Woody Allen TV show 'a catastrophic mistake'

Woody Allen has admitted he made a "catastrophic mistake" signing up to create a TV series for Amazon's online video service.

The 79-year-old was commissioned to write and direct the six-part untitled show earlier this year.

"I'm doing my best with it, but I should never have gotten into it," he said at the Cannes film festival.

"I thought six half-hours would be a cinch, but it's not. It's very hard. I'm not good at it, I'm floundering."

He added: "It could be a cosmic embarrassment. I just hope I don't disappoint Amazon."

When it was announced in January Allen was making the series, the Annie Hall director made similar self-deprecating comments about the project.

"I don't know how I got into this - I have no ideas and I'm not sure where to begin," he said.

The TV series - the first Allen has ever created - is due to be available to Amazon Prime subscribers in the US, UK and Germany next year.

Emma Stone stars in Woody Allen's latest film, Irrational Man

The director is promoting his 46th film - Irrational Man - at the Cannes film festival.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, it tells of a philosophy professor who is deeply depressed until he perks up at the thought of committing a murder.

Discussing the film's plot surrounding life's choices, Allen was typically bleak at its press conference, saying: "Life has its own agenda, and it runs right over you.

"We're all going to end up in a very bad position sooner or later. The same position, but a bad one - and the only way out of it, the only thing you can do as an artist, is to explain to people how life is worth living and has a meaning."