Amazon Studios considering an end to pilot season, but they shouldn’t
Amazon could be doing away with their pilot season that took into account viewer feedback before deciding which shows received full-season orders.
Amazon introduced a new wrinkle to the business a few years ago when they branched into the streaming aspect of things. Not only did it bring several old shows and movies to the Amazon Video platform, but it also brought Original programming not seen anywhere else. Shows like Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle and The Man in the High Castle have Emmy nominations and wins on their mantle and represent the best of what Amazon Studios has been able to accomplish.
Another area from the streaming side of things that was really popular and made them different from traditional TV was how they presented their pilot season. Unlike a new show that premieres on TV or even other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, Amazon unrolled out the pilot episode of shows and let customer feedback weigh in the decision whether to order a full season for the show or if the one episode is all it would be.
One of the successes from Amazon pilot season is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel which debuted the pilot episode last March and received a two-season order. Season 1 premiered today, Wednesday, Nov. 29, and is already being hailed as the next big hit for Amazon. But The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel could be the last success story from Amazon pilot season, because according to Deadline, Amazon is thinking about ending it due to the current TV climate.
"“The reality of the marketplace is it’s competitive and often you just have to go to series,” former Amazon Studios head Price said in August. “We still have customer feedback, but will probably have fewer pilots for sure.”"
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While it was really cool for fans and viewers to feel like they had a say in whether shows received full seasons or not, it is difficult to film a single episode of a potential TV show, then put things on hold for months at a time with an uncertain fate. This puts the cast and crew in a state of limbo and unsure whether they should or could take on new projects because they may have a show to work on if Amazon picks it up.
Amazon has three pilots as part of their fall pilot season, Love You More, Sea Oak and The Climb. It’s unclear which of these shows will be picked up. They could represent the last wave of shows to get what amounts to an audition.
Amazon has strayed away from these trial periods with their upcoming lineup of shows, including Carnival Row, The Romanoffs, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Homecoming, The Dangerous Book for Boys, Tong Wars and the Lord of the Rings series which received a multiple-season commitment earlier this month. Expect this to be the norm moving forward.