Earlier this year it was announced that Apple was planning to launch its first original TV series about the “app economy.” Now, Apple has posted an open casting call for the unscripted reality series, which we now know is called Planet of the Apps.
The show is being co-produced with Propagate, a newly launched production company co-owned by Ben Silverman, best known for The Biggest Loser, and Howard T. Owens of MasterChef Junior fame. Will.i.am will also have a hand in producing Apple’s reality series, despite his not-so-positive comments about the Apple Watch.
The casting call is looking for app creators who have a vision to “shape the future, solve real problems, and inspire change within our daily lives.” “We can really tell their stories as we explore how apps are developed and created and incubated,” Silverman says.
Apple and the producers say the program is more than just a reality show, however, as developers featured will receive mentorship from “the world’s best experts in tech and entertainment.” Developers who make it to the final round of the show will also meet with venture capitalists who will be investing up to $10 million, though Apple says developers are not required to take the money or give up any equity in their apps. Finally, apps featured in the show will also receive prime placement in the App Store.
It’s unclear when the show will air and how it will air, but shooting is expected to begin later this year and run through the beginning of 2017 in Los Angeles. Interested developers must have a functioning beta by October 21st.
Open casting calls will be held in partnership with Product Hunt in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and New York over the coming months. Propagate says these events will “be an opportunity to meet other tech entrepreneurs and hear from the team behind the series.”
If you’re interested in applying to be on the show, you can do so on the Planet of the Apps website. Interested developers must be 18-years-old and have plans to develop an iOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS app.
LOS ANGELES, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Propagate has announced a casting call for Planet of the Apps, a new unscripted series about the world of apps and the developers who create them, co-produced by Propagate and Apple. Those interested in applying can visit the series website, https://planetoftheapps.com. Online applications are being accepted through Friday, August 26.
Planet of the Apps is teaming up with Product Hunt on a four city tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and New York. The events will be an opportunity to meet other tech entrepreneurs and hear from the team behind the series. Dates will be released on the Planet of the Apps website shortly.
“Over 2 million apps are available on the App Store, with new apps published every day,” said Silverman and Owens, Co-CEOs of Propagate. “Planet of the Apps will give app creators the chance to break through and share their ideas with the world. This is an exciting format that taps into what is driving culture today. We can’t wait to see the groundbreaking ideas accepted for the show grow into viable businesses.”
About Propagate Since launching just over a year ago, Propagate has grown into a formidable business with several series in production and a number of high-profile projects in development with deals across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Beyond developing, producing and distributing scripted and unscripted content, Propagate’s plans call for the creation and global distribution of formats. The company aims to roll out ambitious new content distribution models while building a global production platform that focuses on new markets.
Propagate’s unscripted development slate includes “Lore,” based on the hit podcast and co-produced with Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment; “Unprotected” for Oxygen; “Evil Genius” for HISTORY; “My So-Called Simple Life” (working title) for FYI; a docu-series for Vivica A. Fox; and “Animal ER” for National Geographic Wild.
