The four new animated shows include: The Adventures of Knickerbock Teetertop, Lost In Oz, Lily the Unicorn, and Bear in Underwear; and the two live-action kids pilots are A History of Radness and The Kicks. The talent behind these shows has extensive resumes, from David Babcock, who’s worked on Brothers & Sisters and Gilmore Girls, to Andrew Green, who was involved in the massive kids hit, Hannah Montana. Also involved is The Jim Henson Company, among other top talent.
As Amazon has done before, subscribers will be invited to watch the pilots for the six programs, then provide feedback that will help Amazon determine which will be turned into full series for Prime members.
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“These new pilots will bring sophisticated stories and unique points of view that we hope will resonate well with kids and families,” says Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming for Amazon Studios. “We’re very excited to be working with such passionate creative teams and look forward to sharing these projects with our customers later this year.”
Aimed at preschoolers, The Adventures of Knickerbock Teetertop follows Knickerbock, the smallest child living in the enchanted Wonderpine Mountain. He dreams of being an adventurer just like his grandpa, and sets out with his friends Holly and Otto on a magical Wonderboggan. The show was created by Adam and Melanie Wilson LaBracio, a brother and sister team that have previously been involved in Marvel Universe Live and Evergone.
All other series are aimed at kids aged 6-11, starting with Lost in Oz, an animated, action-adventure comedy set in a modern, metropolitan Emerald City. Dorothy Gale is stranded in this world, where she encounters everyone from a street-smart witch, to a giant munchkin. She’s, of course, accompanied by her faithful sidekick pup, Toto.
In Lily the Unicorn, the lead character Lily likes to get involved in shenanigans with her friends, and loves surprises and going on adventures with them. Oh, and she loves to sing and hum, with the ability to make her tunes go viral online. The animated show is based on the hit children’s book by Dallas Clayton (An Awesome Book) and produced by The Jim Henson Company.
Based on the bestselling books by Todd Goldman and written by Goldman and Dave Schiff (That 70s Show, Robot and Monster), Bear in Underwear follows an optimistic and high energy bear, cleverly named Eddie Behr, who aspires to be a legend like his dad, who discovered “pants” (i.e. undies) at a campsite and changed the bear community forever.
In A History of Radness, which is written and executive produced by Andrew Green (Hannah Montana), we get a glimpse into the musical world with siblings Jack and Tessie, who rise from being “less-than-cool” in middle school to aspiring musicians who have created a band of outsiders. The show will feature original music written by Hutch Harris of the post-pop-punk trio The Thermals with original score by James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins, A Perfect Circle). Musician Henry Rollins (Sons of Anarchy, Black Flag) guest stars as Coach Carlucci, and Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino will narrate.
Last, The Kicks follows Devin Burke, the star player on her soccer team that encounters a new challenge when her family relocates and she transfers to a school where the team has been on a long losing streak. Can she help turn things around? The show is based on a book series by U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and current U.S. Women’s National Team soccer player Alex Morgan and adapted by David Babcock (Brothers & Sisters, Gilmore Girls).
Amazon has really been ramping up its involvement in kids programming, most recently debuting new episodes of its first live action series for kids aged 6-11, Gortimer Gibbon’s Live on Normal Street. Other original children’s series available on Amazon include Tumble Leaf (which has won multiple Emmy Awards), Creative Galaxy, and Annedroids. All four have been picked up for a new season.
There will be eight new original series set to premiere on Amazon this year and in early 2016, including several kids’ titles, like Wishenpoof!, Just Add Magic, and The Stinky & Dirty Show. Depending on which of the pilots make the cut, there could be several more on the way, as well.
