Amazon remains gung-ho on the original content business. Amazon Studios is developing its first drama series, "Bosch," a police procedural based on Michael Connelly's Detective Harry Bosch novels. Per Deadline, the pilot is written by Connelly and "Treme" co-creator Eric Overmeyer. The character Bosch is a veteran homicide detective in the Lapd, and has been the centerpiece of 20 Connelly novels over 20 years, beginning in 1992 with "The Black Echo" and most recently in fall 2012 with "The Black Box." Amazon Studios, which recently launched a digital storyboard tool for screenwriters, focused on comedies and kids programming in its first batch of 14 pilots, which in a unique move were unveiled to the public for free on Amazon Instant Video on April 19. Five of these, including "Alpha House" starring John Goodman and "Betas," were picked up and will premiere as full series on Prime Instant Video later this year.
- 6/26/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
A new political comedy starring John Goodman as a Republican senator living in a "man cave" near Capital Hill will not be offered to Amazon viewers all at once as a 10-episode, online binge experience, according to its executive producer. Jonathan Alter, the former Newsweek columnist and author who is executive producer of the new Amazon show with "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau, told TheWrap that "Alpha House" would have a different streaming model than Netflix. Asked if Amazon would put the whole season up at once, Alter told TheWrap: "No. It hasn't...
- 6/18/2013
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Amazon Studios ordered comedies “Alpha House,” about four senators living together in Washington, D.C., and “Betas,” about tech entrepreneurs, and kids’ series “Annebots,” “Creative Galaxy,” and “Tumbleaf” to series. The series will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014. Amazon gave the go-ahead a month after posting its pilot slate—eight comedies and six kids’ series—online and soliciting feedback from viewers. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows,” Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “This is just the beginning.” Garry Trudeau, the cartoonist and creator of “Alpha House,” called the process a “harrowing exercise in online democracy.” “As the future of episodic TV packs up and moves to Seattle, we hope the audience will continue to have as much fun watching the show as we have making it,...
- 6/6/2013
- backstage.com
News
Showtime is developing a drama about a Venice Beach gym in the 1970s, Pump, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show would have Arnold Schwarzenegger as a producer and in a recurring role. Couldn’t they just remake Shaping Up instead?
Yeah, if you felt the need to call out Adam Levine for muttering, “I hate this country.” in response to an audience vote that Levine disagreed with on The Voice, you need to work on your understanding of context. Regardless, Levine has issued a clarifying statement.
At least I got a reason to look through pictures of Adam Levine
Amazon has ordered its first original series, after making the pilots available for people to watch and judge for themselves. The new series includes the John Goodman comedy Alpha House, Silicon Valley sitcom Betas along with children’s series Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf. Sadly, the Cheyenne Jackson-starring...
Showtime is developing a drama about a Venice Beach gym in the 1970s, Pump, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show would have Arnold Schwarzenegger as a producer and in a recurring role. Couldn’t they just remake Shaping Up instead?
Yeah, if you felt the need to call out Adam Levine for muttering, “I hate this country.” in response to an audience vote that Levine disagreed with on The Voice, you need to work on your understanding of context. Regardless, Levine has issued a clarifying statement.
At least I got a reason to look through pictures of Adam Levine
Amazon has ordered its first original series, after making the pilots available for people to watch and judge for themselves. The new series includes the John Goodman comedy Alpha House, Silicon Valley sitcom Betas along with children’s series Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf. Sadly, the Cheyenne Jackson-starring...
- 5/30/2013
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Amazon has ordered the first original TV shows for their Prime Instant Video service. Episodes of Alpha House, Betas, Annebots, Creative Galaxy, and Tumbleaf will debut either later this year or in early 2014.
Here are the details:
Customers Have Spoken: "Alpha House," "Betas," "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" Chosen for Amazon's First-Ever Original Series, Available Exclusively on Prime Instant Video
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers weighed in to help decide which pilots will be made into series
Seattle -- May. 29, 2013 -- (Nasdaq: Amzn) - Four senators-turned-unlikely-roommates, four young entrepreneurs attempting to make it big in techland, a kid scientist and her robots, an alien artist, and a whimsical fox searching for adventure-are all getting back into character. Comedy pilots Alpha House and Betas, along with kids pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf, have been given the...
Here are the details:
Customers Have Spoken: "Alpha House," "Betas," "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" Chosen for Amazon's First-Ever Original Series, Available Exclusively on Prime Instant Video
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers weighed in to help decide which pilots will be made into series
Seattle -- May. 29, 2013 -- (Nasdaq: Amzn) - Four senators-turned-unlikely-roommates, four young entrepreneurs attempting to make it big in techland, a kid scientist and her robots, an alien artist, and a whimsical fox searching for adventure-are all getting back into character. Comedy pilots Alpha House and Betas, along with kids pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf, have been given the...
- 5/29/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The experiment Amazon Studios used to decide which of its pilots to give series orders to – which consisted of making all 14 pilots available on Prime Instant Video on April 19 for viewers to watch and give feedback on – seems to have been a success as five of those pilots were picked up. Sometime this year, and early 2014, five original series will air on Prime Instant: comedies Alpha House and Betas, and children shows Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf. The choosing of these pilots was made in part on feedback from viewers, which would mean, in theory, these were the best Amazon had to offer.
