Rashida Jones uncovers an AI-fueled mystery in the AppleTV+ series 'Sunny'

That old showbiz adage about never working with children or animals is in need of an update.

“Robots should be on that list,” says Katie Robbins, the creator and showrunner of the Apple TV+ series “Sunny.” The 10-episode drama, produced by A24 and starring Rashida Jones, is set in a near-future Japan where domestic “homebots” have become ubiquitous. They do the housework, provide emotional support, and bear a more than passing resemblance to Pepper, SoftBank’s now-discontinued humanoid robot.

Rather than take the CGI route to create the show’s title character, Robbins, director Lucy Tcherniak and their creative team collaborated with New Zealand’s Wētā Workshop to make an animatronic bot that could interact with the cast.