Apple Working on 'Are You Sleeping' TV Show Starring Octavia Spencer

Apple has yet another new original television show in the works, which will star Octavia Spencer, known for her work in movies like "Hidden Figures," "The Help," "Gifted," and "The Shape of Water."

According to Variety, the upcoming series is a drama called "Are You Sleeping," which is based on a novel by Kathleen Barber.

octaviabutler

Image of Octavia Spencer via Variety

Described as a psychological thriller, the book focuses on a podcast that reopens a murder case, similar to the popular "Serial" podcast. The novel explores how the reopening of the murder case impacts the victim's daughter and disrupts her life. Sarah Koenig, who created and produced the "Serial" podcast, will consult on the series.

"Are You Sleeping" was written by Nichelle Tramble Spellman, and the series will be produced by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Chernin Entertainment/Endeavor Content.

Apple is also working with Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine on an as of yet untitled "morning show drama" that will take a look into the "cutthroat world" of morning TV.

Along with these two TV shows, Apple has picked up two additional shows, including a revival of 1985 Steven Spielberg sci-fi series "Amazing Stories" and an untitled space drama developed by Ronald D. Moore, known for "Battlestar Galactica."

Apple has been heavily pursuing original content since June of 2017, which is when it hired former Sony executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht to form a new video unit. Van Amburg and Erlicht, who produced shows like "Breaking Bad," "The Crown," and "Better Call Saul," are running Apple's video programming efforts on a worldwide scale under iTunes chief Eddy Cue. Since June, Apple has made multiple high-profile TV-related hires and has opened an office at The Culver Studios in Los Angeles.

It's not yet clear when the first of Apple's original TV shows will premiere, but it's possible at least one of these will be ready in time for a 2018 debut.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)

Top Rated Comments

Asarien Avatar
68 months ago
Apple is such a lame company these days.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miniyou64 Avatar
68 months ago
I remember when Steve Jobs talked about having such a small number of products in their lineup so they could be laser focused on quality. Cook’s Apple just wants to dilute itself to be like every other company. Ugh.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sevvere Avatar
68 months ago
Apple is no longer a technology company, it is a fashion company wanting to be a movie studio.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sully54 Avatar
68 months ago
Apple’s services business, as profitable as it may be, is a huge mess. People are paying for separate subscription for iCloud and Apple Music. Add a TV component and that’s now 3 different subscriptions.

They should take a page from amazon and put all of their subscription services under one sunscription and have different tiers depending on what services are important to each customer.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GrumpyMom Avatar
68 months ago
I loved Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures. I don’t watch tv shows anymore, but this sounds interesting and miles above something like Planet of the Apps.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snowboarder Avatar
68 months ago
A fresh good show requires a couple of guys with a fresh idea.
Apple is an opposite of this, a corporation hiring an army of writers to over-digest any idea and make it boring
and completely unwatchable.
That's what they did to their advertising effort, organizing an in-house "agency" of 1000
unable to create any fresh advertising. Good luck :(
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
apple tv 4k red image

Apple Releases tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

Monday March 27, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3. The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update....
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...