Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
In order to book a place in this article, a TV series must pass one of these tests: have a critical and/or audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (RT) equal to or higher than 75%, be one of the most-watched shows ever on Prime Video, or meet both criteria. As more hugely successful shows make their presence felt, we'll raise the RT rating bar to make sure that we're only bringing you the best TV series in this guide.
Looking for the best Prime Video shows to stream today? We've got you covered. Below, we've handpicked 37 of the best series around on Amazon's primary streamer – a selection that includes plenty of Prime Video Originals and the odd licensed series.
Our entertainment experts have put in the hard yards to ensure that the 37 shows listed below are the best of what the streaming giant offers, too, so you'll know that they come highly recommended. To make things even easier, you'll find our choices categorized by their primary genre. You can use the navigation bar on the left hand side of this page to immediately jump to the kind of content you like to consume on one of the world's best streaming services. So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!
Best animated shows on Prime Video
Hazbin Hotel
Seasons: 1
RT score: 79% (critics); 87% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
One of 2024's early TV hits, Hazbin Hotel has wowed audiences with its adult-themed musical comedy chops since mid-January. Based on Vivienne Medrano's pilot that stormed its way across YouTube in October 2019, it follows Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of the Devil himself, who opens the titular BnB to rehabilitate supposedly evil souls in order to help them get into Heaven.
A dark comedy that's as weighty in its melodrama as it is with laugh out loud moments, beautiful and eye-popping animation, and a collection of original songs that'll be lodged in your head for weeks, Hazbin Hotel is a delightfully devilish series. Once you've seen what all the fiendishly great fuss is about, watch these four similar Prime Video shows next.
Watch Hazbin Hotel on Prime Video.
Invincible
Seasons: 2
RT score: 99% (critics); 88% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Amazon's adaptation of Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Bill Crabtree, and Cory Walker's superhero comic series isn't for the faint of heart. Invincible is full of gore, violence, swearing, and other adult content. A kids animated show, this ain't, but it is one of the best Prime Video shows we've ever seen. It's a slow burn to begin with – well, apart from episode 1's ending that shocked viewers who haven't read the comics before. However, its subversion of superhero tropes, emotional story beats, and ensemble cast will keep your attention until things really start to pick up from season 1 episode 4, by which point you should be fully hooked.
My review of Invincible season 1, review of Invincible season 2 part 1, and review of Invincible season 2 part 2 are all worth reading before you dive in. If you're up to date, check out my Invincible season 3 hub to see what to expect from its next entry.
Watch Invincible on Prime Video.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Seasons: 2
RT score: 100% (critics); 95% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Set in the fictional Exandrian kingdom of Tal’Dorei, The Legend of Vox Machina tells the story of a band of mercenary misfits hired to eradicate an unnamed evil entity that’s plagued the realm. It isn't long, though, before the seven-strong group realize they've become embroiled in a battle against a far more sinister and potentially world-threatening enemy.
In our season 1 review of The Legend of Vox Machina, we said it retains lots of what the original online DnD campaign such a hit. It's hilarious, action-packed, emotional, and full of twists and turns. It's also pretty gruesome and horror-esque on occasion, so those of a grisly inclination will get a kick out of it as well. The original Critical Role cast have returned to voice their characters, while there's a whole slew of famous actors who cameo as other individuals in this fictional fantasy world. Season 3 arrives on October 3.
Watch The Legend of Vox Machina on Prime Video.
Undone
Seasons: 2
RT score: 97% (critics); 91% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
From the acclaimed minds behind BoJack Horseman, Undone is a beautifully animated comedy-drama series that weaves multiple genres and themes together with stunning and emotive effect.
Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel) stars as Alma, a Texas-based millennial who's struggling to find purpose in her life. That is, until she's involved in a near-fatal car accident and finds out she has a new relationship with time itself. Infused with the ability to travel back (or forward) in time, Alma begins to develop her newfound abilities to get to the bottom of the death of her father Jacob (Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk). At least, that's the plan – providing her loved ones don't interfere and try to make out that her new powers are linked to the family's history of mental health.
