Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed drama series, Severance, is facing significant delays in the production of its second season due to a falling out between two of the show’s writers.
As revealed by Puck News, Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman “ended up hating each other” before the completion of the first season, resulting in a “toxic” work environment.
Erickson, who is a first-time series creator and wrote the pilot episode, and Friedman, a seasoned writer-producer with credits including AMC’s Dispatches From Elsewhere and Fox’s Wayward Pines, had a rocky working relationship from the start. Although Friedman reportedly intended to leave before Season 2, he was convinced by fellow director Ben Stiller to stay after failing to find someone to replace him.
According to Puck News, unfortunately, the toxicity and issues that plagued the production of Season one continue to persist, with script issues and a ballooning per-episode budget cited as the primary concerns.
Apple is already considering two additional seasons for the show, which shows a mysterious company — Lumon Industries, whose employees undergo a procedure that separates their memories between their work and personal lives.
Beau Willimon, the creator of House of Cards, has been quietly brought in to assist with Season two and beyond. Season one of Severance, which debuted in February 2022, ended in April of that year. It’s currently uncertain when the second season would drop.
The second season of Apple TV+’s Prehistoric Planet launches on May 22nd, according to a new trailer for the upcoming TV show.
The trailer’s YouTube page description reads as follows:
“Prehistoric Planet season two continues to bring Earth’s history to life like never before as the series presents new dinosaurs, new habitats and new scientific discoveries while taking viewers around the world in an epic five-night adventure. With new dinosaurs like the Tarchia, one of the largest Ankylosaurus, to returning fan-favorites like the Tyrannosaurus rex, and many more, Prehistoric Planet returns with an all-new season of prehistoric wonders.”
As a big fan of the series’ first season, I’m excited to see dinosaurs back in action.
Apple TV+ costs $8.99 per month, and the first seven days are free for new subscribers.
After working together on Knives Out and The Gray Man, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas have reunited for a new romantic action-comedy, Ghosted.
Directed by Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman), the film sees Cole (Evans) fall head-over-heels for Sadie (de Armas), only to discover she’s a secret agent, leading them on an international mission. It’s also worth noting that Ghosted was written by Rhett Reese and Toronto’s Paul Wernick (Deadpool series) and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (Spider-Man: No Way Home).
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season 5) [Amazon Original]
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Nine episodes (around one hour each)
With a new job, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover it’s farther than she thought.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Michael Zegen (Rescue Me) and Tony Shalhoub (Monk).
Original theatrical release date: September 16th, 2022
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 Genre: Slasher Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
A sheltered young woman’s aspirations to become a movie star lead her to commit violent acts.
An origin story for the villainous elderly woman from last year’s X, Pearl was co-written and directed by Ti West (X) and features Mia Goth reprising her role as the titular character while also co-writing the movie. It’s worth noting that a third film from West and Goth, MaXXXine, is currently in development.
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
The Last Thing He Told Me [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Thriller Runtime: Seven episodes (around 45 minutes each)
A woman becomes closer to her stepdaughter as she searches for her husband after his mysterious disappearance.
Based on Laura Dave’s novel of the same name, The Last Thing He Told Me was created by Dave and Josh Singer (Spotlight) and stars Jennifer Garner (Alias), Angourie Rice (Mare of Easttown), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) and Aisha Tyler (Archer).
Crave premiere date: April 16th, 2023 at 10pm ET (first two episodes, new episodes every Sunday at 10pm ET) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)
In the final season of the hit HBO series, Barry’s arrest leads Cousineau to be hailed as a hero but soon brings about shocking consequences.
Barry was created by Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live) and Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) and stars Hader, Stephen Root (King of the Hill), Vancouver’s Sarah Goldberg (The Report), Henry Winkler (Happy Days) and Anthony Carrigan (Gotham).
Crave premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Sketch comedy Runtime: Six episodes (around 30 minutes each)
Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis and Skye Townsend return for more sketches alongside guests like Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), Kyla Pratt (The Proud Family), Colman Domingo (Euphoria) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community).
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 12th, 2023 Genre: Documentary Runtime: Three episodes (53 to 63 minutes each)
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, this documentary offers new archive footage, chilling reenactments and exclusive interviews to shed new light on the horrific incident.
Stream American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing here.
