Amazon has debuted a new Prime series:
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 20, 2016– (NASDAQ: AMZN)–Amazon today announced its brand-new Amazon Original Kids Series, The Kicks, is scheduled to premiere onFriday, August 26 on Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria. Based on a book series by US Olympic Gold Medalist and current US Women’s National Team soccer playerAlex Morgan, The Kicks is a live-action series for children ages six to 11 and follows Devin Burke (played by newcomer Sixx Orange), who was the star player on her soccer team until her family moved to California midway through the school year. Now, Devin has to rise to the challenge after discovering her new school team, The Kicks, has been on a losing streak over the last few months and they are badly in need of a leader to rally the team. The pilot episode, rated 4.9 stars by customers with 92% 5-star reviews, is available to stream today, with nine additional episodes to debut on August 26 exclusively for Prime members via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online–Prime members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing.
The Kicks follows Devin and the team on their journey to come out on top. The first season finds The Kicks going head-to-head with the boys’ team, helping Devin regain her confidence after losing her lucky headband, Devin being forced to make a decision between her friend and what’s best for the team, and Devin overcoming adversity after an injury.
“Both Alex Morgan and now Devin are undeniably strong female role models who will inspire our audience to work hard and passionately to achieve their goals,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. “The Kicks showcases the value of overcoming the odds and our audience will relate with the broader themes of passion, determination and camaraderie developed throughout the season.”
“I’m so excited to be working with Amazon and Full Fathom Five to bring The Kicks to life,” said Alex Morgan. “It is amazing to see the pages of my books take shape on the screen, and I cannot wait for it to premiere. Devin is so relatable and kids will go with her on this journey that draws from my real experiences as a young athlete.”
The Kicks also stars Sophia Mitri Schloss (Desert Cathedral) as Emma Gelbaum, E’myri Crutchfield (Vacation) as Zoe Hanson, Gabe Eggerling (Even Angels Cry) as Bailey Burke,Monica Lacy (Hawaii Five-0) as Sharon Burke, and Tim Martin Gleason (New Girl) as Tom Burke. The series is executive produced by Full Fathom Five’s novelist James Frey (I Am Number Four) and Todd Cohen (Lumen), Andrew Orenstein (Malcolm in the Middle), and David Babcock (Twisted). The series is co-executive produced by Nastaran Dibai (According to Jim) and written by Orenstein, David Steinberg (Space Racers), Taylor Cox (King Julien Stand Up), Jacquie Walters (Building Wild).
The Kicks was part of Amazon’s kids pilot season last year, a unique development process that gives all customers an opportunity to stream and review pilots in order to help choose the next Amazon Original Series that are then available to Prime Members. Below are what customers have said about the pilot:
- “We loved this pilot. Such a great message and a great story for girls. Devon is a great role model for young women.”
- “Not only is it a sports team show with a girl in the lead, but it has a very positive message!”
- “It’s smart, and warm, and doesn’t talk down to kids, while still having some really funny moments for adults.”
- “The actors did a fantastic job bringing you into the story and feeling as if it was real. It’s extremely relatable to adults and children of all ages.”
- “Great show for my tween daughter and one that doesn’t forget adults might be watching too. It’s far superior on every metric…”
- “This is such a timely show for teenagers. The media has a huge influence on how kids learn to treat each other. This program exhibits this with warmth and humor.”
The first season of The Kicks will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream. The Kicks will also be available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire Kids Edition.
