First teaser trailer: Season 2 will be Foundation's 'Second Crisis' on Apple TV+ from 14 July.

by Thinus Ferreira

The psychohistorian character of Hari Sheldon might be dead but actor Jared Harris is still very much alive in the upcoming second season of Foundation which will debut on Apple TV+ on 14 July and which just released its first teaser trailer.

The science fiction drama series based on the book series of Isaac Asimov will tackle the Foundation's "Second Crisis" during the second season, in the scientific outpost's growing battle with the waning Empire and its ruling emperor Cleon clones, portrayed by Lee Pace.

The second season, produced for Apple by Skydance Television and led by showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer, will have 10 episodes with the season that will start on 14 July globally, with a new episode released weekly on every Friday.

Although Hari Sheldon died during the first season, Jarred Harris will again appear as the creator of psychohistory through backflashes, as well as the version of him as an articial intelligence (AI) after hehad  uploaded his consciousness into the Foundation computer.

"More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy in Foundation season two," says Apple TV+.

"As the Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari, Gaal and Salvor discover a colony of Mentalics with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself," reads the season's official logline.

"The Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: War with Empire. The monumental adaptation of Foundation chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity."

Also starring the returning cast of Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton and Terrence Mann, the second season will introduce new characters including Isabella Laughland (Brother Constant), Kulvinder Ghir (Poly Verisof), Ella-Rae Smith (Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion), Holt McCallany (Warden Jaegger Fount), Rachel House (Tellem Bond), Nimrat Kaur (Yanna Seldon), Ben Daniels (Bel Riose) and Dimitri Leonidas (Hober Mallow).

Disney+ shows top the list of 2021's most pirated TV series.

by Thinus Ferreira

Disney+ shows are burning up the chart of the most pirated TV content of 2021 with multiple series from the Mouse House that this year replaced Netflix content as the most sought-after shows to digitally download and watch illegally.

Disney+, which is not available in South Africa, in 2021 released the most in-demand content for pirate viewers, with series like WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, as well as What If...? all grabbing spots on this year's list of most pirated TV shows.

Disney+ plans to launch in South Africa around June 2022, with neither WarnerMedia for HBO Max nor ViacomCBS for Paramount+ which have announced dates for their video streaming services for Africa yet.

According to the 2021 most pirated TV shows annual list compiled by Torrentfreak, Netflix only managed to get two spots on the list with The Witcher and Arcane in 3rd and 9th place respectively.

The science-fiction drama series Foundation of Apple TV+ also made the list and the first season of Amazon Prime Video's new fantasy drama series The Wheel of Time occupying the 10th spot.

Out of the entire top 10 most pirated shows for 2021 where DIsney+ represents 50% of the content, only the animation series Rick and Morty was on the list for 2020 and this year fell to the 8th spot from 6th place a year ago.  

"What stands out most is that all Disney+ series of Marvel's 'Phase Four' are listed in the top 10," Torrentfreak notes.

"With the current streaming landscape being so fragmented, it appears that many people prefer to pirate instead of paying for 'another' subscription."

This is the 10 top ranking of 2021's most pirated TV shows:

1. WandaVision (Disney+)

2. Loki (Disney+)

3. The Witcher (Netflix)

4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+)

5. Hawkeye (Disney+)

6. What If ...? (Disney+)

7. Foundation (Apple TV+)

8. Rick and Morty (WarnerMedia/Showmax)

9. Arcane (Netflix)

10. The Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime Video)

Apple TV+ renews Foundation for a second season, will feature characters of Hober Mallow, General Bel Riose and the Outer Suns.

by Thinus Ferreira

Apple has renewed its Apple TV+ science fiction series Foundation for a second season.

Showrunner David S. Goyer has stated earlier this year that he has mapped out a story for the series, based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation novel series, in order for the series to potentially run for 8 seasons.

"Since my childhood I've dreamed of how Hari Seldon and Eto Demerzel would look and sound - what Terminus and Trantor would feel like," David S. Goyer said in a statement released by Apple TV+ announcing Foundation's second season renewal.

"Now, with season two, our audience will get to visit more of Asimov's indelible characters and worlds, including Hober Mallow, General Bel Riose, and all the Outer Suns."

"I'm thrilled that a whole new generation of fans are reading Asimov's brilliant masterwork. We're playing the long game with Foundation and I'm grateful to my partners at Apple and Skydance for entrusting me with this epic. Buckle up. We’re about to fold some serious space."

