Amazon’s pilot season includes shows from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Steve Dildarian
We will truly never catch up on all of the TV because, while we’re struggling to empty our DVRs, the programming elves (or producers) are busy making even more TV to be consumed. At least Amazon affords viewers an early opportunity to narrow down their choices with its pilot season. The last crop yielded series orders for The Tick and I Love Dick (as well as, uh, Jean-Claude Van Johnson), which means your vote does count, so choose wisely from the offerings Amazon’s just announced.
First up is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, an hourlong drama from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino (you know, the Stars Hollow Palladinos). This period piece stars Rachel Brosnahan (House Of Cards) as the titular lady whose domestic bliss is upended by her discovery that she has a “marvelous” talent for stand-up comedy (so, it’s not a superhero show, then?). Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle play Brosnahan’s parents in the pilot, which was directed by Sherman-Palladino.
Robb Stark finds new life in Oasis, sort of—this hourlong drama stars Richard Madden and his Game Of Thrones costar Mark Addy as space explorers. Madden plays a chaplain whose interplanetary travels/colonization not only “puts his faith to the test, but life as we know it.” This Amazon Studios adaptation of Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things also stars Vikram Danesh, Haley Joel Osment, and Maureen Sebastian as Alicia Ruiz, Michael Shaffer as Phelps, and Zawe Ashton as Severin. The pilot was written by Bridge Of Spies’ Matt Charman.
The new pilot lineup also boasts three half-hour comedies. The Life And Times Of Tim creator Steve Dildarian is behind The New V.I.P.s, which centers on “a group of low-level employees who seize control of a major corporation after accidentally murdering their boss.” So far, so good. And the voice cast includes Matt Braunger, Ben Schwartz, Missi Pyle, and Jonathan Adams? Now that sounds promising.
Elsewhere, there’s The Legend of Master Legend, a dark comedy about an amateur superhero who tries to protects the people of Las Vegas, but isn’t considered a hero in his own home. James Ponsoldt directed the pilot, which stars John Hawkes, Dawnn Lewis, Shea Whigham, and Anjelika Washington. Finally, we have Budding Prospects, which is about a trio of “hapless city boys” who find out that weed farming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Adam Rose, Joel David Moore, Will Sasso, and Brett Gelman star in the pilot, which was directed by Bad Santa’s Terry Zwigoff. You can watch and vote on pilot season beginning March 17.