Amazon Prime Video was right behind Netflix in winning an Emmy for original content, thanks to Transparent. Since then, Amazon has built its original library much more slowly than Netflix, but the streaming giant has focused more on quality than quantity. There’s an original for everyone, but the platform can be extremely clunky to navigate. So, we’ve scoured the library for you. In June, you can catch a new season of the superhero satire, The Boys, as well as two new series on the platform. These are the best Amazon Prime original series available now.
We’ve also rounded up the best Netflix original series and the best Hulu original series if Prime Video doesn’t have the originals you’re looking for.
Recently added to Amazon Prime Video
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The Kids in the Hall2022 -
Night Sky2022
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The Boys2019
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Outer Range2022
The Kids in the Hall (2022) new
1 Season
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald
Created by
Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Scott Thompson
The kids may be a bit older, but this revival of the iconic Canadian sketch comedy show still hits! Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson return with a ton of wacky new characters and beloved favorites. All of the sketches pack a revived satirical punch that the Kids in the Hall became known for.
Night Sky (2022) new
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast
Sissy Spacek, J.K. Simmons, Cass Buggé
Created by
Holden Miller
Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons star as Irene and Franklin York, a retired couple who have a secret chamber buried in their backyard that leads to a mysterious, deserted planet. They’ve long safeguarded this secret, so when a young man named Jude (Chai Hansen) shows up on their property, they’re very protective of it. But soon, Jude leads them to discover far more about the chamber than they ever realized possible.
The Boys (2019) new
3 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr
Created by
Eric Kripke
There are plenty of superhero movies and TV shows out there, but none of them are quite like The Boys, which might offer the darkest, most depraved, and dysfunctional view of super-powered heroes and villains we’ve seen so far. Based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book series of the same name, The Boys follows a group of non-powered vigilantes who take it upon themselves to mete out justice to super-powered heroes who abuse their abilities and take advantage of the trust the public has placed in them. As grim and shockingly violent as it is clever, the series also offers a powerful deconstruction of traditional superhero stories and presents a world in which superpowers, corporate greed, and media consolidation have bled together to create a particularly frightening form of corruption. The audience sees it all through the eyes of Hughie, an average guy who is brutally changed by a chance encounter with a superhero.
Outer Range (2022) new
1 Season
Genre
Western, Mystery
Cast
Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor
Created by
Brian Watkins
Ostensibly Amazon’s more sci-fi answer to the wildly popular Yellowstone, Outer Range follows Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) and the many troubles facing his family. There’s a family member that’s gone missing and a rival family trying to buy the Abbotts out when a mysterious void suddenly appears on their land.
The Wilds (2020)
2 Seasons
Genre
Mystery, Drama
Cast
Sophia Ali, Shannon Berry, Jenna Clause
Created by
Sarah Streicher
The Wilds is almost like a Lord of the Flies for Gen Z. It follows a group of teen girls who must fight for survival after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. The castaways begin maneuvering both with and against one another in a sort of sick recreation of existential high school. The young women learn more about one another and create bonds through the traumas they’ve endured and the secrets they hold. But there’s one common denominator that binds them above all: They’re not on this island by accident.
Undone (2019)
2 Seasons
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast
Rosa Salazar, Angelique Cabral, Constance Marie
Created by
Kate Purdy, Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Undone is a rarity among adult-oriented animated series, because it’s more of a drama and a thriller than a comedy. It also utilizes Rotoscoping animation to provide the series with mind-bending visuals. Rosa Salazar stars in the series as Alma, a directionless young woman who almost loses her life in a car crash. However, Alma soon discovers that the crash seemingly unlocked her ability to see her dead father, Jacob (Bob Odenkirk). According to Jacob, Alma has the ability to bend time and space to her will, and he wants her to go back in time to prevent his murder. While Alma can seemingly do everything that Jacob promised, the truth about her abilities and her sanity is still tantalizingly ambiguous. The second season, out now, provides more answers.