Matt Cherniss, Apple TV+ head of programming, says in the statement "We have been so excited to watch global audiences embrace the captivating, suspenseful and breathtaking thrill ride that is Foundation."

"We know how long fans of these beloved Asimov stories have waited to see his iconic work brought to life as a visually spectacular event series and now we can't wait to showcase even more of the richly layered world, compelling storytelling and stunning world-building in season two."

Foundation is produced for Apple TV+ by Skydance Television with Robyn Asimov, Josh Friedman, Cameron Welsh, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Bill Bost also serving as executive producers.

Robyn Asimov, Isaac Asimov's daughter, says "David Goyer's Foundation has surpassed all my expectations by bringing my father's philosophy and ideas to the screen in ways he could never do while staying true to his work".

"I know my father would have been proud to see his iconic story come to life through the show's visual beauty and the layered characters, understanding full well his words would need this cinematic translation."

"My father was deeply indebted to his fans, to their loyalty and always hoped his work would pass through to following generations."

"The Foundation series is fulfilling his wish (and mine) by introducing his work to a vast array of new readers. Given the cerebral nature of the Foundation books, this series is a tour de force."

Foundation on Apple TV+ will release the 4th episode of the first season on Friday.

Apple TV+ hasn't bothered to do any publicity or marketing for Foundation in South Africa or anywhere in Africa for Apple TV+ viewers, with no support for South African media around the series.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. How Apple axed Africa's press with the debut of David S. Goyer's adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation on Apple TV+.

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. How Apple axed Africa's press with the debut of David S. Goyer's adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation on Apple TV+.

by Thinus Ferreira

Like Hari Sheldon's psychohistory that determined the creation of the Foundation to try and save the galaxy, Apple's decision to flat-out ignore Africa's media was also by design when it came to publicity support for press around the new drama series Foundation on Apple TV+.

With Foundation, based on the novels of Isaac Asimov, rolling out from 24 September on Apple TV+ as a new science fiction series on the streaming service, the Apple TV+ publicity team responsible for international press relations cut the African continent and South Africa's media out of access and previews.

There's been no help or assistance for the show whatsoever - despite media requests.

With showrunner David S. Goyer serving as Foundation writer and executive producer, there is a reason why Apple TV+ users based in South Africa and across Africa won't see or read any interviews with David S. Goyer or any other of the Foundation crew or cast, and why there will be a lack (if not complete absence) of Foundation reviews from African TV critics and very little else in terms of coverage: Apple TV+ doesn't seem to care about Africa.

A while ago TVwithThinus reached out to Susana Voets at Apple TV+, heading up international publicity at Apple TV+ for shows like Foundation, requesting help and assistance with the new series, including asking for digital screeners to watch and preview the show for review purposes. 

No help was forthcoming. 

Besides no interviews offered or set up with the producers or cast and the exclusion of Africa's press from group media sessions, at the very minimum it should have been possible for Apple TV+'s PR team to help local South African media and to make Foundation episodes available as screeners, similar to what was done for other media, and as an established practice by broadcasters in their media relations around preview content.

Apple TV+ was unwilling.

Hence no screeners for the media in Africa. No letter to the press in Africa from David S. Goyer about Foundation like what was sent to media elsewhere.

While American PR support for Apple TV+ content is handled separately by publicists like Fabrizia Mauro, Ashley Sugarman and others, Apple TV+ has different people doing international publicity for the same content like Susana Voets.

The Apple TV+ international PR part arranged interviews with David S. Goyer and others, including the lead cast attached to Foundation like Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Lou Llobell (who partly grew up in South Africa) and Leah Harvey, with international media ranging from Canadian to British press - even a virtual group media briefing last week including India's media. 

Conspicuously absent in Apple TV+ PR plan and support: Africa.

According to Apple's flawed presumed calculus, there are presumably not enough Apple users or existing or potential Apple TV+ users/viewers in South Africa or across Africa, for any concerted PR push around Foundation or any other series on its streaming service like The Morning Show to be deemed "worth while".

Sadly, it doesn't seem as if Apple TV+ or the Apple TV+ international PR team wants to bother with media, media coverage, or journalists covering television, in Africa.

Perhaps the effort of dealing and interacting with media in South Africa and Africa and helping them is probably not worth it in Apple's estimation.

For Apple, Africa is apparently just that far-off place on the world map where child labour has been used to mine Cobalt for years for Apple's rechargeable lithium batteries in its devices - not a place where media would conceivably be interested in giving coverage about Apple TV+ shows or where it would be worthwhile to work with press around a show based on a seminal science fiction book series.  

