Apple and the mighty Dr. Dre are creating an original television show.
It’s been discovered that the company and Dr. Dre (real name Andre Young), who works as one of its executives, will have Dr. Dre starring 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.
The show has been described as semi-autobiographical to Dr. Dre, 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.
The episodes are said to be half an hour each, but won’t serve as a comedy. The episodes have been described as a dark drama with a fair amount of violence and sex, up to and including an orgy scene.
Veteran music video director Paul Hunter is helming Vital Signs, which is also being produced under his Eye Candy banner alongside producers Aaron Ginsburg and William Green. Empire co-exec producer-writer Robert Munic was hand-picked by Dre to write all six episodes and exec produce. The first season will roll out all at once, regardless of venue, a la Netflix. Apple is said to be very bullish on the project.
Apple has apparently been interested in original programming for a few years now, its ears perking up with Netflix and Amazon’s success in the field. The company had a hand in streaming a Taylor Swift concert as well as a visual version of DJ Khaled’s radio show. But Vital Signs would mark the first concrete investment for the company in scripted television. Apple has no TV studio or real development team, though some execs made the Hollywood studio rounds during summer 2015.
Vital Signs is currently the only scripted original at Apple, though the company is said to be open to working with artists who already have a relationship there before staffing up a scripted department.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.