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Amazon inadvertedly streamed an upcoming episode of 'Doctor Who'
Never mind bootleggers releasing unaired Doctor Who episodes -- the biggest concern this week is none other than one of the BBC's own distributors. Fans who tried to watch the latest episode of the show ("Kerblam!") on Amazon the evening of November 21st found themselves watching "The Witchfinders" instead -- an episode that wasn't supposed to air until November 25th. Yes, the time travel jokes pretty much write themselves here. The io9 team notes that Amazon even had the subtitles for "Kerblam!" instead, leading to some unintentionally funny mash-ups of text from the future with the 17th-century past.
Comcast may debut a set-top box for internet-only customers in 2019
Comcast hasn't been completely averse to cord cutters, but there are now hints that it might design hardware with those people in mind. CNBC contacts say Comcast is planning a streaming set-top box for internet-only subscribers that would unify Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and other services. It wouldn't quite be a direct rival to devices like the Apple TV or Roku players, since you wouldn't have an app ecosystem -- Comcast wouldn't want to risk you leaving for DirecTV Now or Sling TV, you see. It would come with a voice-controlled remote, however, and would double as a smart home hub.
Amazon's 'Transparent' will end with a movie-length musical episode
Much like Netflix's challenges with House of Cards, the creators of Amazon's Transparent have faced a problem: how do they wrap up the final season of a long-running show in a way that does the series justice, especially with the departure of a key cast member? In this case, it's simple: take a cue from Broadway. Series creator Jill Soloway has revealed to the New York Times that the last episode of the fifth season will be a two-hour musical episode. Details are scarce, but it'll ideally be a cross of Jesus Christ Superstar, La La Land, Flight of the Conchords and "a little Yentl," according to Soloway. It should reach Prime Video in fall 2019.
Ken Block's 'Gymkhana Files' debuts on Amazon November 16th
Amazon has announced a release date for The Gymkhana Files, the documentary series that follows rally driver Ken Block and his team of Hoonigans as they work on the tenth installment of their wildly popular Gymkhana series. The eight-episode show will debut November 16th on Prime Video, with Amazon releasing two episodes per week thereafter. And the final episode, airing December 7th, will feature Gymkhana 10 as an early access exclusive.
Europe moves forward with content quotas for Netflix and Amazon
The European Parliament has voted to approve new regulations that will place a European content quota on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Once the new rules are formally approved, 30 percent of video-on-demand platform content catalogs will have to be European -- a move aimed at supporting "the cultural diversity of the European audiovisual sector." Additionally, these companies will be asked to support the development of European productions either through direct investment or by paying into national funds, contributions that should be "proportional to their on-demand revenues in that country."
Amazon plans TV series based on Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' novels
Amazon's fantasy TV ambitions aren't just confined to The Lord of the Rings. The company has ordered an hour-per-episode series based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time novels -- yes, after years of canceled plans and legal hurdles, it's finally happening. The series promises to be a direct adaptation of the books, which center around a world where only women are known to wield magic (or rather, "channeling") and prophecies talk of a person who's the reincarnation of a powerful being.
Amazon's NFL streams will feature an all-female commentary team
When Amazon starts streaming its latest round of Thursday Night Football on September 27th, you'll have a few options for commentary -- including one that breaks new ground in the broadcasting industry. The internet behemoth has announced that it will include an option for all-female audio commentary from veteran sports journalists Andrea Kremer (at left) and Hannah Storm. It's the first time two women commentators will cover an entire NFL game, Amazon said. While it's easy to be cynical about the move, it's definitely big news if you want a break from the usual play calling.
Amazon snags exclusive Jack White documentary and EP
Amazon will soon be the home for some exclusive Jack White content, the company announced on Tuesday. The musician will release a documentary on Prime Video that centers on his concert at The Anthem in Washington, DC -- part of his Boarding House Reach tour -- as well as White's time spent exploring the nation's capital. Additionally, Amazon will release an EP featuring six live recordings from the concert through Amazon Music. It includes four songs from White's most recent album along with the title tracks from Blunderbuss and The White Stripes' Icky Thump.
Amazon poaches Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn for new fashion series
Project Runway is set to return to its original network, Bravo, after 11 seasons on Lifetime, but when it does, it will be without stars Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. Instead, the two will be working on a new fashion-focused series for Amazon Prime Video. The duo will develop, produce and headline the series, according to Deadline.
Amazon's 'The Romanoffs' teaser shows desperate claims to fame
Amazon is finally ready to show more of The Romanoffs than its all-star cast. The internet behemoth has posted a full-fledged teaser trailer for the Prime Video anthology series, and it's evident that the show is equal parts serious and irreverent. This definitely isn't a historical piece. Rather, it's a look at the seeming ridiculousness of people around the world as they claim to be descendants of the last Russian royal family. There's more than a slight whiff of desperation, although the teaser doesn't rule out the possibility that some characters might have a legitimate claim.
Comcast will add Prime Video to Xfinity X1
Xfinity TV customers will soon have access to Prime Video as Comcast and Amazon announced today that the app will launch on X1 in the near future. The move will give Xfinity users easier access to their Prime Video features, including original series like Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, entire seasons of other shows, movies and add-on channels like Showtime and Starz. "Amazon Prime Video's growing list of originals, movies, shows, documentaries and kids' programming will be an excellent complement to the overall X1 viewing experience," Dana Strong, president of consumer services at Comcast, said in a statement. "We want to give customers easy access to all their favorite content in one place."
