Streaming video companies are increasingly pushing their own content, and Amazon’s Studios program has outlined a set of new potential shows — this time, for children. Amazon will be producing pilots for five new shows, all aimed at kids and complementing the six comedy pilots it greenlit last month. As with Netflix’s growing stable of original series, some high-profile names are involved: Teeny Tiny Dogs is produced by The Jim Henson Company and created by Rugrats and Aeon Flux director Howard Baker, and “interactive art adventure series” Creative Galaxy is being made by Blue’s Clues co-creator Angela Santomero. There’s also Oz Adventures, a series about the children of Wizard of Oz characters, a stop-motion series called Tumbleaf, and The Untitled JJ Johnson Project, about a young super-scientist and her robot helpers.
Amazon bets on The Jim Henson Company and ‘Blue’s Clues’ creator for new kids’ shows
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
Amazon will post both its comedy and children’s pilots on Instant Video, using viewer feedback to gauge what should later be produced in full seasons. While Amazon is ultimately planning a wide range of movies and TV shows, children’s programming is a particularly safe bet. Budgets can generally be lower, and shows will often get watched over and over, giving parents a reason to stay subscribed. If the only place you’ll find a child’s favorite show is on Amazon, you won’t be dropping Instant Video for Netflix any time soon.
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