The show's melding of rotoscoping animation and live-action motion-capture really sets it apart. Meanwhile, Undone's exploration of relationships, mental health, and themes surrounding altering the past are expertly and sensitively handled.
Best comedy shows on Prime Video
Deadloch
Seasons: 1
RT score: 100% (critics); 89% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
We suspect this eight-episode comedy detective series wasn't in your thinking when it comes to the best Prime Video shows. But it's certainly be one to start off with if you're looking for something new from this sort of genre TV show.
Set in Tasmania, Deadloch follows two polar opposite investigators – Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) – who are forced to work together to solve the mysterious death of one of the local townsfolk.
Thanks to some sharp, witty writing and two powerhouse comedic performances from Box and Sami, Deadloch is as satirically savage as it is dramatic. A tonally dark, yet equally hilarious, whodunnit that'll burrow its way into your mind and sit there for days.
Watch Deadloch on Prime Video.
Fleabag
Seasons: 2
RT score: 100% (critics); 93% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has created two of the best TV shows of the modern age in Killing Eve and Fleabag. The latter is her self-starring comedy drama – adapted from Waller-Bridge's 2013 one-woman stage show – and it's a hilarious but sometimes painful portrait of a damaged person trying to keep it together.
The supporting cast, which includes Andrew Scott's 'hot priest' in season 2, helps make this one of the best shows around full stop. With six half-hour episodes per season, you could binge it in just a few days.
Harlem
Seasons: 2
RT score: 98% (critics); 88% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Tracy Oliver's latest comedy series earned rave reviews when it debuted on Prime Video in December 2021. With the show's second season finally airing in February 2023, it's about time you stuck Harlem on your must-watch list.
The show follows four, 30-something New York University alumni as they try to balance their work, love, and personal lives while living in – yep, you guessed it – Harlem. So far, so predictable, right? Not quite. Harlem's main cast are electrifyingly funny, and the manner in which they bounce off one another is reminiscent of some of best comedy character relationships of the last two decades. Fans of Insecure and Run the World will lap this up.
I'm a Virgo
Seasons: 1
RT score: 96% (critics); 80% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
A comedy series that's as absurd as it is creative. I'm a Virgo stars Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall teenager who, for the first 19 years of his life, has been shielded from the world by his aunt and uncle. However, when a group of political activists accidentally stumble upon Cootie's *ahem* larger than life persona, he embarks on a surreal journey to find his place in the *double ahem* big, wide world.
An utterly bizarre but no less funny, heartfelt, and highly original series, I'm a Virgo is a knockout show from Sorry to Bother You's Boots Riley. It's a toweringly imaginative endeavor; something that many more streamers should absolutely take a chance on if similar projects fall into their lap. Stick this on your watchlist ASAP.
Watch I'm A Virgo on Prime Video.
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Seasons: 5
RT score: 90% (critics); 84% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel tells the story of '50s housewife Miriam 'Midge' Maisel as she attempts to become the best female stand-up comic in the US. After her husband confesses he's been having an affair, 'Midge' drunkenly gets on stage at a comedy club and discovers that she's utterly hilarious.
In a time when women aren't encouraged to be publicly funny, Midge pursues her new-found comedic talent in the male-dominated stand up comedy world. But, unbeknownst to 'Midge', the journey is far from a straightforward one.
A show filled with as much heart, and dramatic twists and turns, as jokes, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is a killer Prime Video show. No wonder it won so many awards during its five-season run.
Watch The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on Prime Video.
Swarm
Seasons: 1
RT score: 87% (critics); 73% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Donald Glover and Janine Nabers satirical and horrifyingly poke fun at the culture surrounding fandoms in Swarm, an disturbing drama-cum-dark comedy that'll occupy your mind for days.
Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) plays Dre, a young woman obsessed with a Beyonce-like pop superstar who has her own diehard fandom known as 'The Swarm (anyone else getting 'Bey Hive' vibes?). To say anymore would be to spoil Swarm's most shocking, hilarious, and suspense-filled moments. Rest assured, though, fans of Glover and Fishback will lap up this wild-but-no-less important tale on celebrity addiction and anti-hero culture.
