Apple Officially Orders 'Are You Sleeping' Drama Series Starring Octavia Spencer

Apple has given a series order for 10 episodes of "Are You Sleeping," a drama series that will star Octavia Spencer, who is known for her work in movies that include "Hidden Figures," "The Help," "Gifted," and "The Shape of Water."

News of Apple's work on "Are You Sleeping" first surfaced in January, but now Variety says the company has decided to move forward with production on the show.

octaviabutler

Image of Octavia Spencer via Variety

"Are You Sleeping" is based on a novel by Kathleen Barber, which has been described as a psychological thriller. The book focuses on a podcast that reopens a murder case, similar to the popular "Serial" podcast that led to a new trial for Adnan Syed, in jail for allegedly murdering a former girlfriend. Sarah Koenig, who created and produced "Serial," will consult on "Are You Sleeping."

The novel the TV show is based on explores how the reopening of the murder case impacts the victim's daughter and disrupts her life, and it's likely the TV show will follow a similar plot.

"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 Reese Witherspoon's production company on an as of yet untitled "morning show drama" that takes a look into the cutthroat would of morning TV.

Apple now has more than a dozen television shows in the works, with a full list of what's on the horizon available in the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

It's not yet known when the first of Apple's TV shows will debut nor how they'll be distributed, but rumors have suggested we could see the first fruits of Apple's efforts in 2019.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

Nunyabinez Avatar
70 months ago
"Are you sleeping" The tragic story of how Tim Cook fell asleep at the Mac wheel and drove it into a ditch.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trip1ex Avatar
70 months ago
I think apple’s foray into video will make me puke.

I imagine it all as super safe super pc very beautifully shot saccharine tv.

I hope I am wrong.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
70 months ago
So I’m guessing this is why we can’t have nice routers anymore.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Diamond Dog Avatar
70 months ago
I don't know of anybody who's asking for this.

Octavia Spencer isn't a great actress. Unfunny and just loud.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
idunn Avatar
70 months ago
Where is the Mac Pro?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scottcampbell Avatar
70 months ago
Exactly what the MacRumors readerbase has been clamoring for!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

iPhone 15 Models Feature New Setting to Strictly Prevent Charging Beyond 80%

Tuesday September 19, 2023 2:04 pm PDT by
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...
iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x Optical Zoom Limit Feature 1

Apple Explains Why iPhone 15 Pro Max is Limited to 5x Optical Zoom

Wednesday September 20, 2023 9:52 am PDT by
In an interview with Numerama's Nicolas Lellouche, Apple's VP of camera software engineering Jon McCormack explained why the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism lens system is limited to 5x optical zoom, instead of 10x like on Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. The interview is in French, so quotes below are computer translated. Apple says the Telephoto lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max features the...