Amazon is struggling to gain a TV foothold: It’s “a bit of a gong show,” says David E. Kelley

The Wall Street Journal

Despite acclaimed series like Transparent, Amazon is “struggling to define a new strategy,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper quotes Kelley, whose HBO series Big Little Lies Amazon wasn’t even interested in bidding on, as describing the studio as "a bit of a gong show." And The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, whose Amazon show Mad Dogs was canceled, described the company as being entirely in "chaos” and not “artist friendly.” There is also the allegation that the top executives at Amazon Studios are using their positions to get work for their significant others. Still, Amazon has recently signed top TV talent, including Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and Gilmore Girls’ Any Sherman-Palladino.