【Punjabi Archives】

Apple Music released Planet of the Appson Wednesday in what can Punjabi Archivesonly be referred to as a stealth launch. The unscripted series, scheduled vaguely for spring, follows the creators of new apps as they seek the funding and guidance needed to succeed in the cutthroat world of modern tech.

The show's premise is simple: Aspiring contestants pitch their app ideas to a panel of judges -- Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gary Vaynerchuk, and will.i.am -- in hopes of working together and eventually meeting with financial backers. The first spiel they give is on a moving escalator -- a twist on the classic "elevator pitch" -- and from thereon it's like Shark Tank meets The Voice for technology -- but unfortunately without any of the excitement.

Two apps get the spotlight in the premiere episode: Pair, an augmented reality app that helps with interior decoration, and Companion, which pairs individuals with designated buddies for security purposes. Both are downloadable on the App Store, which gives the show a unique interactivity, but that's one of few things going for it.

After the escalator pitch, contestants have an opportunity to give the judges a more in-depth presentation, which they can only do if at least one judge gives the green light. After the presentation, judges decide whether to stay green, and one of them becomes the creators' mentor moving forward.

Pair's creator teams up with Alba, and the 22-year-old University of Michigan alumni behind Companion get their dream mentor of Vaynerchuk, who comes off as a bit of a catastrophist in their early meetings (the apps young creators are far more charismatic in their vulnerability).

If you're familiar with the world of apps and their genesis, Planet of the Appscould be compelling, but if you're not, the show is a slog. The most compelling parts are the human struggles, such as Companion having to scramble for money after Google launches an almost identical product. Human drama drives reality television -- it's what makes the tech-heavy Silicon Valley so exquisitely watchable. In dissecting the technology that arguably divides us socially, Planet of the Appsloses a lot of humanity.

The first episode is available free on the iTunes store, and the second available for purchase. The first is slow, but later episodes may pick up, especially judging by this tweet:

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