SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(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.