Upload
Seasons: 3
RT score: 92% (critics); 79% (audience)
Age rating: 15-plus
Set 15 years in the future, Upload tells the tale of Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a computer programmer who's mysteriously murdered and uploaded to a 'virtual afterlife' location called Lake View. As he adjusts to his new life, Nathan finds himself romantically drawn to his customer service angel Nora Antony (Andy Allo), despite Nathan still technically being involved with his still-alive girlfriend Ingrid Kannerman (Allegra Edwards). It isn't long, too, before Nathan and Nora begin to unravel the wider mystery surrounding his death.
If that all sounds a bit dramatic and bleak, don't fret: Upload is one of the funnier Prime Video shows out there, one that straddles multiple genres including comedy, drama, whodunnit, and horror. It also offers an intriguing look into the real world's technological-based future, metaverse and all. A fourth and final season is coming soon.
Best crime shows on Prime Video
Reacher
Seasons: 2
RT score: 95% (critics); 84% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
A bona-fide Prime Video hit, Reacher sees Alan Ritchson (Titans) play the main character – aka Jack Reacher – a drifter owning few possessions following his departure from the armed forces. Season 1 saw this man-mountain protagonist work alongside the cops in a small town in Georgia to clear his name after he was framed for murder. Meanwhile, Reacher season 2 reunites him with his former army mates when some of his ex-colleagues start getting killed by a mysterious individual. Season 3 is also in active development.
In our review of Reacher season 2, we said it was only guilty of one crime and that was being one of 2023's best shows. That makes it one to check out if you're a fan of action and mystery thrillers. If you need another reason, though, it was also the first Prime Video series ever to top Nielsen's streaming charts.
Best drama shows on Prime Video
Daisy Jones & the Six
Seasons: 1
RT score: 69% (critics); 82% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's best-selling novel of the same name, Daisy Jones & The Six was a massive hit for Amazon in 2023. The 10-part series tells the fictional story of the titular rock band, whose stratospheric rise through the LA music scene to global megastars coincides with the addition of Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) to their ranks. At the height of their success, though, the band suddenly split – much like real-life rock band Fleetwood Mac, who inspired Reid's book, did in the 1970s. Daisy Jones & The Six, then, reveals all about the TV series' band's rapid rise and fall in dramatically explosive fashion.
With numerous catchy tunes, a fantastic cast – Keough and Sam Claflin being the notable standpoints – and plenty of music-infused drama and relationship betrayals, Daisy Jones & The Six unsurprisingly captivated viewers.
Watch Daisy Jones & The Six on Prime Video.
Dead Ringers
Seasons: 1
RT score: 85% (critics); 64% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
If there was any doubt about how extraordinarily talented Rachel Weisz is, Dead Ringers proves it once and for all. Amazon's TV remake of David Cronenberg's hauntingly good psychological thriller film (itself based on the book of the same name) is, simply put, terrific. Weisz plays twin sisters Elliot and Beverly Mantle – gynaecologists who share everything from lovers to drugs and pushing the boundaries of medical ethics.
On the surface, it doesn't sound overly appealing, but there's more to Dead Ringers than meets the eye. Weisz is absolutely electric as she inhabits dual roles, while the story's biggest shocks and turning points will alarm and entertain you in equal measure.
Watch Dead Ringers on Prime Video.
House
Seasons: 8
RT score: 90% (critics); 96% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Medical dramas have been around for decades, but few were as riveting and funny as House was during the early 2000s. Hugh Laurie stars as Gregory House, a misanthropic, sarcastic medical genius (and slight drug addict) at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey, who was tasked with solving a new, inexplicable medical case every episode.
It was an intriguing idea for a medical drama to begin with but, as the seasons went on, it started to become stale. Still, while this aspect of the show started to run out of steam in latter seasons, House made up for it with its complex characters, humorous moments and emotional story beats. There are plenty of twists and turns, too, to keep viewers engaged right up to the series' final episode.
Maxton Hall
Seasons: 1
RT score: 75% (critics); 89% (audience)
Age rating: 15
A German-language series that arrived with little fanfae, Maxton Hall has proven to be another steamy romantic drama series that Prime Video fans can't get enough of. Harriet Herbig-Matten plays Ruby, a quick-witted scholarship student who, after learning about an explosive secret concerning the egotistical millionaire heir James Beaufort (Damien Hardung), uses said confidential information to her advantage.
