Kevin Bacon, Jean-Claude Van Damme Tapped for Amazon Pilots

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Amazon in August will offer up three comedy pilots for Amazon Prime subscribers to preview, the service said Thursday.

The new pilots debuting on the OTT service Aug. 19 include a Jill Soloway executively-produced comedy I Love Dick, based on a relationship-themed book of the same name and starring Kevin Bacon; Jean-Claude Van Johnson, starring  martial arts actor Jean-Claude Van Damme as a retired undercover private contractor that’s drawn back into the game; and a superhero-based comedy The Tick,  starring Peter Serafinowicz.

Similar to other Amazon original series such as Transparent and Mozart In The Jungle, Amazon Prime members can weigh in on which of the pilots eventually becomes an Amazon Original Series.

“Nowhere else will voices as influential as Jill Soloway and Jean-Claude Van Damme share a stage,” said Joe Lewis, head of half-hour series, Amazon Studios. “And that’s just the Js. We’re excited to bring such a diverse slate of pilots to customers and we can’t wait to hear what they think.”

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.