But the experiment isn’t over. Deadline reported Amazon would continue to use this method in the future; feeling as though allowing the audience to have an impact on what shows would be picked up was a huge success. In a way, it’s genius. You’re...
But the experiment isn’t over. Deadline reported Amazon would continue to use this method in the future; feeling as though allowing the audience to have an impact on what shows would be picked up was a huge success. In a way, it’s genius. You’re...
- 5/29/2013
- by Brody Gibson
- Boomtron
So far, Amazon Studios' radical approach to production has made more progress in the television realm than in movies. And so the company has greenlit five original TV series to be available exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014. Deemed most popular by Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers, going into series production are comedy pilots "Alpha House," Garry Trudeau's political story starring John Goodman about four senators-turned-unlikely-roommates, and "Betas," executive producer Michael London's series about four young entrepreneurs attempting to make it big in techland, and kids pilots "Annebots," about a kid scientist and her robots, "Creative Galaxy," Angela C. Santomero, portrait of alien artist, and animated "Tumbleaf," about a whimsical fox searching for adventure. “We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help...
- 5/29/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Longmire & The Glades
A&E's returning series "Longmire" and "The Glades" both saw viewership rises in their season returns this past week.
The Wyoming-based crime drama "Longmire" scored 4.3 million viewers for its second season premiere, a 12% in adults 18-49 from the pilot.
The fourth season debut of Matt Passmore-led "The Glades" scored 3.3 million viewers, up 6% in overall viewers from its third season launch. It did, however, drop slightly in adults 18-49. [Source: THR]
Amazon.com
Amazon Studios has made its decision to green light five of the fourteen proposed original series for its subscription video service. The five includes three kids shows - "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" - and two comedies.
The first is the John Goodman-led senator roommates comedy "Alpha House," the other is the Ed Begley Jr.-led Silicon Valley startups comedy "Betas". [Source: Variety]
Pump
Arnold Schwarzenegger has sold the drama "Pump" to Showtime. The series traces the...
A&E's returning series "Longmire" and "The Glades" both saw viewership rises in their season returns this past week.
The Wyoming-based crime drama "Longmire" scored 4.3 million viewers for its second season premiere, a 12% in adults 18-49 from the pilot.
The fourth season debut of Matt Passmore-led "The Glades" scored 3.3 million viewers, up 6% in overall viewers from its third season launch. It did, however, drop slightly in adults 18-49. [Source: THR]
Amazon.com
Amazon Studios has made its decision to green light five of the fourteen proposed original series for its subscription video service. The five includes three kids shows - "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" - and two comedies.
The first is the John Goodman-led senator roommates comedy "Alpha House," the other is the Ed Begley Jr.-led Silicon Valley startups comedy "Betas". [Source: Variety]
Pump
Arnold Schwarzenegger has sold the drama "Pump" to Showtime. The series traces the...
- 5/29/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
White Collar has found a new follower.
Erstwhile The Following baddie/Common Lawman Warren Kole has nabbed a recurring role in Season 5 of the USA Network drama, HuffPostTV reports.
Related | Happy Endings Axed By ABC — Next Stop USA?
Kole will play Agent David Seigel, Neal’s overly ambitious new FBI handler who takes over for the now-jailed Peter.
The Americans’ Richard Thomas will also guest-star in the new season (premiering this fall), playing the patriarch of a wealthy family.
Ready for more of today’s TV dish? Well…
• Turns out, Katie Couric was approached about returning to the Today...
Erstwhile The Following baddie/Common Lawman Warren Kole has nabbed a recurring role in Season 5 of the USA Network drama, HuffPostTV reports.
Related | Happy Endings Axed By ABC — Next Stop USA?
Kole will play Agent David Seigel, Neal’s overly ambitious new FBI handler who takes over for the now-jailed Peter.
The Americans’ Richard Thomas will also guest-star in the new season (premiering this fall), playing the patriarch of a wealthy family.
Ready for more of today’s TV dish? Well…
• Turns out, Katie Couric was approached about returning to the Today...
- 5/29/2013
- by Megan Masters
- TVLine.com
Amazon Studios has given the greenlight to five pilots, including comedies starring John Goodman and Ed Begley Jr. “Alpha House,” about four senators living together in Washington, D.C., and “Betas,” about tech entrepreneurs trying to make it big, are going to series along with kids pilots “Annebots,” “Creative Galaxy,” and “Tumbleaf.” Once completed, the series will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014. Amazon gave the go-ahead a month after posting its pilot slate—eight comedies and six kids series—online and soliciting feedback from viewers. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows,” Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “It’s exciting to see the process in motion, doing exactly what we set out to do. The success of this first set of pilots has given...
- 5/29/2013
- backstage.com
Emmy Award-winning director Adam Bernstein has signed on to direct the premiere hour of FX's first limited series, "Fargo." The "Breaking Bad" and "Rescue Me" veteran won his Emmy for "30 Rock." He also directed the premiere of "Alpha House," one of five new shows ordered by Amazon on Wednesday. "Fargo," a 10-episode series inspired by the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name, will feature a new crime story but retain the original's humor and darkness. Production begins this fall, and the show is expected to debut in spring 2014. It...
- 5/29/2013
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Amazon has greenlit five original series from its crop of fan-voted pilots, including the comedy "Alpha House" starring John Goodman.
