Amazon to make six comedy pilots for web

The firm, which is known for selling books and dvds, plans to use a crowd-sourced audience to help decide which shows should be made into full-length comedy series.

 

The company moved into original programming earlier this year and the pilot episodes will be available on Amazon Instant Video for free. The completed series is expected to be made available on LoveFilm and Prime Instant Video (whether this is for UK audiences is unconfirmed).

 

The move into original comedy marks Amazon out as one of a number of companies experimenting with online audiences. In the UK You Tube has currently signed deals with Channel Flip – which created Robert Llewellyn’s Carpool and Harry Hill’s Little Internet Show - for a new HuHa channel while Hat Trick has launched Bad Teeth with Base 79.

 

The comedy pilots are made for American audiences and include:

 

Alpha House - a political comedy about four senators living together 

Browsers - a musical comedy set around a new website

The Onion Presents: The News - a behind-the-scenes comedy about The Onion.

Dark Minions - a comedy set on a spaceship

Supanatural – a comedy about two divas who work at a mall

Those Who Can’t – a comedy based around three juvenile misfit teachers.

 

Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios said: “Since launching our original series development effort, we have received more than 2,000 series ideas from creators around the world with all different backgrounds, and we are extremely excited to begin production on our very first set of pilots.”

 

For more details visit Amazon Studios development slate.