About a month after it revealed its first six comedy pilots, Amazon Studios announced Tuesday that it’s approved five pilots for children’s shows. Some big names are attached: Angela Santomero, the creator of Super Why! and Blue’s Clues, is behind one of the pilots, while the Jim Henson Company is producing another.
The kids’ pilots, along with the six comedy pilots, will be posted on Amazon Instant Video, Prime Instant Video, Lovefilm UK and Lovefilm Germany, where customers can watch them for free and help determine which go into production.
It’s all part of Amazon’s initiative to remove the middleman from streaming TV. The shows’ creators get $ 10,000 when their show is optioned and $ 55,000 if it’s chosen for production, as well as a share of licensing fees and other royalties. Amazon says it’s now optioned a total of 25 projects, and it’s looking for more children’s and comedy shows.
Here are the first five children’s pilots:
Creative Galaxy
Creative Galaxy is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue’s Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Oz Adventures
In this innovative problem solving series, Dot, Dorothy’s daughter, goes off to Oz everyday with the children of the beloved characters from L. Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wizard of Oz. In each episode, the yellow brick road leads Dot to a new magical location where she solves problems alongside her Oz friends.
Teeny Tiny Dogs
Produced by The Jim Henson Company (Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train) and created by Howard Baker (Rugrats), Teeny Tiny Dogs follows Butch, Butterfly, Dinky and Polly as they help one another navigate the big world despite their teeny, tiny, small size. This series promotes happiness through friendship, learning, growing and developing a strong sense of self as seen through the eyes of canine friends.
Tumbleaf
Tumbleaf was created by Drew Hodges and Bix Pix Studios, an award-winning stop motion studio. The series, aimed at preschoolers, is set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Children will be enriched by narratives that promote play through exploration and cognitive reasoning.
The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project
The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project revolves around Anne, a young scientist, who creates three robot helpers to assist her scientific experiments in the back of her dad’s junkyard. This science-based series from creator J.J. Johnson (Dino Dan, This is Emily Yeung) aims to introduce kids to science and technology in a fun, new way.
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