Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics didn’t just give it access to the company’s audio and streaming technologies, it also helped Apple form a business relationship with Dr. Dre, and it’s been taking advantage of that relationship to help with its expansion into the entertainment market. Dre has already helped boost the popularity of Apple Music and iTunes by releasing his final album exclusively through the two services, but now he’s reportedly working with Apple to create the company’s first scripted television series. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, the series will be a semi-autobiographical drama starring Dre, and it’s going to feature copious amounts of sex and violence.
Apple is making its first original television show. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the technology giant is backing a top-secret scripted series starring one of its own executives, Beats co-founder and rap legend Dr. Dre. Multiple sources say the 50-year-old mogul 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. Those who have seen descriptions of the Dr. Dre show say it is billed as semi-autobiographical, 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. While technically a half-hour, the show is not a comedy. Instead, it is described as a dark drama with no shortage of violence and sex. In fact, an episode filming Monday and Tuesday this week featured an extended orgy scene. Sources tell THR that naked extras simulated sex in a mansion in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills.
