Amazon Studios has just greenlit pilots for three potential young adult series: Panic, The Wilds, and College. Panic is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Lauren Oliver while Daredevil‘s Sarah Streicher created The Wilds. Marja-Lewis Ryan (6 Balloons) created the drama, College.
Not long ago Amazon changed their development process. Amazon subscribers used to be able to vote on which pilots they’d like to see move forward into production. Now, the pilots are evaluated by Amazon staff to determine if they’re a fit for their audience.
“We see YA programming as a big opportunity to expand our entertainment offerings for Prime Video and we are actively pursuing projects that spark conversation and co-viewing,” stated Albert Cheng, Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios.
“We’re excited to explore the point of view of Lauren, Sarah, and Marja who are fresh and distinct voices in television,” said Nick Hall, Head of Alternative Scripted Programming, Amazon Studios. “They are creating content for a younger audience that will also transcend cross-generationally, and we look forward to bringing this new perspective to our Prime audience.”
Details on Amazon’s Young Adult Pilots:
College
Created by Marja-Lewis Ryan, College digs beyond the headlines that make college campuses ripe for drama and steps inside the shoes of six roommates as they hook up, mess up and grow up on their own terms. Producers Channing Tatum and Jill Soloway bring style and relevance to this unabashed peek into the lives of the next generation.
College is a joint production between Free Association and Topple Productions, with Channing Tatum, Jill Soloway, Reid Carolin, Andrea Sperling, and Peter Kiernan as executive producers.
Panic
Based on Lauren Oliver’s NYT bestselling novel, Panic brings us to a forgotten rural town where every year the graduating seniors risk their lives in an illegal, high-stakes game to win life-changing money – and a chance to escape. Anonymous judges force the players through a series of challenges that will compel them to confront their deepest fears – and upend their ideas of who they are, who to trust, and who they might become. This year, 47 players will compete for the biggest pot ever. All of them will be changed. Only one will win.
Panic is written and created by Oliver, executive produced by Joe Roth & Jeff Kirschenbaum of Roth Kirschenbaum Films with Alyssa Altman serving as co-executive producer. Oliver will also be executive producing and Lynley Bird Co-Executive producing both for Glasstown Entertainment, and Elle Triedman also executive producing.
The Wilds
A group of teenage girls from radically different backgrounds find themselves stranded on a remote island, unaware that they’ve just become the subjects of an elaborate social experiment. Part survival drama, part dystopic slumber party, The Wilds explores the past and present struggles of these young women, offering up a vivid portrayal of what it means to grow up female in our time – whether you are lost in the wilderness or not.
The Wilds, a co-production with ABC signature, is written and executive produced by Sarah Streicher and Executive Produced by Jamie Tarses’ Fanfare and Dylan Clark Productions.
