Amazon’s newest original series – one that’s been receiving a good amount of buzz – has landed on Amazon Prime Instant Video for your streaming pleasure.
Transparent, starring Jeffrey Tambor, is a half-hour “novelistic” series that explores the lives of a family and its transgender patriarch. It’s written, directed, and produced by Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under, Afternoon Delight).
“I could not be more excited to share Transparent with the world today,” said Soloway. “In many ways, the Pfefferman’s story is one I’ve wanted to tell for many years and I’m so grateful to Amazon and my incredibly talented cast and crew for allowing me to fulfill this creative dream.”
Amazon describes it as such:
The series stars Tambor as Maura, who has spent her life as Mort—the Pfefferman family patriarch. When she reintroduces herself to her family, everyone’s secrets finally start to come out. This includes her ex-wife Shelly (played by Light), and their children—meandering Ali (played by Hoffmann), record producer Josh (played by Duplass), and sexually conflicted Sarah (played by Landecker). Each family member spins in a different direction as they begin to figure out who they are going to become.
Alongside Mozart in the Jungle and The Outlaws, Transparent was one of three comedy pilots greenlit last October. The series has opened to glowing reviews. The Washington Post calls it “the best streaming-network pilot since Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black.”
The Philadelphia Daily News says,
“Transparent is either the best new series most people are unlikely to see or the best excuse Amazon can give you for signing up for a month’s free trial.”
And that’s surely music to Amazon’s ears. Kind of. Amazon Studios has been pumping out pilots and a handful of full series for a couple of years now, trying to establish itself as an original content destination like Netflix – but has yet to achieve the overall success of a show like Orange Is the New Black or House of Cards. For Amazon, it’s great to have a series that could possibly be its flagship, but that whole “most people are unlikely to see” bit reveals a truth to Amazon’s original series.
All 10 episodes are available right now on Amazon Prime Instant Video.