Severance: Ben Stiller and Eddy Cue talk about the show's target audience at SXSW

Severance, a hit on Apple TV+, stood out at SXSW 2025 for its unique approach to capturing viewers. The show's executive producer and director, Ben Stiller, and Apple’s senior VP of services, Eddy Cue, talked about the series' success. They highlighted Apple's focus on quality content that resonates widely.

The duo discussed how Severance is not just for a specific/niche group of people; it's meant to appeal to everyone in the audience.

Cue expressed this at the March 9th event, saying,

“When you do something that’s great, it should resonate with a lot of people—and hopefully everyone.”

Stiller also touched on the difficulty of making a mark in the crowded TV world. This shows the effectiveness of their strategy to create content that can be enjoyed by a broad audience.

He asked Cue:

“There’s so much out there… How do you actually get a conglomerate of people who are paying attention to the thing you’re making?”

The answer? Apple’s strategy relies on precision and selectivity.

Cue explained:

“We’re not going to throw 20 shows up against the wall and hope that one sticks. The ones we do, they all need to stick.”

---

The Severance phenomenon is a rare success in peak TV

Few shows manage to cut through the noise of modern television, but Severance has achieved that. Cue pointed out that the series has huge audience engagement—through YouTube breakdowns, podcasts, or online discussions.

He said:

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a show like this, where it’s captured so many people’s imagination and the culture.”

Apple TV+ has a clear focus on quality over quantity, which is shown by the success of Severance. The platform has gained recognition for choosing only a few, top-notch productions. Unlike other networks that put out lots of shows and hope for some to be successful, Apple picks high-quality ones.

This has worked for Severance, making it one of the most popular series right now.

Cue noted:

“This reminds me of shows back in the days when television— you tune in on a particular night and everybody was so excited all week to get to the next episode.”

---

Severance resulted from the Apple-Ben Stiller collab

During the panel discussion, Ben Stiller talked about how the show came together and thanked Apple TV+ bosses Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht for supporting his creative decisions. He mentioned casting Adam Scott as a key choice.

Stiller had Scott in mind for the role of Mark from the beginning. Apple had a different idea of what Mark should be like, but Stiller was convinced that Scott was the right fit. Despite the team's initial vision, Stiller's persistence paid off.

He argued,

“I really think Adam would be the guy.”

After a successful audition, Adam Scott began this creative collaboration with Stiller. This partnership highlights Apple TV+'s openness to work with filmmakers and their boldness in supporting unique storytelling.

Unlike typical studios that focus on making many shows, Apple TV+ is more careful, only choosing projects that fit their idea of top-notch entertainment.

Apple seems to be staying true to their strategy of quality over quantity. The show's much-anticipated Season 2 finale will be released on March 21, 2025.

---

Severance is available on Apple TV+.

SXSW attendees can watch the discussion via the festival’s YouTube channel.