Amazon Is Putting Together A Major Period Piece, Sounds Really Cool

Streaming services often subscribers access to an entire season all at once, and it's a great option for the more impatient TV fans among us. Amazon Prime has produced some of the most engaging series so far. The latest commissioned project is The Collection, which will follow the story of an illustrious Paris fashion house immediately following World War II. While details are still rather scant, the premise sounds really, really cool.

Period shows are always fun for the outdated technology and lingo, but The Collection is set in a fashion house and should bring some great 40s-era glamour to the screen. Throw in the fact there’s an awful lot of story to be mined from French culture in the wake of the devastation of World War II and the series should be one well worth a couch marathon. In fact, it should be a couch marathon with special international appeal. Deadline reports that The Collection will be the first UK original for Amazon Prime.

Fortunately for Prime subscribers who are perhaps not the biggest connoisseurs of fashion, The Collection will not be all about the culture of couture. There will be a sinister undercurrent bringing a dark side to the glamour and glitz that undoubtedly has nothing to do with skirt lengths or hat trends. Eight episodes are set to be produced.

The Collection is a bit of a departure from Amazon Prime’s typical fare, but it comes from a pair of producers who have proved themselves very successful when it comes to bringing fiction to the small screen. The series was created by Oliver Goldstick, who served as an executive producer on Pretty Little Liars and Ugly Betty. It will be executive produced by former HBO figure Anne Thomopoulos, who also executive produced Rome and The Borgias. These two TV veterans have the experience in television (as well as in period dramas) to lend credence to The Collection as a show that should be worth watching.

The Collection will indeed be the first UK original for Amazon Prime, but it is not the first British import. The hosts of popular show Top Gear left BBC after a scandal and made the jump to Amazon.

British or not, however, The Collection looks to be one of the coolest dramas to be produced by Amazon Prime, and there have been some pretty cool dramas. Transparent starring Jeffrey Tambor swept the awards circuit thanks to a combination of stellar writing and acting. In addition, Hand of God combines drama with a surprising take on religion and The Man In High Castle provides an alternate take on World War II with a look at a dystopian future in which the Axis Powers were victorious.

There’s plenty of original programming on Amazon Prime, but The Collection may well set itself apart as one of the most memorable. It’s far too early for details such as scheduling or casting, but this is one series for subscribers to look forward to in the future.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).