Last fall, Howard Gordon, showrunner for the hit TV show "24" and co-creator of "Homeland," was in the middle of negotiating a deal with a newcomer to Hollywood: Apple. In a meeting with film executives from the iPhone maker, which had set aside an enormous budget to develop TV shows and movies, Gordon brought up rumors that Apple wanted sanitized projects -- a potential problem for his show about a pair of disillusioned military veterans who go on a killing spree. Would Apple buy the project, an adaptation of an Israeli show called "Nevelot," which translates directly to "Bastards," only to strip it of any violence and adult themes? "They were fairly adamant that it would not be a problem," Gordon said in an interview. "I said, 'Can you say that again into the microphone,'" Gordon said.