'Central Park' Debuts on Apple TV+: Animated Musical Comedy From Creators of 'Bob's Burgers'

[MacRumors]

Animated musical comedy series "Central Park" was released on Apple TV+ today, with the first two episodes now available to stream.

"Central Park" revolves around the Tillermans, a family that lives in New York City's famous Central Park while attempting to fend off a wealthy hotel heiress who wants to turn the park into condos. The series is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard, creator of popular animated series "Bob's Burgers."

The series stars Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, Tituss Burgess, and Leslie Odom Jr.

Apple TV+ offers up original TV shows and movies for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, with a free one-year subscription available to those who have recently purchased an Apple device. For everyone else, Apple offers a one-week free trial.

Apple TV+ can be accessed through the TV app on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as online at tv.apple.com.

If you are looking for other content to watch, check out our list of all TV shows and movies available on Apple TV+.

Article Link: 'Central Park' Debuts on Apple TV+: Animated Musical Comedy From Creators of 'Bob's Burgers'

 

[Herrpod]

It's really really good. I can't believe FOX passed on this. It's so much better than the animated series they've put up recently. Apple TV doesn't have a lot of content, but they do have a lot of content that is really enjoyable to me.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I wish it was South Park.

 

[kyleh22]

It would have been great to see a Bob cameo in the burger restaurant scene.

 

[mazz0]

with the first two episodes now available to stream

Oh **** off Apple

 

[DNichter]

Looking forward to this. I have really liked a ton of Apple TV+ content, I think it's a great service.

 

[redneckitengineer]

I hate that it's Apple exclusive. Thanks to this fact, I'll have to find "other" means of watching it. Exclusive media encourage these alternative methods.

For the angry emoji's, here's my fact checking references, since facts speak louder than opinions. Some refer to music, but the same can be said for all digital media.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/20...y-streaming-exclusives-are-counterproductive/
https://www.businessinsider.com/music-exclusives-bad-for-people-piracy-2016-4
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/2...to-piracy-industry-is-largely-oblivious.shtml

 

[sw1tcher]

I hate this 1 episode a week release schedule.

 

[Herrpod]

I hate this 1 episode a week release schedule.

I don't mind it if the service is predicated on it, but with Apple TV+ we never know what show will give us all the eps at once or dole them out once a week. Pick a method and stick with it.

 

[Villarrealadrian]

I don't like it and I don't know how people could find this funny

 

[Haquers]

I hate that it's Apple exclusive. Thanks to this fact, I'll have to find "other" means of watching it. Exclusive instances encourage these alternative methods.

Are you opposed to it because it’s Apple or that it’s just exclusive to one service? Almost all streaming services have their own exclusive shows/movies to attract customers. If it’s the latter, not much I can do for you. If it’s the former, ATV+ is available on more than just Apple products, including the web.

 

[Michael Scrip]

I hate this 1 episode a week release schedule.

Exactly. It seems like an archaic concept in today's world.

In the old days it made sense... TV shows were literally broadcast from a giant antenna in the middle of town to a smaller antenna on top of your TV at home. And there were only so many time-slots available. 8:30pm on Tuesday is when the show is on.

But now... we're in an on-demand world. YOU choose when to watch.

And doesn't it take 9 months to make a single episode of traditional animation like this? If so... then all these episodes are done... and have been done for a long time.

So releasing them once-per-week is a silly artificial limitation.

It's strange that this brand new, all digital platform from Apple is using the style of distribution dating back to the old antenna days.

Oh I know why they're doing this... it's to keep people engaged for weeks at a time.

But it still seems silly in my opinion.

 

[nutmac]

Oh **** off Apple

I actually much prefer 1 episode a week schedule. It gives me a time to reflect and talk about it with my friends and coworkers, without risking spoilage. Talking about Netflix original almost always start with "how far did you watch" and ends with someone saying "oh, you will soon see".

And it makes watching each episode feel more like an event and something to look forward to. It's not like there aren't other shows and movies to watch.

With smaller selection of contents, one-a-week is the right strategy for Apple TV+. With COVID-19, it will likely take longer to complete an episode from now on. So this will help creators stretch their production schedule.

 

[redneckitengineer]

Are you opposed to it because it’s Apple or that it’s just exclusive to one service? Almost all streaming services have their own exclusive shows/movies to attract customers. If it’s the latter, not much I can do for you. If it’s the former, ATV+ is available on more than just Apple products, including the web.

It's the exclusivity. With every media provider trying to grab their own content, it makes it a struggle to keep subscriptions. If you pay for ATV, Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Quibi, etc etc, it gets expensive. I like having content like Bob's Burgers as example, because of Fox distribution, its available on multiple streams and VOD through provider.

If a media provider has exclusive rights to the show, and its the only show worth having, i'm not paying the subscription for that single show. That's like paying for netflix only to watch bird box, is that one movie worth the cost of the entire catalogue.

And what about country blocks? Some of these catalogues aren't available and punish users because of where they live, so they have to resort to alternative methods to view.

 

[Rafterman]

""Central Park" revolves around the Tillermans, a family that lives in New York City's famous Central Park while attempting to fend off a wealthy hotel heiress who wants to turn the park into condos."

So...it's a Scooby Doo episode.

 

[nwcs]

Kind of ironic considering Central Park was created by bulldozing people’s homes and businesses in order to enhance the property values of those who lived near the park.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

And doesn't it take 9 months to make a single episode of traditional animation like this? If so... then all these episodes are done... and have been done for a long time.

26 months from the announcement of the deal in March of 2018 to now. If they started working ON that day, like entire animation studio going full out, according to your 9 months assessment, that’s two episodes done and a third almost done. Of course, they didn’t start on day one, though.

