Amazon reveals 2015 pilot line-up
November 12, 2014
Amazon has announced the line-up for its first pilot season of 2015 which is scheduled to début early in the new year exclusively on Amazon Instant Video in the US, UK and Germany, which it hopes will emulate the success of 2014 commissions.
Customers will find a wide-range of genres in this latest slate of pilots—from a close-up look at a family torn apart by the start of the Civil War in Virginia and an adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s alternate history of the United States post-World War II, to a satire of new age yoga culture in west Los Angeles and the story of a supermodel fresh out of rehab who is unapologetically trying to claw her way back on to the runway. In addition to these pilots, Amazon will première its first docu-series pilot, The New Yorker Presents, which will bring the pages of America’s most award-winning magazine to life.
Once again, customers will be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series. The pilots can be viewed on Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone, and with the Amazon Instant Video app available for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, as well as hundreds of other connected devices such as smart TVs—or customers can visit Amazon.com/AIV to watch online.
The seven new pilots premiering early next year will include hour-long shows Cocked from Sam Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan – TV series), Mad Dogs from Cris Cole (The Bill) and Shawn Ryan (The Shield), The Man in the High Castle from Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), and Point of Honor from Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Randall Wallace (Braveheart).
In addition, three half hour pilots will debut including Down Dog from Robin Schiff (Are You There, Chelsea?) and Salem Rogers from newcomer Lindsey Stoddart, as well as The New Yorker Presents, a docu-series pilot produced in cooperation with America’s most award-winning magazine. The programme will include scripted narrative and documentary segments based on the magazine and is produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Condé Nast Entertainment.
“Our first pilot season of 2015 brings some of the greatest storytellers in the business to Amazon customers with works of novelty and passion. We’re very excited by these shows and look forward to getting customers’ reactions next year,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios.
Amazon Studios most recently debuted a second season of the Garry Trudeau political comedy Alpha House, as well as Jill Soloway’s critically acclaimed dark comedy Transparent. Two additional series will première later in 2014the – dramatic comedy Mozart in the Jungle from Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Weitz and Alex Timbers, and kids series Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street from David Anaxagoras.
Amazon Studios has also announced five additional, original series including Chris Carter’s The After; Michael Connelly’s Bosch; Hand of God from Marc Forster and Ben Watkins; Red Oaks from Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, Greg Jacobs and Joe Gangemi; and kids series Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero and Out of the Blue Enterprises; as well as a second season of Transparent.