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Amazon Releases First Original Series, Alpha House

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Just in time for a weekend binge, Amazon on Friday released the first three episodes of its debut original series, Alpha House.

The first three episodes are available to all Amazon customers for free via Amazon Instant Video. After today, one new episode of the political comedy will be released every Friday, exclusively on Prime Instant Video. In addition, Amazon is gearing up to debut its second comedy series, Betas, next Friday, Nov. 22.

Alpha House, starring John Goodman, Mark Consuelos, Clark Johnson, and Matt Malloy, was created by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau. The 11-episode season follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington D.C. 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).

"We are incredibly excited to make our very first original series available to Amazon customers," Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. "Our goal has always been to create shows that customers will love and we can't wait to see Alpha House come to life. Creator Garry Trudeau and the amazing cast of Alpha House have delivered a humor-packed first season that doesn't skip a beat."

Amazon back in May announced it had selected Alpha House and Betas for its original series lineup. The company earlier this year called on users to watch the pilots for several shows and vote for their favorites.

Along with Alpha House and Betas, Amazon selected three children's shows: Annebots, Creative Galaxy, and Tumbleaf. Amazon also recently greenlit two original drama pilots, Bosch and The After, which will be available online next year.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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