Obsession [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 13th, 2023 Genre: Erotic thriller Runtime: Four episodes (33 to 43 minutes each)
A respected surgeon has an erotic infatuation with his son’s fiancée, threatening to upend everyone’s life in the process.
Based on Josephine Hart’s Damage novel, Obsession stars Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) and Rish Shah (Ms. Marvel).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Paramount+
Waco: The Aftermath [Paramount+ Original]
Paramount+ Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 Genre: Crime drama Runtime: Five episodes (around one hour each)
This series explores the aftermath of the disastrous 1993 FBI standoff in Waco, Texas that galvanized American militia movements.
The series is a sequel to 2018’s Waco from the same creators, John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, and stars Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals), John Leguizamo (When They See Us), Giovanni Ribisi (Sneaky Pete), David Costabile (Breaking Bad) and J. Smith-Cameron (Succession).
What was once viewed as an all-in-one alternative to cable has become an oversaturated space in which pretty much every big entertainment company has its own platform and associated exclusive content. That space only gets messier when you consider FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) channels like Pluto TV and frequent confusion over where to stream titles in Canada that are produced exclusively for U.S.-only services like Peacock.
Given that, we’re thinking about favourite streaming services. After all, there’s likely one that you gravitate toward the most, be it Disney+ for the original Marvel and Star Wars content, Crave for HBO titles like The Last of Us and Successionor even Amazon’s Prime Video simply because it’s included with Prime.
Admittedly, we’ve asked this twice in the past — once in 2019 (before the launches of Disney+ and Apple TV+) and later in April 2022. But even in the year since our last poll, we’ve seen a lot of streaming developments, particularly when it comes to Netflix, whose recent show cancellation spree and password-sharing crackdown have been met with significant pushback.
With all of that said, what’s your favourite streaming service? Let us know in the poll below.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre [Amazon Exclusive]
Original U.S. theatrical release date: March 3rd, 2023
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: April 7th, 2023 Genre: Spy action-comedy Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes
The latest film from Guy Ritchie (Snatch) has actually skipped Canadian theatres entirely to come straight to Prime Video here.
In Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, a spy (The Fast & Furious‘ Jason Statham) must reluctantly team up with a group of top operatives to retrieve a deadly new weapons technology before an arms dealer can sell it to the highest bidder. The film co-stars Aubrey Plaza (The White Lotus), Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) and Hugh Grant (Paddington 2).
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
Schmigadoon (Season 2) [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 5th, 2023 (first two episodes, new episodes every Wednesday) Genre: Musical comedy Runtime: Six episodes (around 30 minutes each)
After finding true love in the town of Schmigadoon, Josh and Melissa head to Schmicago, the reimagined world of ’60s and ’70s musicals
Schmigadoon! was created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (Despicable Me) and stars Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live), Dove Cameron (Descendants), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) and Hamilton, Ontario’s Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building).
It’s worth noting that the series was filmed in Vancouver.
Crave premiere date: April 7th, 2023 Genre: Reality competition Runtime: 11-12 episodes per show (around one hour each)
More than 20 contestants are tasked with completing a series of challenges to build up a prize fund, while an unknown small group of “Traitors” seeks to take them out.
The U.S. version is hosted by Alan Cumming (The GoodWife), the U.K. version is hosted by Claudia Winkleman (Strictly Come Dancing) and the Australian version is hosted by Rodger Corser (Glitch).
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The Crossover [Disney+ Original]
Disney+ Canada premiere date: April 5th, 2023 Genre: Sports drama Runtime: Eight episodes (26-36 minutes each)
Basketball prodigy brothers Josh and JB navigate their lives entering adulthood.
Based on Kwame Alexander’s 2014 novel of the same name, The Crossover stars Jalyn Hall (Till), Amir O’Neil (Marlon) and Derek Luke (13 Reasons Why).
Apple Original Films has released a trailer for the upcoming film ‘STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie‘, which stars Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan.
Directed by Academy Award-winner, Davis Guggenheim, the film recounts Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words as seen through documentary, archival and scripted elements.
The movie will dive into Fox’s rise to stardom in the 1980s, elements of his public life throughout his time in Hollywood and his diagnosis with Parkinson’s’ disease in 1991.
The film, labelled as a mix of adventure, romance, comedy and drama, sets out to chronicle Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails throughout both his professional and personal life.