The other pickups are another comedy, "Betas," and three kids' shows: "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf."
"Alphas," created by "Doonesbury" author Garry Trudeau, is about four senators who share a house in Washington. It also stars Mark Consuelos ("All My Children"), Clark Johnson ("The Wire") and Matt Malloy ("Tanner '88").
"Betas" stars Jon Daly, Joe Dinicol, Charlie Saxton and Karan Soni as four friends working in Silicon Valley and trying to create the next big app. Ed Begley Jr. also stars.
"Annebots" follows a girl who builds three robots to help her perform science experiments. "Creative Galaxy" comes from the creator of "Super Why!" and has interactive elements to help kids learn. "Tumbleaf" follows a fox named Fig as he explores the world around him.
Amazon put all of its...
The other pickups are another comedy, "Betas," and three kids' shows: "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf."
"Alphas," created by "Doonesbury" author Garry Trudeau, is about four senators who share a house in Washington. It also stars Mark Consuelos ("All My Children"), Clark Johnson ("The Wire") and Matt Malloy ("Tanner '88").
"Betas" stars Jon Daly, Joe Dinicol, Charlie Saxton and Karan Soni as four friends working in Silicon Valley and trying to create the next big app. Ed Begley Jr. also stars.
"Annebots" follows a girl who builds three robots to help her perform science experiments. "Creative Galaxy" comes from the creator of "Super Why!" and has interactive elements to help kids learn. "Tumbleaf" follows a fox named Fig as he explores the world around him.
Amazon put all of its...
- 5/29/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Alpha House
“A political comedy from the mind of Garry Trudeau starring John Goodman with a cameo from Bill Murray. Needless to say this show has a lot of potential and I can’t wait for more episodes.” “John Goodman shines in this series. Love the supporting cast. The show is intelligent, funny and unique. Can’t wait for more shows!” “This show was witting and fun. The actors are great and they are what intially drew me to the show. I would definitely watch if the pilot was given the green light.”
Betas
“If this show doesn’t continue, I don’t know what I will do. I was hooked from the very beginning! I need to know if the boys sell their app! I need them to beat Valet Me!” “The characters are great. The humor is witty, dry and hilarious. The premise for the show is not...
“A political comedy from the mind of Garry Trudeau starring John Goodman with a cameo from Bill Murray. Needless to say this show has a lot of potential and I can’t wait for more episodes.” “John Goodman shines in this series. Love the supporting cast. The show is intelligent, funny and unique. Can’t wait for more shows!” “This show was witting and fun. The actors are great and they are what intially drew me to the show. I would definitely watch if the pilot was given the green light.”
Betas
“If this show doesn’t continue, I don’t know what I will do. I was hooked from the very beginning! I need to know if the boys sell their app! I need them to beat Valet Me!” “The characters are great. The humor is witty, dry and hilarious. The premise for the show is not...
- 5/29/2013
- Hollywonk
After debuting a host of pilots in an attempt to challenge Netflix and Hulu's hold on the premium online content industry, Amazon has chosen the five shows it will order as full series. Garry Trudeau's Alpha House and Michael Lehmann’s Betas are among the chosen few. Alpha House, a comedy about four politicians sharing a house in DC, will bring celebrity appeal to Amazon; Trudeau produces the series while John Goodman stars, with Goodman receiving particular praise for his performance. In the first episode, Stephen Colbert and Bill Murray make cameos. “We're thrilled to have emerged safely from this harrowing exercise in online democracy,” said Trudeau. “All of us at Alpha House thank both Amazon and its wise and wonderful customer base for such a happy outcome. As the future of episodic TV packs up and moves to Seattle, we hope the audience will continue to have as...
- 5/29/2013
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Inspired by your browsing (and viewing and voting) history, Amazon Studios recommends the following as its first original series: The Garry Trudeau-created Alpha House, the Silicon Valley-set Betas, call-and-response kiddie show Creative Galaxy, science-centric Annebots, and Todd VanDerWerff’s future pick for the best new show of 2013, Tumbleaf. The studio’s official pickup announcement follows some upfronts-week digging by Deadline, which at the time was circulating positive whispers about Zombieland—until those rumors were smothered with a shower curtain and “double tapped” with a toilet lid. This leaves The A.V. Club to assume that the Deadline sources who ...
- 5/29/2013
- avclub.com
Five new shows are coming to Amazon.
Comedy "Alpha House," "Betas" and three children's series -- Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" -- will all become full series on Amazon's Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.
The Amazon shows were posted with several other comedy pilots for public viewing and Amazon said it would decide which pilots would become the company's first foray into original programming based on viewer feedback and streams.
"We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots," Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. "We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion, doing exactly what we set out to do. The success of this first set of pilots has given us the push to try...
Comedy "Alpha House," "Betas" and three children's series -- Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf" -- will all become full series on Amazon's Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.
The Amazon shows were posted with several other comedy pilots for public viewing and Amazon said it would decide which pilots would become the company's first foray into original programming based on viewer feedback and streams.
"We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots," Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. "We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion, doing exactly what we set out to do. The success of this first set of pilots has given us the push to try...
- 5/29/2013
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
It’s all Greek to Amazon — at least when it comes to the retail site’s first original series for adults.
