If you like a healthy dose of sex and violence in your TV, and you’re thinking of subscribing to Apple’s upcoming streaming service, then you might be disappointed. According to a story in The Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down to watch the service’s first scripted series — Vital Signs, about the life of rap mogul Dr. Dre — and what he saw gave him the vapors. The show featured cocaine use, an orgy and “drawn guns.” Cook took one look at the show and nixed it. Per WSJ, that’s indicative of the tech giant’s approach as it goes hunting for content; the company wants nothing to do with shows that contain “gratuitous sex, profanity or violence.”
Will this strategy hurt Apple’s chances of being competitive in the kill-or-be-killed streaming market? Netflix offers a wide variety of programming, from kid-friendly shows like Care Bears & Cousins to dark and gritty programming like MIndhunter and The Punisher. Amazon also has a lot of variety; The Dangerous Book for Boys is totally targeted toward families, butThe Man in the High Castle is considerably more edgy.
And of course, HBO has no qualms about nudity and brutality. We don’t need to tell you that; this is a Game of Thrones fansite. Then there’s DC Universe, a new superhero-focused streaming service so hardcore a trailer for the show Titans featured Robin straight-up saying, “F**k Batman.” Apple no like.
Apple’s refusal to air harder content could have far-reaching effects on the company, explains former NBC and Fox programming executive Preston Beckman. “For Netflix, the only risk is that people don’t subscribe,” he said. “With Apple, you can say, ‘I’m going to punish them by not buying their phone or computer.’”
And Apple isn’t afraid to get into the details. When director M. Night Shyamalan’s pitched a show about a couple who lose a young child, executives asked that he remove the crucifixes in the couple’s house, because they didn’t want shows that dealt with religion or politics. This is a far cry from Netflix, which launched its own original programming odyssey with House of Cards, about a corrupt politician.
Still, WSJ notes that not all directors and producers are running into problems. Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick) and Lee Eisenberg have had no issues getting their series, Little America, off the ground. Then again, that show “will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and unexpected lives of immigrants in America,” and doesn’t sound in too much danger of a surprise murder orgy.
Still, creators are confused as to where exactly Apple draws the line. “I’m not sure myself what they’re after,” said Shawn Ryan, the guy behind The Shield, from FX. Even Steven Spielberg isn’t safe from the all-seeing eye of Apple. The company is producing a reboot of Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories, but removed the original showrunners because their vision for the show veered a bit too dark. My childhood weeps.
Unsurprisingly, it sounds like this tone is set at the top. According to WSJ, Tim Cook’s favorite TV shows are Friday Night Lights and Madame Secretary, which are good shows, but very tame. Again I ask: is that the right sensibility to compete in an environment where edgier material can help set shows and platforms apart?
People within Apple may have some of the same concerns, as Apple has pushed back the release of its first slate of shows a couple of times already, and at least one producer thinks it will happen again. By the time it finally happens, Apple could be trying to take a slice of the pie that isn’t there anymore.
Meanwhile, Disney is launching its own streaming service in 2019, and has plans to spend boatloads of cash on a live-action Star Wars series. Walmart is reportedly getting into the streaming game, too, and at the low price of $8 a month, HBO’s new overlords AT&T want to become a bigger player. And let’s not forget Hulu, who’s Handmaid’s Tale is an Emmy darling.
On the flip side, going family-friendly could help set Apple stand out amid a sea of content creators attempting to out-grim each other. At the moment, Apple is hoping to drop new content in March of 2019. We’ll see if their strategy will pay off.
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