Foundation (Asimov) on AppleTV+ Trailer - Are You In or Out?

[Yora]

I've never heard of Apple TV, but since it has Apple in the name I don't want it.
I have heard about Foundation and had friends praising it a lot, but it always sounded like the most uninteresting sci-fi series I've ever heard of. (Though I couldn't tell you the difference between Foundation and Inheritance.)

 

[Deset Gled]

How many people actually use standalone desktop apps for streaming content?

Netflix Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)

Netflix was conceived in 1997 by Reed Hastings (the current CEO) and Marc Randolph. Both had previous ventures in the West Coast tech scene, Hastings was the owner of debugging software firm Pure Atria, while Randolph had co-founded and then sold MicroWarehouse for $700 million. Originally a...

www.businessofapps.com

For Netflix, globally, 40% of people sign up with PCs, and they account for 15% of all viewing hours. That may not be the majority, but an it's a notable chunk of the market. The article also notes that many new users go through a phase of watching on desktop before switching to TV, so it's a significant part of getting new users.

 

[Umbran]

For Netflix, globally, 40% of people sign up with PCs

That doesn't say they're using a standalone app - they could be using a web browser for viewing.

I would expect the typical path to be web-search to Netflix's home page, signup and... start viewing right there in the browser. Why bother with the extra step to get the standalone app?

 

[GreyLord]

So here it is, coming SEPTEMBER 24-


A bit of background; there was a time that Isaac Asimov's Foundation was so big, so absolutely huge, so really impressive, that ... in 1966, when they gave out a Hugo Award for the best series of all time, Foundation edged out Lord of the Rings.

And now it's coming to AppleTV+.

So I have two thoughts about this (and no, I haven't read the series since ... um ... yeah, I'm not going to say because then I will feel really really old)-

Thought the first-
The original series hasn't aged well. I remember it, and while it was pretty darn good for the time (I was young, it was a long time ago), I never thought that this was the type of awesome series that needed to be put to screen.
Also, while Asimov was a giant back then, his writing while prolific, wasn't ... good.
Finally, there's that ... other thing ... with Asimov.

Thought the second-
AppleTV+ has gone from being a poorly-populated wasteland and joke to ... good? Not great. It doesn't have enough content to be great. But it's kind of like early HBO- it doesn't have much, but what it does have is pretty good. Ted Lasso, Dickinson, Mythic Quest and For All Mankind (to name four programs) are genuinely good to great and would be coveted by any other streamer. IMO. Apple has the budget and the werewithal to make good shows. But then again, budget and desire ain't everything (The Morning Show!).
Also? Lee Pace was awesome in Halt & Catch Fire!!!!!

So what do you think? I put in a poll, and feel free to write in the comments. I mean, I'm feeling mixed on this myself. Is this 30 years too late, or is this a perfect idea for now?

PS- I also found this:
In pitching the series to Apple, David S. Goyer (Man Of Steel, Blade, The Dark Knight) condensed the elaborate story into one sentence: “It’s a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens.” His vision for the series spans a potential 80-hour story spread across 8 seasons. source

I don't have apple TV so that's a hard no for me. I'm not paying for a streaming service for just one show, no matter how much a may like a book series.

Edit: From reading more in this thread it sounds like it is hard to get Apple TV anyways, so another obstacle I'd not want to deal with.

 

[Nikosandros]

That doesn't say they're using a standalone app - they could be using a web browser for viewing.

I would expect the typical path to be web-search to Netflix's home page, signup and... start viewing right there in the browser. Why bother with the extra step to get the standalone app?

Indeed. I subscribe to several streaming services and whenever I watch them on a PC, I do exactly what you describe. I use the apps on my mobile devices and smart TVs, but not on computers.