Amazon Studios has announced that it will produce five more original pilots for kids, including the first pilots for ages 6-11. The new pilots come from Emmy Award-winning creators as well as a Hollywood newcomer discovered though Amazon Studios’ open-door submission process. The pilots will stream on Amazon Instant Video and LOVEFiLM in the U.K. for customers to watch, provide feedback, and help determine which shows should be produced as series.
“We’re very excited to be able to introduce these five original ideas and their talented creators to Amazon customers,” says Amazon Studios director Roy Price. “After the success of our first pilots, we look forward to getting lots more fantastic feedback from kids and parents. For the first time we are offering live-action and animated programming for older children and continuing with entertaining, educational programming for preschool aged children—it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“I’ve been dreaming up funny adventures for Gortimer Gibbon for as long as I can remember and it’s incredibly thrilling to be working with Amazon to bring these tales to life,” said David Anaxagoras, creator of Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, one of the new pilots now in production. “With the unique open-door submission process that Amazon Studios offers writers like me, I’ve been given a chance to make my stories come to life. Instead of trying to ‘break through’ and get noticed in the traditional Hollywood process, Amazon has helped bring Hollywood to me and that’s exciting.”
“Working through the pilot process with Amazon Studios has been a fantastic experience,” said Josh Selig, creator of The Jo B. & G. Raff Show as well as The Wonder Pets and Small Potatoes. “Coming up with shows for kids that will not only entertain them but help them learn and grow is a very rewarding experience. We are so excited to hear what Amazon parents and kids think of our show. We hope Jo B. and G. Raff will be back with a full season of stories very soon.”
The five kids’ shows for Amazon Studios’ next pilot season include:
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street – Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street is a live-action adventure show created by David Anaxagoras, a first-time writer, discovered through Amazon Studios’ open-door submission process. This pilot is a look at the lives of three quirky tweens who live in a surreal world of eccentric characters and strange happenings.
Grid Smasher – Grid Smasher offers viewers an innovative visual style with a mix of puppetry and CGI and was created by Emmy Award nominee Dan Clark (Team Smithereen, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). In Grid Smasher, Johnico and his team of rag-tag aliens compete to win the greatest game in the universe.
Hard-Boiled Eggheads – Hard-Boiled Eggheads, created by Emmy Award-winner Duane Capizzi (Transformers Prime, Jackie Chan Adventures, Men in Black: The Series, Darkwing Duck) is an animated action-comedy for children ages 6-11. The pilot features Miles and Quentin, classified special agents who set out to correct the mistakes of science—monsters made of toxic waste, mutants born of lab accidents and the occasional hostile alien.
The Jo B. & G. Raff Show – The Jo B. & G. Raff Show is an animated series created by multiple Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Josh Selig (Sesame Street, The Wonder Pets, Oobi). In this pilot, two best friends, Jo B. and G. Raff, are hosts of their very own TV show, “The Jo B. G. Raff Show” but every day, just when their show is about to start filming, Jo B. realizes that G. Raff can’t be found anywhere. This pilot helps teach preschoolers the importance of compromise and how to meet in the middle to resolve disagreements.
Wishenpoof! – Written by Angela Santomero, creator of Blue’s Clues, Creative Galaxy, and the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Super Why, Wishenpoof! is an animated series that helps teach the essentials of problem solving, empathy and making good choices. The pilot revolves around Bianca, who is just like any other little girl—well, almost—Bianca has “wish magic.” Bianca’s magical powers of wish magic let her make all kinds of wishes come true. This is Santomero’s second Amazon Studios pilot. Santomero’s first pilot, Creative Galaxy, is currently in production and scheduled to be available on Prime Instant Video and LOVEFiLM in early 2014.
Amazon Studios’ first pilots launched in April of 2013 with eight comedy pilots and six kids pilots. Of the 14 pilots, Alpha House, Betas, Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf were chosen, with the help of customer feedback, to be produced as series. The shows will stream on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.
Amazon Studios continues to invite series creators to submit their proposals for comedy and children’s programming to Amazon Studios, studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series.
