{ "id": "epcmc9mymv", "slug": "betas", "title": "Betas", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries", "label": "Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020: Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001", "label": "United States · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted", "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native", "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries", "label": "Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "label": "Premiered 1999 to 2016", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Betas, an Amazon Studios comedy by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard, follows Silicon Valley entrepreneurs building the social app BRB; one season of 11 episodes, 2013–2014, cancelled.", "snippet": "Betas, an Amazon Studios comedy by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard, follows Silicon Valley entrepreneurs building the social app BRB; one season of 11 episodes, 2013–2014, cancelled.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.comedy_general_webseries.yr-1999-2016", "markdown": "# Betas\n\n**Betas** is an American comedy television series created by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard for Amazon Studios, following four young entrepreneurs in [Silicon Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/silicon-valley) as they try to turn their social networking app, BRB, into a funded start-up. It was one of Amazon's first two original series, alongside the political satire *Alpha House*, and ran for a single eleven-episode season from 2013 to 2014 before being canceled.[1](https://www.epguides.com/Betas/) • [2](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Single-camera comedy, 11 episodes of roughly 24 to 29 minutes, TV-MA rating[1](https://www.epguides.com/Betas/) |\n| Run | Pilot released April 19, 2013; full season premiered November 22, 2013; finale January 17, 2014[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/betas) • [2](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video) |\n| Creators | Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard; directed and produced by Michael Lehmann[2](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video) |\n| Main cast | Joe Dinicol (Trey), Karan Soni (Nash), Jon Daly (Hobbes), Charlie Saxton (Mitchell), Maya Erskine (Mikki), Ed Begley Jr. (Murch)[1](https://www.epguides.com/Betas/) |\n| Reception | 85% Tomatometer and 84% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 69 on Metacritic; 6.9/10 on IMDb[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/betas) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/critic-reviews/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/ratings/) |\n| Status | Cancelled after one season[1](https://www.epguides.com/Betas/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nTrey Barrett, a twenty-something chief executive, persuades his best friend, the coder Avinash \"Nash\" Dagavi, to drop out of Stanford University and build BRB, a social and dating app that, in Trey's words, \"introduces you to the people you should know,\" unlike existing sites that let users keep up with people they already know. The app works, but only because the team has hacked into larger social networks for personal data, and the four need an investor. They pursue George Murchison Jr., known as \"The Murch,\" a venture capitalist who has passed on Facebook, Foursquare, and [Pinterest](https://www.edgepedia.org/pinterest); unable to get an appointment, they crash his party and demo the app, which his investment adviser calls a stalker's dream.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/betas) • [6](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/betas/)\n\nThe team works out of a start-up accelerator, where they must build a demo, pitch investors at a Demo Day, and eventually decide whether to sell the company. The supporting cast includes Mitchell, a misfit programmer fixated on the beautiful Mikki, and Hobbes, a 35-year-old security engineer who feels, in the show's phrase, \"like 95 in Valley years.\"[6](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/betas/) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/plotsummary/) According to the show's IMDb synopsis, the fictional social network was inspired by an actual Silicon Valley start-up named Nearby.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/plotsummary/)\n\n## Production and release\n\nBetas was one of 14 pilots Amazon Studios put into production in 2013, filming in Santa Monica offices that had once housed Google, with additional locations including a house in Encino. The Los Angeles Times reported that Amazon committed television-size budgets to the pilots rather than the constrained budgets typical of web series.[8](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2013-mar-27-la-fi-ct-on-location-20130327-story.html) Bloomberg reported that Amazon was spending $10 million to $50 million on Betas and shows like it, and that the show's budget was similar to a high-end cable TV program.[9](https://www.dailyherald.com/20131026/business/amazon-bets-on-betas-to-turn-web-viewers-into-shoppers/)\n\nAmazon greenlit the series after customers voted online on the pilot; the company collected comments and viewing data, such as how long people watched before turning away.[9](https://www.dailyherald.com/20131026/business/amazon-bets-on-betas-to-turn-web-viewers-into-shoppers/) The pilot streamed on April 19, 2013, and the full season launched on November 22, 2013, with the first three episodes free to all Amazon customers and subsequent episodes released weekly on Fridays for Prime members, a schedule Amazon chose in contrast to Netflix's all-at-once releases.[2](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video) • [10](https://www.techhive.com/article/602172/amazon-fires-second-shot-at-netflix-with-betas-launch.html) The series premiered in the United Kingdom on Prime Instant Video on March 14, 2014, with all 11 episodes available at once.