As someone who likes listening to scary calls and prank calls on YouTube, I actually love the concept of this. I'll be tuning in.
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Apple TV+ Previews New 'Calls' Series Based on Short Phone Conversations, Debuts March 19
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I don’t have enough interest to even watch the trailer.
So an English adaption of an original French series now constitutes “groundbreaking”?
IMO, this would make a better podcast. When I watch TV, it's normally because I want to watch TV.
I got a headache 90 seconds into the Youtube video.
"These relatable scenarios... the lead-up to an apocalyptic event."
So uh, are you trying to tell us something Apple? You know something we don't?
So uh, are you trying to tell us something Apple? You know something we don't?
This reminds me a little of Apple's inspiring short sports celebrity video series. I don't care much about sports but I enjoy the animations and visual storytelling they use for that. If they continue that here and also have compelling voice actors, it could be a hit.
Apple today shared a trailer for an upcoming original series "Calls," told entirely through 12-minute phone conversations. The series will be an English adaption of the French series of the same name that was created by Timothée Hochet.
Apple describes "Calls" as a "groundbreaking immersive television experience that masterfully uses only audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell bone-chilling snackable stories." The series will chronicle the "mysterious story of a group of strangers whose lives are thrown into disarray in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event."
Apple explains further:The series will feature appearances from Lily Collins, Nick Jonas, Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Mark Duplass, Riley Keough, and others. Apple says all nine 12-minute episodes will be released on Apple TV+ on March 19.
Article Link: Apple TV+ Previews New 'Calls' Series Based on Short Phone Conversations, Debuts March 19
Of course now I'm thinking they could do the same but with real people that made harrowing 911 emergency calls. There must be a legal rights issue if it's not used as a 'fair use' news item but that would be pretty compelling stuff too.
Now you have me wondering if we’re somehow related...
If the show were called “Calls from Mom”, I would have seen it entirely differently...
Yeah it’s typical people are poo pooing the show with no idea on what it’s like. They’re the same people who thought the Ted Lasoo trailer was rubbish.
Fair enough. Glad you know what this will actually be like from a 1 minute mix tape.
To be fair, those people weren't wrong. Apple TV+ is a hit or miss when it comes to teasers. Even they realized this when the official trailer for For All Mankind premiered last year. People were turned off and the video got downvoted to hell because they focused so much on the social justice aspect of the show. They ended up deleting that and instead, left the "First Look" trailer as the official one.
Yeah, except both this trailer and Ted Lasso's original trailer were kickass (see my comments on that forum topic way back when). This trailer leaves enough to the imagination while also showing how dynamic the visualization will get in sync with the increasingly thriller vibes of the episodes. This is a perfect show for Apple to distinguish itself from the streaming pack based on what I saw in that trailer.
It's really about the mindset/cynicism of the viewer of the trailer, not the trailer itself. So many people come in with preconceived notions of what Apple is all about or of "how little expertise Apple has in this area" and twist everything they see in the trailer to the negative automatically.
This is like something from the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. I like those shows but, this is a hard pass for me.
It's always been that way for Apple. I die a little every time they release a product and the usual suspects dismiss them, only for other companies introduce a similar product. It's the same with Apple TV+. So many people try to discredit the service without even trying it, purely because it's Apple.
At the same time, Apple isn't doing a good job of informing people that an Apple device is not necessary to watch these shows.
Actually, I speak french and saw the original serie. It isn't just one call per episode, it's many calls between 5-10 people each time two people at a time. We also hear police transmissions etc.
Unfortunately I do not know French so it would be difficult for me to watch the original and I cannot compare. I did enjoy this series though. It is a new concept and I was worried that I would get myself distracted as this is what happens with audio books. The visuals however kept me focused on the topic. I also wanted to piece together the puzzle. I had pretty good idea what is going on by episode 3 (or at least the first part of the equation) and then by episode 6 it was the second piece. Nevertheless the pace for me was rather good. There are 3 episodes that I enjoyed less compared to the rest but it was not that bad. I am impressed by the visuals and how much it helped me to tell the story. I did not find the series scarry and let's just say for me it was not horror genre but more like sci-fi and mystery with definitely lots of hints of personal drama. I felt the emotions of the characters despite not seeing them or knowing a lot about them.