Amazon Nears Debut of Original TV Shows

First time accepted submitter bakerharis writes with an article about Amazon's attempt to break into creating conventional television style episodic shows, but with a different model from the manistream media companies. "Amazon's foray into TV production is unique in the way it saves money. Every spring, traditional TV networks like ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox order dozens of pilots and show them to focus groups. Executives pick just a handful to make into series. Then, they commission 13 episodes of each promising show, with each one potentially costing a few million dollars. Many episodes won't ever air if the first few don't attract big audiences." Amazon, instead, has created 14 pilot shows, and is letting a cross section of customers in the U.S., UK, and Germany react to them to see which shows might be worth making more of.

Re:Maybe I'm missing something??

[AK Marc]

So again, how is Amazon doing it differently? Looks exactly the same to me.

It's exactly the same, other than "focus groups" uses tiny groups that are presumed to represent the public at large, and Amazon actually reaches a large percentage of the public at large.

Also, the networks are not looking for "profitable" but looking to fill a slot. They have set line-ups, and try to get complimentary shows as part of a line-up. That's a concept unknown to an on-demand-only company. So the process may seem similar, but it's as similar in practice as a moped and space shuttle (both vehicles that run off combustion).

And why something like Firefly was so beloved and still failed. There wasn't a "slot" for it. It wasn't judged off its own merits.

Re:Maybe I'm missing something??

[Cardcaptor_RLH85]

What focus group agenda? I was actually swept into a focus group for that idiotic movie Welcome to Mooseport back in 2003. I was at the mall down in Daytona Beach, Florida and my roommate and I were asked to join a focus group watching clips from the movie and giving our opinions on them. Many of these groups are just made up of random people in shopping centers and other public places. I don't see where an 'agenda' could be gleaned from that.

Re:Way to miss the mark Amazon.

[PRMan]

Kids content isn't exactly lacking either.

Really? Find a single scripted show rated less than TV-14 from the networks in prime time. There is NOTHING like the shows that I grew up on (Happy Days, Cosby, Home Improvement, etc...), which were shows the whole family could enjoy together.

Now, the kids shows are so annoying and poorly-acted that no adult could stand them, and the adult shows are so "gritty" and "dark" and "sexy" that no kids like them. Amazon could make a lot of money by investing in the type of shows that make a ton of money, because apparently the networks are too busy trying to be "edgy" to make a fortune.