The Outlaws (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cast
Christopher Walken, Stephen Merchant, Darren Boyd
Created by
Stephen Merchant, Elgin James
A collaboration between the BBC and Amazon Studios, this hilarious crime comedy series created by Stephen Merchant first aired in the UK in October of last year, and now it’s finally made its way to the States. Merchant stars alongside Christopher Walken as two of seven loser delinquents who are brought together to fulfill their “Community Payback” sentences for their various crimes and misdemeanors. Forced to clean up and rehabilitate a dilapidated community center in Bristol, the group discovers a bag of money hidden in the ceiling. Even though they can’t stand each other, they’re forced to come together when they learn that the money is the property of some gangsters who want it back.
Upload (2020)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards
Created by
Greg Daniels
In a not-so-distant future, humans near death have the option to upload their consciousness to luxurious virtual reality afterlives. When Nathan (Robbie Amell) is in a car accident, he can choose to undergo a risky operation and risk real death or go to the Lakeview digital afterlife instead. He chooses the latter, where he meets Nora (Andy Allo), his still-alive customer service representative. As Nathan becomes acclimated to a personalized, customizable afterlife (loaded with ads and in-app purchases), Nora navigates the personal and financial struggles of her real world. The boundaries blur as the two characters build a relationship that spans planes.
As We See It (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Rick Glassman, Sue Ann Pien, Albert Rutecki
Created by
Jason Katims
A unique dramedy about life on the autism spectrum, As We See It takes the common twentysomething learning how to adult premise and puts it on the spectrum. Roommates Jack, Violet, and Harrison are struggling to grasp their independence and become adult members of society, and society isn’t exactly making it easy. But with the help of their families, aides, and one another from time to time, they’ll find their way. Or at least try to.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen
Created by
Amy Sherman-Palladino
In 1958, New York City, Jewish housewife Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) finds out her husband — a businessman who does stand-up comedy on the side — is stealing his jokes from big-time comic Bob Newhart and, worse, having an affair. To cope with the upheaval, Midge begins to tell jokes of her own, and finds she has something of a knack for it. In the vein of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a comedy that doesn’t allow itself to be weighed down by its more serious moments, resulting in a joyous, fun tone. Similarly, the series tactfully handles issues of gender and religion in a period when people weren’t quite as enlightened or politically correct as (most) people are today. Brosnahan’s character work is outstanding, painting a picture of a woman who uses her pain to strengthen her resolve and bolster her act.
Hanna (2019)
3 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast
Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, Dermot Mulroney
Created by
David Farr
Just over a decade ago, Hanna was a feature film that came and went. However, David Farr reinvented Hanna for Amazon Prime as a TV series starring Esme Creed-Miles in the title role. Young Hanna is the product of a CIA experiment to create super soldiers by splicing her DNA with genetic material from wolves. That made her everything the CIA hoped for and more. The Killing’s co-stars Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos were reunited in Hanna, but on opposite sides. Kinnaman plays Hannah’s adoptive father, Erik Heller, who went to great lengths to hide Hanna and raise her as his own. Enos portrays Marissa Wiegler, a CIA agent with an unhealthy obsession with Hannah herself.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure
Cast
Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoe Robins
Created by
Rafe Judkins
Once considered “unadaptable,” Amazon Prime Video has brought Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series to the small screen. In a mythical country, the world’s most powerful magicians believe the Dragon may have been reincarnated. Prophecy foretells that this individual will have the power to save the world or destroy it. Narrowing down her search to five young people, Aes Sedai Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) takes them on a journey to the Eye of the World to determine who is the Dragon, knowing full well most of them will not survive.
Goliath (2016)
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Billy Bob Thornton, Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde
Created by
David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro
Billy Bob Thornton portrays hard-luck lawyer Billy McBride in this series that follows his path to redemption after leaving the powerful law firm he co-founded with a reclusive partner and hitting rock-bottom. Although it features an impressive supporting cast that includes William Hurt, Maria Bello, Olivia Thirlby, Molly Parker, and Mark Duplass, the series is led by Thornton’s performance as the former hot-shot attorney who now struggles against a legal system weighted against his clients instead of favoring them. The role won Thornton a Golden Globe Award as the year’s best actor in a drama series at the 2017 ceremony.