The company announced today that it has chosen five of the 14 pilots it posted online in April to become full-blown series: Alpha House, a political comedy created by Doonesbury’s Garry Trudeau that stars John Goodman (and features a cameo by Bill Murray); Betas, a Silicon Valley-set comedy starring Ed Begley Jr.; and Annebots, Creative Galaxy, and Tumbleaf, three series aimed at kids.
Each show proved popular with Amazon customers, whose feedback was taken into account during the selection process.
The company announced today that it has chosen five of the 14 pilots it posted online in April to become full-blown series: Alpha House, a political comedy created by Doonesbury’s Garry Trudeau that stars John Goodman (and features a cameo by Bill Murray); Betas, a Silicon Valley-set comedy starring Ed Begley Jr.; and Annebots, Creative Galaxy, and Tumbleaf, three series aimed at kids.
Each show proved popular with Amazon customers, whose feedback was taken into account during the selection process.
- 5/29/2013
- by Hillary Busis
- EW - Inside TV
By Alistair Barr
San Francisco (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday that it will make five original TV series, having used viewer feedback to pick the shows out of a group of 14 pilots filmed by the world's largest Internet retailer earlier this year.
The chosen pilots are: "Alpha House", a political comedy starring John Goodman; "Betas", a comedy about start-up culture in Silicon Valley; "Annebots", a kids' show about robots; "Creative Galaxy", an animated art adventure series; and "Tumbleaf", another kids' show about a small blue fox named Fig.
These are the first TV series ever made by Amazon and represent a major foray for the company into original programming delivered over the Internet, stepping up competition with Netflix Inc and Hulu.
The new series will be shown exclusively on Amazon's Prime Instant Video service later this year and in early 2014, the company said. Prime Instant Video is...
San Francisco (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday that it will make five original TV series, having used viewer feedback to pick the shows out of a group of 14 pilots filmed by the world's largest Internet retailer earlier this year.
The chosen pilots are: "Alpha House", a political comedy starring John Goodman; "Betas", a comedy about start-up culture in Silicon Valley; "Annebots", a kids' show about robots; "Creative Galaxy", an animated art adventure series; and "Tumbleaf", another kids' show about a small blue fox named Fig.
These are the first TV series ever made by Amazon and represent a major foray for the company into original programming delivered over the Internet, stepping up competition with Netflix Inc and Hulu.
The new series will be shown exclusively on Amazon's Prime Instant Video service later this year and in early 2014, the company said. Prime Instant Video is...
- 5/29/2013
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
In April, Amazon Studios posted the pilots for eight original comedies and six original kids' shows in what was declared an internet-style disruption of the traditional network pilot season. Instead of executives having the sole power to choose which projects were ordered to series, the consumers would -- or at least they'd be able to weigh in via the data collected on which pilots they watched, which ones they actually finished and which ones they said they liked. The result? Amazon announced today that its first original series will be the comedies "Alpha House" and "Betas," and children's show's "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf." The five shows have been given season orders and will stream exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and early next. Of the two aimed at an adult audience, "Alpha House" is the creation of Pulitzer-Prize winning "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who wrote the pilot,...
- 5/29/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Amazon's first pilot pickups include "Alpha House" with John Goodman, "Betas," and three kids shows, the company announced Wednesday. The company sought feedback from customers to help decide which of several shows should be given the greeenlight to produce a full series of episodes that will begin airing later this year and in 2014. Among the chosen are "Alpha House," about four senators living together, which comes from "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau, stars Goodman, and features a Bill Murray cameo. "Betas," meanwhile, is about four tech entrepeneurs. The company also greenlit the childrens'...
- 5/29/2013
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Four senators with the same address, four friends with the same Silicon Valley dream. A kid scientist with robot helpers, an alien artist taking colorful journeys, and a whimsical fox searching for adventure. Comedy pilots Alpha House and Betas, along with kids’ pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf, have been given the greenlight to begin production on a full series of episodes that will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon’s first original series.
“We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion,...
Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon’s first original series.
“We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion,...
- 5/29/2013
- Hollywonk
Amazon Studios this morning officially ordered its first original series, giving series pickups to comedy pilots Alpha House starring John Goodman and Betas, which received the call 10 days ago, and kids pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf. The five series will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014. The shows came out of Amazon’s inaugural slate of 14 pilots — eight comedies and six kids shows — that were made available online on April 19. Related: Amazon Studios Begins Pilot Pickups; ‘Zombieland’ Writer Blames Pass On Fans The series pickup decisions were based in part on feedback from viewers in the U.S. and the UK. “We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Amazon Studios director Roy Price, indicating that the company will continue to make its pilots available to the public. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help...
- 5/29/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Amazon has announced today that comedy pilots "Alpha House" and "Betas," along with the kids pilots "Annebots," "Creative Galaxy" and "Tumbleaf," have been given the greenlight to begin production on a full series of episodes that will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014. Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon.s first original series. .We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,. said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. .We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It.s exciting to see...
- 5/29/2013
- Comingsoon.net
The people have spoken. After offering all 14 of its original pilots online and giving viewers the power to determine which should move forward, Amazon has greenlighted John Goodman's Alpha House and Ed Begley Jr.'s Betas, along with three children's offerings, to series. Alpha House stars Goodman and was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ’88). The comedy, which features Goodman (Roseanne, Argo, Treme), Clark Johnson (The Wire), Matt Malloy (Six Feet Under, Law & Order) and Mark Consuelos (American Horror Story: Asylum, Guys With Kids), follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington. For
read more...
read more...
