Apple Orders ‘Calls’ English-Language Series Adaptation

By Daniel Holloway

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Apple continues to fill out its series programming pipeline.

The tech giant’s entertainment arm has given a series order to “Calls,” an English-language adaptation of the French short-form series Canal+. The new English-language series will be a co-production with Canal+.

Created by Timothée Hochet, the original “Calls” allows audiences to experience short stories through real-life audio sources and minimal visuals. As part of the deal, has also acquired the rights to the first season of the French original .

“Calls” was developed and produced under the Canal+ Creation Originale label. Maxime Saada is group chairman and CEO of the French programmer.

The straight to series order comes as Apple continues to load up on content for a yet-to-be-revealed original programming platform. On Wednesday, Apple set a deal for multiple new series from children’s programmer Sesame Workshop. A day earlier, the company ordered “Little America,” an anthology series from Lee Eisenberg and “The Big Sick” writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. Last week, the company announced a multi-year content deal with media mogul Oprah Winfrey.