Has Amazon Studios Finally Found Its Groove?

Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video is Mad Dogs, a new, high-octane drama based on the successful UK series of the same name. Starring Ben Chaplin (who was also in the UK version), Michael Imperioli, Steve Zahn, Romany Malco, and Billy Zane as the “Dogs'” mysterious ring leader, Milo; the ten-episode crime thriller explores the sometimes dangerous consequences of unearned wealth as well as the complications that arise between friends who can’t get out of the way of their egos.

It’s a series that’s somewhat hard to place, tonally. There’s no way you would ever find Mad Dogs in HBO’s rolodex, yet, due to some gratuitous violence, it isn’t quite safe enough for a 10 PM primetime slot on broadcast. Due to its movie-like narrative and feel, however, Mad Dogs seems as if it’s the perfect fit for a streaming-only studio: a ten-hour experience to binge at your own desire. And, thanks to the inquisitive but overall positive reviews of this odd little series, Amazon Studios continues to remain in the conversation: a production house on the rise whose brand is stretching far beyond its Transparent hype.

Though the secret to this recent success may very well lie in buying up and producing these niche series, it seems as if Amazon Studios takes the age old phrase, “Timing is everything,” quite literally by churning out quality over quantity in a realistic time frame that allows various demographics to binge before the platform’s next original series release.

After Transparent‘s groundbreaking debut in September 2014, Amazon Studios introduced musical muse, Mozart in the Jungle, which just snagged the 2015 Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series. The streaming outlet then rang in the New Year with crime drama Bosch before welcoming rom-com Catastrophe in the summer and ’80s throwback Red Oaks in the fall. Come November of 2015, Amazon was renting out Lincoln Center to show off their controversial alt-history drama, The Man in the High Castle, before releasing Season Two of Transparent the following month. Now, after letting a second dose of Transparent settle in, Amazon continues with Mad Dogs, adding another drama to its original slate.

Though there are no ratings made available to the public to determine whether Amazon Studios is actually “successful,” per se, or, if those outside of coastal media actually watch its series; there is a sense of momentum that has followed the brand for the past couple of years, now. And while Netflix promises to double its original content in the coming months, Amazon seems to be focused on rolling out quality shows in a timely manner so viewers can watch and digest before moving onto the next one. And as an audience member living in the era of Peak TV (which currently, has no end in sight), that’s a weird, but rather practical, thing to be thankful for.

Sure, Amazon has had its moments, just like any other network or distribution house. John Goodman-led politico comedy Alpha House tried and failed over the course of two, yawn-worthy seasons to hook an audience. Hand of God, though renewed for a second at bat, has polarized audiences. Last but not least, the platform’s bi-annual pilot season, which allows users to vote on the next Amazon Studios series, sometimes allows potentially great hows, like Down Dog and Really, fall through the cracks. Yet, as they work out the kinks in their system and continue to produce original shows and buzzworthy films like Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, one thing is for certain about Amazon Studios’ continuing endeavors: they have our undivided attention.

Photos: Amazon