Apple makes seven Apple TV+ series free to view

Apple has made a number of its Apple TV+ originals available as a promotional tactic for the SVOD amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

As of April 11, anyone with access to the Apple TV app in all countries where Apple TV+ is available will have access to the full run of seven series. Chief among these are the anthology series Little America, remixed biopic Dickinson and alternative history sci-fi drama For All Mankind. Other shows including Servant, Snoopy in Space, Helpsters, Ghostwriter and movie The Elephant Queen are also available for free.

This move effectively sees a third of the entire Apple TV+ catalogue taken out from behind the paywall, but is likely a decision to highlight some of its shows that have somewhat flown under the radar.

As such, the service’s top tier series – such as the award nominated The Morning Show, Jason Momoa-starring See and videogame comedy Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – are not included in the offer.

While prospective viewers will be able to watch these series, they won’t be seeing them in their optimal states. Apple – like Netflix, Amazon, Disney and others – has agreed to reduce its streaming quality in Europe as bandwidth availability becomes an increasing concern. However, according to 9to5Mac, that quality cut is “particularly aggressive” and extremely noticeable. Compared to the typical quality of 4K HDR, the drop is described as the quality that someone would expect when “streaming on a phone over a 3G network.”

April is set to be the busiest month for Apple TV+ since its November launch, with the service debuting five titles. These include drama Defending Jacob, which stars Chris Evans in one of his first post-Captain America roles, and the Spike Jonze-directed documentary The Beastie Boys Story.

Apple TV+ will also launch its first British production on May 1 in the form of rom-com Trying.