'Breaking Bad' creator's new series is Apple's biggest premiere ever

The creator of Breaking Bad and X-Files returns with Pluribus, which is shaping up to be one of the year's biggest and best series

The sci-fi drama Pluribus, in which Carol Sturka must save the world from a mysterious wave of forced happiness, comes from Vince Gilligan, the man behind Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and The X-Files.

Gilligan's involvement generated sky-high expectations while the project itself has been shrouded in secrecy. The title, plot and even the very existence of the series were only revealed shortly before its premiere, after production under the codename Wycaro 339.

His previous hit series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul launched on AMC in the US and were distributed internationally by Netflix. This time, however, Gilligan has chosen a new home; Apple.


Biggest series premiere ever on Apple TV
Critics are raving about Pluribus. It currently holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than Breaking Bad, and an 8.5 audience score on IMDb, which however is lower than Breaking Bad (9.5)

Multiple Hollywood outlets, including Deadline and Collider, now report, citing Nielsen data, that Pluribus has surpassed Severance season 2 to become the most-watched series premiere in Apple TV history. Apple has already ordered at least two seasons, with new episodes dropping weekly through December 26. The show is currently number 1 in more than 100 countries, according to Nielsen.

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- "Rarely has keeping the secret of a show we love so much been as fun or as rewarding an experience as it has been with Pluribus," says Matt Cherniss, Head of Programming at Apple TV.

- "Vince's strikingly inventive premise blew us away from the second we read it, and witnessing the brilliance with which he has brought this series to life is truly remarkable. “It's a thrill to watch audiences worldwide get hooked on this thought-provoking, insightful and darkly funny show rooted in humanity by an exceptional cast led by the talented Rhea Seehorn, and we can't wait for viewers to dive deeper into the mystery."


A small but growing catalog
Pluribus looks like a hit for Apple TV, a service that still trails the biggest streaming platforms in subscriber numbers. Launched in 2019 as Apple TV+, it originally offered just a handful of original productions.

The catalog has grown steadily since then, yet remains significantly smaller than those of Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and others. Apple says that it has a content strategy of quality over quantity, which is reflected in acclaimed series such as Silo, For All Mankind, Foundation, Slow Horses, Chief of War, Ted Lasso and Hijack. All titles on Apple TV are available in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos.

Apple TV has just cut its subscription price in half for 6 months as part of a promotional activity to coincide with Pluribus.

In the coming weeks, Netflix and HBO Max will also launch some of their biggest series to date with Stranger Things 5 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, following a long period of production delays caused by the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, a chapter the industry has finally put behind it.

- Source: Deadline, Collider