The Hollywood Reporter:
Apple is making its first original television show. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the technology giant is backing a top-secret scripted series starring one of its own executives, Beats co-founder and rap legend Dr. Dre.
Multiple sources say the 50-year-old mogul is starring in and executive producing his own six-episode vehicle, dubbed Vital Signs, and the production is being bankrolled by Apple. The series likely will be distributed via Apple Music, the company’s subscription streaming site, but it’s not clear if Apple TV, the iTunes store or other Apple platforms (or even a traditional television distributor) will be involved. Apple and a rep for Dre declined to comment.
Those who have seen descriptions of the Dr. Dre show say it is billed as semi-autobiographical, with each episode focusing on a different emotion and how Dre’s character deals with it. Sources say that Sam Rockwell and Mo McCrae (Murder in the First) are among the additional cast.
So far, so good. But then the article goes on to say:
While technically a half-hour, the show is not a comedy. Instead, it is described as a dark drama with no shortage of violence and sex. In fact, an episode filming Monday and Tuesday this week featured an extended orgy scene. Sources tell THR that naked extras simulated sex in a mansion in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills.
Does this sound like something Apple would feature as their first foray into exclusive content?
Steve never would have let this happen! /s
Garbage and poison from the group that brought you Beats.
I’d like to be skeptical, but how many billion did Apple spend on Dre to begin with?
poison? go back to Utah, man.
and Beats is an annual billion-dollar business. theyre the leading headphone brand to the mass market, and considering their enormous success, the only reason i can imagine techies hate their purchase is the fact that their products are so popular with black consumers.
pathetic.
im quite surprised to see how many techies are getting their tidy-whities in a bunch over sex & violence.
yet i bet you all loved The Wire, amirite?
Speaking for myself only, it does seem out of place considering their stand on sex and violence in the App Store. I have no problem with the show (or any interest in seeing it), but this does feel like a sea change for Apple.
You are all a bunch of babies who have never given the world go hip hop a passing thought, or considered its potential for social change. You should be embarrassed, or at least ashamed.
Nothing Eddy Cue does surprises me. He pushed for the Beats acquisition, I’m sure he signed off on this too.
what on earth does the App Store have to do with anything? are we talking about apps? er, no. the more obvious store to look to is the iTunes Store, where rated-R content abounds. you can buy music, movie and tv shows with all sorts of naughty bits.
as yes, Beats, the #1 headphone company and accessory maker for apple products, and a billion-dollar business. so hard to understand the numbers behind that one…not.
Right because Apple needed to get in the headphone business. Besides they bought Beats at its peak. Based on comments from Tim Cook in earnings calls, Beats revenue is actually declining.
you forgot Music – Apple used Beats to launch Apple Music. I have a friend who worked for Beats and they’re now the Apple Music team.
you’re doing what you accuse others of — damning Apple for not diversifying, then damning them when they do (new profit stream).
if you have facts that show Beats is doing poorly, I’d love to see them. I’ll wait.
❝my .friend’s mate Is getting 98$. HOURLY. on the internet.❞….two days ago new McLaren. F1 bought after earning 18,512$,,,this was my previous month’s paycheck ,and-a little over, 17k$ Last month .,3-5 h/r of work a day ..with extra open doors & weekly. paychecks.. it’s realy the easiest work I have ever Do.. I Joined This 7 months ago and now making over 87$, p/h.Learn. More right Here;|232➤➤➤➤➤ http://GlobalSuperEmploymentVacanciesReportsWorld/GetPaid/98$hourly…. .❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2:❦2::::;|232……..
The iTunes Store and the App Store aren’t the same. The iTunes Store is just an online retailer of other people’s content and not even the first to do it. As such, the content providers and other retailers have a say in what’s available in the store. Apple has to offer explicit lyrics and R rated movies to keep up with other outlets and to meet the conditions of a multitude of contracts with the content providers.
The App Store, on the other hand, is 100% Apple’s domain in that they created a store for a new type of product from scratch and govern how it will operate by themselves with no external influences. In the marketplace that they control, they’ve made it very clear that they do not allow ‘mature’ content and they have the power to restrict it.
That’s why I compared this news to the App Store. While it wouldn’t be unusual for Apple to sell “Vital Signs” in the iTunes Store, based on their behaviour with the App Store it is remarkable that they are bankrolling such a project.
“go back to Utah, man.”
I’m usually in agreement with you kyron. But not this time.
Admittedly this isn’t my sport, but original programming with stuff like the “extended orgy scene”, if the rumor’s indeed accurate, seems not only un-Apple-like, it’s un-any-NON-entertainment company I can think of.
I also draw parallels between Apple original programming and Apple’s foray into in-house advertising. OP is something better created through a 3rd-party partnership, regardless of the OP’s content, for a lot of reasons.
Oh, the outrage. I’ll bet the actual show proves far less incendiary than the carefully-planted rumor about it.
I would guess the article is an attempt to troll or the show is so secret, even Apple upper management does not know the full details…