Apple adds Octavia Spencer TV show to growing lineup

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octavia spencer
Octavia Spencer is bringing her talents to Apple's TV team.
Photo: Hopper Stone/Hopper Stone, SMPSP

Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine has scored its third TV deal with Apple’s original video content creation team.

Apple has officially ordered one season of “Are You Sleeping,” which will feature Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer in the starring role.

Hello Sunshine is producing two other shows for Apple: a comedy starring Kristen Wiig and another show about a morning TV show news crew with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Anniston set to star.

“Are You Sleeping” is based on a novel by Kathleen Barber. The book examines the country’s fascination with true-crime stories. It sounds like a bit like Serial in TV format as a popular podcast host goes probing into an unsolved murder case that unravels secrets of the victim’s daughter.

Apple ordered 10 episodes of the series to start with. There’s no word yet on when it will be ready for release. Nichelle Tramble Spellman who created “The Good Wife” will serve as the show’s showrunner and creator.

Apple’s TV team has been scooping up a handful of projects in recent months. The company has TV shows in the works that are being created by Hollywood icons like Damien Chazelle, M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, Ronald D. Moore, and more.

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