Tanai Cannon, Campus Carrier Assistant Entertainment Editor
Amazon Prime has recently released its own lineup of online miniseries that could easily rival Netflix. The release has already stirred up much debate and a lot of questions amongst students.
Amazon Prime has not only stated that it will begin releasing new shows, but that they have signed a deal with HBO that will give Amazon exclusive rights to a selection of HBO series and movies.
Students who have a Prime subscription account on Amazon can watch shows with unlimited access using Prime Instant Video.
Subscribers can expect to see popular HBO shows such as “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Six Feet Under,” “Deadwood,” “Band of Brothers,” “Big Love,” “True Blood,” “Deadwood,” “Rome,” “The Pacific,” “In Treatment” and much more.
If you are looking for something new, you do not have to search far to find Amazon’s listings of new original series. “Transparent” will be released in late September when broadcast networks will unveil most of their shows.
The show has stars Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”), Jay Duplass (“The Mindy Project”) and Gaby Hoffmann (“Girls”) and is described as “darkly comedic story about an LA family with serious boundary issues … in this exploration of sex, memory, gender and legacy, the past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone’s secrets to spill out,” said Amazon Studios in a statement to InsideTv.
Other shows, which have not announced release dates, include “Mozart in the Jungle,” a comedic drama about sex, drugs and classical music. It was written by actor-musician Jason Schwartzman and starring Malcolm McDowell (“A Clockwork Orange”) and Saffron Burrows (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”.).
“Bosch” a crime drama about a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective in pursuit of a killer while standing trial in federal court for murder. It is based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling “Harry Bosch” series and stars Titus Welliver (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Jamie Hector (“The Strain”).
Lastly, there is a series called “The After”, which follows eight strangers who help each other to survive in a violent world. The series is written by Chris Carter, the creator of “The X-Files” and stars Aldis Hodge (“Leverage”) and Andrew Howard (“NCIS: Los Angeles”).
The cost for the Prime Instant Video Service is $100 a year, and that includes access to Amazon Prime and free shipping on most Amazon purchases.
Meanwhile, Netflix is a monthly $8 fee, which comes to $95.88 per year, not including the postage and shipping, so Amazon is cheaper in the end.
Hulu is also trying to join the competition by producing popular shows that were cancelled from T.V. networks in order to increase their following and popularity.
Hulu has not officially begun the process, however there are plans to partner with Sony, which has a reputation for keeping series afloat.
With Amazon emerging as an online streaming franchise, it is clear that Netflix may have some competition and students will face a tough decision for their streaming needs.