It’s funny to remember that well beforeJ.J. Abramsbuilt his TV empire on the concept of the “mystery box,” he was one of our finest chroniclers of young female angst. And the upcoming Apple TV+ seriesLittle Voicefeels like a return to the days ofFelicityfor the executive producer, as he collaborates with creatorsSara BareillesandJessie Nelsonto tell the story of a young woman pursuing her passion for music at the mid-point of her 20s.
The official description of the series, previewed in the trailer above, is as follows:
A love letter to the diverse musicality of New York, “Little Voice” is a story about finding your authentic voice—and the courage to use it. The series follows Bess King (played by Brittany O’Grady), a uniquely talented performer struggling to fulfill her dreams while navigating rejection, love, and complicated family issues.
There’s probably not going to be much in the way of a mystery box component, but certainly there will be a number of romantic twists to keep viewers on their toes. Also, not only is Bareilles a co-creator of the show, but she also contributed several original songs to the project. Bareilles and Nelson also previously collaborated on the beloved Broadway musicalWaitress.
O’Grady first broke out as a pivotal character in Lee Daniels’Star, a companion piece toEmpirethat also featured original music performed by the cast. The rest of the ensemble cast includesSean Teale(who you might remember from the tragically canceled Syfy seriesIncorporatedand the tragically canceled Fox seriesThe Gifted),Colton Ryan, Shalini Bathina, Kevin Valdez, Phillip Johnson Richardson,andChuck Cooper.
Eight months into its existence, Apple TV+ has yet to develop a truly distinctive brand, but its batting average when it comes to its original content is surprisingly strong, especially given the number of exclusive series it’s released. We’ll see ifLittle Voiceis a home run (or at least a respectable double) when the series premieres July 10. (And no, I have no idea why I suddenly started using baseball metaphors to describe a TV show about young people making music and living their best lives in New York City.) Watch the trailer above.
