(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that following its Friday debut, Alpha
House was the number one most-watched show on Amazon through the
weekend. The series, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Garry
Trudeau and starring John
Goodman, Mark
Consuelos, Clark
Johnson and Matt
Malloy, is available exclusively at www.amazon.com/instantvideo
and on the Amazon Instant Video app for Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod
touch, Roku, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Wii U, as well as hundreds
of other connected devices.
The first three episodes of Alpha House are available for free
for all Amazon customers. Beginning this Friday, one new episode will
become available each week, exclusively on Prime Instant Video, with
episode four available on November 22. Customers who are not already
Prime members can sign up for a trial at www.amazon.com/primevideos.
“The Amazon Studios process is designed to use data and feedback from
customers to help us create and launch shows they will love,” said Roy
Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “It is incredibly rewarding to see
that process working—customers loved the pilot and we’re getting the
same reaction to the series. We’re excited to introduce Betas
later this week.”
Amazon will debut its second original series, Betas, this Friday.
Set in the land of Silicon Valley start-ups, Betas, written by Evan
Endicott and Josh
Stoddard, follows four friends as they attempt to strike it rich
with a new mobile social networking app. Joe
Dinicol, Karan
Soni, Jon
Daly, Charlie
Saxton, and Maya
Erskine star in the show, with special appearances from Ed
Begley Jr. (Arrested Development, St. Elsewhere). Michael
Lehmann directs and produces the show along with Executive Producers
and Emmy Award winners Alan
Freedland and Alan
Cohen, and Academy Award nominee Michael
London.
The first three episodes of Betas will be available for free for
all Amazon customers. After that, one new episode will become available
each week, exclusively on Prime Instant Video, with episode four
available on November 29.
Here’s what TV critics are saying about Alpha House:
-
Alpha House is “confirmed funny” and “an accomplished piece of
work.” — LA Times
-
“Amazon's entry into this suddenly cluttered marketplace is not just
seriously funny, but it's as bracingly timely as the latest
exasperating political headline.” — TV Guide
-
“The singular John Goodman embodies with both force and nuance a
long-serving North Carolinian named Gil John Biggs; actor/director
Clark Johnson (“The Wire,” “Homicide: Life on the Street”) brings
depth and swagger to his Pennsylvania legislator, Robert Bettencourt;
veteran Trudeau troupe member Matt Malloy (the “Tanner” series, “Six
Feet Under”) deftly lets you feel his serial humiliation as Nevada
incumbent Louis Laffer; and Mark Consuelos is a revelation as Florida
lawmaker/playboy (not necessarily in that order) Andy Guzman.” —
Washington Post
-
“…the online retailing giant's instant-video service follows Netflix
and Hulu into the original programming game with the launch of three
episodes of Alpha House, a very funny political comedy from
Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau and journalist Jonathan Alter that
could hold its own with HBO's Veep.” — Philly.com
-
“…time to add another potential winner to the list of shows you’re
already watching.” — The Hollywood Reporter
-
“Amazon has winner with Alpha House” — San Francisco
Chronicle
-
“… in terms of Alpha House achieving something that looks like
victory, so far, mission accomplished.” — Variety
-
“…it's smartly written and the cast jells from the start.” — San
Jose Mercury News
-
“Amazon Prime's New Original Show Is Scandal for Dudes.” — Refinery29
-
“Goodman's adept with physical comedy — the shower nap is a
highlight...” — indieWire
About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films
and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and
audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and will then be
notified within 45 days if that script is optioned. Amazon Studios will
read and review all submissions and those who choose to make their
projects public may also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios
community. Recently, Amazon Studios announced 11 new pilots including:
kids pilots Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Grid
Smasher, Hard-Boiled Eggheads, The Jo B. & G. Raff Show, The
Maker Shack Agency, Wishenpoof!; comedy pilots Mozart in the
Jungle, The Rebels and Transparent; and drama
pilots Bosch and The After. The pilots will
be available on Amazon Instant Video and LOVEFiLM early next year for
all customers to watch and provide feedback. On November 22, Amazon
Studios will debut its second comedy series Betas available
exclusively on Prime Instant Video.
Since launch, more than 19,000 movie scripts and 5,000 series projects
have been submitted to Amazon Studios. Amazon Studios continues to
invite series creators to upload their proposals for drama, comedy and
children’s programming at http://studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series or
submit them privately via Amazon Studios.
Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and
filmographies, is available on Amazon’s IMDb (www.imdb.com),
the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and
celebrity content.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle,
opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s
Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything
they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the
lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of
unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books;
Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home
& Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health &
Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web
Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to
in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end
technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any
type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most
advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher
contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the
latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the
ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle,
features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX
features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2
GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as
exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second
Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday
button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display,
high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com,
www.amazon.co.uk,
www.amazon.de,
www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr,
www.amazon.ca,
www.amazon.cn,
www.amazon.it,
www.amazon.es,
www.amazon.com.br,
www.amazon.in,
www.amazon.com.mx,
and www.amazon.com.au.
As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include
Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates
otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly
from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to
competition, management of growth, new products, services and
technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international
expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and
data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements,
acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system
interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments
and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Copyright Business Wire 2013