Titus Welliver’s ex-cop Harry Bosch will return to crack more cases on Amazon Freevee.
Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) announced the pickup of Season 2 of “Bosch: Legacy,” a spin-off of series “Bosch” that ran for seven seasons on Prime Video — ahead of the May 6 premiere of “Bosch: Legacy” on the ecommerce giant’s free, ad-supported streaming service.
In addition, Amazon Freevee is expanding its licensed content lineup through a short-term film licensing agreement with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution for a “limited selection” of 20th Century Studios titles, including “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2,” “Logan,” “Hidden Figures,” Kenneth Branagh’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and “The Post.”
The announcements came at Amazon’s 2022 NewFronts presentation Monday for marketers.
Amazon Freevee also announced the renewal for third and fourth seasons of “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers,” the docuseries about a Southern California high-school basketball team, from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted, as well as greenlights for four new originals: cooking competition series “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation”; coming-of-age drama “Beyond Black Beauty”; family competition series “Play-Doh Squished”; and music documentary “Post Malone: Runaway.”
Currently in development at Freevee is “Inside No. 9,” based on the BBC’s award-winning anthology series, combining humor, horror, crime and suspense — with the episodes linked in some way by the inclusion of the number nine. It comes from Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions.
And Amazon Freevee said it now offers more than 75 free, ad-supported television (FAST) streaming channels, including exclusive FAST channels for hit Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience” and the original “Kids in the Hall” comedy series.
“We’re working hard to build a differentiated AVOD service, one that really leans heavily into originals but also one that is really proud of the content on the licensed side and the FAST channels,” Lauren Anderson, Amazon Freevee’s co-head of content and programming, said in an interview. “It’s all three of those things together.”
“Bosch: Legacy” follows Welliver’s title character — a retired LAPD homicide detective turned private investigator — as he fights to work cases without the authority his former job provided. Meanwhile, attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers) struggles to maintain her faith in the justice system after surviving an attempted murder, and Harry’s daughter Maddie Bosch (Madison Lintz) discovers the challenges of being a rookie patrol cop on the streets of L.A. “Bosch: Legacy,” from Fabel Entertainment, is executive produced by Michael Connelly, Eric Overmyer, Tom Bernardo, Henrik Bastin, Pieter Jan Brugge, Titus Welliver and Zetna Fuentes. Fuentes (“Bosch,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Shameless”) directed the spinoff pilot.
“It was easy to greenlight the second season” of “Bosch: Legacy,” after execs saw the 10-episode first season,” said Ryan Pirozzi, Freevee’s other co-head of content and programming. “We’re ecstatic with the new show,” he said, adding, “We know we want to be in business with Michael Connolly,” the author of the “Bosch” series of books.
Amazon Freevee’s deal with Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution follows its previously announced pact with NBCUniversal securing exclusive network-window rights for films from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s 2020-21 theatrical slate, including “Dolittle,” “The Invisible Man,” “Promising Young Woman,” “F9” (Fast & Furious 9) and “Sing 2.”
Last month, Amazon Freevee announced a 70% year-over-year increase to its originals slate. That includes “Bosch: Legacy”; Australian crime drama “Troppo,” premiering May 20; and a new home-design series, “Hollywood Houselift With Jeff Lewis,” premiering June 10.
Additional originals in various stages of production for the free streaming service include Greg Garcia’s comedy series “Sprung,” premiering this summer (which has added Kate Walsh to the cast); “High School,” a scripted series adapted for television by Clea DuVall, produced by Plan B, and based on the best-selling memoir by recording artists Tegan and Sara Quin; “Primo,” a coming-of-age comedy from Michael Schur and Shea Serrano; and “On Call,” a half-hour procedural crime drama from prolific TV producer Dick Wolf. Freevee also recently announced the Season 2 renewal of “Judy Justice,” helmed by the iconic Judge Judy Sheindlin, and ordered “Tribunal,” created and executive produced by Sheindlin, which will feature a panel of three judges collectively adjudicating real cases.
“What you’re seeing is more content and more greenlights based on more viewing. Customers are responding,” said Freevee’s Anderson. According to Amazon, Freevee monthly active users have grown threefold from Q1 2020 to Q1 2022 (but the company is not releasing estimated MAU counts).
Here’s more info on Freevee’s greenlit productions announced Monday:
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation: Unscripted competition series to find the next dynamic talent to join the America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) team. Contestants will work inside the ATK studio kitchens, undergoing intense culinary and media challenges in “the job interview of a lifetime,” with the last cook standing receiving a starring role on ATK. Executive produced by David Nussbaum, Jack Bishop, David Lonner and Mark Itkin.
- Beyond Black Beauty: Inspired by the beloved 19th century novel, the dramedy follows Jolie Dumont, an equestrian with Olympic aspirations whose journey is suddenly halted when her mother, Janelle, moves them from their posh Belgium life to Janelle’s childhood home in Baltimore. Jolie struggles to find roots, but as she bonds with an equally spirited horse named Black Beauty, she learns to embrace the family’s ranch, where Black cowboys have been entrenched in their DNA for more than a century. The project hails from Amazon Studios, production company Sinking Ship Entertainment and Leif Films; executive produced by Pilar Golden, Leif and Agnes Bristow, J.J. Johnson and Carla de Jong.
- Play-Doh Squished: Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) hosts a fast-paced, family competition series where three teams of four family members and/or friends compete in a series of physical and creative challenges. To take home the grand prize, teams must combine imagination and inspiration — using Play-Doh compound as the medium. Produced by Amazon Studios and eOne; executive producers are Tara Long and Will Erb for eOne, alongside Allison Berkley and Briana Vowels, who serve as showrunners. Hyland also serves as an executive producer.
- Post Malone: Runaway: One-hour music documentary showcasing the story of the artist’s first arena tour, 2019’s Runaway Tour, featuring exclusive backstage access, live performances and intimate interviews, pulling back the curtain on Post Malone’s personal and professional life. From Pulse Films and Federal Films; created by Hector Dockrill and written and produced by Sam Bridger and Casey Engelhardt. The film is executive produced by Dre London, Austin Rosen and Bobby Greenleaf.
(Pictured above: Madison Lintz and Titus Welliver in “Bosch: Legacy” Season 1)
