With the evolving television model comes Amazon’s latest take on tv. They’ve posted Pilot Season on Amazon with ten series pilots for anyone to view, five kids and five adult (made up of comedy and drama). We the public are supposed to view and cast our opinion as to what matters.
Now a couple of logistical things apply. First I can stream Amazon via my TiVo but for some reason it doesn’t turn up on search or is visible through my limited Amazon scroll. Second, I can view it on my laptop but am unable to Chromecast it up to my tv because it uses an unsupportable plugin, silverlight. I must say the kids today are used to watching on their laptops but if I’m sitting in my living room I’d rather watch it on an actual television. Kids today feel free to chime in via comments as to how I’m clearly overlooking how to do this.
As for the shows themselves, I was sort of happy to have mixed reviews (let’s be serious, I didn’t watch the kid’s shows):
- Mozart in the Jungle (:30) – Classical music and the folks who make it interesting, good cast options with Gael Garcia Bernal vs Malcolm McDowell as conductors, created by pedigreed talent including a Coppola, too much in a pilot but intrigued to see where they would go, ‘Fame’ grows up a little and goes to the symphony; would watch again.
- The Rebels (:29) – In over your head with a crazy pro-football team isn’t revolutionary so I’d expect at least the initial view of Natalie Zea (Justified’s baby mama) to be a little more drawn out than a former cheerleader who has been married to an owner yet wouldn’t know that uniforms aren’t called costumes, felt ‘Necessary Roughness’ light; pass.
- Transparent (:30) – You had me at Jeffrey Tambor but the latest from the maker of ‘Six Feet Under’ and ‘…Tara’ brings us a look of an adult family and their secrets in Los Angeles, I was intrigued to see where all of the characters might go, ‘Arrested Development’ goes to ‘Laurel Canyon’ (ok not quite but tough comparison); would definitely watch again.
- The After (:55) – Oh Chris Carter my threshold for creepy conspiracy setups in a world struck by mystery is now high based on many disappointing evolutions, and this tale of eight strangers navigating post weirdness made me want to turn away, felt ‘Event’-ish; definitely pass.
- Bosch (:51) – Based on the Connelly books, which I haven’t read so I’m not sure how close to character or content these are, Titus Welliver (who I recognize from stuff but had to look him up) is a well-chosen quiet tough detective, but you know the drill, the stoicness keeps it all a little cold; intrigued enough to go again.
Watch the shows. Call the shots. Your opinion matters. So I took the survey, it was a little ambiguous as to the path and timing to series. Is this the new model? If so or if not what’s next?