- 5/29/2013
- by Lesley Goldberg , Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
2Nd Update, 11:45 Am: I hear Alpha House has gotten an official pickup, joining Betas. Alpha House follows four senators (John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy, Mark Consuelos) who live together in a rented house in Washington, DC. Zombieland and Browsers did not make the cut. Related: Full Amazon Pilot Listings Update, 9 Am: Zombieland writer-producer Rhett Reese took to Twitter to blame the series’ pickup fail on Zombieland fans themselves: “I’ll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans. You guys successfully hated it out of existence.” Update, Thursday Pm: There will be no Zombieland TV series, at least not on Amazon. The streaming service has passed on the pilot, as well as Browsers, as it continues to narrow down the field. Updated: Amazon Studios is getting in the upfront spirit. As the broadcast and some cable networks are announcing their new series pickups this week,...
- 5/17/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Plus Hannibal threatens a move to cable, advice on fixing American Idol plus finales for Scandal and Elementary. News
CBS’ fall schedule includes a few big moves, surprisingly. Hawaii Five-0 gets demoted to Friday nights, with two shows taking its place on Monday nights — Intelligence, with Josh Holloway as a “high-tech intelligence operative with a super-computer microchip in his brain” (it also stars Tbl-fave Michael Rady but I don’t know if Rady can get me past that premise). Also Hostages, a limited series about a surgeon (Toni Colette) who is blackmailed into assassinating the President by Dylan McDermott. They’re also adding an hour of comedy on Thursday nights.
According to Deadline, while NBC is debating if it will order a second season of Hannibal it already has a cable network interested in picking it up. I’d be incredibly amused if that network turned out to be TNT.
CBS’ fall schedule includes a few big moves, surprisingly. Hawaii Five-0 gets demoted to Friday nights, with two shows taking its place on Monday nights — Intelligence, with Josh Holloway as a “high-tech intelligence operative with a super-computer microchip in his brain” (it also stars Tbl-fave Michael Rady but I don’t know if Rady can get me past that premise). Also Hostages, a limited series about a surgeon (Toni Colette) who is blackmailed into assassinating the President by Dylan McDermott. They’re also adding an hour of comedy on Thursday nights.
According to Deadline, while NBC is debating if it will order a second season of Hannibal it already has a cable network interested in picking it up. I’d be incredibly amused if that network turned out to be TNT.
- 5/16/2013
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
May has arrived, spring has (sort of) sprung, and we are officially smack dab in the middle of finale season. We’re also coming up on some of the biggest movie releases of the year. Basically, it’s an exciting time to be an entertainment junkie, folks! So here is what we’ve rounded up for you this week. Whether you’re a Rihanna fan, an avid reader of Ya novels, a country music fan, or a Gleek, we’re here to make sure you get the most out of your week … entertainment-wise. The rest is up to you.
Monday
Rihanna 777,...
Monday
Rihanna 777,...
- 5/6/2013
- by Samantha Highfill
- EW.com - PopWatch
Exclusive: Haley Joel Osment is set to co-star opposite Will Ferrell, Tobey Maguire and Kristen Wiig in The Spoils Of Babylon, IFC’s six-episode miniseries produced by Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Funny Or Die. In the vein of The Thorn Birds and Winds Of War, the epic story of The Spoils Of Babylon chronicles the sexy and dramatic lives of the Morehouse family who made their fortune in the oil business. It centers on Devon Morehouse (Maguire), who as an orphaned child was taken in by future oil magnate Jonas Morehouse and his daughter, Cynthia (Wiig). Devon and Cynthia now run Morehouse Enterprises together while fighting their feelings for each other. Osment, repped by Resolution, The Schiff Co. and Coast to Coast, will play Winston, the devilish son of Cynthia. Consumed with a reckless ambition for power, she raised her son to worship at the same alter, and now...
- 5/3/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Best-selling author and journalist Jonathan Alter (The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, The Defining Moment: Fdr’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope) explains what it has been like to go Hollywood and produce a pilot for Amazon – Alpha House, created by Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury). Alter explains the real-life roots of the show and what it was like to work with Trudeau, as well as with an amazing cast led by John Goodman. And those cameos! (Might there be more Stephen Colbert? Read on.)
For most of my life I’ve been a political animal. My mother was a politician in Chicago, I was an intern in the Senate and the White House in the 1970s, and for the last two decades I’ve written a column about politics (first for Newsweek, now for Bloomberg View), authored books about presidents and gabbed about the events of the day on NBC News and MSNBC.
For most of my life I’ve been a political animal. My mother was a politician in Chicago, I was an intern in the Senate and the White House in the 1970s, and for the last two decades I’ve written a column about politics (first for Newsweek, now for Bloomberg View), authored books about presidents and gabbed about the events of the day on NBC News and MSNBC.