ALSO READ: Africa not good enough for Doctor Who, as the British scifi TV show goes on a 'global' 7 cities tour but blatantly shuns one continent.

Apple TV+ rolls out trailers for The Morning Show's second season and Foundation.

by Thinus Ferreira

Apple TV+ has released official trailers for the second season of The Morning Show that is adding Will Arnett as a TV talent agent, as well as its ambitious Foundation science-fiction series, with both shows that will start in September.

Following the dramatic events of season one of The Morning Show that is set behind-the-scenes of a tumultuous American morning show, the 10-episode second season of the series executive produced by and starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon will premiere globally on Friday, 17 September on AppleTV+.

The second season starts off with The Morning Show co-anchor team of Alex (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) in a whirl after they revealed a sexual harassment corporate cover-up at the UBA TV channel.

Julianna Margulies joins as Laura Peterson, a UBA anchor who is like a Devi Sankaree Govender investigative TV journalist who starts to influence Bradley as a type of mentor figure.

Will Arnett has also joined the show as Doug Klassen, the talent agent of Alex. The arrival of the global Covid-19 pandemic and the wearing of masks also features in the second season as an evolving story element.

Foundation

Apple TV+ also unveiled the official trailer for Isaac Asimov’s iconic award-winning Foundation novel series that will be coming to screen for the first time, with showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer, and that is set thousands of years in humanity future living on millions of planets across the galaxy.

The first season of Foundation follows a group of exiles who discover that the Galactic Empire is falling and tries to save it through the scientific concept of psychohistory that can broadly predict how humanity as a collective will behave.

After Dr Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) predicts the impending fall of the Empire, he and a band of loyal followers venture to the far reaches of the galaxy to establish The Foundation in an attempt to rebuild and preserve the future of civilization.

Enraged by Hari's claims, the ruling Cleons - a long line of emperor clones - fear their unrivaled reign may be weakening as they're forced to reckon with the potential reality of losing their powerful legacy forever.

Foundation will start on 24 September worldwide with the first two episodes that will be made available, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday.

Apple TV+ drops first teaser about Isaac Asimov's sprawling Foundation sci-fi series.

by Thinus Ferreira

Although the series will only be released in 2021 Apple TV+ has surprised viewers by releasing a first teaser of the upcoming science-fiction drama Foundation, based on Isaac Asimov's iconic book series.

Although production of the epic series filmed in Ireland by Skydance Television as that country's largest TV series ever, was shut down in mid-March because of the growing global Covid-19 pandemic, the series with showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer has clearly done a lot of filming and post-production work already.

The 10-episode first season of Foundation is based on Isaac Asimov's seminal science fiction series about a mathematician in the far-flung future, when mankind has spread through the entire galaxy, predicting the fall of the Galactic Empire and setting up a way to limit the duration of the destruction to preserve humanity.

There are 6 books in the series with Foundation that was first published in 1951.

The official logline from Apple about Foundation is that "the series will revolve around the thousand year saga of the Foundation, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it".

Mathematician Hari Seldon invents psychohistory which can broadly "predict" human behaviour and behavioural patterns on a massive scale, and he constructs a plan to shorten the predicted new "dark age" of the Galactic Empire by setting up the "Foundation".

With this "predictability power" Hari, of course, becomes a threat to the galactic government that doesn't understand what he's trying to do, setting of sprawling interplanetary intrigue with a lot of surprising twists and characters who often are not who they initially appear to be.

In the teaser for the Apple Original, David S. Goyer gives a glimpse into the making of the epic saga, that stars Jared Harris as Hari Seldon; Lee Pace as Brother Day; Lou Llobell as Gaal; Leah Harvey as Salvor; Laura Birn as Demerzel; Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk; and Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn.

"People have been trying to make Foundation for over fifty years," says David S. Goyer.

"Foundation was an enormous influence for Star Wars. It was the greatest science fiction work of all time. The story is sprawling, it unfolds over the course of a thousand years. If ever there were a company that was hoping to better people's lives through technology, through connectivity it's Apple. And that's something very much that Asimov was hoping to do."

BREAKING. Apple gives a series order for a science fiction TV drama based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation books.

Apple has given a series order for a science fiction TV drama based on author Isaac Asimov's sprawling Foundation book series.

Apple gave a straight-to-series order for the long-gestating project that Skydance Television brought to Apple in April this year.

