Showrunner for Upcoming 'Amazing Stories' Series Exits After Apple Requests Family Friendly Content

[MacRumors]

Bryan Fuller, who was set to serve as showrunner on Apple's upcoming "Amazing Stories" reboot has opted to cut ties with Apple over creative differences, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Fuller is said to have wanted to turn "Amazing Stories" into a Black Mirror-style show, while Apple is aiming for a more family friendly series.

"Amazing Stories," which Apple picked up in October, is a science fiction and horror series created by Steven Spielberg. It originally ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987, and during the two years that it aired, the show won five Emmy Awards. The show focused on a new topic each episode, similar to "Tales From the Crypt" and Twilight Zone."

Fuller has been involved with "Amazing Stories" since 2015, and was originally set to write the script for the show before Steven Spielberg became involved. Fuller has, in the past, ended several other projects because of creative and financial differences, including "American Gods" and "Star Trek: Discovery."

Previous rumors have suggested that Apple wants to produce television shows with broad appeal that are also tame enough to be shown in an Apple Store. The company is said to be shying away from content that includes nudity, raw language, and violence, and it has reportedly turned down edgier content.

Apple is planning to create 10 new episodes of "Amazing Stories," with plans to spend more than $5 million per episode. "Amazing Stories" is not yet in production and it's not clear when the series will launch.

Article Link: Showrunner for Upcoming 'Amazing Stories' Series Exits After Apple Requests Family Friendly Content

 

[Appleaker]

This is really pathetic on Apples part, it’s wrong in quite a few ways to have that approach.

 

[ropbo10]

I'm with Apple on this one.

 

[cmaier]

the article says nothing about "apple wanted family friendly." All it says is that apple didn't want "black mirror." Since apple bought "amazing stories," which is a well-known show with a well-known aesthetic, not surprising they didn't go along with the bait and switch.

 

[sputnikv]

like it or not, apple will have to embrace things that aren’t kid friendly in order to compete in the tv market

 

[Albright]

This is really pathetic on Apples part, it’s wrong in quite a few ways to have that approach.

He who pays the piper picks the tune. If he was insisting on taking the show in a direction that Apple didn't want it to go, he probably would have ended up fired anyway.

 

[BB8]

"Apple definitely wants to be like HBO, analysts know nothing!"

-Jason Snell/John Gruber

/rolleyes

 

[randolorian]

Yay for Apple. I can't watch hardly any of the original series on Netflix, Amazon, HBO, or Hulu with kids in the room. We need more family friendly shows that aren't cartoons. There's no need for the gratuitous language and sex that is prevalent in most of these shows.

 

[Iconoclysm]

"Apple definitely wants to be like HBO, analysts know nothing!"

-Jason Snell/John Gruber

/rolleyes

As much as I love HBO, violence, sex, and generally non-family friendly things...how can you not see that there's an untapped market here? Imagine NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC friendly content with the quality of paid television like HBO. Amazing Stories is a perfect example for it too.

 

[FSMBP]

This is why I feel Apple shouldn't be producing content (music or movies). How are they about equality and have artists that through slurs or have sexist content in their music? Same with movies/shows.

Let content producers be content producers. Let Apple innovate with blending hardware/software into something amazing (like they have been).

 

[cardfan]

Doesn't really matter since I have no desire to watch anything rumored by Apple so far.

 

[Cougarcat]

Haha, what did Apple expect? Brian Fuller loves his blood and gore.

Great, Brian, now patch up your differences with Starz and return to American Gods.

 

[itsmilo]

So Black Mirrors is already too much for Apple? Bless their innocent hearts bahahahaha

Great, Brian Fuller, now patch up your differences with Starz and return to American Gods.

Hes already developing his next show. Some vampire novel

 

[KrisLord]

Do you think anyone working on the TV service have looked at the audio content available on Apple Music?

 

[Creek0512]

So in less than a year Bryan Fuller has left 3 high profile projects, sounds like he's just impossible to work with.

 

[Richard28]

oh dear... this apple tv venture is looking lame before it even starts....another reason Apple should never buy netflix!

 

[gnomeisland]

As much as I love HBO, violence, sex, and generally non-family friendly things...how can you not see that there's an untapped market here? Imagine NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC friendly content with the quality of paid television like HBO. Amazing Stories is a perfect example for it too.

As much as my wife and I do like ST: Discovery (well, she feels it lacks the ST ethos) we remember watching Star Trek as a family and it wasn't like ST didn't touch on some adult topics. I'm not advocating all entertainment be "family friendly" but I think Apple's going for a hug untapped market.

 

[BittenApple]

APPLE CENSOR RESTRICT

 

[kutzcd]

Anyone that watched the original Amazing Stories knows that Black Mirror is not that same aesthetic. This show is more in line with a light-hearted version of Twilight Zone. I don't all of Apple's content should be rated G, but clearly, they want to keep the feel of the original series. I hope they get it right. That was an amazingly creative show that helped launch a ton of careers.

 

[Cougarcat]

Apple may want most of their stuff to appeal to a general audience, but I highly doubt Ron Moore would have agreed to do a show of an alternate future where “the global space race had never ended" if it had to be family-friendly. They aren't going to be HBO but they're not going to be Disney, either.

 

[Dario69]

This is really pathetic on Apples part, it’s wrong in quite a few ways to have that approach.

How so? Please provide reasons.

Amazing Stories was a family friendly show. It was on Sundays at 7 or 8 pm I believe. Not your typical Black mirror fare. It sounds like Apple just wants to continue in the honor of the original show. Why tarnish its legacy by turning it into a Black Mirror rip off? I love Black Mirror but I also loved Amazing Stories. I for one am glad they stopped this guy from choosing the lazy route.

 

[oghowie]

Not surprised after seeing them choose Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps...

 

[aidler]

So in essence Apple opted to produce only boring content.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Apple had been working on a show called Vital Signs featuring Dr. Dre that apparently included orgy scenes. It may have been scrapped because it was supposed to come out a while ago.

It should be noted that Dr. Dre is a family man, as he has created 5 families with 5 different women.

 

[budselectjr]

Just buy Disney then