Thanks to huge Golden Globe wins this year, Amazon is quickly becoming a contender when it comes to great original streaming content. This year is no exception, as the company releases its first pilot season of 2015, which includes offerings from heavy-hitters, such as Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and Carlton Cuse (Lost).
The slate of this pilot season's offerings includes seven new comedy, drama and documentaries, along with six new children's shows.
Amazon encourages its customers to watch the pilots on Amazon Instant Video and leave feedback. That feedback determines which pilots go to series.
"We look forward to seeing our customers' response to the year's first pilot season," says Roy Price, Vice President of Amazon Studios. "We're thrilled about these projects and the great talent and passion behind them."
The pilots include hour-long series Cocked, written by Samuel Baum (Lie to Me) and Sam Shaw (Manhattan) and stars True Blood's Sam Trammell, along with Jason Lee (My Name is Earl).
For fans of science fiction, you'll want to catch The Man in the High Castle, based on Phillip K. Dick's 1962 novel of the same name. In this alternative history story, we see what might happen if the Allies lost World War II. It picks up 20 years after the war, with most of the world split between Germany and Japan. The pilot stars Alexa Davalos (Mob City), Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars), Rupert Evans (The Village) and Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour). Most impressively, Ridley Scott serves as one of the episode's executive producers.
If you're interested in a period piece, Point of Honor takes us to the start of the Civil War and tells the story of a Virginia man, John Rhodes (Nathan Parsons, True Blood), who defends the South, but contradicts his family by freeing their slaves. Braveheart's Randall Wallace acts as director on this pilot, which was written by Lost's Carlton Cuse, who also serves as producer.
Another hour-long series is Mad Dogs, based on a U.K. series, which covers the story of a reunion of friends in their 40s after they all reach a crossroads in their lives.
Half-hour shows include Down Dog, a series about a man who works in a yoga studio and breaks up with his older girlfriend and boss; docuseries The New Yorker Presents, which features Alan Cumming and Brett Gelman, and Salem Rogers, which stars Leslie Bibb as a former supermodel just coming out of 10 years of rehab.
Kids series include two detective pilots: Buddy: Tech Detective and Sara Solves It. Other children's shows include the fantasy-based Niko and the Sword of Light and Just Add Magic. Rounding out kids programming are Table 58 and The Stinky and Dirty Show.
All pilots are now available via Amazon for online viewing.
