Apple licenses the content from the creators – that’s true of almost every network and many film distributors as well.
Few distributors make their content in house. 'Netflix Original ’ doesn’t mean it was made by ‘Netflix Studios’ – they don’t exist. What happened was (for a series) that either a complete season or a pilot was shopped around, and Netflix bought the (exclusive) rights, which made that piece of content a Netflix Original. For films, they have usually already been made and are in a limited theatrical run (eg. Festivals) or are being shopped around privately. I imagine a limited few have distribution deals made prior to production, but that’s still not ‘Netflix’ (or Apple) making that content.
Apples launch content (eg. Ted Lasso) was produced to prop up the platform, but the method by which that content was discovered, funded and then licensed is not much different from how a traditional network (like NBC) might function.
Was it? It was fine – that thing you throw on because you’ve watched most of everything else that fills that kind of derivative political action conspiracy thriller. Not particularly intelligent, not particularly funny, a loose enough plot that you can be paying attention once every 5 minutes and get by. Some folks get shot. There’s a conspiracy ooooOOOOoooh.
Maybe that’s what defines good these days, when content is just a glut of mediocrity.
I was shocked it was up top the list in terms of ‘quality,’ but I watched it because, it was there… So, I guess that explains it?
The Recruit (similar vein) was a superior show in terms of quality. Recommend that if you need a quick fix.