Cue denies Apple execs pass notes to studios filming Apple TV+ shows
Despite a report to the contrary, Apple executives are not taking a hand in sanitizing the initial slate of Apple TV+ shows due this fall, according to software and services VP Eddy Cue.
Jason Momoa in Apple's "See."
"I saw the comments that myself and Tim were writing notes on the scripts and whatever," Cue told GQ in an interview. "There's never been one note passed from us on scripts, that I can assure you. We leave the folks who know [what] they're doing [alone]."
In March, the New York Post cited multiple producers as saying Apple executives were sending notes to studios. One of those executives was even said to be CEO Tim Cook, who allegedly used "Don't be so mean!" as his most frequent criticism.
Cook never wrote any such thing, Cue argued to GQ.
"I can assure you that was 100 per cent false," Cue said. "He [Cook] didn't say, 'Don't be so mean.' He didn't say anything about a script."
The VP didn't address another Post accusation, which is that Cook and Apple are blocking stories that portray technology in a negative light. A show like Netflix's popular "Black Mirror," in other words, would be impossible.
Apple is "ultimately trying to create shows for everyone," Cue continued. "So we have shows that are dedicated to small kids. And we have shows that are dedicated to mature adults. So we're going to do a lot of different shows and what we're going to do is hopefully create the best shows on TV."
The executive cited "The Morning Show" -- starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell -- as evidence Apple is willing to allow mature content.
"It's a show about women in the workplace and some of the issues that happen to them are definitely not appropriate for you to watch with an eight-year-old," he said, citing "language" as another thing that makes it adults-only.
Even prior to the Post however reports suggested that Apple will maintain tame standards when it comes to sex and violence. That could make it tougher to compete with the likes of Netflix and HBO, the latter of which is famous -- or infamous -- for holding back very few punches. Apple is even said to have turned down an eight-part series by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron.
Jason Momoa in Apple's "See."
"I saw the comments that myself and Tim were writing notes on the scripts and whatever," Cue told GQ in an interview. "There's never been one note passed from us on scripts, that I can assure you. We leave the folks who know [what] they're doing [alone]."
In March, the New York Post cited multiple producers as saying Apple executives were sending notes to studios. One of those executives was even said to be CEO Tim Cook, who allegedly used "Don't be so mean!" as his most frequent criticism.
Cook never wrote any such thing, Cue argued to GQ.
"I can assure you that was 100 per cent false," Cue said. "He [Cook] didn't say, 'Don't be so mean.' He didn't say anything about a script."
The VP didn't address another Post accusation, which is that Cook and Apple are blocking stories that portray technology in a negative light. A show like Netflix's popular "Black Mirror," in other words, would be impossible.
Apple is "ultimately trying to create shows for everyone," Cue continued. "So we have shows that are dedicated to small kids. And we have shows that are dedicated to mature adults. So we're going to do a lot of different shows and what we're going to do is hopefully create the best shows on TV."
The executive cited "The Morning Show" -- starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell -- as evidence Apple is willing to allow mature content.
"It's a show about women in the workplace and some of the issues that happen to them are definitely not appropriate for you to watch with an eight-year-old," he said, citing "language" as another thing that makes it adults-only.
Even prior to the Post however reports suggested that Apple will maintain tame standards when it comes to sex and violence. That could make it tougher to compete with the likes of Netflix and HBO, the latter of which is famous -- or infamous -- for holding back very few punches. Apple is even said to have turned down an eight-part series by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron.
Comments
I do have to agree that I am not sure Apple TV service will be successful trying to be tamed. Netflx & HBO content is successful because the jump well over the tamed line. Apple is trying to play in the Disney sand box which I do not think will go well for them.
Downton Abbey is about as “tame” as it gets but is still a compelling drama. Drama isn’t about explicit content. Drama is about effective storytelling.
Here’s a novel idea. How about you wait till the content is actually released. Then form an opinion.
Will we see all those quick to treat anonymous rumors as facts now retract their judgment and scorn? Nahhh.
As someone pointed out Pixar was successful for Steve and he sold it to Disney, maybe not a smart move if Steve had thought about the overall Apple content directions. Steve thought years in the future about products, but he kind of missed this one.
Also Pixar was successful since it appealed to the kids in all of us, but it there is enough adult innuendo to keep adults coming back
Steve didn't miss anything because he considered facts that you did not. He also did not have the benefit of your 13 years of hindsight.
First, Pixar did not own any of the movies it produced in the 10 or so years leading up to the sale. Disney had exclusive ownership and control over the content, and was solely responsible for marketing and distribution. Pixar was basically nothing without Disney, and if it still existed today, it's not clear how that would benefit Apple.
Second, Pixar was a public company, and Jobs owed a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize value for the company. Holding on to a company for the sake of some vision that may or may not materialize 10-20 years in the future would be criminally insane.
Third, Apple did not own Pixar. Your analysis that it was not a "smart move" therefore necessarily assumes that Apple would eventually buy Pixar, or enter into the same sort of agreement that Apple now has with Disney with respect to content distribution. But Apple does have that agreement, so the only benefit would be some cost savings from ownership.
But Apple buying Pixar made zero sense then, and really doesn't make much sense now. At the time Apple was fundamentally a hardware company, and was knee deep in developing the first iPhone. Even if Steve Jobs was psychic, it would have been nuts for Apple to spend $7 billion for a business that bore zero rational relationship to its then-current business simply so it could have content for some undefined service that may or may not exist 15 years down the road. Plus it would still not own the content.
But hey, the public wants this stuff, right? Family oriented films are so boring, right? Who wants to see a Dumbo remake anyway? Let’s have all this debased, no boundaries, anything goes, amoral crap 24/7/365 and shame on Apple for not giving it to us. If I want to watch someone’s bowels being removed with a carving knife and then dragged around on the floor that’s my business, right?
Of course they won’t. They’ll just add another conspirator to the mix and continue on. Cook is lying, Cue is lying, all Apple execs are lying pieces of crap. Remember, it’s all about confirming their own biases and prejudices against Apple, not the truth, if there even is truth anymore.
All because Apple won’t build a tower that has slots for no more than $999.00.
Explicit content can be used as part of compelling drama, but it is not what makes compelling drama effective.
"The Mona Lisa had a woman with dark hair! This painting doesn't have a woman with dark hair so it won't be as popular!!" -- that is basically what you're saying, and it's poppycock. There are plenty of other effective paintings with differing attributes. That's the beauty of art.
Buy hey, I'm just a liberal arts graduate who programs computers for a living
Bahaha. Yes.
That's a great point. The timing just wasn't there I guess.
Can we get an apology from the commenters who demanded Cooks head on a platter over this rumor?
"There's never been one note passed from us on scripts, that I can assure you. We leave the folks who know [what] they're doing [alone]."
Makes more sense than any rumor I've read on the subject.
In all honesty, I think his real death bed vision of TV was ATV would be the hub of video distribution from any source of content. It would eliminate the set top box with a much better UI experience. Apple was in conversation with Time-Warner before Comcast step in and tried to buy them and put an end to the deal. Today Spectrum TV offers all their cable content via and ATV if you like, you can have cable subscription along with your A la carte content. Image you could subscribe to any content provider like Spectrum, Comcast, Verizon or Directv anywhere in the US where you have broadband internet access, you now have the power to negotiate for your content, verse today you have local cable company and they get to set the price. I believe this was the original direction Apple was head long before Netflix figure out unique content would be the new driver. The cable company did not want Apple replacing the settop box they make money leasing it to you every month.
And then you watch the Onion reviewing Toy Story 4 and realize how much darker it could have been.
1. Claim you don’t.