April 10, 2019

Oprah and Prince Harry to produce mental health series for Apple TV+

Coming in 2020, the series-style documentary will take a look at mental illness – and mental wellness

By Bailey King
PhillyVoice Staff

Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey will join forces to produce a mental health series for Apple TV+, a new streaming service to launch in the fall.

The Duke of Sussex and Oprah will be partners, co-creators and executive producers on the series, which they’ve been developing over the past several months, it was announced on the royal's Instagram Wednesday morning.

The project is a series-style documentary, according to the announcement posted on @sussexroyal, the newly-created official account of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, that will “focus on both mental illness and mental wellness, inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to not simply survive, but to thrive.”

View this post on Instagram

We are excited to announce that The Duke of Sussex and Oprah Winfrey are partners, co-creators and executive producers on their forthcoming mental health series launching on Apple in 2020. The pair have been developing the series for several months and are looking forward to sharing such an important project on this global platform. The dynamic multi-part documentary series will focus on both mental illness and mental wellness, inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to not simply survive, but to thrive. This commitment builds on The Duke of Sussex’s long-standing work on issues and initiatives regarding mental health, where he has candidly shared personal experience and advocated for those who silently suffer, empowering them to get the help and support they deserve. His Royal Highness has spent many years working with communities throughout the UK and young people across the Commonwealth to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and broaden the conversation of mental wellness to accelerate change for a more compassionate, connected and positive society. Quote from HRH: “I truly believe that good mental health - mental fitness - is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities and a purpose-driven self. It is a huge responsibility to get this right as we bring you the facts, the science and the awareness of a subject that is so relevant during these times. Our hope is that this series will be positive, enlightening and inclusive - sharing global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places, and the opportunity for us to understand ourselves and those around us better. I am incredibly proud to be working alongside Oprah on this vital series.”

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Apr 10, 2019 at 2:58am PDT

Prince Harry has, according to a Forbes report, long struggled with mental health — disclosing that he has even sought therapy to help manage the issues stemming from his life-long royal status and early loss of his mother. His openness regarding these struggles have been applauded by the public.

Forbes reported that prince has acknowledged that he “completely blocked his emotions for years, an ostrich policy that resulted in severe psychological effects,” in a mental health-awareness campaign.

The title of the Apple TV+ series has yet to be announced, but the New York Post reported it is slated to debut in 2020 as a part of Winfrey's multi-year content partnership with the tech company.

At a March press event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, Winfrey said the company sees the series as "a unique opportunity to rise to our best selves in how we use, and choose to use, both our technology and our humanity," USA Today reported.