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Survival drama leaves Tom Hanks ‘Cast Away’

At a crossroads: Past choices lead down new paths in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2

Smackdown Sundays: A&E keeps focus on wrestling with three back-to-back shows

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April 12 – April 18, 2025

Food for thought: Oyelowo, Apple bring ‘Government Cheese’ to the table BY DANA SIMPSON It comes as no surprise that television — like movies, books, music and visual arts — is often a reflection of our own reality, whether current, past or (perhaps most frighteningly) future. Whether these art forms choose to tackle political tensions, social developments, financial stressors or pop-culture sensations, the artists behind the project often have a message to deliver. With respect to the newest Apple TV+ dramedy series, “Government Cheese,” it’s clear that its creators’ message is, at its roots, a comment on society as an institution and the endemic problems therein. From the minds behind “Yellowjackets,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Reservation Dogs” and “Rel,” “Government Cheese” premieres Wednesday, April 16, on Apple TV+. “Selma” (2014) and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” star David Oyelowo leads “Government Cheese” as formerly incarcerated ideas man Hampton Chambers, who has vowed to change his ways after being released from prison for a series of “smash and grabs.” Now enjoying the perks of his relative freedom in late-1960s California, Hampton is pleased to be able to spend time with his wife, Astoria (played by “Luke Cage” and “All Rise” actress Simone Missick), and their two sons, Einstein (Evan Ellison, “Devil in Ohio”) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston, “Queen & Slim,” 2019) — but something is missing. Powered by his desire to succeed, provide for his family and

make a name for himself as he turns his life around, Hampton invents a new household tool — named the “Bit Magician” by his son — while “[grappling] with frequent inexplicable moments of divine intervention” along the way, according to Apple. Comprised of 10 episodes in its first season, “Government Cheese” explores the racial tension associated with being Black in a predominantly white neighborhood. The series also explores the family tension associated with the return of a long-since-departed family member and the difficulties of navigating success in a world that sets up certain demographics for failure. As for the title, many Americans may already be familiar with the term, but the series’ British leading man, Oyelowo, was among those who required an explanation, Variety reports. “It’s a very intriguing title,” Oyelowo told Variety during a series preview. “A good title is a very hard thing to find — especially a title that has layered meanings and is analogous to what the show is about.” The phrase “government cheese” refers to, as Ripley.com wrote as recently as January 2024, “a salty, pale-orange substance that came in five-pound blocks,” which some might

describe “as the unfortunate (and moldy) offspring of American cheese and Velveeta.” It was, Ripley’s continues, most often “meted out to low-income families and the elderly” to help “people muscle through difficult economic times.” Once a comment on America’s past economic strife and the continued systems of oppression operating within the country today, this series has a lot to say. To add to the show’s many draws, “Government Cheese” is steeped in a very unique and colorful style. “I describe it as a parabolic, surrealist, absurdist family comedy, because it’s the only way I can quantify it,” Oyelowo said, as reported by Variety. “I hadn’t seen that before, and it’s very rare — certainly at the stage of my career that I’m at — to genuinely find and be part of something that you haven’t seen before.” The series’ ensemble cast also includes Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”), Jeremy Bobb (“The Continental”), Louis Cancelmi (“The Irishman,” 2019), Julien Heron (“Baskets”), Djilali RezKallah (“My Hero,” 2024), Louis Ferreira (“Stargate Universe”), Thomas Beaudoin (“Hubert & Fanny”), Kyle Mac (“The Boys”), John Ortiz (“Bad Monkey”) and Adam Beach (“Smoke Signals,” 1998).

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