Over the course of the past month or so, we’ve talked a lot about Apple TV+’s Fall Family Programming Lineup and rightfully so. Simply because the network is just releasing some stunning shows that offer up all the right things for families looking for wholesome and thoughtful entertainment. For instance, Ghostwriter has started some powerful conversations regarding racism and respect in our modern world, and if their family shows aren’t teaching kids about the world, they’re working to energize and inspire family members.
Which is why today’s trailer release from Apple TV+ is of note. Simply because they gave everyone an idea of how Interrupting Chicken inspires kids to explore the wonder of creative writing. Which is a wonderful thing to get a child excited for since it can do so much for them from a reading and writing perspective and well, so you too can understand the majesty of this new series, here is that trailer and some details on the show, as we near its November 18 release date, courtesy of Apple TV+.
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‘Apple TV+ today revealed the trailer for the newest animated series, “Interrupting Chicken,” premiering Friday, November 18. Based on the 2011 Caldecott Honor-winning book series written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, “Interrupting Chicken” is an animated preschool series that introduces children to the joy of creative writing - starting with a young little chicken named Piper who has a habit of interrupting storytime! Every time Piper hears a story, she can’t help but jump in, ask questions and let her imagination run wild. 
 
The series stars the voice talents of three time Emmy Award winner Sterling K. Brown ("This Is Us," "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”) as “Papa,” Juliet Donenfeld (“Pete the Cat”) as “Piper,” Sarah Elizabeth Thompson as “CJ,” Maximus Riegel (“Klaus”) as “Benjamin,” Luke Lowe (“Big City Greens”) as “Duckston,” Jakari Fraser (“Spidey and his Amazing Friends”) as “Theodore,” and more
 
“Interrupting Chicken” was developed by Emmy Award winner Ron Holsey who serves as executive producer. In partnership with Mercury Filmworks, the series is also executive produced by Stein, Loris Kramer Lunsford, Clint Eland and Chantal Ling. Dr. Lucy Calkins, Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and the Richard Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College, Columbia University, serves as our reading and writing expert through the Apple TV+ changemaker initiative.  
 
In addition to the series launch, Apple TV+ will debut its complementary holiday special, “A Chicken Carol,” globally on Friday, December 2 as part of the platform's robust lineup of festive family fare.  When Ebenezer Wolf decides to cancel the holidays, Piper teams up with the Three Little Pigs and some ghostly friends to change his mind.
 
The award-winning slate of original series and film for kids and families on Apple TV+ includes impressive all-ages offerings such as the critically-acclaimed properties “El Deafo,” “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Pinecone & Pony,” “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock” and “Harriet the Spy” from The Jim Henson Company, Peabody Award-winning series “Stillwater,” “Helpsters” from Sesame Workshop, “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory” from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment, “Sago Mini Friends,” “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show” from Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero, “Snoopy in Space,” “The Snoopy Show” and “Get Rolling with Otis.” Live-action offerings for include Bonnie Hunt’s “Amber Brown,” "Best Foot Forward," “Surfside Girls,” “Life By Ella,” Daytime Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter” from Sesame Workshop, and “Puppy Place.” 
 
Also included are specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including “It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown,” “Lucy’s School,” “To Mom (and Dad), With Love,” and “For Auld Lang Syne,” and “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Daytime Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times best-selling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers.
 
The kids and family film offerings include star-studded animated adventure film “Luck” from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation which premiered this year and Academy Award-nominated animated film “Wolfwalkers.”
 
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have earned 280 wins and 1,184 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and this year’s Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
 
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.* For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episodes 307 and 308 of ‘My Life Is Murder’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve sung a lot of praises regarding the Acorn TV series, My Life Is Murder and rightfully so. For season three of this dynamic murder mystery has been nothing short of a breath of fresh air. One that has featured some stunning storytelling and some bold choices from a mystery perspective and well… we are going to continue to sing those praises. Simply because the next block of episodes on the network, took the time to offer up a pair of genuinely unique and fascinating mysteries once again. The kind that put a fresh spin on a pair of classic concepts that are featured within this genre often.

For instance, ‘Breaking Bread’ is a story that offered up a different kind of jilted lover story. One that first, seemed to be grounded in classic concepts. After all, the lover and fiancé of a bread maker extraordinaire showed up dead one day. Leaving the police and Alexa to come to believe that foul play was involved and for a time, it seemed the ex-husband was the monster of this tale. But as Alexa dug deeper and really began to look at the relationship dynamic of this case… it became clear that the deceased wasn’t murdered by a jilted lover. He was instead… the victim of his temper and a love that was resurgent. Since the ex-husband was back with his wife and when loverboy pressed too hard on ending that, the reunited couple put him down and tried to just hide their dirty deed. 

