Fewer than 1 million people view Amazon's critically acclaimed show "Transparent," according to The Wall Street Journal.
Amid a disappointing showing at this year's Emmy Awards, an Amazon Studios executive said "we're getting chewed up," according to a Journal report published on Friday.
The creators of hits such as "The Shield" and "Ally McBeal" — both of whom did not have success with their Amazon projects — told the Journal that Amazon is in "chaos" and "in way over their heads." (Some other producers quoted in the story had positive experiences, one calling Amazon Studios "liberating").
Amazon Studios' Original Movies won three Academy Awards this year, two for the hit "Manchester by the Sea." Amazon has also had success with deals such as Thursday Night Football, which drew 1.6 million viewers to the recent Chicago-Green Bay game. And the company has said for several years that it will be flexible in balancing artists' creativity and the use of data-driven programming.
Nonetheless, the Journal reports that Amazon has interviewed at least two new candidates to take over the film unit. The company also plans to pare back children's programming and shift away from so-called hipster shows, in favor of content with wider appeal, like sci-fi and spy fiction, the report said.
Amazon was not immediately available to comment on the report and did not provide a statement to the Journal.