There's another serious new player in the ever-expanding universe of online original-content providers (see: Netflix and Hulu) — and happily, Amazon's entry into this suddenly cluttered marketplace is not just seriously funny, but it's as bracingly timely as the latest exasperating political headline.
Alpha House (three episodes bow Friday on amazon.com, with future episodes available to Amazon Prime subscribers) is satire at its most blistering and biting, delivered by a master of the trade: Doonesbury's Garry Trudeau, whose contempt for political cynicism, venality and hypocrisy doesn't keep the jaded protagonists of this bawdy, brazen comedy from being great company. The setting is a Washington, D.C., row house, home away from home for four Republican senators, led by the fearlessly outrageous John Goodman as a good-old-boy/former football star who's outraged to discover he won't be able to coast through his next election. (His new opponent: a legendary Duke coach. As someone observes: "You're like a retired god. He's active.")
read moreAmazon has announced premiere dates for its first two original series, Alpha House and Betas.
Alpha House will premiere on Nov. 15, while Betas will bow a week later on Nov. 22. The first three episodes of each show will be available immediately to all Amazon customers for free. After the first episodes premiere, Amazon will release one episode weekly via its Prime Instant Video service, for Amazon Prime subscribers.
read moreWu Jianmin, Vice Chairman of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy; A look at Hu Jintao's visits to Washington D.C. with Richard McGregor of the 'Financial Times; Author Garry Trudeau watch