It's not as spicy or captivating as Netflix's Bridgerton, but Maxton Hall serves up enough of a compelling, enemies-to-lovers narrative that'll entertain those who enjoy young adult (YA) genre fare.
Watch Maxton Hall on Prime Video.
Small Axe
Seasons: 1
RT score: 97% (critics); 76% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
Traversing the boundaries between film and TV, Small Axe is a compilation of feature-length stories centred around London's West Indian population between the '60s to the '80s.
Directed by Steve McQueen, the first stars Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) as part of the Mangrove 9, who faced trial following the harassment of a black-owned restaurant by racist police officers. Another features John Boyega (Star Wars, They Cloned Tyrone) training to be the first black police officer in the London MET. None of them, especially Lover's Rock, are to be missed due to their harrowing depictions of racial segregation in the UK that, in some instances, still exists today. Another McQueen show – Uprising – is also available to stream on Prime Video.
Watch Small Axe on Prime Video.
The Night Manager
Seasons: 1
RT score: 91% (critics); 89% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
The Night Manager tells the story of Jonathan Pine (Loki actor Tom Hiddleston), an ex-British soldier and the titular night manager who's pulled back into the world he left behind. Tasked by Foreign Office task force leader Angela Burr (Oscar winner Olivia Colman) to infiltrate the inner circle of illegal arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), Pine soon finds himself in over his head in an international political chess match where nobody is who they seem.
A tightly paced, thrill-a-minute miniseries complete with towering performances from Hiddleston, Laurie, Colman, Tom Hollander (Major Lance Corcoran), and Elizabeth Debicki (Jemima Marshall). Sign up to this John le Carré TV adaptation immediately.
Watch The Night Manager on Prime Video.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Seasons: 2
RT score: 74% (critics); 68% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
A coming-of-age romantic drama that's been a smash hit among 18 to 25 year olds, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a solidly charming and sweet young adult series.
Lola Tung plays Isabel 'Belly' Conklin who, on the eve of her 16th birthday, reunites with the Fisher brothers Conrad and Jeremiah after a few summers apart. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the trio become involved in a love triangle, which alters the dynamics between the three main characters.
A show that'll induce plenty of eye-rolling from older viewers, The Summer I Turned Pretty knows its audience and fully leans into romance-laced drama tropes. Even so, it's one of Prime Video's biggest hitters, so it must be doing something right, even if its second season wasn't as strong as the first.
Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video.
Best documentary shows on Prime Video
Clarkson's Farm
Seasons: 3
RT score: 100% (critics); 99% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
This Prime Video original sees Jeremy Clarkson try his hand at being a farmer. Yes, its premise is that simple. In 2008, Clarkson bought a 1,000-acre plot of land, including Curdle Hill Farm, in Oxfordshire in the UK after its former caretaker retired. Clarkson, in his infinite wisdom, decides to try farming the land himself – and it goes about as well as you'd expect.
Clarkson's Farm is as ludicrous as it sounds, and it seems pretty scripted for a comedy-styled docuseries but it's actually a decent watch. Clarkson's rapport with his helpers – most notably Kaleb Cooper, the show's breakout star – is endearing, humorous, and at-times maddening. But, if you're a fan of Clarkson (not many people are these days, admittedly) or amusing documentary-style shows, this is one to check out.
Watch Clarkson's Farm on Prime Video.
Best fantasy shows on Prime Video
Good Omens
Seasons: 2
RT score: 85% (critics); 94% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Before he passed away in 2015, Terry Pratchett reportedly made Neil Gaiman promise he'd adapt Good Omens into a TV series.
Gaiman delivered on that front – and the result is an addictive, bonkers, and heart-warming tale about good and evil, friendship, demons, angels, and a future-gazing witch. It's brilliantly British, has one of the most stellar casts imaginable, and can be binged in one weekend – or one sitting if you can't face waiting a whole night for the final few episodes. It brings a few fresh characters and twists to the story, but is also faithful enough to the book to give those who have been fans for nearly thirty years a real treat.
Watch Good Omens on Prime Video.
