After Golden Globes coup, Amazon lands Woody Allen for TV series

Los Angeles

WOODY Allen will make his first foray onto the small screen, writing and directing an online series for Amazon.com, the latest coup by deep-pocketed cable and streaming companies in luring the biggest names in film to television.

The Internet retailer rolled out the news of Allen's series on Tuesday, two days after winning its first major awards at the Golden Globes following years of experimentation with developing original programming.

The deal with Allen, 79, who has said that he does not use e-mail or own a computer, puts the filmmaker at the heart of Amazon's strategy to use original content to woo consumers to its US$99 a year Prime programme, …