What’s New on Apple TV+ in September 2021

Any nerd of a certain age can tell you why Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy (which expanded into more than a trilogy decades later, but only the first three count) is important to the genre’s history—for one thing, fans once voted it the best book series of all time, albeit way back in 1966 (did I mention these books are old?). Cerebral and expansive, packing a vast future history into a relatively slim page count, the books thoughtfully imagine a future for humanity built more on philosophical ideas than space stations and explosions, and people have been trying to make a movie out of them for years. A TV show works too, I guess.

But thoughtfulness in sci-fi also screams niche audience, and if the trailer is anything to go on, co-creators David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds, Terminator: Dark Fate) definitely seem to be wringing as much action as they can out of a premise that basically boils down to “space monks use math to predict the future.” The trailer sure looks pretty though, doesn’t it? I can’t decide which part I like best, the space elevator (pictured at the top of this article) or Lee Pace’s eyebrows.

Come From Away (Premieres Sept. 10)

Well-timed to coincide with the somber 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks comes this stage-to-screen adaptation of a Tony Award-winning musical about the events of that day and the weeks that followed, as seen by the residents of a small Newfoundland town that wound up playing host to thousands of air travelers who became stranded there when their planes were diverted amid the chaos.

As you can see from the trailer, this is pretty much a straight translation of the stage show to the screen, a la Disney+’s recent presentation of Hamilton. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all—I got a chance to see Come From Away on Broadway, and it is very much a stage show, with a small cast taking up multiple roles and the drama flowing fluidly from one scene to another via hastily assembled and deconstructed sets that emphasize the ever-shifting chaos and uncertainty of that time.

Also, despite the dramatic backdrop, this is truly a Canadian story at heart—the plot boils down to “a bunch of extremely polite people try to be as welcoming as possible,” and there’s an entire song about finding enough toilet paper. You don’t want to oversell it with flashy production design. (Not that I want to undersell it, either—the filmed version features the same cast I saw on stage, and they’re phenomenal; just try to make it through “Me and the Sky” without sobbing). I’m very glad to have this show, and these performances, preserved for posterity.

The Morning Show (Season 2 premiere Sept. 17)

Aside from Ted Lasso, no Apple TV+ series has quite captured the zeitgeist, despite titanic marketing efforts (and production budgets). The Morning Show probably came closest, thanks in no small part to the involvement of superstars the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell.

The first season received mixed reviews and a muted response from viewers, at least on social media; maybe the general public isn’t quite as fascinated by the behind-the-scenes at a TV news show as Hollywood imagined. Still, there’s soapy fun to be had, as the trailer for season two makes clear:

Will season two improve enough to secure a season three, especially given this is one of the most expensive TV series ever made, with nary a spaceship or White Walker in sight? That’s a headline for tomorrow.