- 4/24/2013
- Hollywonk
With the recent release of House of Cards and Hemlock Grove, Netflix has established serious interest in the original programming market. Amazon, another major player in online streaming services with Prime Instant Video, has made the first major step to follow suit. Late last week, 16 pilots were made available for free streaming on Amazon – 8 comedies and 6 children’s series. Most buzz has surrounded the pilot for Zombieland, a series written by the creators of the 2009 film of the same name. But some of the other pilots feature experienced production and acting credits (notably John Goodman in Alpha House and Jeffrey Tambor in Onion News Empire). Amazon is letting viewers fill out mini-surveys for each pilot as a means of collecting feedback to help decide whether or not a series gets picked up for a full season. Sound On Sight is here to offer some feedback for the comedy pilots:
Alpha House...
Alpha House...
- 4/23/2013
- by Sean Colletti
- SoundOnSight
Not since American Idol has the media industry offered TV lovers such an awesome choice. You’ve heard of choose your own adventure books? Well, Amazon Studios is inviting viewers to choose their own series. There are 14 pilots to choose from, and your vote will help Amazon decide which ones to order up for full series status to be available on Amazon Instant Video.
Accessing the hopefuls online is easy. Simply access the Amazon Instant Video app via the website amazonoriginals.com. Among your choices is the pilot we reported on previously, called Zombieland. And yes, its based upon funny zombie slaying film of the same name.
Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, told EW, “Doing multiple pilots allows us to be experimental. If you put all your chips in on a small number of shows you’ve got to be psychic — we’re not psychic. But we do have...
Accessing the hopefuls online is easy. Simply access the Amazon Instant Video app via the website amazonoriginals.com. Among your choices is the pilot we reported on previously, called Zombieland. And yes, its based upon funny zombie slaying film of the same name.
Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, told EW, “Doing multiple pilots allows us to be experimental. If you put all your chips in on a small number of shows you’ve got to be psychic — we’re not psychic. But we do have...
- 4/22/2013
- by Sasha Nova
- Boomtron
Some days you wake up late, scream "F*ck!" about a thousand times, and cry while brushing your teeth. At least you do if you're Bill Murray in Amazon's Alpha House, which follows four senators that are roomies in D.C. It sounds like the newest edition of MTV's The Real World, but Murray's distressed lawmaker and his hilariously manic ways guarantees a good time. We love John Goodman standing idly by while Murray throws a hissy fit. It's great to see these guys in a project together, but we admit to being somewhat bummed that Murray only has a cameo role. Thank goodness for Goodman! Clark Johnson, Matt Malloy and Mark Consuelos join him. Warning: The following video is Nsfw. You can watch the pilot for Alpha House for free today...
Read More...
Read More...
- 4/22/2013
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
Happy Monday, Boys & Girls! It's time for another installment of The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast. With only one new show premiering this week -- Sundance's exceptional "Rectify" -- this was going to be a short podcast. But then we watched four of the Amazon.com comedy pilots and suddenly it became a long podcast, albeit not as long as last week's. Funny how that happens. Today's breakdown: "Rectify" (00:00:50 - 00:14:55) Amazon pilots including "Zombieland," "Onion News Empire," "Browsers" and "Alpha House" (00:15:00 - 00:43:15) Listener Mail: Changing episodic structure (00:43:35 - 00:51:05) Listener Mail: Successful summer...
- 4/22/2013
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
After last week's longest-ever Firewall & Iceberg Podcast episode, Dan and I were back to a more normal length — and the new normal apparently means 90+ minutes — in what would have been a light week if Amazon hadn't suddenly decided to crowdsource 80-billion new TV pilots. So we talked about those, and "Rectify," and "Mad Men" as usual, and also found time to post-mortem "Suburgatory" season 2 and answer a few letters. The lineup: "Rectify" (00:00:50 - 00:14:55) Amazon pilots including "Zombieland," "Onion News Empire," "Browsers" and "Alpha House" (00:15:00 - 00:43:15) Listener Mail: Changing episodic structure (00:43:35 - 00:51:05) Listener Mail: Successful summer...
- 4/22/2013
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Netflix recently proved that is was more than just a place to binge on past seasons of Mad Men with its original series, House of Cards. The inside-the-beltway Kevin Spacey drama was a pricey bet on how we will watch TV in the future. And by all accounts that wager, plus its upcoming resurrection of Arrested Development, has paid off. Streaming TV is on its way to becoming a legitimate contender for America’s eyeballs right along with network TV and cable. At least, that’s what Amazon’s hoping.
This weekend, the online shopping mall is making its boldest...
This weekend, the online shopping mall is making its boldest...
- 4/20/2013
- by Chris Nashawaty
- EW.com - PopWatch
About Zombieland: Four survivors are killin’ zombies and searching for a place to call home. Based on the movie of the same name. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CE18P0K
About Betas: In Silicon Valley, the right algorithm can make you a king. And these four friends think they’ve finally cracked the code. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBX1PA
About Alpha House: They work in the Senate. They live in the house – Alpha House. Created by Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ‘88). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBTQCW
About Onion News Empire: The journalists at the Onion News Network will do anything to stay at the top of their game. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBUCOI
Browsers: Fresh-faced interns face the music – and sing along with it – as they launch their careers, and their grown-up lives in Manhattan.
About Betas: In Silicon Valley, the right algorithm can make you a king. And these four friends think they’ve finally cracked the code. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBX1PA
About Alpha House: They work in the Senate. They live in the house – Alpha House. Created by Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ‘88). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBTQCW
About Onion News Empire: The journalists at the Onion News Network will do anything to stay at the top of their game. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDBUCOI
Browsers: Fresh-faced interns face the music – and sing along with it – as they launch their careers, and their grown-up lives in Manhattan.
