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Apple Offering Pilot of Hulu's 'Castle Rock' Stephen King Series for Free in TV App

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Apple is letting anyone in the United States with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV watch the pilot episode of Hulu's new series Castle Rock for free through its TV app. The episode is available now for users in the U.S., and it will live in Apple's TV app for two weeks (via Engadget).

This coincides with Castle Rock's premiere on Hulu today, beginning with the first three episodes available for Hulu subscribers to watch in full. Over the next few weeks, one episode will launch each Wednesday leading into the finale with the tenth episode capping the first season.

castle-rock-tv-app.jpg

As Engadget points out, Apple's decision to promote the show makes sense as it's one of the most anticipated new series of the summer and should get more people to jump into the company's TV app ahead of the launch of its own exclusive shows next year. Apple says this is the first time it has debuted a new series before any paywalls in the TV app, and it already offers free episodes of its own shows like Carpool Karaoke in the app.

For the show itself, Castle Rock focuses on the life of a criminal law attorney who returns to his hometown of Castle Rock, Maine when a new case about a mysterious inmate emerges from the nearby Shawshank State Penitentiary. The show uses numerous stories and locations created by author Stephen King as the backdrop for new characters and a new story in the Maine town.

The episode has already launched, so those interested can watch the pilot of Castle Rock for free in Apple's TV app right now.

Article Link: Apple Offering Pilot of Hulu's 'Castle Rock' Stephen King Series for Free in TV App
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/25/apple-offering-castle-rock/
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
 
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Man, I have hulu and watch on an apple tv. How did i only hear about this show now??? Hopefully its good and gets me to keep hulu. Most of their other stuff is pretty bad IMO.
 
aaronhead14 said:
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
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Umm. No.
This is the golden age of television precisely *because* new companies are entering the fray and not watering their stories down to fit into some safe corporate cookie cutter mold. This is Stephen King, not Judy Blume.
 
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Izauze said:
Umm. No.
This is the golden age of television precisely *because* new companies are entering the fray and not watering their stories down to fit into some safe corporate cookie cutter mold. This is Stephen King, not Judy Blume.
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Incorrect. Restrictions encourage creativity. Exercising restraint is necessary in storytelling if you want your product to actually be good. That's why Stranger Things is the best Netflix original. It's why Breaking Bad is the best AMC show. It's why LOTR is superior to GOT. When you have a "we can do whatever we want!" mindset, it virtually always results in an inferior product. It creates excess garbage that only distracts from the story.
 
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aaronhead14 said:
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
Click to expand...
I agree. I am tired of these network "Just because we can" attitudes. But this original was not even a blimp for me as I knew ahead it was going to have TV-MA rated. What is not unless it is a kiddie pre-school original.

However with DC Universe new streaming service I was quite peeved when I found out that "Titans" was mature. Really it is based on a kids show. What's next a mature reboot of "Spongebob".
 
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aaronhead14 said:
Incorrect. Restrictions encourage creativity. Exercising restraint is necessary in storytelling if you want your product to actually be good. That's why Stranger Things is the best Netflix original. It's why Breaking Bad is the best AMC show. It's why LOTR is superior to GOT. When you have a "we can do whatever we want!" mindset, it virtually always results in an inferior product. It creates excess garbage that only distracts from the story.
Click to expand...

It depends on who sets the restrictions and why. Restrictions by themselves are neither intrinsically good or bad.
See Twin Peaks by David Lynch. Twin Peaks season 1 had a few restrictions back in the 90’s: masterpiece. Season 2 had several restrictions imposed by CBS, and ended up being an abject failure until (too late) many restrictions were removed, giving us the best cliffhanger in movie history which lasted 25 years. Twin Peaks Season 3 in 2017 had ZERO restrictions, and ended up being the most creative, wild thing that ever appeared on TV (and an 18 hour long movie...), with the Rolling Stones review stating that “Twin Peaks The Return (Season 3) was the most groundbreaking TV Series Ever”.
 
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aaronhead14 said:
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
Click to expand...

Are you 12? Are you from this time period??

TV-MA and you won't watch it? Do you watch R rated movies/shows?

I just can't imagine my life if I filtered it by not watching anything above a certain rating. Ugh. Just blows my mind people actually do that. Whatever works for you I suppose :)
 
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AbSoluTc said:
Are you 12? Are you from this time period??

TV-MA and you won't watch it? Do you watch R rated movies/shows?

I just can't imagine my life if I filtered it by not watching anything above a certain rating. Ugh. Just blows my mind people actually do that. Whatever works for you I suppose :)
Click to expand...

Lol, are you 12? Haha. I'm not a prude, dude. I've been around for a while. :) Movies and TV shows should just have some class, that's all. Shows that have 900 F-words, constant sex, and unecessary violence are simply the result of lazy writing and a lack of creativity.
 
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aaronhead14 said:
Lol, are you 12? Haha. I'm not a prude, dude. I've been around for a while. :) Movies and TV shows should just have some class, that's all. Shows that have 900 F-words, constant sex, and unecessary violence are simply the result of lazy writing and a lack of creativity.
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Castle Rock has almost zero "F" words and no sex. There are some violent moments, but I'm three episodes in and I've seen more violence and suggestive themes in Stranger Things and Breaking Bad.

A rating does not equate to a good or bad experience. As a poster stated earlier... we are in the true golden age of television that was started by shows that pushed envelope. Stop getting your original content from Cinemax late night and maybe you would be pleasantly surprised.
 
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Smearbrick said:
Castle Rock has almost zero "F" words and no sex. There are some violent moments, but I'm three episodes in and I've seen more violence and suggestive themes in Stranger Things and Breaking Bad.
Click to expand...
Then there's no reason it should be TV-MA. So that's odd that it would earn that rating.
 
I'm a huge King fan and watched the episode and was underwhelmed. I had no clue what was going on and found it really boring. Glad I cancelled Hulu.
 
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AbSoluTc said:
Are you 12? Are you from this time period??

TV-MA and you won't watch it? Do you watch R rated movies/shows?

I just can't imagine my life if I filtered it by not watching anything above a certain rating. Ugh. Just blows my mind people actually do that. Whatever works for you I suppose :)
Click to expand...

I let my kids (12 and 16yo) watch some R rated stuff. I am not much for censorship...
 
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