brendan Hunt, Brett Goldstein, Jeremy Swift and Nick Mohammed; three for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series; two for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; and two for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing in a Comedy Series.
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES Ted Lasso has been a welcome boost for Apple TV+, gaining Sudeikis (above) a Golden Globe
“For us, nothing is more exciting than witnessing our exceptionally talented cast and creative teams be recognised for their extraordinary work. We love the evolution and growth of the stories being told across all Apple Originals, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience even more,” says Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “It is an incredible achievement for so many of our programmes to be recognised by the Television Academy and we couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”
05. OCTOBER 2021
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