Apple is planning to launch its first original TV show that will be an unscripted series about mobile apps and app developers. A member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas and TV executives with past ties to NBC, Netflix, and National Geographic will be involved in the project.
will.i.am is a singer and songwriter who has also starred in "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and coached singers on "The Voice UK." Meanwhile, Ben Silverman was the co-chairman at NBC Entertainment, and Howard T. Owens served as president of National Geographic Channels.
However, few details have been provided about the tech giant's new TV series. It declined to provide details such as the title, episode length, storylines, and financing, according to The New York Times.
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue told The New York Post the company will distribute the show across its own devices, which include iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TV. He also added that the company will be very participatory in the project and will not just add its brand name to the TV show.
Cue is VP of software and services at Apple. He said in an interview that one of the main features of the App Store is that people have "great ideas" about new mobile applications to create.
Silverman brought the idea of the new TV show to Apple almost a decade ago. He was an executive producer of NBC's "The Office," which was later offered on iTunes. Apple thought the concept was a good one for the California-based company.
There have also been past reports that Apple would produce a new TV show that stars rap producer and Beats Electronics co-founder Dr. Dre, according to Tech Crunch. After the Post asked Cue if Apple would compete with Hollywood producers he joked that it was trying to take on The Walt Disney Company.
Apple's original TV show builds on its music category that has released Taylor Swift's 1989 world tour and featured video interviews with musicians such as Adele.
However, Cue shared that Apple did not have big plans for original programming and streaming video. Last year the world's second most valuable public company was reportedly in talks with several TV companies about launching a streaming television service.
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