Amazon adds new slate of original TV series

Amazon’s unusual approach to commissioning pilots appears to be working

by Steve Withers
Movies & TV Shows News

15

Amazon adds new slate of original TV series
We recently reported on how the television landscape was changing and this latest announcement from Amazon really demonstrates the extent to which this is true.
In an article about how new television series are commissioned we mentioned that Amazon has been putting a new spin on an old method. The traditional approach for commissioning new television shows has always been to create a pilot and then test it with research groups. If the show proves popular, then a full series is commissioned. Amazon have taken a similar approach by commissioning various pilots but the difference is that they then make these pilots available to their Prime members to watch.

As part of this unique development process, Amazon gives these customers an opportunity to provide feedback on which pilots they want turned into series that are then made available to Prime members. During pilot season, any Amazon customer in the UK, Germany and US can watch, rate and comment on the pilots. At the end of pilot season, that feedback helps determine the shows that become an Amazon Original Series. To date, customers have helped Amazon green light thirteen series including Alpha House, Mozart in the Jungle, which has just been commissioned for a second season, and the multi Golden Globe-winning show Transparent, which will also return for a second season later this year.

After their latest round of pilots, Amazon have today announced a new slate of original series including an intriguing tale about an alternative history, a twisted story of friendship put to the ultimate test, a docu-series based on America’s most award-winning magazine and a pair of kids series. All of these new shows proved popular with Amazon Prime members and, in the case of The Man in the High Castle, was the most watched Amazon pilot to date.
Amazon's decision to make pilots and then let their members choose the ones that become full series has proved extremely successful.
Amazon today announced it has greenlit five new Amazon Original Series, including the aforementioned The Man in the High Castle, which is based on the Philip K. Dick alternative history novel. We recently watched the pilot and were impressed with the way the adaptation worked as a first episode of a TV series, whilst still remaining faithful to the original novel. Although with talent like Frank Spotnitz (X-Files) and Ridley Scott (Bladerunner) involved it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise and we strongly recommend you check out the pilot.

Other new shows include an hour-long dark comedy Mad Dogs; docu-series The New Yorker Presents; along with kids shows Just Add Magic, and The Stinky & Dirty Show. These new Amazon Original Series come from an acclaimed creative roster including Cris Cole (The Good Times Are Killing Me), Shawn Ryan (The Shield), Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie), Joe Nussbaum (George Lucas in Love, Awkward), and Kate and Jim McMullan (I’m Dirty!).

During the latest pilot season, Amazon customers made The Man in the High Castle our most watched pilot ever,” said Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios. “These new series, including our first docu-series, are some of our most ambitious to date and I’m looking forward to their premieres in the future.”

These new shows will premiere exclusively to Prime members in the UK, Germany and US later this year and in 2016, so if you want to subscribe go to Amazon Prime.
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