Since its launch in late 2019, Apple TV+ has built a strong reputation for original programming, particularly in the science fiction space. The company has released an impressive lineup of some of the best science fiction shows available to stream today, and there are no signs of that stopping.
What’s also great is that almost all of the manufacturer’s science fiction series are very different. Severance pay, Foundation, silo, For all humanity And Dark Affairs are all excellent, but also significantly different in theme and style. And now you can also add Sunny – one of Apple’s latest hits that once again stands out from the rest.
Based on the novel The Dark Handbook by Colin O’Sullivan, it’s unusual and quirky and has a style all its own. In fact, its own creator and screenwriter Katie Robbins calls it “crazy” and as we near the conclusion of the series and the finale (episode 10) airs on September 4, I spoke to her to find out why.
Katie Robbins, creator, writer and executive producer of Sunny on Apple TV+
(Image credit: Apple)
The Dark Handbook
After previously watching episodes of Showtimes The affair (which also airs on Sky and Now in the UK), Robbins doesn’t have much experience with science fiction, but when she read O’Sullivan’s book, she relished the task.
“When my agents sent me Colin’s novel, I was really surprised. It was science fiction and I had never written anything in that genre before. But Colin is a wonderful writer and I really enjoyed the experience of reading it,” she explained.
“In this story, there was this character, Susie Sakamoto, who is an expat living in Japan, a country I love. And she’s just experienced the worst thing you can imagine: the loss of her husband and her son. She reacts to it with sharp elbow jabs and this really sarcastic, biting sense of humor.
“This reaction to the difficulties spoke to me. I really understood her and felt connected to her.”
Differences from the novel
This prompted Robbins to tackle the adaptation, allowing her to focus on the more human, emotional elements of the story. Ironically, however, the story also involves an AI-controlled robot, which gave the author an additional creative idea.
“In the novel, this robot already lives with (Susie) and she really hates him – they’re like adversaries. But in order to develop a story arc over the course of the series, she needs to open up again. So if we adapt this robot and bring it into her life at this moment of crisis, that could be the key to opening her up.”
This led the author to study AI and robotics, which led to the creation of the mystery that Sunny on the streaming service.
Anyone who has read the novel will also notice that the robot looks different from the one described by O’Sullivan – Sunny is cuter and in some ways more contemporary, like a cross between a Sony Aibo and the Amazon Astro.
“I’ve done a lot of research in the field of robotics called HRI (human-robot interaction), which looks at how artificial intelligence can act as a kind of replacement for humans who have become withdrawn,” says Robbins.
“It feels safer to interact with a robot because it’s not going to hurt your feelings or break up with you or anything like that. Then you can get back into the habit of socializing and eventually start socializing with people again.”
“So it was like, ‘What would be the most harmless, sweetest, cutest thing that Susie could safely interact with?’
“And Susie being Susie, you ask yourself, ‘What would really make her angry?’ She doesn’t want anything cute, funny, shrill or cheerful, so you get a little bit of that mismatched couple humor as well.”
(Image credit: Apple)
Would you own a homebot?
Robbins herself doesn’t particularly share this feeling. She would be happy to have a Sunny in her life.
“When we were doing press in Japan, just before the show came out, I hadn’t seen the physical robot for a year since filming. When I saw her, I cried.
“After this phase where we’re learning so much about the power of AI, I’m pretty scared of them (homebots). But I wouldn’t mind the Sunny on our show, who doesn’t have full AI capacity. He’s just like a funny puppet.”
She admits that full AI can be both exciting and worrying.
“ChatGPT came about during filming and as a writer, the idea of generative AI is really scary to me, so, you know, it’s complicated.
“But I think Sunny as a character reflects my feelings about AI in some ways because there’s something really dazzling and seductive about her and the ability to do good. In one scene you see her being exactly what Susie needs: making her laugh, bringing her out of her shell, taking care of her and protecting her.
“But in the next scene, she can do something incredibly diabolical, unexpected and scary. And that’s what AI is – it can be really great, but it can also be really scary.”
Sunny in a nutshell
And so we turned back to the show itself, and since it seems fresh and different compared to its counterparts on Apple TV+, I asked its creator to describe it herself.
“It’s a dark comedy thriller about a woman who lost her husband and son in a plane crash and is given this homebot as a consolation. Together they try to figure out what happened. And I’ll definitely add the word ‘crazy’ because that’s what it is.”
Sunny is now available on Apple TV+, with nine episodes available to stream and the finale hitting the platform on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
With the great Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), it’s great fun, has a stunning visual style, and is another great example of the service’s commitment to quality science fiction.
It’s definitely wonderfully crazy too.
