Amazon's latest original series, Red Oaks, is a coming-of-age tale set in an upscale country club during the 1980s, joining the company's growing slate of original programming. The success of Transparent really put Amazon on the map as a legitimate competitor to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Now executive producers David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) and Steven Soderbergh seek to use Amazon as a platform to tell a subtle and authentic story of growing up in the '80s. But how long will that story last? Will Amazon renew Red Oaks for Season 2?
While there has been no official word on whether or not Red Oaks has been given a second season (not surprising considering the show premieres on Oct. 9), Amazon has a history of not waiting long to decide if one of its shows deserves a new season. Its flagship show, Transparent, was renewed for a second season less than two weeks after its premiere. However, it did take a little over a month for Amazon to renew the shows Bosch and Mozart In The Jungle. Premiering the whole season at once means that criticism and viewing statistics come in more immediately, which allows streaming services to make quicker decisions when it comes to renewal. That being said, Red Oaks has a good chance of returning and here's why.
It's A Lot Like Transparent
Transparent and Red Oaks are both comedy shows with "indie" sensibilities. While Transparent is more of a down-to-earth dramedy as opposed to the goofiness that Red Oaks can get into, there is a lot of opportunity for audience overlap between the two shows. If Red Oaks gets a good viewership, Amazon might focus less on giving the greenlight to another crime drama, and take a chance on more quirky comedies like these two.
It's Authentic
According to Rolling Stone, the Red Oaks cast thinks "the thing that makes the show work is that it's a coming-of-age story that just happens to be set in that particular time period, without the chintzy, 'Look, we're in the Eighties' self-awareness of a show like The Goldbergs." Instead of making a comedy about the '80s, the team behind Red Oaks has simply made a comedy set in the '80s. While comedies with clearer punchlines may get more viewers initially, subtle sitcoms based in genuine emotion tend to have a longer staying power. For proof, just watch shows like Freaks & Geeks or My So-Called Life, which still hold up today.
It Has Jennifer Grey & More Impressive Stars
Jennifer Grey's on-screen presence was one of the best things about the '80s that unfortunately didn't last into the '90s. However, now Grey is back on screens everywhere, thanks to a show set in the decade that made her famous. Red Oaks also features top-notch character actors like Richard Kind (He was Bing Bong in Inside Out), and '80s film regular Paul Reiser. The leading cast of young up-and-comers is pretty impressive as well, including Teen Wolf's Gage Golightly and Craig Roberts, who starred in the coming-of-age indie hit Submarine. This is a good cast, even without Grey. Once you add her into the mix, it becomes a great cast.
Only Amazon can truly know if Red Oaks will last another season, and that all depends on whether or not audiences tune in to see the mishaps and mania that occurs at Red Oaks Country Club when it premieres on Oct. 9.
Images: Amazon; Giphy (3)
