Apple, in a similar vein to Netflix and Amazon, will soon be developing its very first original TV show. The tech behemoth has been rumored to be exploring the idea of producing its own original entertainment content. Now it seems the company has come up with a vision for its first project, according to a report from the The New York Times.
Apple announced Thursday it has commissioned rapper Will.i.am and TV executives Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens to start work on a show about the “app economy.” What that entails is anyone’s guess. The company only went so far as to reveal the most basic details of the project.
Details about the production are scant, and it was unclear how directly the show would promote or refer to Apple’s own app store. Executives declined to discuss specifics, such as financing, title, timeline, storylines, episode length or how people will watch the show.
Despite the public relations sounding subject matter, Silverman, not Apple, was the one who came up with this particular idea and brought it to the company. Silverman is an executive producer on multiple shows including, “Jane the Virgin,” “Flaked,” and “Marco Polo.”
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said this program was, “Perfectly tailored for Apple,” but that it did not signal a larger shift in the company towards creating original content.
This project appears to be different from the one rumored to be involving Dr. Dre as an actor and a producer. Apple of course purchased Dr. Dre’s company Beats Electronic in 2014, and was reportedly interested in creating a semi-autobiographical show about the rap legend.
With so little details it is hard to judge the viability of this idea, but at least the subject matter certainly broaches new ground.
