Apple Deal Returns Former HBO Boss Richard Plepler To Spotlight (axios.com) 12
Apple has signed HBO's former chief executive Richard Plepler for a five-year exclusive deal (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source) to produce feature films, documentaries and original series for Apple TV+. The New York Times reports: The gregarious executive, a quintessential New York power player who spent 27 years at HBO and left eight months after AT&T became its owner, is rebooting himself as a producer. And he will do it with Apple. In a recently signed five-year deal, Mr. Plepler's new company, Eden Productions, will make television series, documentaries and feature films exclusively for Apple TV Plus, the streaming platform that started in November. The arrangement gives Mr. Plepler a significant role in an expanding streaming universe soon to include HBO Max, a supersize platform that has been a focus of his former corporate home since he departed in February after having lost some of his autonomy.
"It was instantaneously clear to me that I had a wonderful and very privileged run at HBO and I wasn't going to be able to duplicate that again," Mr. Plepler said in his first interview since leaving the network. "And I didn't want to try to duplicate that again. It felt very clear to me that I just wanted to do my own thing." Mr. Plepler, 61, was a key figure in helping make HBO into an original-programming powerhouse. In the years he was in charge, the network won more than 160 Emmys, including for series like "Game of Thrones," "Big Little Lies" and "Veep." Apple is hopeful he still has the magic touch, this time as a producer. The company has not yet disclosed the number of Apple TV Plus subscribers or how many people have watched its series. [...] A New Yorker through and through, Mr. Plepler intends to provide series and movies for the Cupertino, Calif., company from the second floor of a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, which he has been using as his office since August.
"It was instantaneously clear to me that I had a wonderful and very privileged run at HBO and I wasn't going to be able to duplicate that again," Mr. Plepler said in his first interview since leaving the network. "And I didn't want to try to duplicate that again. It felt very clear to me that I just wanted to do my own thing." Mr. Plepler, 61, was a key figure in helping make HBO into an original-programming powerhouse. In the years he was in charge, the network won more than 160 Emmys, including for series like "Game of Thrones," "Big Little Lies" and "Veep." Apple is hopeful he still has the magic touch, this time as a producer. The company has not yet disclosed the number of Apple TV Plus subscribers or how many people have watched its series. [...] A New Yorker through and through, Mr. Plepler intends to provide series and movies for the Cupertino, Calif., company from the second floor of a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, which he has been using as his office since August.
Who? (Score:2)
Who, and why do we care?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I think this is about the famous HBO CEO of Tits that I've been hearing about.
Rich man given more money by his friends (Score:3)
What an inspiring story. Every rich man can dare to dream that one day, his friends will give him even more money.
Re: (Score:2)
The American dream!
Is Apple TV+ Relevant? (Score:3)
Apple TV+ reminds me of him. There shows look like high quality, worthy of respect, but nothing I want to see. Nothing grabs me. I get the impression they put a lot more thought into not making mistakes and polishing their entries than they put into creating a reason for us to watch them over their superior competitors. Every other streaming network has shows where I see the trailer and I want to watch the show. I suppose competition is good and I'm glad Apple is trying to get better content. I just hope they actually succeed and deliver some shows that make people want to watch them over their competitors.
While Apple figures out why it ever wanted to get into streaming in the first place, I'll enjoy near-endless content from HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and maybe I'll even give Hulu a try.
Re: (Score:3)
"Am I missing something? Does anyone care about Apple TV+. I don't know anyone who enjoys that network and haven't seen any show that appeals to me."
Exactly! that's why they hired this man.
Re: Is Apple TV+ Relevant? (Score:2)
Meanwhile I watched The Morning Show, and it was absolutely excellent after a slow first episode. I can see why it got Golden Globe nominations.
Not having much TV time due to having young twins, I donâ(TM)t mind a service that has few yet high quality offerings.
Meanwhile, at /. ... (Score:3)
Meanwhile, at /., it's full-on Communist Comedy Hour!
What, you think "tech workers" and "coders" and "sysadmins" and "sysengineers" and all the IT janitors are the only ones that can make coin? Maybe not even them?
Perhaps you think *all* coin is evil? That it should be one for all and all for one? Wasn't that tried in a number of places and was found a miserable fail?
Good on Apple for landing him. Hopefully he can bottle lightning twice in a row.
Get off the mike, you're boring us to tears here. Instead of going after people who work hard, take risks and enjoy the rewards, why don't you go after those vapid "celebrities" that rake in coin by the ton doing abso-fucking-lutely-nothing for humanity?!
Here *toss* put on your uniform.. a stupid Che Guevara t-shirt and a moldy old beret once belonging to a Beat hobo. Now *shoo*, off to pour lattes at Starfuck's
Exclusivity ... should be illegal. (Score:2)
It is a monopoly, plus artificial scarcity, plus price gouging. Three crimes in any legitimate industry, and for good reason.
In this case, for something of infinite abundance too. Whose distribution cannot be controlled. (Otherwise I couldn't consume it.)
How about getting paid only for the actual work, like everyone of us, you thieves??