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie is set to premiere globally on Apple TV+ on May 12th.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
The Power [Amazon Original]
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: March 31st, 2023 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Sci-fi drama Runtime: Nine episodes (around one hour each)
After teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will, the global power balance is completely reversed.
Based on Naomi Alderman’s novel of the same name, The Power was created by Alderman, Raelle Tucker (True Blood) and Sarah Quintrell (Doctors) and stars Toni Collette (Hereditary), Auli’i Cravalho (Moana) and John Leguizamo (When They See Us).
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows that hit Amazon Prime Video Canada in March can be found here. A roundup of April’s new content is available here.
Apple TV+
The Big Door Prize [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: March 29th, 2023 (first three episodes, new episodes every Wednesday) Genre: Comedy Runtime: Ten episodes (29 to 35 minutes each)
A machine mysteriously appears in a grocery store in a small town, giving residents the ability to see their futures.
Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, The Big Door Prize was created by Markham, Ontario’s David West Read (Schitt’s Creek) and stars Chris O’Dowd (Girls), Gabrielle Dennis (Marvel’s Luke Cage), Damon Gupton (Whiplash) and Josh Segarra (Orange is the New Black).
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: March 31st, 2023 Genre: Biographical thriller Runtime: Nine episodes (around one hour each)
Based on true events, this movie follows game developer and entrepreneur Henk Rogers as he travels to the Soviet Union to work with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov to bring the beloved game to the rest of the world.
Tetris was directed by Jon S. Baird (Filth) and stars Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Toby Jones (The Girl), Nikita Yefremov (London Grad) and Roger Allam (V For Vendetta). It’s also worth noting that Halifax’s Noah Pink (Genius) wrote the screenplay.
This series was the ultimate goal when I began #EvolvingVegan 5 years ago. #Vegan is no longer a passing fad, & we’re on a journey to prove it! PREMIERING MARCH 30th, 2023 at 8PM EST!! https://t.co/GivXoGC949
Crave premiere date: March 30th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes every Thursday) Genre: Documentary Runtime: Six episodes (around 42 minutes each)
Toronto’s Mena Massoud (Aladdin) hosts this travel series spotlighting different restaurants in North America that offer plant-based meals.
EvolvingVegan is based on his online project of the same name and features appearances from Toronto’s Lilly Singh (A Little Late with Lilly Singh) and Regina’s Tesher (“Jalebi Baby”).
Original theatrical release date: June 10th, 2022
Crave premiere date: April 1st, 2023 Genre: Sci-fi action Runtime: 2 hours, 26 minutes
With the human world overrun by dinosaurs, Owen and Claire must embark on a rescue mission while Alan, Ellie and Ian work to expose a Biosyn conspiracy.
Jurassic World Dominion was directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) and stars Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), while Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill and Laura Dern reprise their original Jurassic Park roles of Ian, Alan and Ellie, respectively.
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows that hit Crave in March can be found here. A roundup of April’s new content is available here.
Disney+ Canada premiere date: March 31st, 2023 Genre: Family, medical, comedy-drama Runtime: 10 episodes (34 to 39 minutes each)
In between mounting pressures as a teenage doctor, Lahela finds herself caught in a love triangle.
Based on the Neil Patrick Harris-led ’90s series Doogie Howser, M.D., Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. was created by Kourtney Kang (Fresh Off the Boat) and stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack), Emma Meisel (The Kids Are Alright), Matthew Sato (Hawaii Five-O), Kathleen Rose Perkins (Episodes) and Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story).
With their own detective agency, Nick and Audrey must track down their billionaire pal after he’s kidnapped from his wedding.
Murder Mystery 2 was directed by Jeremy Garelick (The Wedding Ringer) and stars Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore), Jennifer Aniston (Friends), Mark Strong (Kingsman series) and Mélanie Laurent (Inglorious Basterds).
The full list of movies and shows that hit Netflix Canada in March can be found here. A roundup of April’s new content is available here.
What are you planning on watching this week? Let us know in the comments.
For more suggestions, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column. As well, those who have cancelled Netflix due to the company’s recent password-sharing crackdown can check out this resource for a breakdown of other streaming platforms to check out.
