Apple TV+ is quietly killing it with some of the best comedies on TV, including Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest (so good), and Dickinson. Physical could be added to that list soon.
The 1980s-set series stars Rose Byrne as Sheila Rubin, “a quietly tormented housewife in San Diego who behind closed door battles extreme personal demons and a vicious inner voice. But things change when she discovers aerobics, sparking a journey toward empowerment and success.” She also has extremely ’80s hair (the last time she had an extreme haircut in a comedy, it was for Spy, a very good movie), drinks sugar-free pink lemonade, and yells “punch! punch! punch!” in what looks like a mall fitness studio.
I am so in. The GLOW vibes don’t hurt, either.
“A lot of what we’re exploring in the show is the divide between the external and internal for so many women,” creator Annie Weisman said about Physical. “No matter how polished the external there’s so much turmoil underneath the surface… That’s a lot of what we’re exploring in the show, is that divide.” Byrne called it a “great companion piece” to FX’s Emmy-winning miniseries Mrs. America, which she also appeared in. “It was still a challenging time for women to find that independence,” she said.
Physical was written by Weisman and directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya), Liza Johnson, and Stephanie Laing. The first three episodes debut on Apple TV+ on June 18, followed by new episodes airing weekly on Fridays.