Apple TV Plus promises star-studded content, but can it compete in the streaming wars?

Apple TV Plus, which launches Nov. 1,is betting on A-listcontent and a lower subscription priceas a means of competing in the increasingly saturated market of streaming services.

Its headline series isThe Morning Show, a high-production-value show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as TV journalistsin the post-#MeTooera. Thecast also includes The Office's Steve Carelland Spotlight's Billy Crudup.

Another one of Apple TV Plus'smarquee series is See, about apost-apocalyptic humankind born without vision.

The show appears to be Apple's attempt at creating a Game of Thrones-esqueepic.Each episode reportedly cost $15 million US, and is led byGoT alumnus Jason Momoa and also stars Alfre Woodard, Sylvia Hoeks and Canadian Nesta Cooper. It wasfilmed in parts of B.C., including Vancouver Island.

See's executive producers told CBC they met with other streaming platforms, but in the endwent with Apple Plus because they were given full creative control. That includedhiring a blindnessconsultant and supporting cast members who are legally blind or have low vision, including Marilee Talkington.

"There's no one like me that I've ever seen on screen or stage, so it'sa real responsibility," said Talkington, who has degenerating sight due to a disease called cone-rod dystrophy. "I hope so many more [visually impaired actors] come in and people will break the limiting beliefs that they've had about us."

The story behind the series mightbe enough to woo viewers, according to YouTuber and budding L.A. filmmaker James Rath, who is himself legally blind and consultedonSee.

"People always fall back into the nostalgia of re-watching an old show that they really love, but I think we just need some more original stories told nowadays," said Rath.

Despite its fresh programmingand a lower price point than its competitors, Apple's fledgling streaming service might not be able to convince people they need to pay for another channel.

Apple TV Plus is going to have fouroriginal programs at launch, and The Morning Show and See"have gotten pretty bad reviews," said Travis Clark, a streaming and entertainment expert with Business Insider.

"They're not really generating the excitement you'd hope to see with the launch of a streaming service."

What Apple TV Plus is up against

Other projects in the works for Apple TV Plus include thepsychological thriller series Servant, produced by Unbreakable director M. Night Shymalan. There's also the revisionist comedy Dickinson, based on poet Emily Dickinson's life,and the alternate history space race series For All Mankind.

Steven Spielberg, Kumail Nanjiani(The Big Sick) and Oprah Winfrey are other big names who have signed on to provide content. Spielberg will debut a reboot of his 1980s fantasy-thriller anthology series Amazing Stories, whileNanjianiand his wife, Emily V. Gordon, are among the executive producers of the immigrant anthology series Little America. Winfrey has multiple projectsin the works, including aTV version of her famous book club, which will feature discussions and author interviews.

A monthly subscription to Apple TV Plus will cost $5.99.Those who buy a new Apple device (such as an iPhone or iPad)get a free one-year subscription.

Apple isn't the only one launching a streaming service in November. Disney Plus is coming to Canada on Nov. 12, bringing with it a significant catalogue of blockbusters, fromThe Lion King and Frozento the Star Wars andAvengers franchises.

At the same time, it's introducingMarvel Cinematic Universe spinoffssuch as Wanda Vision and Loki, as well as the Star Wars TVseries The Mandolorian. Given that these franchises havebuilt-in audiences, they are highly anticipated.

Disneywill charge $8.99/month (or $89.99/year).

Competitors have what Apple doesn't for now

Netflix remainsthe dominant streaming service for most people, with Amazon Prime Video and Hulubolstering their ownplatformswith a combination of original content and classics to entice more subscribers. (Hulu isn't available as a standalone service in Canada, but some of its content streams on other platforms, including Netflix and Bell Media's Crave.)

Crave and CBC's Gem are among the Canadian network players that have joined the streaming game. APTN recently launchedAPTN Lumi, which is dedicated to telling Indigenous stories.

Warner Media's HBO Max, another upcoming serviceset to launchin May 2020, won't be available to Canadians. Under a new deal, however, Crave will carry some of HBO Max's programming on its premium HBOtier.

The streaming market has become so saturated that there'sa website called JustWatch, which helpsaudiences navigate which shows and movies belong to which platform.

Clark said the biggest weakness with Apple TV Plus isthelack of licensed content available, which is what fortifiessome of its competitors.

"Disney has a collection of their classic movies. Warner Mediapicked up Friends. They picked up South Park. Netflix obviously has a lot of licensed content beyond their originals," said Clark.

"Apple is definitely going to need to reach outside their comfort zone if they want to build up an actual streaming service that can be competitive beyond just these high-cost originals that they're making."