Apple gave Skydance a development deal earlier this year for a possible straight-to-series Foundation pick-up and will now proceed to make an entire first season.

David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman will be the executive producers and showrunners of Foundation, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross who will also be executive producers.

Skydance Television that is also responsible for the first season of Altered Carbon that became available on Netflix and Netflix South Africa in March, will produce a 10-episode first season of the as-yet-untitled Foundation series.

The official logline from Apple about Foundation is that "the series will revolve around the thousand year saga of the Foundation, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it".

The fascinating Foundation story is set far into mankind's future when humanity has spread out across the galaxy inhabiting millions of worlds (without ever finding extra-terrestrial life) spans across several millennia and dozens of characters.

Mathematician Hari Seldon invents psychohistory which can broadly "predict" human behaviour and behavioural patters on a massive scale, and he constructs a plan to shorten the predicted new "dark age" of the Galactic Empire by setting up the "Foundation".

The mesmerising story, filled with major twists and dramatic, unexpected turns, concludes with a few books detailing a highly adventurous journey of an intrepid group trying to find the origins of humanity, apparently a place called Earth.

Apple the latest to try and adapt Isaac Asimov's sprawling Foundation science fiction saga as a TV drama series.

The long-gestating TV development looking for a possible series pick-up of Isaac Asimov's sprawling science fiction saga, Foundation, has finally found a home Apple.

In 2014 HBO and Warner Bros. TV tried to work together to bring the groundbreaking and massive science fiction saga of Isaac Asimov's Foundation book series to television which would have been written and produced by Jonathan Nolan - but nothing came of it.

For years - just like with George R.R. Martin's sprawling fantasy Game of Thrones series, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (now to be made into an at least 5 season series by Amazon), and George Lucas' Star Wars as a possible TV series (now to be made a TV drama series by Disney), Asimov's Foundation was considered simply too big and complex in scope to be made into a TV series given budget and special effect constraints.

But no more. As premium broadcasters and streaming services are upping the ante on each other and splurging on mega TV projects in the medium's Peak TV era, all of those formerly "undoable" are now being chased and produced for the viewership, subscriber growth and revenue, prestige, and reams of press coverage they bring in.

Now Apple has grabbed a TV series adaptation of Foundation that will be produced by Skydance Television, with Apple that has given Skydance a development deal for a possible straight-to-series Foundation pick-up.

David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman will be the executive producers and showrunners of Foundation, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross who will also be executive producers.

Skydance Television is also responsible for the first season of Altered Carbon that became available on Netflix and Netflix South Africa last month.

The fascinating Foundation story is set far into mankind's future when humanity has spread out across the galaxy inhabiting millions of worlds (without ever finding extra-terrestrial life) spans across several millenia and dozens of characters.

Mathematician Hari Seldon invents psychohistory which can broadly "predict" human behaviour and behavioural patters on a massive scale, and he constructs a plan to shorten the predicted new "dark age" of the Galactic Empire by setting up the "Foundation".

The mesmerising story, filled with major twists and dramatic, unexpected turns, concludes with a few books detailing a highly adventurous journey of an intrepid group trying to find the origins of humanity, apparently a place called Earth. 

Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation' books saga developed as a TV series for HBO by Jonathan Nolan - report.

In a fascinating and groundbreaking development HBO and Warner Bros. TV are apparently working together to bring the groundbreaking and massive science fiction saga of Isaac Asimov's Foundation book series to television which will be written and produced by Jonathan Nolan, The Wrap reports.

The sprawling, hugely influential, and highly acclaimed book series has never been made into a film or film series or TV show and spans as rich and dense a mythology and characters as The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones and could very likely be as successful as a long-running TV or film project - especially in the hands of HBO which would give it proper financial and creative support together with Warner Bros. capable TV studio.

The fascinating story set far into mankind's future when humanity has spread out across the galaxy inhabiting millions of worlds (without ever finding extra-terrestrial life) spans across several millenia and dozens of characters.

Mathematician Hari Seldon invents psychohistory which can broadly "predict" human behaviour and behavioural patters on a massive scale, and he constructs a plan to shorten the predicted new "dark age" of the Galactic Empire by setting up the "Foundation".

The mesmerising story, filled with major twists and dramatic, unexpected turns, concludes with a few books detailing a highly adventurous journey of an intrepid group trying to find the origins of humanity, apparently a place called Earth. 

According to The Wrap, the Foundation TV series has been in development for the last several months between HBO, Warner Bros. TV and Jonathan Nolan.