The Pursuit of Love (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Lily James, Emily Beecham, Andrew Scott
Created by
Emily Mortimer
Amazon channels its inner Downton Abbey in this romantic period drama that follows the friendship between cousins Linda (Lily James) and Fanny (Emily Beecham) as they yearn to escape from their isolated country home where they grew up to find love in the big city. This is not your typical Jane Austen story; it’s much steamier and a touch raunchy, but The Pursuit of Love‘s excellent cast and stylish sets will appeal to fans of classical English romance.
The Expanse (2015)
6 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham
Created by
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
Although The Expanse began as a Syfy original series, Amazon saved the show and renewed it for two additional seasons. That’s a tremendous gift for genre fans, because The Expanse has emerged as one of the best shows on TV. The series adapts the sci-fi novels of James S. A. Corey, which take place in the far future after humanity has colonized the solar system. Steven Strait’s James Holden and his fellow survivors stumble onto a conspiracy to use an alien Protomolecule to transform humanity into something new. Thomas Jane co-stars as Josephus Miller, a detective chasing the plot from another angle. But it’s often Shohreh Aghdashloo who steals the show as Chrisjen Avasarala, the only woman in Earth’s government who recognizes that the real threat may come from within.
Panic (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, Crime
Cast
Olivia Scott Welch, Mike Faist, Jessica Sula
Created by
Lauren Oliver
Panic is the YA drama series on Amazon Prime Video that has some similarities with The Hunger Games. Instead of taking place in a dystopian future, it takes place in a bleak present. In the small town of Carp, Texas, an annual competition called Panic gives high school graduates the chance to take part in an intense contest. The prize is $50,000 and the opportunity to leave Carp forever. But when Heather Nill (Olivia Welch) and her friends take part in Panic, the danger is amplified to an extreme degree. And there can only be one winner.
Solos (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Created by
David Weil
No one could ask for a better cast than the one lined up for Solos, Amazon Prime Video’s new sci-fi anthology series. Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Helen Mirren, Constance Wu, and more take the spotlight in stories that stand alone. And yet, there are links between their characters that slowly unfold across seven episodes. The answers will emerge and hearts will break as the truth comes out. Being human is hard, but shared experiences define everyone in this series — for better or worse.
The Underground Railroad (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton
Created by
Barry Jenkins
The Underground Railroad may not be the series that you expect. It is a story about slavery in the pre-Civil War United States, but not the way that it actually happened. In this reality, the underground railroad is literally a railroad built underground to help escaped slaves find freedom outside of the southern states. Thuso Mbedu stars as Cora Randall, a woman who flees from slavery while trying to stay one step ahead of a slave catcher named Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton). Cora has to fight for both her life and her freedom, even though her triumph is far from certain.
Bosch (2015)
7 Seasons
Genre
Mystery, Drama, Crime
Cast
Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino
Created by
Eric Overmyer
Bosch has the distinction of being the very first Amazon Prime Video original series. Now, the seventh season is wrapping up the story of Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch (Titus Welliver). The series adapted Michael Connelly’s novels out of order, but the core of the show was loyal to the source material. Harry isn’t a dirty cop, but he has been known to bend the rules on occasion, as long as it leads to a just outcome. Regardless, even Harry’s best intentions can come back to haunt him. And he’s got plenty of enemies both within the police force and among Los Angeles’ criminal underworld.
Them (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Mystery
Cast
Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Alison Pill
Created by
Little Marvin
No, it’s not a sequel to Jordan Peele’s Us, but this limited series does play with some similar themes. The anthology series explores terror in America, beginning in the first season in the 1950s. The story centers on a Black family who moves from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood during The Great Migration. Believing they’ve left much of the racist terror behind them in the South, the family soon sees its idyllic home become ground zero for terror, both from the neighbors and from otherworldly forces.
