Not to be outdone by Netflix and its original programing, Amazon is looking to bring a whole host of new shows to its Amazon Prime video service, with the company set to debut 13 pilot episodes on Jan. 15.
There's a little something for everybody on the list. Several dramas will be debuting alongside comedy pilots and half a dozen children shows.
One of the more high-profile pilots is The Man in the High Castle, an adaptation of an alternative history novel by Philip K. Dick. The story is set in an alternate history where Germany and Japan emerged victorious in World War II and have since divided the rest of the world's countries between them. Frank Spotniz wrote the television adaptation of the classic novel and also serves as an executive producer alongside Ridley Scott. That alone should make many a science-fiction fan giddy with joy.
Another of Amazon's offerings is the Civil War period drama Point of Honor. The show will follow the story of a Virginia family that, led by a West Point-bred son, frees all their slaves but still chooses to fight for the south. Another show, Cocked, is about a man who left his family 20 years ago and vowed never to return. Now circumstances force him to reunite with those he left behind as he must help his family's struggling gun business.
On the comedy side there is plenty to choose from as well. Down Dog is about a yoga teacher whose life spirals out of control after a breakup, and Salem Rogers focuses on a hard-partying former supermodel who returns to the real world after a decade in a rehab center. You can read more about all the upcoming shows over at Deadline.com.
And then, of course, there are all of the children's shows as well. How many of these shows will get the full season treatment? It's hard to say. Of Amazon's previous pilot offerings, in which five dramas and two comedy shows were released, only a handful of shows were picked up for full seasons. It will all depend on critical reception and how much of an audience some of Amazon's new shows find.