Amazon may have another smartphone in the works (update: no)
Amazon's Fire Phone was a disaster by most accounts, but that might not stop Bezos and crew from giving handsets another try. In a speech at the Television Critics Association press tour (where Amazon has been very busy), studio head Jennifer Salke said she has the prototype of a future Amazon phone that would reportedly have a better interface for Prime Video. Salke didn't delve into specifics, to no one's surprise, but she claimed it was "much more intuitive" and that you could even see it in her office. Just let us know when you're ready to give a product demo, Jennifer.
'Mad Men' creator's Amazon series 'The Romanoffs' debuts October 12th
Need proof that Amazon is increasingly focused on blockbuster shows? Here's Exhibit A. Amazon has announced that The Romanoffs, the anthology series from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, will premiere on October 12th... and it'll have a star-studded cast, to put it mildly. New actor additions include Mad Men alumni Cara Buono and Jay R. Ferguson alongside familiar names like ER's Noah Wyle and Office Space's Ron Livingston, and that's on top of an existing sea of stars. Amazon had already lined up Mad Men's Christina Hendricks and John Slattery as well as Aaron Eckhart, Diane Lane, Amanda Peet and Paul Reiser, among others.
Amazon stops asking viewers to vote on Prime Video pilots
Amazon has been relatively unique among streaming giants in not only requesting pilots, but putting them up for a vote by the viewers. Unfortunately, you'll have to kiss that democratic process goodbye. The company's Jennifer Salke has announced that Prime Video pilot voting has been "set aside for now." Instead, it'll use both its own internal testing and "some user data" to make the call on whether a show goes forward. It's not that Amazon doesn't trust your feedback -- rather, it's not that convinced the pilots themselves are necessary.
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' showrunners hail from 'Star Trek'
Amazon is finally attaching some creative talent to its still-mysterious Lord of the Rings series, but it's not who you might expect. The internet giant's Jennifer Salke has revealed that writing duo JD Payne and Patrick McKay will develop the Tolkien-based Prime Video show. While their full roles aren't clear just yet, their backgrounds are. They're best known for their sci-fi work, helping to write Star Trek Beyond (though not credited) and the in-progress fourth 'reboot' movie. They're not legendary in Hollywood writing circles, including in the fantasy genre -- that's not necessarily a problem, but they're untested in this realm.
Amazon’s ‘Man in the High Castle’ returns October 5th
A teaser for the upcoming third season of Amazon's The Man in the High Castle aired today at Comic-Con and it shows that the resistance is more determined than ever to take down the Nazis. But the Nazis, who at the end of last season rolled back a plan that would've led to nuclear war, are working on a new tool that will give them access to the multiverse we've been given glimpses of throughout the first two seasons. In the teaser, we see a scientist say they're building a "gateway to the multiverse" while Obergruppenführer Smith (Rufus Sewell) comes to the realization that "different versions of us exist in other worlds" -- a discovery based in part on the reappearance of Juliana's half-sister Trudy (Conor Leslie) who was believed to be dead.
Walmart might get into the crowded video-subscription business
Walmart is considering a subscription video-streaming service, The Information reports, that could be set up as a rival to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Sources familiar with the company's discussions about the prospect told the publication that such a service, if launched, could be priced to undercut the subscriptions offered by the popular video-streaming companies, putting it below Netflix's current $8 to $14 plan range and Amazon's $9 per month Prime Video subscription. That would price it below Hulu's $8 and $12 streaming library plans, as well. Walmart is also reportedly considering a free, ad-supported service.
Amazon could take on UK broadcasters with a smart TV launch
Cutting the cable cord could soon get a lot easier in the UK, as Amazon is getting set to release smart TVs with Fire TV built in, reports the Telegraph. A smart TV from the online retail giant is currently in testing by DTG, a UK standards body for digital terrestrial broadcast equipment. It's not clear who made the TV that's in for testing, but in the US, Amazon's Fire TV-equipped TVs are manufactured by Element Electronics. Best Buy also sells Fire-TV televisions under its in-house Insignia brand.
Netflix beats out HBO in total Emmy nominations for the first time
Nominations for the 2018 Emmy Awards were just announced and Netflix, Hulu and Amazon all fared quite well. Netflix led the pack by far with a total of 112 nominations -- beating out HBO for the top spot this year -- while Hulu and Amazon Prime Video garnered 27 and 22 nominations each, respectively. The top nomination-getting programs for these platforms were Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Netflix's The Crown, Godless, Stranger Things and Glow.
Amazon Prime Video is offering dubious conspiracy videos
It won't surprise you to hear that streaming services are full of documentary-style videos with dodgy claims about aliens or the paranormal. Amazon Prime Video, however, is coming under fire for offering considerably worse. The Telegraph has noticed that the service includes numerous conspiracy videos from widely discredited sources like Alex Jones and David Icke. Amazon isn't going out of its way to promote the junk theories (which include the New World Order and reptilian aliens). As a subscription service, though, it's paying the authors for their work -- unlike YouTube, it can't just pull ads.
