Apple TV+ Shows 'Physical,' 'Schmigadoon' and 'Lisey's Story' Coming This Summer

Apple today shared additional details on upcoming Apple TV+ series "Physical," which Apple says is "coming soon." There are 10 episodes of "Physical," with the show described as a dark comedy.

physical tv show
Set in 1980s San Diego, "Physical" follows Sheila Rubin, a dutiful housewife supporting her husband's political aspirations. She becomes hooked on exercise and starts a business taping fitness videos. From the show's description:

Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, "Physical" is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin, a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband's bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She's also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image... that is, until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics.

At first hooked on the exercise itself, Sheila's real road to empowerment comes when she discovers a way to merge this newfound passion with the burgeoning technology of videotape to start a revolutionary business. The series tracks her epic journey from a stifled, overlooked enabler to a powerful, confident economic force, as Sheila transforms into someone we take for granted today (but was entirely radical at the time) -- the female lifestyle guru.

"Physical" stars Rose Byrne as Sheila Rubin, and Rory Scovel as her husband Danny. The show was created by Annie Weisman, who has worked on shows like "About a Boy," "Suburgatory," "I Feel Bad," and "Desperate Housewives." Apple has not provided a specific release date for "Physical," but says the series will premiere in summer 2021.

Apple also shared a first look at "Lisey's Story," a TV series that's also set to come out in summer 2021. Starring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen, "Lisey's Story" is based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, who created the show.

lisey story apple tv plus
"Lisey's Story" is a personal thriller that tells the story of Lisey Landon two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon. Unsettling events cause Lisey to face her memories of her marriage to Scott that she's blocked out of her mind.

A third series premiering this summer is Schmigadoon!, a musical comedy that is set to star Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key. The series is described as a parody of iconic musicals, with the two main stars playing a couple on a backpacking trip that's meant to reinvigorate their relationship.

They come across the magical town of Schmigadoon, where everyone lives in a studio musical from the 1940s. They're unable to leave until they can find "true love."

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

solofest Avatar
50 months ago
So, they’re definitely going to do a cross-promotion with Rose Byrne in character leading an Apple Fitness+ aerobics class, right?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
50 months ago
She’s an underated actress. It may be a good show.

I don’t know how Apple gets Apple TV+ to work in a tidal wave of subscriptions choices and alternatives for our time, but I hope it’s a success. I think Apple TV+ has the potential to be the next HBO.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MisterMxyzptlk Avatar
50 months ago
TV Executive: Why would I watch this?
George: Because it’s on TV
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Websnapx2 Avatar
50 months ago
Reminds me of American Horror Story's "1984" season, deadly obsession with aerobics as a humorous sub-plot. I loved that show, and love Rose Byrne so I'm in.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
50 months ago
does watching this give you 3 free months of fitness+?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tedwill Avatar
50 months ago
Looking forward to Lisey's Story. One of my favorite Stephen King books.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)