- 4/20/2013
- Hollywonk
AmazonStudios is taking a more unusual approach by letting viewers decide what they want to keep watching. The company has kicked off its screening process this weekend by unveiling its inaugural slate of 14 pilots — eight comedies and six kids shows, all made available for free on AmazonInstant Video, LoveFilm UK and LoveFilm Germany. Viewers are being invited to watch the pilots and Amazon is welcoming feedback from its audience. According to Deadline, the company will evaluate feedback from an online panel recruited on Amazon preview as well as traditional offline focus groups to decide if they greenlight a series or not. The highest-profile series is Zombieland, but the two that look most interesting are Alpha House, starring John Goodman with cameos by Bill Murray and Stephen Colbert; and Onion News Empire. Amazon has not yet decided how many of the shows will make the cut, nor when they will premiere.
- 4/20/2013
- by Kyle Reese
- SoundOnSight
Amazon Studios has released 14 pilots on Prime Instant Video, including one based on the feature “Zombieland.” The content creation arm of the online retail giant is using a unique development model with potentially significant ramifications for actors, who could find themselves out of work if the viewers don’t actively respond to their pilot. The company is asking for viewer feedback, which it will use to determine which pilots go to series. It’s possible that an actor with a large social media presence could influence the process by asking his or her followers to fill out Amazon’s viewer survey. The pilots are a mix of six children’s pilots and eight comedies. Some of the other comedies include “Alpha House,” written by cartoonist Garry Trudeau, which stars John Goodman and Mark Consuelos as two of four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington, D.C.
- 4/19/2013
- backstage.com
Have you ever wanted to watch a video of Bill Murray screaming “fuck” over and over while brushing his teeth and shaving at the same time? Of course you have. This clip is from the pilot for Amazon’s Alpha House, and it’s the best. The only thing you need to know ahead of time is that Murray is playing a senator who apparently has gotten himself into some hot water. You can watch the full episode at Amazon Instant Video. But first we recommend watching this video, like, 45 times.
- 4/19/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Amazon Studios’ inaugural slate of 14 pilots are now available at Amazon Instant Video, through any Amazon Instant Video app and at amazonoriginals.com. All of the pilots can be accessed for free, and customer feedback provided after each pilot is viewed will help determine which shows Amazon Studios will order to series.
Among the prospective shows are eight adult comedies and six children’s programs. Amazon’s comedy roster, in particular, is packed with stars. Alpha House stars John Goodman and Mark Consuelos with an appearance by Bill Murray, the musical Browsers features Tony-winner Bebe Neuwirth, and Jeffrey Tambor is...
Among the prospective shows are eight adult comedies and six children’s programs. Amazon’s comedy roster, in particular, is packed with stars. Alpha House stars John Goodman and Mark Consuelos with an appearance by Bill Murray, the musical Browsers features Tony-winner Bebe Neuwirth, and Jeffrey Tambor is...
- 4/19/2013
- by John Mitchell
- EW - Inside TV
Amazon.com just released all 14 pilots for their potential series and are allowing the public to choose which go to series. The biggest profile one so far has been Zombieland as it has the cred built up from the big screen version starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone. But, there is another pilot starring John Goodman that deserves some buzz. Alpha House stars Goodman as a United States Senator who shares a home in Washington, DC with three other politicians. The...
- 4/19/2013
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Duck season. Rabbit season. Duck season. Rabbit season. Pilot season. It's that time again, when the networks cast, film, and deliberate on a new slate of potential TV shows. (Here is a rundown of this year's dramas and comedies.) Amazon.com, which had recently decided to throw its hat in the television business, is subverting the process, putting all fourteen of its pilots (eight comedies and six animated) online for people to watch and judge for themselves. Amazon will partially base which ones they pick up by the audience comments. We already told you about the Zombieland adaptation, but you can also watch the John Goodman–starring Alpha House (about a Washington, D.C. house where several senators live together), the Jeffrey Tambor–starring Onion News Empire (about the behind-the-scenes goings-on of the Onion News Network), and the many others over at Amazon Instant Video. One features a drop-in from Bill Murray,...
- 4/19/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Amazon Studios has debuted new images from two of their upcoming series, "Alpha House" (John Goodman) and "Onion News Empire" (starring Jeffrey Tambor). Check them out below! "Alpha House" was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau ("Doonesbury," "Tanner .88"). Based on a New York Times article about a group of senators who share a town house in Washington, D.C., "Alpha House" stars John Goodman ("Roseanne," Argo ) as John Biggs, a politician who finds out his seat is threatened by a celebrated Duke basketball coach. To make matters worse, Biggs finds out he has to go to Afghanistan as part of the campaign. Mark Consuelos ("American Horror Story: Asylum," "Guys...
- 4/1/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Make room, Netfix! Amazon is the latest streaming service trying its hand at original content. The mega-retailer plans to debut 12 pilots — six children’s series and six comedies — this spring, including Alpha House featuring John Goodman, and The Onion News Network with Jeffrey Tambor. We’ve got your first look at both below.
