Amazon Deal a 'Catastrophic Mistake,' TV 'Very, Very Hard' Compared to Movies: Woody Allen

Woody Allen said Friday he made a "catastrophic mistake" signing up to make a TV mini-series for Amazon's fledgling streaming service, admitting that making television is "very, very hard" compared to making movies.

The prolific movie director told a media conference at the Cannes Film Festival after a press screening of his latest film that he expected his debut TV series will be "a cosmic embarrassment".

The typically self-deprecating Allen has been talking down the chances of turning in a successful six-part series of half-hour episodes ever since he did his lucrative deal with Amazon in January.

On Friday he said writing for the small screen was a struggle. "I thought it would be easy you know: you do a movie, it's a big long thing, but to do six half-hours... it's very very hard and I just hope I don't disappoint Amazon."

Allen an avowed technophobe who eschews mobile devices added that "I don't know what I'm doing, I'm floundering."

Details of the show's content and how much Allen was paid haven't been released.

Amazon, though, was so keen to have Allen on board to catch up with rival online video streaming service Netflix that it kept coming back to the director with sweeter offers until he agreed.

The contract with Allen was widely seen as a major sign of the breaking down of the wall between film and TV.

US cable and streaming companies are driving that sea change by producing their own cinematic-quality series with movie-grade actors, such as "True Detectives" and "House of Cards".