Amazon Announces Six Pilots For Fall Programming Slate

This fall, for the sixth time, Amazon Studios will simultaneously premiere a batch of new pilots and ask for input from its viewers. The programming wing of the online retailer has announced the six programs that will make up this new pilot season, and as we expect, there are plenty of familiar names and intriguing premises among the loglines.

Two of the new pilots are particularly star-studded. One, Highston, was first revealed back in April. It comes from executive producer Sacha Baron Cohen and centers on its titular teenager, who interacts with famous people only he can see, much to the chagrin of his parents (played by Chris Parnell and Mary Lynn Rajskub). Another pilot, One Mississippi, is based on the life of Tig Notaro and co-written by Notaro and Juno’s Diablo Cody. Louis C.K. serves as one of that project’s executive producers.

Amazon’s recent pilot seasons have delved more fully into a diverse array of genres, and the new set includes a few programs that will explore new territory for the digital platform. Edge, based on a best-selling book series, could become Amazon’s first western series, and Z, which stars Christina Ricci as Zelda Fitzgerald, could be the platform’s first bio-series. Another historical series,

The last of the six announced pilots, Patriot, is a political thriller that centers on an intelligence officer.

“Our latest pilot season brings together a diverse group of shows that we think customers will really enjoy,” said Roy Price, VP of Amazon Studios, in a press release. “We have something for everyone in this season and I am excited to see which shows spark conversation amongst our customers and what they want to be made into series.”

Amazon’s previous pilot seasons have resulted in a number of successful series, including the critically acclaimed Transparent and the well-received crime drama Bosch. Most recently, Amazon premiered a pair of new pilots, from which it picked up Bryan Cranston and David Shore’s Sneaky Pete. Which pilots will join Amazon’s other shows in the land of full series orders? We’ll be able to add our input when the new pilot season launches sometime in the fall.