AMAZON PRIME VIDEO ANNOUNCES THREE ORIGINAL REALITY SHOWS

After the huge success of their maiden original, the cricket-based series Inside Edge, online streaming platform Amazon Prime Video is now set to bring reality shows to the digital platform and has announced three original reality shows that will be ready by the first quarter of 2018.

In an official statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, James Farrell, the head of content of Amazon Prime Video for Asia Pacific said, “Reality shows are now more popular than ever, across a variety of genres. Customers globally have told us how much they enjoy reality shows, like the Japanese Prime Video fan favourite, The Bachelor Japan. With the launch of multiple new original reality shows, we’re aiming to offer our Indian customers a variety of quality new reality content to enjoy.”

The company on Wednesday announced three unscripted original Amazon shows for Indian viewers: two shows centred around domestic stand-up comedy and one being a musical reality show.

Jestination Unknown will be a six-episode travel comedy show featuring Indian stand-up star Vir Das. Each episode will explore a new city on the subcontinent, looking at how comedy pertains to the local culture, and culminate in a stand-up performance.

Comic Kaun (working title) will be a Last Comic Standing-style nationwide hunt to find India’s next comic sensation. The 10-episode series will feature a panel of judges picking India's funniest comic artist. The show will be produced by entertainment firm Only Much Louder. Amazon had earlier landed up a groundbreaking deal with OML for 14 stand-up specials featuring some of the country’s leading comic artists, including Tanmay Bhat and Sapan Verma who are also amongst the judges on Comic Kaun.

For the third show which is music-based one, Amazon has picked up local remake rights for The Remix. The 10-episode competition will pair up DJs and singers to create remixes whose work will be judged by celebrity judges including well-known Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan, music director Amit Trivedi and EDM producer Nucleya.

Meanwhile, Amazon is also gearing up to roll out another original drama, Made in Heaven, produced by leading Bollywood banner Excel Entertainment.