In the latest chapter in the new media versus TV wars, Amazon has added 14 TV pilots to its programming online on Friday (April 19). The online entity has posted six animated children shows and one adult toon and is asking for audience feedback to decide which shows will be developed into full series.
“We’re looking for distinctive shows that people get really attached to and love,” Amazon Studios director Roy Price told the Los Angeles Times. “In the digital, on-demand world, you really have to have that passionate fan base, because there are no hammock shows, there’s no 8:30 show, [to bring viewers]. It’s important to reach out to customers on a large scale and see what they’re interested in.”
He said that viewership of FX’s animated sitcom Archer and Adult Swim’s stop-motion Robot Chicken hint the rising level of interest in satires and comedies targeted at older viewers, while popular preschool shows such as Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues suggest more areas of growth.
“You end up with a few areas you can look for ideas that seem to be compatible with those concepts,” Price said. “If you’re betting on one show, it’s got to be right down the middle of the fairway,” Price said. “But if you’ve got 14 you can allow people to try new things.”
“We have a lot of customers coming every day who love movies and TV in particular,” Price said. “Obviously, they like to share their thoughts and opinions on shows, so it just seemed natural for us to go to them with the best TV ideas we can find.”
Here are brief descriptions of the shows:
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’s Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Positively Ozitively
In this innovative problem solving series, Dot, Dorothy’s daughter, goes off to Oz everyday with the children of the beloved characters from L. Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wizard of Oz. In each episode, the yellow brick road leads Dot to a new magical location where she solves problems alongside her Oz friends.
Sara Solves it
Created by Curious George and Arthur executive producer Carol Greenwald and Blue’s Clues writer Angela Santomero, the plot follows brother and sister duo Sara and Sam on absorbing, math-based mysteries that spring from the questions young children encounter in their daily lives.
Teeny Tiny Dogs
Produced by The Jim Henson Company (Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train) and created by Howard Baker (Rugrats), Teeny Tiny Dogs follows Butch, Butterfly, Dinky and Polly as they help one another navigate the big world despite their teeny, tiny, small size. This series promotes happiness through friendship, learning, growing and developing a strong sense of self as seen through the eyes of canine friends.
Tumbleaf
Tumbleaf was created by Drew Hodges and Bix Pix Studios, the L.A-based award-winning stop motion studio. The series, aimed at preschoolers, is set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Children will be enriched by narratives that promote play through exploration and cognitive reasoning.
Annebots
The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project revolves around Anne, a young scientist, who creates three robot helpers to assist her scientific experiments in the back of her dad’s junkyard. This science-based series from creator J.J. Johnson (Dino Dan, This is Emily Yeung) aims to introduce kids to science and technology in a fun, new way.
Adult Show
Supanatural
Supanatural is a adult animated comedy series about two outspoken divas who are humanity’s last line of defense against the supernatural, when they’re not working at the mall. The series, written by Lily Sparks, Price Peterson and Ryan Sandoval, will be produced by Jason Micallef (Butter) and Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show).
You can check them all out here:
www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001155581.