The Rings of Power
Seasons: 1
RT score: 83% (critics); 38% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Set during Middle-earth's Second Age, The Rings of Power tells the multi-narrative tale of the forging of the titular rings, Sauron's ambitiously evil masterplan to become the world's dictatorial ruler, and Middle-earth's various races uniting to stop him.
That's the basic premise, anyway. There's more to Amazon's non-canon The Lord of the Rings prequel show than that – it's a majestic, sweeping, and epic fantasy series that long time Tolkienites and Lord of the Rings newcomers will thoroughly enjoy. Simply put, it's one of the best Prime Video shows around. Read my review of The Rings of Power season 1 to find out more.
The Rings of Power season 2 is set to debut on Prime Video on August 28. Read my article breaking down The Rings of Power season 2's first trailer while you're here.
Watch The Rings of Power on Prime Video.
The Wheel of Time
Seasons: 2
RT score: 83% (critics); 71% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Based on Robert Jordan's beloved book series, The Wheel of Time is a fantasy show that blends the best of Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and The Lord of the Rings. Rosamund Pike (I Care A Lot, Gone Girl) plays Moiraine, a powerful sorceress whose quest to find the Dragon Reborn – a prophesised champion who can defeat the Dark One – leads Moiraine and her Warder companion Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) to rescue five young adults from the Dark One's forces – only for the duo to realize that one of this quintet is the so-called Dragon Reborn.
Expect plenty of drama, R-rated violence, a dashing of humor, and plenty of fantastical elements that'll wow and shock you. Read my review of The Wheel of Time season 1 and review of The Wheel of Time season 2 before one of the best Prime Video shows returns for a third season.
Watch The Wheel of Time on Prime Video.
Best history shows on Prime Video
The English
Seasons: 1
RT score: 84% (critics); 84% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
This UK-US venture – Amazon co-developed it with the BBC – has earned plenty of plaudits, with critics describing The English as a bold, violent, and operatic Western that puts a new spin on the ageing but no less popular genre. Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise, A Quiet Place) and Chaske Spencer (Twilight, Echo) star as its two leads, aka Lady Cornelia Locke and Eli Whipp, who join forces in 1890s middle America to get revenge on those who ruined their lives in countless ways.
The English is a sweeping, brutal, and oft-times emotionally difficult watch, but it's nonetheless an immediately gripping series that deserves your time and attention. Expect it to remain a key staple of this best Prime Video shows list.
Watch The English on Prime Video.
Best sci-fi shows on Prime Video
The Expanse
Seasons: 6
RT score: 95% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Arguably the best sci-fi show since Battlestar Galatica (we suspect Apple TV Plus' diverse and acclaimed sci-fi offerings will have something to say about that), The Expanse is based on the series of novels by James S. A. Corey, the pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
It's set in a future where humans have colonised most of the solar system, but there are big divisions between the occupants of Earth, Mars, and 'Belters', who reside on space stations beyond the asteroid belt. It's full of politics, heart-wrenching and emotional stories, and some of the most breath-taking scenes of outer space we've ever seen. If you're a fan of sci-fi, you'll love this.
Watch The Expanse on Prime Video.
Fallout
Seasons: 1
RT score: 93% (critics); 89% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Based in the same universe of Bethesda's beloved Fallout game series, this live-action show is not only canon in the studio's post-apocalyptic sci-fi action franchise, but it's also incredibly entertaining. Set 200 years after the games' landmark moment where a brief but cataclysmic nuclear war occurred, Amazon's Fallout TV show follows three individuals – Vault-33 dweller Lucy, The Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus, and The Ghoul – who cross paths as they quest for a MacGuffin for, well, let's not get into spoilers right now, eh?
My Fallout season 1 review explains why the multi-genre series is wonderfully brilliant. In short, though: it's awkwardly hilarious, action-packed, dramatic, bizarre, and at-times soul-crushing. It's not as devastatingly bleak as The Last of Us' own TV adaptation, either. Fallout season 2 is in on the way, too.
Outer Range
Seasons: 2
RT score: 85% (critics); 72% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Billed as a sci-fi mystery thriller, Outer Range stars Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War, Dune) as Royal Abbott, a Wyoming-based rancher fighting to keep his land out of the hands of a rival herder.
