British actor David Oyelowo stars in the new “surrealist family comedy” Government Cheese, coming to Apple TV+ in spring 2025.
Oyelowo is always good — he also features in Apple’s very popular sci-fi series Silo — so it may be worth checking this one out.
Government Cheese heads away from the everyday
Family sitcoms are a staple of TV, but all too often, these are a formulaic slurry of a dumb dad, the gorgeous wife he never could have attracted, and some kids making the kind of insulting “jokes” that require a team of comedy writers.
But Apple TV+ is going in a different direction with Oyelowo‘s upcoming series. And that direction is away from reality. The streaming service said Thursday:
“Government Cheese is a surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world.
“When Hampton Chambers (Oyelowo) is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn’t go quite as he’d planned. During his absence, Hampton’s wife, Astoria (Simone Missick), and sons, Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton’s return spins their world into chaos.”
David Oyelowo is an English actor perhaps best known for playing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. He also played Javert in the BBC/PBS production of Les Misérables. He’s been nominated for two Emmy awards.
Apple TV+ scheduled Government Cheese to launch on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, with the first four episodes. The remaining six will appear one at a time weekly every Wednesday through May 28.
Streaming it, plus many other series and films, comes with a subscription to Apple TV+. The service is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
And Apple’s streaming video service also includes much more, of course. There’s a library of drama, comedies, musicals, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.
