Apple plans new podcast series, ‘Magnificent Jerk,’ about mafia families

In 1997, Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds and Ice-T starred in a low-budget movie called Crazy Six in 1997. The movie, which told the story of powerful mafia families vying for control of the arms trade, was written by Galen Yuen, who is the focus of a new original podcast series for Apple, reports Deadline.

Here’s how the podcast series is described: The series – Magnificent Jerk – follows journalist Maya Lin Sugarman, formerly of The Washington Post, on a journey to discover who her uncle really was. Starting with a box of his forgotten screenplays, the series sees Lin Sugarman discovering that he was a member of a Chinese gang who went to jail before turning his life story into the Crazy Six screenplay (albeit with a few twists).

The series, which launches on September 18, comes from Pineapple Street Studios, the Audacy-owned company behind The Clearing and Heaven’s Gate. Maya Lin Sugarman, James Kim, Max Linsky and Jenna Weiss Berman exec produce and Eric Mennel is senior producer for Pineapple Street.

Apple Podcasts is available for free in 175 countries and regions on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini, CarPlay, iTunes on Windows, Amazon Alexa, and other smart speakers and car systems.