Amazon’s First Two Original Series, ‘Alpha House’ and ‘Betas,’ to Premiere in November (TRAILERS)

Amazon is officially entering the original content ring this month, with its first two series landing November premiere dates. “Alpha House,” starring John Goodman, Cynthia Nixon, Amy Sedaris and Wanda Sykes, among others, premieres November 15; “Betas,” starring Joe Dinicol, Karan Soni, Jon Daly, Charlie Saxton and Maya Erskine, premieres November 22.

The first three episodes of each show will be available for free via Amazon Instant Video. After that, one episode of each show will become available weekly, exclusively on Prime Instant Video. 

So what are these two similarly titled series about? Both comedies, “Alpha House” centers on four senators-turned-roommates, while “Betas” follows young tech industry entrepreneurs as they attempt to hit the big time with a social networking app. Official synopses below.

Alpha House, which was written by Academy Award nominee and
Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau and produced by Trudeau, Elliot Webb and
Jonathan Alter, is a comedy about four misfit senators (John Goodman, Clark
Johnson, Matt Malloy and Mark Consuelos) who rent a house together in
Washington DC. The roomies are joined by Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Amy
Sedaris (Strangers with Candy), Wanda Sykes (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Julie
White (Go On), who share in the outrageous—and sometimes all-too-real—follies
of Washington politics.

Set in the land of Silicon Valley start-ups, Betas, written
by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard, follows four friends as they attempt to
strike it rich with a new mobile social networking app. Joe Dinicol, Karan
Soni, Jon Daly, Charlie Saxton, and  Maya
Erskine star in the show, with special appearances from Ed Begley Jr. (Arrested
Development, St. Elsewhere). Michael Lehmann directs and produces the show
along with Emmy Award winners Alan Freedland and Alan Cohen, and Academy Award
nominee Michael London.