Michael Imperioli, Ridley Scott pilots get series orders from Amazon

SEATTLE, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Amazon announced Wednesday it has greenlit five new original series to premiere later this year and in 2016 on Prime Instant Video.

The shows are The Man in the High Castle, which is based on Philip K. Dick's alternative-history novel; an hour-long dark comedy Mad Dogs; the docu-series The New Yorker Presents; and the children's programs Just Add Magic and The Stinky & Dirty Show.

Amazon ordered the series, in part, based on Prime customer feedback to the pilots. To date, customers have helped Amazon greenlight 13 series, including the multi-Golden Globe-winning show Transparent, which will return for a second season later this year.

"During the latest pilot season, Amazon customers made The Man in the High Castle our most-watched pilot ever," Roy Price, vice president of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. "These new series, including our first docu-series, are some of our most ambitious to date and I'm looking forward to their premieres in the future."

Behind the new series are Frank Spotnitz, Ridley Scott, Cris Cole, Shawn Ryan, Alex Gibney, Joe Nussbaum, and Kate and Jim McMullan. The pilots featured stars such as Ben Chaplin, Alan Cumming, Alexa Davalos, Michael Imperioli, Romany Malco, DJ Qualls, Rufus Sewell and Steve Zahn.