Series: What to Catch on iTunes

AN APPLE A DAY. Expand your daily entertainment menu with these outstanding Series available on Apple’s iTunes

 

 

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP
Stars Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, Brad Cooper, Paul Rudd
Director David Petrarca, S.J. Clarkson, Bill Gierhart

Technically, “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” is a prequel to the 2001 movie “Wet Hot American Summer,” and it certainly helps to be familiar with the latter to better enjoy the former. But don’t worry, “First Day of Camp” works just as well as a standalone show, serving copious amounts of cheesy comedy while mercilessly parodying ’80s pop culture accompanied by era-appropriate music. Fans of the original movie will definitely enjoy seeing most of the original cast return, but since this lineup includes the likes of Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper and Elizabeth Banks, new viewers will likely fall in love with the show just the same.

 

THE STRAIN
Stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Miguel Gomez, Sean Astin, Mía Maestro
Director [Various]

Let’s get one thing straight here: “The Strain” is scary, as befits a series created by none other than Guillermo del Toro, the so-called “Master of Horror” behind such wonderful cinematic terrors like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Mama.” What began with the chilling discovery of a mysterious disease eventually erupted into a full-blown vampire apocalypse engulfing New York City, as a motley band of heroes attempt to vanquish this ancient threat. Speaking of which, “The Strain” excels in showcasing characters with surprising depth. Case in point: Augustin “Gus” Elizalde (played by Miguel Gomez, who was featured in our August/September issue), an ex-convict who becomes an impressive vampire-slayer. The second season of “The Strain” premiered last July, and a third is set to air in 2016.

 

MR. ROBOT
Stars Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday
Director [Various]

“Mr. Robot” naturally features a character called Mr. Robot. The star of the show, however, is one Elliot Anderson, a cyber-security engineer by day and cyber vigilante at night who eventually gets recruited by the aforementioned Mr. Robot. Interestingly, the better part of the show is told from Elliot’s perspective; and the neurotic hacker isn’t exactly a reliable narrator. Naturally, this makes for a thrilling show full of plot twists and wham moments.

 

HUMANS
Stars Colin Morgan, Gemma Chan, William Hurt
Director [Various]

Humans have always been fascinated by the prospect of true, human-like artificial intelligence, which explains its prevalence in sci-fi works. In this regard, “Humans” doesn’t offer anything new or groundbreaking, but it does present the whole conundrum of having eerily human-like robots in a disturbingly awesome manner, with one major plot point dealing with the discovery that some synths (that’s what the show calls its version of androids) are apparently more than just soulless robots.