Netflix launched its new cheaper ‘Basic with Ads’ subscription tier back in November 2022 and the streamer is finally bringing it to the tvOS app.
TechCrunchspotted a post from Redditor u/websgeisti, who noted that Basic with Ads was now working on their Apple TV. Specifically, it started working following an update to version 2.3.0 of the Netflix tvOS app. Moreover, Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch that the tvOS app now supports Basic with Ads.
Before the update, subscribers on the Basic with Ads tier would be asked to try a different device or upgrade their subscription when trying to use the service on Apple TV.
While it’s good to see Basic with Ads available on Apple TV, there are still platforms that don’t have support. Notably, some of Google’s Chromecast devices, as well as the Netflix app on PS3 and Windows.
Netflix had a rocky few months. After launching the ad tier, the company beat new subscriber expectations in its Q4 2022 report, though it’s not clear how much the Basic with Ads tier impacted that. The company went on to launch new paid password-sharing rules in Canada, sparking backlash and calls from Canadians to cancel.
However, 46 percent of respondents to a MobileSyrup survey about the new rules said they were still sharing passwords. Seven percent reported they had been kicked off someone else’s account and 43 percent said they switched to another service.
Earlier this month, Netflix started emailing former customers trying to lure them back. Instead of offering a deal or discount, though, the streamer tried to use nostalgia and its new Basic with Ads plan.
If you’re looking to replace Netflix with another streaming service, there are several options out there — and some of them arguably offer better content for a lower price (and you can still share your password).
Below are several platforms work subscribing to if you’ve cancelled Netflix and have a hunger for more content:
Apple TV+
Ted Lasso (Image credit: Apple)
The iPhone maker’s streaming service has built up a solid roster of original shows in its first three-plus years, including the smash hit comedy Ted Lasso, psychological thriller Severance, alternative history sci-fi drama For All Mankind and video game workplace sitcom Mythic Quest. And while its original film catalogue is comparatively small beyond a few standouts (namely, the Oscar-winning CODA), the company is also reportedly set to dramatically expand its movie business, particularly through Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Bell-owned Crave has its issues, including video bitrate problems and a less-than-stellar app on some platforms, but its content offerings remain impressive.
Along with Crave Original content like Letterkenny and a wide selection of Showtime TV shows like Yellowjackets, the platform also features all of HBO’s originals, including Game of Thrones, The Wire, The Last of Us and new, still-airing shows like Season 4 of Succession.
Arguably the best deal in streaming, Disney+ offers an at times overwhelming amount of content. Along with Marvel movies like Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars TV shows like The Mandalorian and animated films like Soul and Frozen II, the service also features Star, the home of many Hulu titles in regions where the Disney-owned service isn’t available.
Star features TV shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Atlanta, The Kardashians, Futurama and more. As far as pure bang for your buck goes, it’s difficult to beat Disney+.
Along with the best video game movie ever, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Paramount+ is home to movies like Jackass Forever, The Godfather and Top Gun: Maverick and TV shows like Tulsa King, Yellowstone and its spin-offs, 1883 and 1923.
The platform doesn’t offer quite as much content as its competitors, but there are still a few gems in its library worth checking out.
Degrassi: The Next Generation (Image credit: WildBrain)
Here’s a service that you don’t actually need to subscribe to at all. That’s because Pluto TV is a FAST (free, ad-supported television) channel, so if you’re willing to put up with the occasional commercial, you can get access to a wealth of content at absolutely no cost.
Structurally, the service is laid out like a cable box, so you have channels for “live TV” plus an “on-demand” section. Although it doesn’t have original content, Pluto TV has a decent catalogue of older titles, including everything from Happy Days and the Carol Burnett Show to South Park and Canadian fan-favourite Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Pluto TV is available on a variety of devices, including the web, Android, iOS and smart TVs.
Prime Video
The Boys (Image credit: Amazon)
Amazon-owned Prime video is a little different from most streaming services in that it really doesn’t offer a lot of notable content. It’s more of a pack-in bonus that adds value to a standard Amazon Prime subscription. That said, Prime Video does have several TV shows and movies, including Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Boys, The Man in the High Castle, Upload, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and more.
It’s also worth mentioning that Prime also allows you to subscribe to several ‘Channels’ for an additional fee, including Starz and standalone services like StackTV, Paramount+ and more.
