by Jason Snell
Dr. Dre filming scripted TV series for Apple
In an exclusive for The Hollywood Reporter, Michael O’Connell and Lesley Goldberg report that Apple’s first scripted TV series is currently being filmed:
Multiple sources say [Dr. Dre] 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.
There has been a lot of talk about Apple launching its own original television content, and I’ve been skeptical of Apple trying to be its own Netflix or HBO. But this makes a whole lot more sense, if it’s tied in directly to Apple Music. Just as Amazon Prime is a membership that gets you free two-day shipping and also a video streaming service, maybe Apple Music is a subscription music service that also gives you access to original TV shows about music as well as concert films.