Apple nabs ‘Serial’-inspired true-crime drama ‘Are You Sleeping’

By Stephanie Topacio Long January 3, 2018

apple are you sleeping series news octavia spencer 2017 oscars — Disney | ABC Television Group/Flickr

The podcast Serial is being adapted to a TV series, but it has also inspired at least one other project. Apple nabbed Are You Sleeping, a new drama series starring Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, Deadline reports.

The project is based on Kathleen Barber’s 2017 novel of the same name, which centers on a woman and her family dealing with the pain of having a true-crime podcast question the guilt of the boy who murdered her father. Barber wrote the book following the success of Serial. She admitted in a 17Scribes interview that she got swept up in the story and her first draft of Are You Sleeping was “a way for [her] to work through” her “obsession” with the podcast. Specifically, she was concerned with her lack of empathy for the people involved.

“I realized I had been thinking about them as characters in an entertaining drama, rather than very real people who were part of a very real tragedy,” she said. “I generally think of myself as an empathetic person who is concerned with other people’s feelings, and so I realized that if I was doing that, surely many other people were too.”

Barber critiques our response to true-crime stories in the book, and the TV adaptation will do the same. Interestingly enough, it will do so with the help of Serial creator, producer, and host Sarah Koenig, who is set to consult on the project. Meanwhile, the series is created and written by Nichelle Tramble Spellman, who previously worked on The Good Wife and Justified.

Are You Sleeping comes from Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content as well as Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, which is riding high after its success with HBO’s Big Little Lies. Witherspoon is an executive producer alongside Spencer, Tramble Spellman, Lauren Neustadter, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Kristen Campo.

There are a lot of elements to like here. Not only is there the critique of the true-crime craze, we are also interested to see more from Spencer, who seems to continuously garner acting accolades.

No release date for Are You Sleeping has been announced.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephanie Topacio Long

Contributor

Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…

Mobile

Apple iPad Mini 6: Everything you need to know

apple ipad mini 2019 review 13b

If you're looking for a powerful and reliable tablet, Apple's iPad range is the best around. Apple has cornered both the high- and low-end of the market with the iPad Pro and iPad, respectively, but there's another strong iPad if you're looking for a tablet that takes up a little less room. The iPad Mini is an excellent little workhorse that matches the basic iPad's power but comes in a much smaller footprint.

In 2019, we saw the reintroduction of Apple's smallest iPad after four years away, and it seems Apple is wasting little time in prepping another tiny tablet. Rumors say the iPad Mini 6 is in development, and it's likely to come with a number of changes. Here's everything we know about the iPad Mini 6.
iPad Mini 6 design

Mobile

Which Apple Watch size should you buy?

Adjusting Apple Watch on wrist.

If you’ve looked into getting an Apple Watch Series 6, you probably noticed that the Watch case itself comes in two different sizes: 44mm and 40mm. Those sizes aren’t just about what feels more comfortable on your wrist -- they also include some important spec changes to keep in mind. Let’s compare them see which is right for you!
The 44mm Watch size

The good news is that the two primary Apple Watch sizes have a lot in common. The internal features, sensors, Health App compatibility, and everything else that may have you curious about the Apple Watch are the same in either size. So let’s narrow things down by taking a look at what is different between the watches.
Display
The “44mm” in this size directly refers to the vertical (not horizontal) length of the display. That works out to around 448 x 368 pixels. If you’re looking for a larger display size, this is the Watch to choose. Display size is a factor that may be important to many users, as the Apple Watch is a touchscreen designed to enable a variety of touch controls, not to mention reading texts and alerts on the display. For size, the 44mm is an easy victor.
Price
While the cost of the Apple Watch depends a lot on what band you choose to go with it, the 44mm version will generally start off $30 more expensive than the 40mm version. If you are interested in saving the most money, it may be worth it to choose the smaller size.
Fit
Apple indicates that the 44mm Watch is designed to fit 140- to 220-millimeter wrists. You can grab some measuring tape and gauge your own wrist size whenever you want for more information. If you’re worried about the Watch fitting under cuffs, there’s not much concern: Both Watch sizes are the same height from the strap to the touchscreen.
Battery
Apple has indicated that the 44mm version has a slightly larger battery than the smaller choice. It’s difficult to narrow down exactly what that means for battery life, since the Apple Watch battery usage depends on everything from what apps you use to how often you move your wrist. If you want to squeeze every possible bit of battery life out of the Watch, it’s better to go with the larger model.
Bands
While Apple’s band options are always being updated, it’s worth noting that some bands are size-specific, which you can see by scrolling through various available Apple Watch Series 6 models. Options like the Leather Loop and Silver Stainless Steel Case are only available for the 44mm size.
The 40mm Watch size

Mobile

What is Apple Podcasts Subscriptions? Here’s all you need to know

The Apple Podcasts Subscriptions feature on a phone screen.

You might have already heard people talking about Apple Podcasts Subscriptions -- or perhaps you've seen the subscription options while browsing Apple Podcasts. If you're anything like us, you probably panicked and wondered exactly how you were going to fund your podcast habit. There's no need to worry, though -- Apple Podcast Subscriptions is just an optional extra for those who love listening to Apple Podcasts, so you won't have to pay to keep listening to all your favorite shows. Phew!

We've got the lowdown on what to expect from Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, what it costs, and how to sign up.