Amazon’s third round of pilots, inarguably its most promising set of original content yet, has just been finalized with the addition of a new comedy, Red Oaks. Amazon describes it as “a coming-of-age comedy set in the “go-go” 80s that is equal parts hijinks and heartfelt, Red Oaks is about enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end — and the future begins.”

The new comedy stars Craig Roberts (Submarine), Paul Reiser, Richard Kind, and Jennifer Grey. It’s being produced by Steven Soderbergh and directed by David Gordon Green, of Eastbound & Down acclaim.

“Greg Jacobs told me this idea on the set of Behind the Candelabra and I told him it was great and that he should start working on it immediately,” said Steven Soderbergh. “Then, while we were on the set of The Knick he gave me the script he wrote with Joe Gangemi and I said, ‘This is ready to go, let’s find a director.’ We very quickly agreed to approach David because the humor was sharp without being mean, and we felt he would understand and appreciate that.”

Here’s Amazon’s full synopsis:

Red Oaks is set in 1985, and features college student David Myers who is both reeling from his father’s heart attack and conflicted about what major to declare in the fall. Myers gets a summer job as an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey and while there, he meets a colorful cast of misfit co-workers and wealthy club members including an alluring art student named “Skye” (played by guest star Alexandra Socha) and her corporate raider father “Getty” (played by Reiser).

“To be able to collaborate with Steven, David and Greg, three of the most highly-regarded creators in Hollywood, is an absolute pleasure,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “Red Oaks brings together not only top-notch talent, but also a hilarious and wonderfully written script that we think our customers will enjoy seeing come to life later this year.”

Clearly feeling the pressure from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Studios seems to have really stepped up its pilot game and announced a handful of shows with a lot of potential. Red Oaks joins Hand of God, which features Ron Perlman as a hard-living preacher, and Hysteria, a thriller about an epidemic that spreads, in part, via social media. Also coming to Amazon’s third pilot season are the Jay Chandrasekhar dramedy Really and The Cosmopolitans.

Like all of Amazon’s pilot rounds, viewer feedback will help determine which shows receive full season orders.

Image via Wikimedia Commons