Amazon Plans Multiple Pilot Seasons Per Year, Will Develop 'Preview' Group to Gauge Interest

Amazon is prepping for an unconventional pilot ploy.

In a recent interview with CNET, Amazon Studios' topper Roy Price confirmed that the online marketplace turned television developer has plans to roll out multiple pilot seasons per year, allowing users to gauge and weigh in on the potential projects before they're ordered to series.

"It's kind of like doing a focus group except it's with the whole actual audience, hundreds of thousands of people watching the show," he the site.

Though Price doubts they will come at a consistent time throughout the year, Amazon Studios is intent on unleashing a batch of finished pilots periodically - interweaving "smaller-scale feedback opportunities, testing different ideas with an online research panel called Amazon Previews or with the company's Facebook group," CNET writes.

Several thousand Preview members will be picked out of Amazon's cache of heavy TV/movie streamers - as well as those who purchase physical DVDs from the marketplace.

Amazon recently greenlit five of its original 14 pilots to series, including the political ensemble comedy ALPHA HOUSE, featuring John Goodman. Five additional projects aimed at children are now in development.

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Amazon Instant Video is a digital video streaming and download service that offers Amazon customers the ability to rent, purchase or subscribe to a huge catalog of videos. Customers can choose from more than 145,000 titles to purchase or rent and content ranges from new release movies to classic favorites, major television shows, entire seasons, or even day after air TV. Prime Instant Video is Amazon's video subscription offer-it includes more than 33,000 movies and TV episodes selected from the full assortment available at Amazon Instant Video. This subscription offer allows US Prime customers to stream as many titles from Prime Instant Video as they like, at no additional cost.

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