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Apple ( AAPL ) in contention for top awards at Sunday's Emmys

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Creators say company takes risks on unconventional

programming

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'Severance' and 'The Studio' among Emmy contenders

By Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski

LOS ANGELES, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Nearly six years after

technology giant Apple ( AAPL ) made its Hollywood debut with

the launch of Apple TV+, the iPhone maker is positioned for

primetime glory at Sunday's Emmy Awards.

Apple's ( AAPL ) streaming service earned 81 Emmy nominations for 14

titles this year, the company's strongest showing to date at the

annual celebration of television excellence. Its science-fiction

series "Severance" and Hollywood satire "The Studio" are

frontrunners for best drama and best comedy, awards experts say.

The company known for its carefully cultivated image has

taken chances on unconventional stories, trusted script writers

and provided creative freedom, according to producers, writers

and actors who have worked with Apple TV+.

Its approach has helped Apple ( AAPL ) attract A-list talent and

elevated its reputation in Hollywood.

HOW APPLE TV+ LURES TOP TALENT

Actor Seth Rogen said one reason he brought "The Studio" to

Apple TV+ was because of the latitude provided on another comedy

of his, "Platonic."

"I was really worried that maybe they'd be restrictive,"

Rogen said. "And then there's a scene in 'Platonic' where we

snort cocaine and ketamine off of an iPhone."

"We were allowed to do this!" Rogen said. "They were not as

corporate overlord-y as maybe I was worried they were going to

be."

Apple TV+ launched in 2019 with a handful of original series

including "The Morning Show," Jennifer Aniston's first TV foray

since "Friends." At the time, industry insiders criticized the

company's strategy of providing limited offerings without a

collection of previously released shows.

Studio executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg stayed the

course, building Apple TV+'s library of programming, one bespoke

series at a time. The company achieved a milestone in 2021, when

"Ted Lasso" became the first streaming series to win the best

comedy Emmy.

Apple ( AAPL ) has increased spending on original programming to $4.9

billion this year, from $660 million in 2019, according to

Ampere Analysis. That investment has helped Apple TV+ reach

about 60 million subscribers, according to Gene Munster,

managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, who believes the

service is likely breaking even. Apple TV+ does not disclose

subscriber numbers or financial details.

Netflix ( NFLX ), by contrast, spends roughly $17 billion

and has more than 300 million subscribers.

INVESTING IN AWARD-WINNING CONTENT

Now, Apple TV+ is considered a top Hollywood destination,

said Endeavor talent agency co-founder Rick Rosen.

"They've shown a lot of patience, and they've really built a

very high-quality slate that's gotten people's attention," Rosen

said.

Ben Stiller, an executive producer and director of

"Severance," said no other studio wanted to make the

mind-bending show about characters who undergo surgery to

separate their work and personal memories.

Erlicht and Van Amburg, and programming head Matt Cherniss,

"got the concept completely," Stiller said.

"Severance" leads all series with 27 Emmy nominations.

"As a startup, they had a lot on the line," Stiller said. "I

found them to be very deferential to creatives, but also with

smart thoughts."

Jason Segel, star of best comedy nominee "Shrinking,"

credited Apple ( AAPL ) executives with seeing the promise in a story

about a therapist who tries to help others while often making

bad choices for himself, such as taking drugs and entertaining

sex workers while his daughter is upstairs.

"This is pretty dangerous territory for a feel-good comedy,"

Segel said. "But right from the beginning there was trust, like

these guys can pull this off."

Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain said Apple TV+'s domestic

programming director, Michelle Lee, reached out as the actress

and her producing partner were pitching the upcoming thriller

"The Savant," about an undercover investigator who infiltrates

online hate groups. Working with Apple ( AAPL ) was so positive, Chastain

said, that she has two more projects with the streamer.

"All of the notes that were coming our way were really

specific and moved the story forward," she said.

TV ACHIEVEMENTS FOLLOW MOVIE SUCCESS

"Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan said he took his

coming sci-fi series, "Pluribus," to Apple TV+ in part because

they made "a very generous offer" among multiple bidders.

Gilligan said other factors counted more than the dollar figure,

which he declined to disclose. A major plus, he said, was the

opportunity to reunite with Erlicht and Van Amburg, who led Sony

Pictures Television when it produced "Breaking Bad" and spin-off

"Better Call Saul." He lauded Apple ( AAPL ) for supporting an ambitious

show.

Recent TV achievements follow success for Apple's ( AAPL ) original

movies, which play in theaters before heading to Apple TV+.

"Coda" won the best picture Oscar in 2022, and Brad Pitt racing

drama "F1: The Movie" was a summer box-office hit.

Apple ( AAPL ) "understood that the movie had to be made in the right

way," said "F1" producer Jerry Bruckheimer, noting that meant

filming during actual Formula 1 races and building a race car.

"They realized that the value of doing it in a very accurate

way would be the best way to present this movie as something

from Apple ( AAPL )," Bruckheimer said. "It's really well designed and

beautifully done."