When a mysterious black hole suddenly appears on the Abbott estate, Royal uses the seemingly infinite void to his advantage – including disposing of a body of one of his rival's sons following a tragic accident. But, when a drifter called Autumn (Imogen Poots) catches Royal in the act, the head of the Abbott family must fight for his family, to maintain their secret, and keep Autumn – who seems to have supernatural ties to the black hole – on side as his foes (and the police) close in around him.
Despite its often muddled and weirdly paced plot, it deserves to be part of our best Prime Video shows article due to some powerhouse performances, its curious mystery, and foreboding atmosphere.
Watch Outer Range on Prime Video.
The Power
Seasons: 1
RT score: 74% (critics); 79% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
Based on Naomi Alderman's sci-fi novel of the same name, The Power alters the balance of power between humanity's genders in thrilling, amusing, and at-times dangerous ways. Set in a world not unlike our own, teenage girls mysteriously start to develop the, well, power to shoot electricity from their fingertips. As the world's population tries to get to grips with this unprecedented occurrence, sparks fly – literally and metaphorically – as gender equality is flipped on its head and the show's main characters are forced to grapple with a rapidly evolving situation.
Like FX's live-action adaptation of Y: The Last Man, The Power is a largely faithful and shockingly good TV series. Its themes, narrative, and character development can be a little on-the-nose at times, but it's mostly a smart, entertaining, and thought-provoking show that deserves your attention.
Watch The Power on Prime Video.
Best sports shows on Prime Video
All or Nothing
Seasons: 14
RT score: between 80% and 100% (critics); 73% and 80% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14 to TV-MA
This collection of sports docuseries is must-see for all, well, sports enthusiasts out there.
With 14 different fly-on-the-wall shows to stream across a breadth of popular sports, including soccer, American football, rugby union, and ice hockey, All or Nothing is a superb documentary franchise that caters to a wide audience. That's true for long time fans of these sports as well as newcomers, too, with each series providing an eye-opening glimpse into the pressures of trying to remain on top and for sports stars/teams to do their vociferous, passionate fanbases proud.
Watch All or Nothing on Prime Video.
The Grand Tour
Seasons: 5
RT score: 66% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
The Grand Tour is everything that Top Gear used to be on the UK's flagship terrestrial channel, aka the BBC. Well, Top Gear specials, at least.
Having departed the BBC years ago and struck up a deal with Amazon Studios, petrolheads Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May have found similar levels of success with The Grand Tour – an excuse to send the trio around the world, partaking in various challenges and sniping at each other for hours on end. If you enjoy watching middle aged men burn rubber in the middle of the desert, like a scene out of Mad Max: Fury Road, then this is for you.
Watch The Grand Tour on Prime Video.
Best spy shows on Prime Video
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Seasons: 1
RT score: 90% (critics); 67% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
A subversive TV remake of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-starring film of the same name, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a comedically dark espionage series that owes much of its success to its charismatic leads. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play the titular duo; spies who are paired together (they also have to pretend they're married) to take on missions for the agency that recruited them years earlier. Along the way, the Smiths don't just get embroiled in all kinds of dangerous but funny hijinks, but also get to know each other intimately.
In our view, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is everything Amazon's other spy original series Citadel isn't: bold, amusing, filled with great action, and surprisingly endearing. A wildly entertaining show that'll be back for a second season.
Watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Prime Video.
Best superhero shows on Prime Video
Gen V
Seasons: 1
RT score: 97% (critics); 76% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Set between The Boys seasons 3 and 4, Gen V season 1 is a hilariously macabre, thematically weighty, and drama-filled superhero spin-off. Jaz Sinclair stars as Marie Moreau, an orphaned Supe who earns a place at prestigious superhero school Godolkin University. There, she must navigate the preppy cliques, make friends for the first time in years, immerse herself in all aspects (you know, sex, drugs, etc) of campus life and – oh yeah – help to unravel a mass conspiracy within the bowels of the college itself.
