If you’re able to stay home during the novel coronavirus outbreak, you should. This pandemic is changing the way we live; businesses have been forced to close down, sporting events are being held without spectators, and hoards of people are working from home and practising social distancing. The question that begs asking is: What do you do with all that free time? You could always Marie Kondo your home, but who wants to do that when you can sink into some of these feel-good Apple TV+ shows.
Here are four of my go-to Apple TV+ shows that I count on to erase all boredom from my mind:
1. Snoopy in Space
I got a little nervous and excited when I heard that Apple TV+ would be putting on a show with Snoopy. I loved the Charlie Brown specials and Peanuts comic strip as a kid—and still do—so I was quite sceptical about the idea of a modernized take on the beloved beagle.
But I’m happy to report that Snoopy in Space stays true to what we all know and love. The show chronicles Snoopy as he travels to the international space station to fulfil his dream of becoming a NASA astronaut. The rest of the gang is there as well; there’s the beleaguered Charlie Brown who wonders why he can’t have a normal dog, an ever-bossy Lucy, the ever-observant Franklin, and the know-it-all Peppermint Patty with, of course, her sidekick Marcie.
2. Dickinson
Dickinson is so fun and so strange that it’s hard to imagine the real Emily Dickinson wouldn’t get a kick out of Alena Smith and Hailee Steinfeld’s lovingly weird imagining of the poet’s young adulthood. The show tirelessly hands out little moments of character development with wildly original mood settings.
Its period-accurate costumes give it an old-time feel, but the dialogue is deliberately contemporary with characters saying things like “What up, girl?”. Dickinson’s best moments come when the show leans into its own absurdity, like a scene where a house party spirals into a maelstrom as underage teens experiment with opioids while twerking to pulsating trap music.
3. Little America
This anthology series may be the best of Apple TV+ to date. Over the course of eight half-hour episodes, it explores immigrant stories inspired by real events that are unique and full of heart. Although each story is different in terms of time and place, the series is united by a stunning cinematic style and the theme of finding one’s home.
As each character attempts to create a new life in a new world, the experiences are raw, awkward, funny, bittersweet, and triumphant. Basically, all of them will make you cry from their heart-rending storytelling.
4. Ghostwriter
Ghostwriter is a remake of the famous 1992 PBS series that taught reading and writing to kids and introduced them to classic works of literature. Now, before you go judging me for recommending a ‘kiddie’ show, believe me when I say that you don’t want to knock this show till you try it. Ghostwriter is much more clever than it ought to be.
The show is set in a dusty old bookstore in Brooklyn and follows its heroes as they set off on a fantastical journey where they befriend a mysterious ghost who can only communicate with them through writing. It took me back to my pre-teen Nancy Drew-obsessed years.
Well, that’s all I have for you today. I hope you enjoy quaran-streaming (Get it?) these shows. More importantly, wash your hands, stay inside, and Don’t. Touch. Your. Face.