Some weeks can feel like a veritable buffet of things to do and places to go—too many tabs open, too many boxes to check, and you feel like you’re piling it all on one plate. Apple TV can feel like that sometimes, which is why I’m here to cut the fat.
For the week of March 2 to 8, I’ve chosen three shows that are all 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The first is the obvious inspiration for the above intro, as it delves into the pressure-cooker world of Michelin-star chefs. Next up is an epic South American motorcycle journey with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Last up is the reboot of a colorful classic for you and the kids to watch.
3
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars
I don’t know what it is about culinary shows that draws me to them so much. Maybe I’m just hungry all the time, or maybe I’m fascinated by the intensity and military-like hierarchy of the restaurant world—it all seems quite mad to me. At the very top of all this madness is what every chef and high-end restaurant in the world will work themselves to the bone for: a coveted Michelin star, the industry’s badge of honor that means instant prestige and career-defining credibility.
Apple TV’s Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars is an eight-episode docuseries hosted by foodie Jesse Burgess and executive produced by Gordon Ramsay. It gallivants around the world—the United States, Britain, Italy, Scandinavia, and Mexico—and goes into the bustling kitchens and dining rooms of some of the world’s elite restaurants as they tweak signature dishes and obsess over service in hopes of impressing Michelin’s judges. But that’s actually part of the mystery of Knife’s Edge—the judges are anonymous, and it’s fascinating to watch each restaurant’s staff panic when they think one may be in the dining room. In fact, the series features interviews with some of the inspectors, who speak anonymously on camera for the first time.
If you like fast-paced food series like Chef’s Table with the high-stakes of The Bear, Knife Edge is an excellent peek inside the culinary world.
2
Long Way Up
Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and I enjoy spending time talking s**t and goofing off with my best bros, but I’ve grown to appreciate Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s series of Long Way–themed motorcycle adventure shows. I recently re-watched the third series in the pair’s four globe-spanning epics, Long Way Up, in which the best friends ride electric Harley Davidson motorcycles 13,000 miles from Ushuaia, Argentina, up through South and Central America, and into Mexico and the U.S.
The 11-episode travel series, which aired on Apple TV in 2020, puts you right on the road (paved, dirt, snowy, or otherwise) with McGregor and Boorman, as they banter and ride through the awe-inspiring landscapes of Patagonia and the Andes, and visit some of the region’s greatest sights, including Machu Picchu, the Masaya volcano in Nicaragua, and more stunning landmarks. The best part, though, is the lovely camaraderie between the two, as they contend with rough roads, ever rougher weather, and the range anxiety that comes with having to charge their bikes on a continent that hasn’t fully embraced the EV culture yet.
Long Way Up
- Release Date
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2020 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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Apple TV+
1
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
I was 11 when the original CBC/HBO (and others) co-production of Jim Henson’s beautifully creative kids’ show, Fraggle Rock, first aired in 1983, and it completely blew my mind. The fantastical show only lasted five seasons before being canceled due to its high cost of production. And though it was rebooted as an animated series in 1987 and then with Apple’s Fraggle Rock: Rock On! shorts in 2020, it finally got the full-blown reboot it deserved in 2022 with Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, which now has two seasons to binge with your kids.
For the initiated, Fraggle Rock is a silly, sing-along show with loads of music that goes deep underground into the vast network of caves and tunnels known as “Fraggle Rock.” There dwell the small, playful, and curious creatures known as Fraggles (Gobo, Red, Wembly, Mokey, and Boober), as they explore, sing, ask philosophical questions, and sometimes venture off into “Outer Space,” also known as the workshop of the human called Doc and his fluffy dog, Sprocket. My favorite part of the old and new series alike are the cute and cool Doozers, little construction workers with hard hats that build elaborate structures that the Fraggles like to eat.
If you’re looking to share some imaginative Jim Henson nostalgia with your kids, you can’t go wrong with this Apple TV reboot.
Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock
- Release Date
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January 21, 2022
- Directors
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Jordan Canning, Jonathan A. Rosenbaum, Paul Fox, J.J. Johnson, Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
- Writers
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Alex Cuthbertson, Matt Fusfeld, John Tartaglia
Whether you’re craving salt, scenery, or enjoying some time with your little ones, this trio hits three different buttons. Queue one episode, then let the algorithm take a night off—your weeknight watch list is officially handled.
- Subscription with ads
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No
- Simultaneous streams
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6
- Price
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$12.99/month
