Amazon’s scripted programming has received a lot of attention, but the retailer’s Prime subscribers now have access to a compelling unscripted show, too. The New York Presents, which translates the pages of the titular magazine into a serial video format, has premiered all ten of its season one episodes.
The New Yorker Presents was first announced as one of the 13 competitors within Amazon’s January 2015 pilot season. In contrast to the other shows featured alongside it, The New Yorker Presents is not a comedy, drama, or children’s program. Instead, it operates sort of like a variety show: Each episode consists of several smaller pieces, with documentary shorts, poems, short humor pieces, and cartoons joining forces to form a complete product. As The AV Club puts it, the show’s format “replicates what it’s like to flip through an especially good New Yorker issue.”
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Of course, with such a wide variety of topics in play, some pieces are bound to be better than others, and most of the reviewers who have checked out The New Yorker Presents have characterized it as an inconsistent show. While some segments come together as compelling wholes, the critics say, others feel underdeveloped.
Despite its inconsistency, The New Yorker Presents has a lot to offer. It has brought together a lot of creative minds–ranging from Paul Giamatti to Steve James to Jonathan Demme–who all appeal to intelligent viewers. If you’re a Prime subscriber, feel free to check out the ten episodes available to you, and if you need more New Yorker after that, the publication’s YouTube channel has you covered.