Alpha House
Based on a New York Times article about a group of senators who share a town house in Washington, D.C., Alpha House stars Goodman as John Biggs, a politician who finds out his seat is threatened by a celebrated Duke basketball coach. ” doesn’t...
Alpha House
Based on a New York Times article about a group of senators who share a town house in Washington, D.C., Alpha House stars Goodman as John Biggs, a politician who finds out his seat is threatened by a celebrated Duke basketball coach. ” doesn’t...
- 3/14/2013
- by Nuzhat Naoreen
- EW - Inside TV
Actor/director Clark Johnson (The Wire, The Shield, Nurse.Fighter.Boy) has been cast as one of four leads in Amazon Studios' comedy pilot Animal House. Johnson joins a cast that already includes John Goodman, Mark Consuelos and Matt Malloy, where the four will play a group of senators living in together in a rented house in Washington DC. Johnson takes the role of Pennsylvania Senator Robert Bettencourt, "a power player who came from nothing, went to an elite college and watched carefully to learn the game of big city politics," says Deadline. Alpha House is one of six original comedy pilots being produced by Amazon, part of the...
- 2/25/2013
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
Christine Lahti will co-star opposite Brandon T. Jackson in the CBS drama pilot Beverly Hills Cop. The project, written by Shawn Ryan and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, is a continuation of the movie franchise and centers on Axel Foley’s police officer son Aaron (Jackson), who takes down the criminal elements of the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Lahti will play Helen, the Captain of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Kevin Pollak, David Denman and Argo‘s Sheila Vand co-star. Lahti has kept a presence on CBS since her Emmy-winning starring turn on Chicago Hope. She has been recurring on Hawaii Five-0 and toplined the network’s 2011 pilot The Doctor. Director-actor Clark Johnson has been cast as a lead opposite John Goodman, Mark Consuelos and Matt Malloy in Amazon Studios‘ comedy pilot Alpha House, written by Garry Trudeau. Alpha House follows four senators (Goodman, Johnson, Malloy, Consuelos) who live...
- 2/25/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
For proof that online series are the future of television production just look at the names attached to the Amazon Studios pilots slated to go into production: Jeffrey Tambor and Cheyenne Jackson are set to star in “The Onion Presents: The News,” while John Goodman and Mark Consuelos have roles in “Alpha House,” written by Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Trudeau. The success that Amazon has had in attracting top talent to its six comedy pilots and five children’s series comes after Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright starred in the Netflix series “House of Cards,” which debuted Feb. 1 and is expected to start production on its second season next month. “It’s all about the material,” Marc Hirschfeld, who cast the soon-to-debut Netflix original series “Hemlock Grove,” told Backstage. “If the script and auspices are great, it will attract great talent. If the material is subpar, it’ll be tough to attract talent,...
- 2/21/2013
- backstage.com
Exclusive: Peyton List (Mad Men) has landed a lead in the CW drama pilot The Tomorrow People, an adaptation of the cult British series. Written/exec produced by Phil Klemmer, exec produced by Julie Plec and Greg Berlanti and directed/exec produced by Danny Cannon, Tomorrow People is in the vein of X-Men and Heroes and revolves around several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together they work to defeat the forces of evil. List will play Cara, the female member of the “Tomorrow People” group who has a sense of humor beneath her serious demeanor and seems to be a trustworthy ally. List, repped by Innovative, is probably best known for her recurring role as Jane Sterning on AMC’s Mad Men. She also co-starred on ABC...
- 2/17/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Mark Consuelos has been tapped as a lead opposite John Goodman in Amazon Studios‘ comedy pilot Alpha House. Yara Martinez and Kobi Libii also have been cast in the pilot written by Garry Trudeau. Alpha House follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC. Consuelos will play one of them, Andy Guzman, a young, handsome, confident Senator with an excess of charm & swagger. An irresistible rogue. Goodman plays another Senator. Martinez will play Adriana De Portago, a beautiful Cuban-American billionaire heiress looking for a good time with new beau, Andy Guzman. Libii will play Aaron Stimson, a seasoned Capitol Hill vet on one of the Senators’ staffs. Consuelos, repped by CAA and Liebman Entertainment, recently recurred on FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum and NBC’s Guys With Kids. Martinez, repped by Apa and D2 Management, has recurred on ABC Family’s The Lying Game,...
- 2/14/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
LOVEFiLM have revealed that the service will host 11 original TV series test pilots for members to stream for free. The never-seen-before children’s and comedy content is being produced by Amazon Studios – the original film and series production arm of Amazon.com.
LOVEFiLM members in the UK and Germany will be able to watch the content and viewer response will then help determine which series Amazon Studios take into full-season production. The move follows the announcement of Amazon Studios’ first pilot production commitment last December which gave six original comedy shows the green light. It brings the total number of Amazon Studios pilots currently in production to 11.
The eleven pilots include:
Creative Galaxy – Creative Galaxy is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue...
LOVEFiLM members in the UK and Germany will be able to watch the content and viewer response will then help determine which series Amazon Studios take into full-season production. The move follows the announcement of Amazon Studios’ first pilot production commitment last December which gave six original comedy shows the green light. It brings the total number of Amazon Studios pilots currently in production to 11.
The eleven pilots include:
Creative Galaxy – Creative Galaxy is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue...
- 2/7/2013
- by Phil
- Nerdly
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