Matthew Rhys Invites Us All to Take a Trip to 'Widow's Bay'
Apple TV's newest series, 'Widow's Bay,' takes Matthew Rhys to New England.
Apple TV is probably the best streaming service that far too many people aren’t watching. From high-quality prestige dramas (For All Mankind, Slow Horses) and high-concept genre series (Pluribus, Foundation) to heartwarming comedies (Shrinking, Ted Lasso) and even the occasional period drama (The Buccaneers), it’s a network that truly has something for everyone. And its latest offering, the comedy-horror hybrid, Widow’s Bay, feels like a mix of so many things the streamer excels at.
It's a genre-bending series that stars Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (Towards Zero) as the exasperated mayor of a New England town that wants to turn his charming coastal village into a tourist destination. There’s just one problem — something is not quite right about Widow’s Bay. All the locals believe the town is cursed, and if the series’ first teaser trailer is anything to go by, it looks like they’re not entirely wrong.
“Was there cannibalism?” a visitor asks Mayor Tom, who shrugs and laughs it off. But while the rumors of cannibalism may or may not be true, there’s clearly something going on in this place – as evidenced by the glimpses of shadowy creatures and freakishly moving humans that look like something straight out of 28 Days Later.
Here’s the series’ synopsis.
In Widow's Bay, something lurks beneath the surface. Mayor Tom Loftis is desperate to revive his struggling community. There’s no Wi-Fi, spotty cellular reception and he must contend with superstitious locals who believe their island is cursed. He wants these people to respect him. They don’t. They think he is soft and cowardly. And he is. But Loftis is determined to build a better future for his teenage son and turn the island into a tourist destination. Miraculously, he succeeds: tourists are finally coming. Unfortunately, the locals were right. After decades of calm, the old stories that seemed too ludicrous to be true start happening again.
Alongside Rhys, the series also stars Kate O’Flynn (My Lady Jane), Stephen Root (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Kingston Rumi Southwick (Presumed Innocent), Kevin Carroll (Snowfall), and Dale Dickey (The Lowdown). The supporting cast includes K Callan (Knives Out) and Jeff Hiller (Ghosts).
Katie Dippold (Parks & Recreation) is the series creator and showrunner, with Hiro Murai (Station Eleven) directing five of the season’s ten episodes. Dippold, Murai, and Rhys all executive produce, alongside Carver Karaszewski and Claudia Shin.
Widow’s Bay will premiere on Wednesday, April 29, with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday, a special two-episode release on Wednesday, May 27, and then weekly again through June 17, 2026, on Apple TV.
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