My review of Gen V's first six episodes reveals more about why it's considered to be one of the best Prime Video series around, while my Gen V season 1 ending explained article shows how it sets up key storylines in The Boys season 4. Gen V season 2 is in the works, too, so we'll get another installment between the main show's fourth and fifth chapters.
The Boys
Seasons: 4
RT score: 93% (critics); 83% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
The Boys is based on a simple premise: What if superheroes sucked? Like, really, really sucked? What if they were egotistical, selfish, corrupt and downright, well, unheroic? That's the crux of Amazon's live-action adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's R-rated comic series, which is one of the best Prime Video shows ever created.
Now sure, many of those questions have been explored in other media, but Amazon's over-the-top series does it with visual panache, dollops of humor, plenty of gore and ultraviolence, and some tender moments. The first season showed plenty of promise, the second delivered on it, and The Boys' third season went above and beyond its predecessors. With The Boys season 4 out now, you'll want to read my spoiler-free review of The Boys' fourth outing to see if it's still as epic as before. Oh, and its recently announced fifth season will be its last.
Watch The Boys on Prime Video.
Best supernatural shows on Prime Video
American Horror Story
Seasons: 12 (also available on FX via Hulu)
RT score: 77% (critics); 66% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
A supernatural-cum-horror anthology series that originally aired on FX, American Horror Story is *ahem* primed to scare you silly.
With 12 seasons to work through, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Each season is denoted by its own subtitle – season 1, for example, is called American Horror Story: Murder House – and comprises between nine and 13 episodes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for an anthology show, some seasons and episodes are better than others. Asylum, Coven, and 1984 are among the highest-rated seasons it has to offer, while you can probably skip Hotel and NYC. Horror connoisseurs and/or people who enjoy a good fright and plenty of gore, though, may want to view each season to make their own minds up.
Watch American Horror Story on Prime Video.
Best thriller shows on Prime Video
The Consultant
Seasons: 1
RT score: 79% (critics); 57% (audience)
Age rating: 16-plus
Billed as a twisted comedy-thriller, The Consultant stars Christoph Waltz as Regus Patoff, the newly-installed consultant of CompWare, an app-based company. When the mysterious and somewhat sinister individual starts asking his employees to perform tasks outside of their remit, though, it's up to CompWare's staff to decide how far they'll go in the pursuit of greatness.
With shades of hit Apple TV Plus shows Severance and Mythic Quest, The Consultant should fill the workplace genre void in your life. Waltz delivers another suitably outstanding performance as the enigmatic Patoff, while there's enough payoff from the show's other elements to make it worth watching.
Watch The Consultant on Prime Video.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Seasons: 4
RT score: 78% (critics); 73% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
This politically charged action thriller has been a fairly good hit for Amazon, thanks in part to John Krazinski's charismatic and fun take on the titular CIA analyst. Pulled away from his usual desk job to further investigate a string of dubious bank transfers, Ryan soon finds himself embroiled in a wider geopolitical conspiracy where he can't trust anyone – and nobody is willing to trust him. Unsurprisingly, things get more suspenseful and fraught with each passing season.
It's not as thrilling or subversively humorous as, say, Prime Video's Reacher or similarly positioned spy shows. But, with plenty of high stakes drama, impressive set-pieces, and a likeable cast, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is worth investing in.
Watch Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan on Prime Video.
The Terminal List
Seasons: 1
RT score: 40% (critics); 94% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
The Terminal List stars Marvel actor Chris Pratt as James Reece, a Navy SEAL suffering from survivor's guilt and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his entire platoon is wiped out during a covert mission. When new information emerges that puts the responsibility on morally gray characters within the armed forces and US government, Reece decides to take matters into his own hands and seek revenge on those who wronged him and his deceased squad members.
The Terminal List wasn't well received by critics, with some calling it a by-the-numbers show that doesn't deliver thrills beyond what viewers have seen before. Others praised Pratt's performance, the show's action sequences, and its thematic resonance. The Terminal List is getting a prequel series, too – while we wait for its arrival, check out these six military thrillers to pass the time.
Watch The Terminal List on Prime Video.
For more Prime Video-based coverage, read our guides on the best Prime Video movies, all of the new Prime Video movies that have arrived this month, or a full list of our Prime Video movie of the day picks.