[11](https://press.aboutamazon.com/uk/2014/3/amazon-prime-instant-video-announces-premiere-of-wanna-be-entrepreneur-original-comedy-betas)\n\nMichael Lehmann directed and produced the show, with Emmy Award winners Alan Freedland and Alan Cohen as executive producers alongside Academy Award nominee Michael London; production companies included Groundswell Productions, Alan & Alan Productions, Picrow, and Amazon Studios.[2](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video) • [12](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/details/)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritics reviewed the season favorably on balance. Rotten Tomatoes recorded an 85% Tomatometer from 13 reviews and an 84% audience score; its critics consensus said the first season suffers from occasional unevenness but offers \"a timely techie narrative full of Millennial raunch and wit.\"[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/betas) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 69, based on six positive and two mixed reviews from the critics it tallied.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/critic-reviews/) On IMDb the series holds a weighted rating of 6.9/10 from about 3,100 users.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/ratings/)\n\nIndividual reviews highlighted the show's strengths and weaknesses. Brian Lowry of Variety praised Joe Dinicol and [Karan Soni](https://www.edgepedia.org/karan-soni) for finding \"the right mix of vulnerability and awkwardness\" in the leading roles and wrote that the show captures Silicon Valley as a youthful place. David Wiegand of the [San Francisco Chronicle](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-chronicle) called it \"full to overflowing with clever and sometimes very funny geek-speak.\" Mike Hale of The New York Times was more reserved, writing that things could go either way depending on the creators' quality control. Chuck Barney of the San Jose Mercury News found the banter witty but the endeavor uneven, \"just good enough to make you wish it were better.\" Mark A. Perigard of the [Boston Herald](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-herald) criticized its raunch.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/critic-reviews/) Common Sense Media described a frat-house atmosphere with frequent cursing, drinking, and sexual humor, and recommended the show for viewers aged 16 and up.[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/betas)\n\n## Cancellation and afterlife\n\nDespite reasonably positive reviews, Amazon canceled Betas after one season.[14](https://www.formulatv.com/series/betas/) The show has since been characterized as an early, short-lived step in Amazon's original programming effort: an AWS retrospective describes [Alpha House](https://www.edgepedia.org/alpha-house) and Betas as short-lived shows that preceded Amazon's first award-winning series, *Transparent*.[15](https://satmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SM_May2022-1.pdf) Retrospective commentary has also treated the show as a period piece; one parenting-review site called it a time capsule of 2013 tech references and Silicon Valley stereotypes.[16](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/betas-show)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Betas (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides.com](https://www.epguides.com/Betas/)\n2. [Amazon Original Series Betas Now Available on Prime Instant Video, Amazon US Press Center, November 22, 2013](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2013/11/amazon-original-series-betas-now-available-on-prime-instant-video)\n3. [Betas, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/betas)\n4. [Betas Critic Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/critic-reviews/)\n5. [Betas (TV Series 2013–2014) Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/ratings/)\n6. [Betas TV show on Amazon, TV Series Finale](https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/betas/)\n7. [Betas (TV Series 2013–2014) Plot, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012184/plotsummary/)\n8. [Web-based productions are taking off in L.A., Los Angeles Times, March 27, 2013](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-xpm-2013-mar-27-la-fi-ct-on-location-20130327-story.html)\n9. [Amazon bets on 'Betas' to turn web viewers into shoppers, Bloomberg via Daily Herald, October 26, 2013](https://www.dailyherald.com/20131026/business/amazon-bets-on-betas-to-turn-web-viewers-into-shoppers/)\n10. [Amazon fires second shot at Netflix with 'Betas' launch, TechHive, November 22, 2013](https://www.techhive.com/article/602172/amazon-fires-second-shot-at-netflix-with-betas-launch.html)\n11. [Amazon Prime Instant Video Announces Premiere of Wanna-be Entrepreneur Original Comedy 'Betas', Amazon UK Press Center, March 13, 2014](https://press.aboutamazon.com/uk/2014/3/amazon-prime-instant-video-announces-premiere-of-wanna-be-entrepreneur-original-comedy-betas)\n12. [Betas Details, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/betas/details/)\n13. [Parents' Guide to Betas, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/betas)\n14. [Betas, FormulaTV](https://www.formulatv.com/series/betas/)\n15. [AWS: Prime Video retrospective, SatMagazine](https://satmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SM_May2022-1.pdf)\n16. [Betas WISE Score & Parent Review, Screenwise](https://screenwiseapp.com/media/betas-show)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series › Premiered 1999 to 2016*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/betas", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/betas.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Betas\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/betas. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Betas](https://www.edgepedia.org/betas)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/betas](https://www.edgepedia.org/betas). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Betas\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/betas. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Betas, an Amazon Studios comedy by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard, follows Silicon Valley entrepreneurs building the social app BRB; one season of 11 episodes, 2013–2014, cancelled." }