As for ‘Gaslight Sonata’, well that’s a story that put a fresh spin on the love triangle trope. For the boyfriend of a beloved TikTok star and rising pianist, met an untimely end and it truly seemed as though an old acquaintance, one with a shady past and ties to the victim… was the culprit here. Since everything revolving around those two in days gone by was sour in nature. But through Madison’s fine undercover work and Alexa’s savvy observation, it became clear that a longtime friend, who saw the star as his one and only true love, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to elevate her was the killer. Because he was happy to remove a lover that didn’t have her best interests in mind and use his tech skills to frame someone else. And had it not been for Alexa and Madison’s smarts… he might have gotten away with it all.

Which really did make for a supremely refreshing pair of episodes. The kind that genuinely kept us guessing with the twists and turns they presented us with and to top it off… they added depth and lightheartedness to the mix as well. In part through the whole subplot involving the quality of Alexa’s bread and how it ended a partnership for Reuben and of course, through the introduction of Will’s daughter, Olive. Since that helped us to learn that Alexa is quite the loving auntie, one that will do whatever it takes to protect any member of her family, and it just warms the viewer’s heart to know how kind and loving she is, since we only see the detective side of her more often than not. 

If anything, all of these elements made for some of the show’s finest storytelling to date. And that’s saying something. When one considers how beloved this show is and what it has already accomplished. But it just goes to show that this series continues to push itself and the envelope for murder mysteries and cozy mysteries, and well, all this epic block of storytelling does is leave us hungry for more. Simply because this is top-notch writing through and through and with two episodes left in season three… we’re all dying to know what other surprises and big moment awaits us as season three comes to a close. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1004 of ‘Doc Martin’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that we live in some supremely strange and unique times at the moment. For an era where technology and science rule the day, has somehow given rise to individuals who don’t believe in technology and science. And it has ironically, given these individuals a sounding board from where they can spew misinformation and lies about the ills of cell phone towers and vaccines and everything in between. All of which have proven to be nothing more than silly fantasies and lies, but they persist. Because for some reason, there are a bevy of people doubling down on the notion that their incorrect world views are correct and no one can tell them otherwise. Which a great deal of us have chalked up to ignorance and/or intelligence.
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Prompting us to just move on and do our best to ignore the endless noise and rightfully so. Because letting those screams just fill the void tends to do little harm to the world or those shouting. But alas, that may not be the best way to handle this going forward. For these folks are getting to the point where they are demanding to be heard, and that is allowing for them to cause harm, and they caused plenty of it during the peak of the pandemic and their continued attempts to make people listen and change policy should be of concern, and well… the danger that comes with letting science denial persist is top of mind today, simply because it was explored in great detail in the next episode of Doc Martin on Acorn TV. A feat that this series accomplished by having a science and medicine denier set up a holistic shop in Portwenn.

A reality that of course, made life difficult for the Doc. Because time and time again, people were showing up in the surgery with ailments that were slightly advanced and/or irritated. All because that certain someone offered up a holistic approach to medicine that of course, did nothing. Which then prompted a visit and medications needed to properly solve the problem. That in turn forced Martin to sit down and confront this usurper of sorts to no avail. Largely because they truly believed that they were in the right and offered a better alternative than generations of scientific fact and method. But of course, that’s nothing more than a minor annoyance storytelling wise, one that really doesn’t have any concern or danger to it.

But have no fear, that was here. Courtesy of the fact that this sham ‘doctor’ had two children. One of which was very ill and required actual treatment, not a root or a salve. All because the mumps had taken hold in this infant and of course, the Doc did his job as always, much to the chagrin of dear old mother. Giving rise to a fair debate on why it is important we listen to science and medicine. Because without intervention that baby could have suffered or died, all because someone else thought they knew better than someone with a medical degree and years of experience in treating ailments. But even that, didn’t do much for changing the heart and mind of this denier and eventually… she herself paid the price. When she caught the mumps too and had a violent reaction to leaving it untreated in her own body. All because she wasn’t vaccinated either and had it not been for science, she too might have perished. Which was the perfect way to express how dangerous it can be to not listen to science and the danger inherent to denying and fighting against that which saves lives.

Which made for an impactful lesson for certain, one that didn’t go much deeper than that and rightfully so. Because a fix, is going to take something greater, something that Doc Martin can’t offer. So, in the meantime, we can just revel in this brilliant tale and its sound message to listen to the science, and praise its more lighthearted context as well. Since it was sweet to see Joe try and rekindle a love and it was touching to see young James worry about not being the only baby in the house. Not to mention, it was also quite amazing to see that veteran Doc Martin writer Julian Unthank penned this episode. For his work on this series is well documented and it is wonderful to know he came back for the final season in the midst of working on other projects to write one brilliant tale. Either way, this was just another fine tale from an iconic series, and it will be interesting to see what other intelligent episodes await us down the line as we inch toward the end of Martin’s journey. Until next time.