Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) has announced an increased slate of premium Originals, with multiple pickups of scripted and unscripted content, such as Bosch: Legacy Season 2 and a third and fourth season of UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.
The free streaming service has given the green light to a new cooking competition series called America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation, the coming-of-age drama Beyond Black Beauty, the family competition series Play-Doh Squished, and the music documentary Post Malone: Runaway.
Additionally, Amazon Freevee has secured a short-term film licensing agreement with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution for a limited selection of titles such as Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Logan, Hidden Figures, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Post, which will be available to customers on the free streaming service.
This news follows the previously-announced Freevee deal with NBCUniversal for an exclusive network window for films from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s 2020-21 theatrical slate, including titles such as Dolittle, The Invisible Man, Promising Young Woman, F9, and Sing 2.
Amazon Freevee also announced that it has increased its FAST offering to more than 75 channels, including exclusive linear channels for the hit Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, as well as the original The Kids in the Hall comedy series.
In addition to these exclusive channels, FAST programming on Freevee includes curated, thematically-programmed channels, such as popular movies and TV shows, comedy hits, and animated favorites; Freevee and Prime Video Originals channels, such as Judy Justice and Bosch; and syndicated channels with several distribution partners, including A&E, BBC, and Scripps, featuring an array of genres and with content selection based on customers’ wide variety of interests.
“Amazon Freevee is a trailblazer in the AVOD space, reimagining, redefining, and leveling up the quality of content offered by a free streaming service,” said Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi, co-heads of content and programming, Amazon Freevee. “By developing and programming inspired, fan-favorite Original series and movies — produced and delivered by Amazon Studios in partnership with some of the industry’s best creators and studio partners — and by securing exclusive, highly sought licensed content, we have built a destination where viewers know they can discover and enjoy something new, or indulge in something they already love.
“We’ve also built a home for talent where their ideas will be nurtured and brought to life, and are building a brand where advertisers know they will find popular, compelling programming. Today’s announcements about our upcoming slate showcase our continued commitment to delivering customers the premium content they crave—always free of charge.”
Spanning scripted and unscripted programming, Amazon Freevee Original greenlights, development, and additional season pickups announced include:
America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (Greenlight): A new unscripted competition series to find the next dynamic talent to join the “America’s Test Kitchen” (ATK) team. Contestants will work inside the ATK studio kitchens, undergoing intense culinary and media challenges in the job interview of a lifetime. The last cook standing will receive a starring role on ATK. “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation” is executive produced by David Nussbaum, Jack Bishop, David Lonner, and Mark Itkin.
Beyond Black Beauty (Greenlight): Inspired by the beloved novel, “Beyond Black Beauty” is a coming-of-age dramedy that follows Jolie Dumont, an equestrian with Olympic aspirations whose journey is suddenly halted when her mother, Janelle, moves them from their posh Belgium life to Janelle’s childhood home in Baltimore. Jolie struggles to find roots, but as she bonds with an equally spirited horse named Black Beauty, she learns to embrace the family’s ranch, where Black cowboys have been entrenched in their DNA for more than a century.
In this multigenerational tale of adversity, humility, and love, Jolie finally discovers the value of family and home. From Amazon Studios, the Emmy-winning production company Sinking Ship Entertainment, and Leif Films, “Beyond Black Beauty” is executive produced by Pilar Golden, Leif and Agnes Bristow, J.J. Johnson, and Carla de Jong.
Bosch: Legacy Season 2 (Pickup): Prior to the first season premiere on May 6, Freevee has picked up a second season of the spinoff series, which follows retired homicide detective turned private investigator Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as he fights to work cases without the authority his former job provided. Meanwhile, attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers) struggles to maintain her faith in the justice system after surviving an attempted murder, and Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) discovers the possibilities and challenges of being a rookie patrol cop on the streets of Los Angeles.
“Bosch: Legacy Season 2,” from Fabel Entertainment, is executive produced by Michael Connelly, Eric Overmyer, Tom Bernardo, Henrik Bastin, Pieter Jan Brugge, and Titus Welliver.
Inside No. 9 (Development): Based on the BBC’s award-winning anthology series, “Inside No. 9” mixes humor with horror, crime, and suspense, with each episode loosely linked via the inclusion of the number nine. From Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions, this dark comedy features high stakes, shocking twists, and the unexpected. The series is executive-produced by Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Angie Stephenson, and Josh Cole.
Play-Doh Squished (Greenlight): Executive producer Sarah Hyland hosts this fast-paced, family competition series where three teams of four family members and/or friends compete in a series of physical and creative challenges. To take home the grand prize, teams must combine imagination and inspiration with a Play-Doh compound as the medium. “Play-Doh Squished” is produced by Amazon Studios and eOne. Executive producers for eOne are Tara Long and Will Erb, alongside Allison Berkley and Briana Vowels, who serve as showrunners.
Post Malone: Runaway (Greenlight): A one-hour music documentary showcasing the story of Grammy-nominated Post Malone’s first arena tour, 2019’s “The Runaway Tour.” The movie, which will be the second Original film on Freevee, features exclusive backstage access, live performances, and intimate interviews, peeling back the curtain on Post Malone’s personal and professional life during this pivotal career milestone.
From Pulse Films and Federal Films, “Post Malone: Runaway” was created by BAFTA-nominated Hector Dockrill and written and produced by Sam Bridger and Casey Engelhardt. The film is executive produced by Dre London, Austin Rosen, and Bobby Greenleaf.
UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers – Seasons Three and Four (Pickup): The Original docuseries showcases the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers, one of Southern California’s elite high school basketball teams, as they chase championship history and balance school, friendships, and their budding basketball careers. Season Three will take viewers on a journey as the Trailblazers put it all on the line to regain their spot as the ‘22 CIF champions.
Amari Bailey, Shy Odom, Bronny James, and Dylan Metoyer return, with Kijani Wright, Isaiah Elohim, and Mike Price as new additions to the roster. LeBron James and Maverick Carter will return as executive producers with their Sports Emmy Award-winning athlete empowerment brand, UNINTERRUPTED. Also returning are executive producers Jamal Henderson, Devin Johnson, and Philip Byron; co-executive producer Camille Maratchi; and showrunner/director Brendon Carter.
Last month, Amazon Freevee announced a 70% year-over-year increase to its Originals slate, including the upcoming spinoff of Amazon’s longest-running Original series, Bosch: Legacy, premiering May 6; the Australian crime drama Troppo, premiering May 20; and a new home-design series, Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis, premiering June 10.
Additional Originals in various stages of production for the free streaming service include Greg Garcia’s comedy series Sprung, premiering this summer; High School, a scripted series adapted for television by Clea DuVall, produced by Plan B, and based on the New York Times best-selling memoir by Grammy-nominated, platinum recording artists Tegan and Sara Quin; Primo, the coming-of-age comedy from Michael Schur and Shea Serrano; and On Call, the half-hour procedural drama from prolific TV producer Dick Wolf.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.