Apple's first TV show is based around a cheesy pun (AAPL)
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People who crave reality TV fame and have the skills to put together a killer iPhone app are in luck, because the first TV show that Apple will produce has started casting.
The show, called "Planet of the Apps" — you know, like that movie, but with apps — is accepting online applications through the end of August.
The TV show was first announced early this year in The New York Times, but its newly posted website gives a lot more clues about what the show will look like. From the website:
Executive producers will.i.am, Ben Silverman, and Howard Owens are teaming up for an unscripted series about the world of apps and the talented people that drive its innovation. They’re looking for developers with the vision to shape the future, solve real problems, and inspire change within our daily lives.
The show is a "Shark Tank" style reality TV show in which "100 of the world's most talented app creators" will build their apps and receive help from "some of the most influential experts in the tech community."
The winning apps will receive featured placement in Apple's App Store, and can potentially receive investment from a "top-tier VC."
Filming will take place starting in October and will run through "late 2016" or "early 2017." Because Apple is funding it, you can expect it to air on one of its platforms, but the actual broadcast details and date are still a secret.
Although the VCs and tech experts participating haven't been revealed yet, there is at least one Silicon Valley figure participating. The Dr. Zaius of "Planet of the Apps" will be Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover, who announced his participation in the project in a Medium post:
Tech is increasingly shaping our culture, much like art, sports, and politics. The apps on our homescreen influence our daily lives and interactions with friends and family. Kids today idolize Zuckerberg the same way my parents admired Cat Stevens. There’s never been a better time for a show about tech.