Amazon greenlights five new original series that made the cut

By Christine Persaud February 18, 2015

amazon greenlights 5 new original series from pilot season man in the high castle 21 — Amazon

Following the viewing and voting period among Prime members for Amazon’s latest pilot season, the company has confirmed which new original new series made the cut for the 2015/16 season.

The five shows that have been added to the growing roster include a good mix – one comedy/drama, one drama/thriller, a docu-series, and two kid’s shows as follows: Mad Dogs, The Man in the High Castle, The New Yorker Presents, Just Add Magic, and The Stinky & Dirty Show, respectively.

Related: Dive right in to all 13 shows for Amazon’s ambitious 2015 pilot season

Least surprising on the list is The Man in the High Castle, which was the most watched pilot ever for Amazon. Written and executive produced by Frank Spotnitz (X-Files) with Ridley Scott, it’s based on a 1962 novel (Philip K. Dick) that looks at what might have been if the Allied Powers hadn’t won World War II.

Mad Dogs stars a few known names in the comedy world, including Steve Zahn, Billy Zane, Michael Imperioli, and Romany Malco. It’s produced by Shawn Ryan of The Shield, and offers an intriguing plot involving a murder mystery. The New Yorker Presents, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, is a docu-series that’s based on the magazine, part of the massive Conde Nast Entertainment umbrella. It was created in partnership with the publication.

On the kid’s side, Just Add Magic is a live action program based on the book of the same name, written by Cindy Callaghan, about a trio of friends who find a cookbook in the attic full of recipes for magical foods. Involved in the project is Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco (Sullivan & Son, Fairly Odd Parents, and My Little Pony), and Joe Nussbaum of Awkward will serve as director. The Stinky & Dirty Show, meanwhile, follows the story of a garbage truck and backhoe loader. It, too, is based on a children’s book.

In addition, the dram-com Mozart in the Jungle, a series about the wild goings-on behind the curtain of the New York Philharmonic which counts Jason Schwartzman (The Grand Budapest Hotel) among its executive producers, has been picked up for a second season.

The new shows will debut on Amazon Prime Instant Video later this year and into 2016.

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Christine Persaud

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Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…

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