Sooooo, we should be able to stream, on day one, 13 episodes even though 13 episodes haven’t been... created? Should we also be able to view season 2 and 3 now as well?
[automerge]1590776565[/automerge]

That's like paying for netflix only to watch bird box, is that one movie worth the cost of the entire catalogue.

Is that one movie worth $8.99? I’m sure to some folks it might be. Then, they’d cancel the subscription if there’s nothing else there that they like.

 

[Michael Scrip]

26 months from the announcement of the deal in March of 2018 to now. If they started working ON that day, like entire animation studio going full out, according to your 9 months assessment, that’s two episodes done and a third almost done. Of course, they didn’t start on day one, though.

Sooooo, we should be able to stream, on day one, 13 episodes even though 13 episodes haven’t been... created? Should we also be able to view season 2 and 3 now as well?

OK smart guy...

A single episode can take 9 months. But they can make more than one episode at a time.

All the big animated shows (Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, etc) are hand-drawn in studios in South Korea. That's what takes many months per episode. And that's after there are multiple weeks of writing and direction per episode in the US.

A quick Google search shows 6 month per episode for The Simpsons... and 10 months per episode for Family Guy.

I'm sure Central Park is somewhere in that range.

Obviously more than one episode is made at a time. Otherwise... if it takes 6 to 10 months to make one episode... how could anyone possibly make 22 episodes in a season? Think about that for a moment...

So now that I've explained my "months" comment... let's move on to the issue at hand.

Episodes 1 and 2 of Central Park have just been released, right? But if it takes many months to make an episode... there's no way episode 3 will be ready by next week.

So obviously the episodes are finished long before they are to be released.

And, as I said before, I think it's silly that Apple is artificially waiting a week between episodes.

 

[D.T.]

Loren Bouchard, Bob's Burgers design aesthetic, tons of talented people, sounds like lots of fun, and it's getting pretty rave reviews:

 

[nutmac]

It's the exclusivity. With every media provider trying to grab their own content, it makes it a struggle to keep subscriptions. If you pay for ATV, Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Quibi, etc etc, it gets expensive. I like having content like Bob's Burgers as example, because of Fox distribution, its available on multiple streams and VOD through provider.

If a media provider has exclusive rights to the show, and its the only show worth having, i'm not paying the subscription for that single show. That's like paying for netflix only to watch bird box, is that one movie worth the cost of the entire catalogue.

And what about country blocks? Some of these catalogues aren't available and punish users because of where they live, so they have to resort to alternative methods to view.

Apple TV+ is available in over 100 countries, ultimately hitting 150 countries.

If you are in one of these countries, you are not entitled to pirate, especially since Apple TV+ is so cheap (or free if you purchased a qualifying device). It's one thing if you have to purchase far pricier package just to watch a single show. A case in point, Disney released Cosmos few months ago exclusively on Discovery Channel, which you can subscribe only through cable or similar services (e.g., Sling, YouTube TV).

On Apple TV+, first 2 episodes of every series are free. Watch them and if you like them enough, wait until enough number of episodes become available (the final episode of Central Park airs in August 14, so July 14 or later) then pay $4.99 to binge watch the show for a month then cancel.

 

[kittonian]

This 1 episode a week thing that Apple is now doing is predicated on the notion that people will continue to pay them month after month in order to watch the rest of the series. It's an archaic concept and nothing more than another money grab from Apple (read: their $700 wheel option for the new Mac Pro that is a total joke). I know we're no longer in the Steve Jobs world of Apple innovating and doing amazing things, but this kind of thinking is what will end up tanking the company when someone else sees the future and delivers what the public can't yet even fathom.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

And, as I said before, I think it's silly that Apple is artificially waiting a week between episodes.

I did the math for the entire 13 episodes to be done and, yeah, didn’t add up! Still, there’s no way they would have created 13 episodes by now. They MAY have created 6. But, I don’t think we should wait until all 13 are done before they’re available just because some folks like to binge. Should we?

 

[Rafterman]

I watched the two episodes available and it was pretty decent. I love Bob's Burgers, though some of the characters can be very grating at tines. This show's "mood" seems more even keeled, more mello.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

This 1 episode a week thing that Apple is now doing is predicated on the notion that people will continue to pay them month after month

As someone else mentioned and as I just remembered, if you bought an Apple device from Apple (I don’t think it works for used devices from other sources), you’ve got a year for free. With only 13 episodes, if they do one a week for 13 weeks, then you could see them all. And not pay a thing. And, if you buy a new device next year (say, this year, you got an iPhone, next year you upgrade your Mac) you continue Apple TV+ for free.

 

[darkslide29]

I hate that it's Apple exclusive. Thanks to this fact, I'll have to find "other" means of watching it. Exclusive media encourage these alternative methods.

For the angry emoji's, here's my fact checking references, since facts speak louder than opinions. Some refer to music, but the same can be said for all digital media.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/20...y-streaming-exclusives-are-counterproductive/
https://www.businessinsider.com/music-exclusives-bad-for-people-piracy-2016-4
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/2...to-piracy-industry-is-largely-oblivious.shtml

I get what you're saying and agree with you. Just wanted to pile on about Spotify signing the Joe Rogan podcast as exclusive to them. That sucks. I've never even listened to that podcast and don't plan to, but then came the story on MacRumors that as a reactionary measure to Spotify, Apple is shopping for exclusive podcasts too. So it's begun. I don't have the time or patience to keep up with where to find certain tv shows and movies. I really didn't want to add podcasts to that too.