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 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 he doesn’t use email 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 program, a vehicle for online shopping with free shipping.

    Filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, David Fincher and Guillermo del Toro have all made recent forays into television.

    Premium cable networks like Time Warner Inc’s HBO and Amazon’s online streaming rival Netflix have offered directors the chance and resources to tell longer-form stories over several episodes and hours.

    Allen’s yet-to-be titled series will be a half-hour, Amazon said, adding that casting announcements would be made in the future.

    The series will be shown exclusively on its Instant Prime Video service next year.

    The famously press-shy Allen joked that he was not sure how he got involved in the project.

    “I have no ideas and I’m not sure where to begin,” the Oscar-winning director said in a statement. “My guess is that Roy Price will regret this,” he added, referring to the vice president of Amazon Studios.

    (SD-Agencies)