Is traditional television dead? With the advent of Netflix original programing, it sure seems like it, and Amazon has been quick to jump on the bandwagon. But they’ve taken it one step further. Instead of introducing new original programing, they’ve commissioned a bunch of pilots and posted them online, letting the public decide. There’s no voting system — just a section on the site where viewers can leave feedback and comments — so it’s hard to understand exactly how the public really makes the decision of what gets picked up and what gets left behind. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to watch all the dramatic and comedy pilots — five in total — and rank them based on their chance of success.
“Transparent”
Odds: Definitely
There was early hype for this one, and I was quick to judge. The milieu — white upper middle class Los Angeles bohemianism — is boring and limiting, and I’ve never been impressed with Jill Soloway, a writer on the not-as-good-as-everyone-says “Six Feet Under,” and the creative force behind one of out most Sundance-y Films of Sundance from 2013, “Afternoon Delight.” But the cast, for the most part, was good — especially Gaby Hoffmann, as one of three siblings (Jay Duplass and Amy Landecker play the other two), whose father gets them together for an important announcement. The reveal at the end makes the whole thing more interesting, and I’m curious to see where they take it over an entire season. I imagine this one will keep going.
“Mozart in the Jungle”
Odds: Maybe
This looked good. A comedy set in the world of classical music, starring Malcolm McDowell as a conductor on his way out the door and Gael Garcia Bernal as the cocky hotshot who is pushing him out, created by a team including Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. Unfortunately, it was boring and not really funny. This could get picked up based on the behind-the-scenes team alone, and has potential to do something over a number of episodes — it’s just not clear what that something is.
“Bosch”
Odds: Maybe
Based on a series of novels by airport bookstore superstar Michael Connelly, the title character, real name Hieronymus Bosch (Titus Welliver), is an LAPD homicide detective who is caught between trying to solve a murder case and standing trial for the killing of an unarmed man. I’m a sucker for this kind of thing, and the mystery at the center of the show — a pile of bones are found buried on a mountain outside Hollywood — will give it enough gas to withstand an entire series order. The only thing going against it is that it’s a cop show, and one that is not trying anything different than most other cop shows. Hit-or-miss, really, but I’m willing to give this a chance.
“The Rebels”
Odds: Maybe
A trophy wife — a former cheerleader — inherits the football team owned by her recently deceased husband. It’s billed as a comedy. There was little I enjoyed about this and little I hated about it. It seemed like something my parents might watch, or some bros relaxing after a long day trading stocks or whatever it is they do. It could easily air on the USA Network, squashed between “Burn Notice” and “White Collar,” which I think is probably the best description I could give.
“The After”
Odds: Never
An end-of-the-world drama from “X-Files” creator Chris Carter that owes a bit of its apocalyptic last-man-on-earth thrills to “Lost” and “The Walking Dead.” The only problem, unfortunately, is that the show isn’t thrilling and seems more of an opportunity to jump on a popular (if already tired) trend. It doesn’t help that the acting is atrocious and the dialogue is laughably absurd, the kind of stuff that gets cut during first-year scriptwriting class. Throw this one in the Dumpster and call it a day.
