A show that makes you fall asleep? That’s the counterintuitive pitch that Jennifer O’Connell, EVP of non-fiction and live-action family at HBO Max, received from Nutopia — the production company that brought you “Mankind The Story of All of Us” — and Calm, the meditation and mindfulness app.
“We sat down, they played a sizzle reel, they dimmed the lights,” O’Connell recalled. “By the end of the sizzle reel, our shoulders lowered, our breath was calmer — we could feel ourselves feeling good.”
The pitch became “A World of Calm,” a 10-episode HBO Max series featuring zen stories gently narrated by the likes of Keanu Reeves and Nicole Kidman, accompanied by relaxing sounds and images. It’s part of a growing segment that turns entertainment into “mindfulness content.” Rather than make something that excites, stimulates, and thrills, its goal is to make viewers to chill out, take a breath, or even fall sleep.
“We sat down, they played a sizzle reel, they dimmed the lights,” O’Connell recalled. “By the end of the sizzle reel, our shoulders lowered, our breath was calmer — we could feel ourselves feeling good.”
The pitch became “A World of Calm,” a 10-episode HBO Max series featuring zen stories gently narrated by the likes of Keanu Reeves and Nicole Kidman, accompanied by relaxing sounds and images. It’s part of a growing segment that turns entertainment into “mindfulness content.” Rather than make something that excites, stimulates, and thrills, its goal is to make viewers to chill out, take a breath, or even fall sleep.
- 5/5/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and monthly guide to What’s on Streaming.
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineTV Ratings: The Resident Ties CBS Reruns, Young Rock for Tuesday WinTVLine Items: Handmaid's Tale Trailer, Lost...
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineTV Ratings: The Resident Ties CBS Reruns, Young Rock for Tuesday WinTVLine Items: Handmaid's Tale Trailer, Lost...
- 4/24/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
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