This combination photo shows filmmaker J.J. Abrams at HBO's Night of Too Many Stars in New York on Nov. 18, 2017, left, and singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles at Tribeca Talks with John Legend during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April 19, 2018. (AP Photo)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Apple is ordering a comedy-drama series from J.J. Abrams that will feature original music by Sara Bareilles.
"Little Voice" is described by Apple as a romantic tale of searching for one's true voice as a young adult.
The show received a 10-episode order, Apple said Wednesday. The cast and the release date were not announced.
Abrams, whose credits include "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Lost," will serve as executive producer for "Little Voice."
The Grammy-nominated Bareilles earned a Tony Award bid last year for her music for "Waitress."
Jessie Nelson, who collaborated with Bareilles on "Waitress," will be the show runner and an executive producer for the Apple series.
Bareilles and Josh Groban will host Sunday's Tony ceremony, airing on CBS.
Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with "The Apprentice," is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump announced Saturday.
Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like "Survivor" and "The Voice," but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for "The Apprentice," which first aired on NBC in 2004.
Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.
The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.
Trump's first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on "The Apprentice" and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a "star."
Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump's television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first... Read More
