When it comes to making edgy content, not every streaming service wants to indulge in a "no rules" rule.
Network television has standards that streaming services and premium cable providers do not. While Milo Ventimiglia's Jack Pearson can't utter an f-bomb on NBC's This Is Us, the stars on your standard Netflix series can let their potty mouths fly — so much so that the service just ordered a second season for its very explicitly-titled series. Same goes for the level of violence and nudity: Paid-for content simply gets away with more of the above.
Apple's new service, however, wants to avoid some of the edgier content that populates premium cablers and streaming platforms. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple's upcoming streaming service promises to deliver material that is a bit more family-friendly — or, at least, isn't as filled with sex and violence as a series like HBO's Game of Thrones is.
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This makes sense given the programs that Apple has picked up already, such as a basketball comedy from NBA player Kevin Durant, and a morning show-set series starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. The streaming platform also signed deals with Oprah Winfrey and Sesame Street Workshop — wholesome! Overall, none of Apple's programming screams scandalizing.
While some people might equate the lack of R-rated material with a lower quality of the shows Apple is picking up, let's remember that network TV isn't exactly basic or boring. Black-ish, a series that pushes forward smart conversations about race relations in America, is an ABC series. This Is Us, an Emmy darling, is on NBC. The Good Place, a show that uses its very premise to skirt around the use of any profanity (oh, bullshirt!) is considered by many to be one of the smartest comedies on TV.
Just because Apple may be passing on gritty material doesn't mean that what they put on their service won't be as high-quality as some of the stuff on Netflix or HBO. It might just be less sexy — literally and figuratively speaking.
Refinery29 has reached out to Apple for comment.
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