June 30 is circled on my calendar with the note "Cancel Apple TV Plus," when my free trial, which began when the streaming service launched in November 2019, will finally end Apple has extended that free trial twice until July 2021, when I and millions of other users will have to pay

So I set a reminder to cancel my Apple TV Plus But now I'm going to keep my Apple TV Plus - and not just to watch Ted Lasso Season 2 Because almost 20 months after its launch, the Apple TV Plus is getting into its groove and making its presence felt in the crowded streaming landscape Call it the summer of the hot Apple TV Plus

When Apple TV Plus first launched, there wasn't much on offer except a handful of standout original shows like The Morning Show, For All Mankind, and Dickinson

Apple insisted that it would focus only on high-quality original programming, rather than building a back catalog of content like all other streamers in existence However, the lack of that library caused Apple TV Plus to fall far behind another new streaming service, Disney Plus, which debuted in November 2019 The Mouse House streaming platform quickly surpassed its subscriber goals thanks to its deep vault of classic movies and a blockbuster original film called The Mandalorian

Then came strong players with big catalogs like HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount Plus, and even Discovery Plus Each beckons potential subscribers with franchises such as "Friends," "The Office," "Harry Potter," "Batman," and "Star Trek"

Apple TV Plus could not compete with this, and to keep users coming back, the service resorted to its oldest sales trick: distributing free samples

Apple TV Plus already boasted the longest free trial of any subscription service Purchasing a qualifying Apple product offered a one-year free trial of Apple TV Plus I purchased an iPhone 11 Pro in the fall of 2019 and signed up for the new service on November 1, the day it went on sale

The following October, in the midst of the pandemic, Apple announced that it would extend that trial until February 2021 At a time when everyone was holed up at home, streaming entertainment kept many people sane, and we applauded Apple's move

Then in February of this year, Apple decided to extend the free trial again until July 2021 While the pandemic was still ongoing (although vaccines were beginning to be distributed), this extension did not bode well for the Apple TV Plus

I thought the subscriber numbers were so low that the company might as well keep eating the cost of producing all that glossy content a little longer At least until there is more engaging content that users like me would find worth the $5 per month That time has finally come

As I was compiling my summer TV 2021 must-see list, I noticed how many titles will be included on the Apple TV Plus In fact, Apple TV Plus seems to have the best lineup of all streaming services and TV networks this summer

The highlight, of course, is the return of "Ted Russo," the best show to debut last year and one of the top comedy shows of the past decade When "Ted Lasso" Season 2 premieres on July 23, we will be glued to our screens

But one great show is not enough for a streaming service This summer will also see the second season of the excellent animated musical comedy Central Park, as well as a fascinating new series with big names

"Physical," in which Rose Byrne plays a housewife who built an aerobics empire in the 1980s, is a show that could fill the "GLOW"-sized hole that Netflix shot through our hearts

Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael-Key will star in Schmigadoon, a satire of the Broadway musical Brigadoon We can't wait to see two of our favorite comedy performers sing, dance and joke around

Mr Schmigadoon Corman was originally conceived, written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also stars in the film He has previously stated that this protagonist is a "what if" version of himself, that if he had made different choices in life He has said that he is a "what if" version of himself

On the film side, in August, Apple TV Plus will present the Sundance Film Festival favorite "CODA" The film won the festival's Grand Jury Prize and could be a contender for the upcoming awards season

And let's not forget the small but impressive library Apple TV has built up over the past 20 months: The Morning Show is well worth a look, Dickinson is hilarious and weird, and the second season of For All Mankind ended with a shocking finale ended with a shocking finale

Apple's unscripted division has much to offer, from the gorgeous nature photography of "Tiny World" to the mental health series by Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey Billy Eilish The World's a Little Blurry is one of the better musician/concert documentaries in recent memory

No, Apple TV Plus can't match Netflix or Disney Plus when it comes to quantity But it will rival HBO Max in terms of quality With this summer's new project, Apple TV Plus has finally reached a point I wasn't sure it could reach--it's worth the money I removed the calendar reminder to cancel