How to watch The Big Cigar: stream the true historical drama online

André Holland as Huey P. Newton in a wicker chair in The Big Cigar
(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

A fascinating but little-known facet of history is getting a TV adaptation when The Big Cigar rebuts on Friday, May 17, and we'll help you figure out how to watch it.

Quick links

Streaming: Apple TV Plus
Debut:
Friday, May 17 (two episodes)
Episodes:
6
Free trial:
Apple TV Plus free trials

The Big Cigar depicts the story of Huey P. Newton, who was the founder of the Black Panther party. In the 1970s, when being hunted by law enforcement, Newton fled the US to Canada, under the guise of a movie production.

Starring André Holland, Tiffany Boone, Alessandro Nivola and P.J. Byrne, The Big Cigar dramatizes this chain of events over the course of six episodes.

So here's how to watch The Big Cigar online.

How to watch The Big Cigar

You will be able to watch all of The Big Cigar in one place and one place only: that's on Apple TV Plus, the streaming service owned by Apple.

Apple TV Plus costs $9.99 / £8.99 per month for its standard plan; the $/£14.99 MLS plan is for Major League Soccer streaming and it won't let you watch The Big Cigar.

The Big Cigar was created exclusively for Apple TV Plus, so it's very unlikely that you'll see it land on any other streaming services.

The Big Cigar episode release dates

The first two episodes of The Big Cigar will hit Apple TV Plus at the same time, with subsequent episodes releasing once per week. 

Here's when each episode will come out:

  • Panther/Producer — Friday, May 17
  • The Cuban — Friday, May 17
  • Guns & Matzah — Friday, May 24
  • What Are Friends For? — Friday, May 31
  • Lost Paradise — Friday, June 7
  • The Pirate — Friday, June 14

How to watch The Big Cigar for free

If you're not currently a subscriber to Apple TV Plus, you can sign up for a limited time at no cost, in order to test out the service.

We have a guide to the best Apple TV Plus free trials which will help new subscribers find a way to sign up for free. These range from one to twelve months long, and are mostly for subscribers to other services or plans, but some are available to anyone.

CATEGORIES
Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Editor

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce editor at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK.

As the site's streaming expert he covers new additions, hidden gems, round-ups and big news for the biggest VOD platforms like Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Prime Video and Tubi. He also handles the site's articles on how to watch various movies, TV shows, sports, live events and classic box sets, and coverage on hardware like TVs, soundbars and streaming sticks.

You can commonly find him at film festivals, seeing classic movies shown on the big screen, or going to Q&As from his favorite film-makers and stars.

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