Amazon releases its first wave of pilots for 2015 today (January 15) with an interesting slate of shows from an interesting group of filmmakers including Ridley Scott. The pilots are being delivered en masse via Amazon's Instant Video service, essentially giving the Golden Globe-winning streaming service a chance to test the water with users.

Ridley ScottRidley Scott has produced The Man in the High Castle pilot

One of the pilots is being described as must-see viewing: The Man in the High Castle. Produced by blockbuster director Scott, the show is based on the alternate history novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, which won the Hugo Award in 1963. The book focuses on daily life under totalitarian Fascist imperialism occurring in 1962, fifteen years after the end of a longer World War II, lasting from 1939 to 1947. The victorious countries are Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The show will essentially focus on what America would look like had the Allies lost the war.

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The show is written by X-Files veteran Frank Spotnitz and is directed by the Heroes' filmmaker David Semel. It is already gaining plaudits for its unsettling tones and could easily be Amazon's next big show after the Golden Globe winning success of Transparent.

"We are working with great storytellers on some fascinating ideas for the year's first pilot season," said Amazon Studios vice-president Roy Price in a press release. "We look forward to seeing our customers' response to these new projects."

Elsewhere, the new crop includes a Civil War drama from Carlton Cuse (Point of Honor) and comedies Cocked and Salem Rogers. 

Earlier this week it was announced that Woody Allen is writing and directing a new original TV show to air on Amazon Instant Video in 2016.

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