• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, October 31, 2013

It’s getting harder and harder to distinguish the programming aspirations of traditional studios from those of newcomers like Amazon and Netflix.
 
On the heels of greenlighting three new half-hour pilots, Amazon Studios is moving forward with the production of its first two hour-long drama pilots.
 
First up is “Bosch,” a cop drama starring “The Good Wife” regular Titus Welliver,  based on Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch book series. Next up is “The After,” which is written and directed by "X-Files" creator Chris Carter. It follows eight strangers who are thrown together by mysterious forces, then expected to help each other survive in a violent world.
 
In a dramatic twist, however, Amazon said on Thursday that it has no plans to support the shows. Rather, the production unit will rely on customer feedback to help determine which of the two are worthy of full seasons.
 
The winning drama is slated to air exclusively in early 2014 on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video, and Amazon LOVEFiLM in the UK. Customers are now being invited to watch the pilots on Amazon Instant Video -- at no cost -- and to offer constructive feedback.
 
From Netflix to Amazon to Hulu, premium video platforms have realized the best way to stand out is with quality original programming. Trying to hold its own against networks new and old, Amazon is investing serious resources into original content.

No Amazon executives were available to discuss the company's original content strategy, on Thursday.
 
Adding to its first round of comedies last April, Amazon recently gave the go-ahead on three new half-hour pilots. The brightest new star is "Mozart in the Jungle," written by Oscar-nominated writer and director Roman Coppola, actor Jason Schwartzman and Tony-nominated writer and director Alex Timbers.

While experienced writers are clearly favored, the studio encourages anyone to upload their script for consideration. Recently, Amazon Studios announced six new kids’ pilots, including “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street,” “Grid Smasher,” “Hard-Boiled Eggheads,” “The Jo B. & G. Raff Show,” “The Maker Shack Agency” and “Wishenpoof!”

This fall, Amazon Studios will also debut its first full comedy series, “Alpha House,” and Betas,” which will be available exclusively on Prime Instant Video and Amazon LOVEFiLM in the UK.

Since launch, more than 19,000 movie scripts and 5,000 series projects have been submitted to Amazon Studios, according to Amazon.