Apple TV announced two high-profile new shows today that are in the works. One is a comedy with big talent attached, while the other adapts a popular author’s new romance novel.

#1: ‘Protective Custody’ is new comedy with Benicio Del Toro and Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller is no stranger to Apple TV, though aside from a small role in this week’s The Dink film, he’s usually behind the camera.

But Apple has unveiled a new comedy series, Protective Custody, that puts Stiller in front of the camera alongside another big star: Benicio Del Toro. The series was announced in a post on X:

Showrunners Judge, Hely, and King have quite a comedy resume between them, with King of the Hill, Veep, and Parks and Recreation under their belt, respectively.

The series follows “a disgraced financier navigating life after arrest” while in protective custody as he awaits trial.

#2: ‘Peculiar Stars’ is new romance from popular ‘Fourth Wing’ author Rebecca Yarros

Comedy, sci-fi, and thrillers are among Apple’s top genres, while romance is a domain largely neglected by the streamer. But a new series announced today could start to change that.

Peculiar Stars is a new book from Rebecca Yarros, the author behind the extremely popular Fourth Wing romantasy series. It releases this November (pre-orders available here), and Apple has just secured the rights to make a TV adaptation.

The news came from Apple TV’s X account. While the official announcement doesn’t specify this, Deadline adds that the plan is to adapt Peculiar Stars into a TV series, not a film.

Here’s the plot summary via Deadline:

In Peculiar Stars, after a cyclone strands a young woman on a deserted island with a member of her fiancé’s family, survival upends everything she thought she knew about love. But when they’re finally rescued, and re-enter their world of privilege, expectation and secrets, homecoming proves far more dangerous than the island they left behind.

No word has been shared on release windows for either project, but they’re expected to be 2027 releases—or potentially even later.

In the more immediate future, Apple will celebrate Ted Lasso’s long-awaited return in just a couple weeks, it’s currently airing Silo’s acclaimed third season, and the return of sci-fi series Dark Matter is around the corner too.

Apple TV is available for $12.99 per month, or you can get it discounted through the Apple One bundle.

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