Amazon Instant Video will host three pilot episodes in early 2014, and feedback from viewers of those pilots will help determine which shows get the green light for full seasons.
The half-hour shows, which would stream on Prime Instant Video in the United States and Lovefilm in the UK, have writers with proven success on the Emmy, Tony, Oscar and Sundance Awards circuit. The genres for these new shows — Mozart in the Jungle, The Outlaws and Transparent — differ from Amazon's 14 comedy pilots released in April, which were vetted the same way. Of those 14, five went to production.
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The change in genre from Amazon's initial release of comedies marks the next step in the online retail company's push to challenge Hulu and Netflix in the world of original content, the latter of which won three Emmys this season for House of Cards.
Mozart in the Jungle is based on Blair Tindall's memoir of the same title, which explores the off-stage lives of symphony performers (think sex, drugs and classical music). This pilot was penned in part by Emmy-nominated writer and director Roman Coppola of Moonrise Kingdom fame and Alex Timbers, who received a Tony nomination for Peter and the Starcatcher.
The Outlaws portrays life on the field and in the offices of a professional football team. Michael Strahan, former New York Giants defensive end and co-host of Live With Kelly and Michael, has signed on with the creative team.
Emmy-nominated Jill Soloway, who is known for her work on Six Feet Under and The United States of Tara, wrote and directed the third show, Transparent. This dark comedy is centered on a Los Angeles family with boundary issues whose secrets come tumbling out after one big admission.
Amazon Studios will debut its first two comedy series, Alpha House and Beta, this fall. Early next year, it will showcase six new children's show pilots.
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Image via Flickr, Will Merydith