Invincible (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast
Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons
From The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Invincible is the second Kirkman comic to get the TV treatment. The animated series centers on 17-year-old Mark Grayson, an ordinary high school guy except for the fact that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. Like his father, Mark expects to develop his own powers, but they’re not quite coming in as seamlessly as he expected. But as he slowly comes to grip with what he can do, he embarks on his own journey, in which he discovers his father’s legacy is more complicated than it appears.
Small Axe (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Created by
Steve McQueen
Small Axe isn’t your standard television fare. The series is actually a collection of films from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen. The anthology series includes five original films set from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, telling personal stories from London’s West Indian community. These peoples’ lives have been forcefully shaped despite rampant racism and discrimination in their community, giving weight to the proverb that inspired the title: “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.”
Flack (2019)
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Created by
Oliver Lansley
Celebrity scandals are a way of life. But in Flack, they’re just another day at the office for Anna Paquin’s Robyn. She’s an American PR executive working in London. But if she thought that Hollywood scandals were out of control, then she hasn’t seen anything yet. While Robyn is exceptionally talented at getting her clients out of trouble, her personal life could use some serious help.
Tell Me Your Secrets (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Crime
Cast
Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Amy Brenneman
Created by
Harriet Warner
TNT’s loss is Amazon’s gain. While Tell Me Your Secrets was originally produced for cable, Amazon Prime has snagged the thrilling drama starring American Horror Story‘s fab Lily Rabe. This series explores the dangerous and enigmatic stories of three people. Rabe stars as Emma Hall, a woman who survived an encounter with a murderer. Hamish Linklater’s John Tyler may have once been a killer himself, but he’s trying to reclaim his soul. Finally, Amy Brenneman’s Mary Barlow is desperately searching for her missing daughter. How will their stories intersect? Watch to find out.
Tales from the Loop (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Rebecca Hall, Jonathan Pryce, Ato Essandoh
Created by
Nathaniel Halpern
Simon Stålenhag’s Tales From the Loop narrative artbook was brought to television as a sci-fi anthology series that tells the stories of the people who live in Mercer, Ohio. Rebecca Hall stars as Loretta, a physicist who works at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, aka The Loop. It’s Loretta’s job to find ways to “make the impossible possible.” This affects the town above The Loop in profound and surprising ways as they rewrite the rules of reality as we know them.
Truth Seekers (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Samson Kayo
Created by
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nat Saunders, James Serafinowicz
This eight-part supernatural comedy series is another feather in the cap for genre comedy specialists Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, The World’s End). The series follows a team of part-time paranormal investigators who work to uncover and film ghost sightings across the U.K., chronicling their adventures on a web channel. But as they stake out haunted churches and underground bunkers, what was once a hobby becomes increasingly haunting, terrifying, and even deadly as they stumble into a deep conspiracy.
Utopia (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery
Cast
John Cusack, Rainn Wilson, Dan Byrd
Created by
Gillian Flynn
While Utopia isn’t Gillian Flynn’s (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) best work, it is a strangely compelling series for the pandemic-ridden world of 2020. The series follows a group of comic fans who bond online over their obsession with a fictional comic book called Utopia. But as the kids begin unearthing hidden meanings within the comic’s pages, they realize that the strange predictions of threats against humanity are actually coming true. As they work to uncover a massive conspiracy, they meet the comic’s central character, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), who, it turns out, is very real. Like it or not, the crew is embroiled in Jessica’s quest to save the world from the comic’s dark intentions.
Catastrophe (2015)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Sharon Horgan, Rob Delaney, Mark Bonnar
Created by
Sharon Horgan, Rob Delaney
Amazon has the exclusive American streaming rights to this British sitcom starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan as a mismatched couple who meet in London and, after a windswept week of passion, experience the ultimate catastrophe: Pregnancy. Catastrophe reverse engineers the rom-com, forcing an ad exec from Boston and an Irish teacher living in London to become parents very shortly after they ceased being strangers. Delaney and Horan have outstanding chemistry as the constantly-bickering, culture-clashed couple who are nonetheless committed to making it work for the baby. It’s a refreshingly honest, funny look at relationships, marriage, and parenthood focusing on two very flawed, yet strangely compatible, soon-to-be parents.
Comrade Detective (2017)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Comedy
Cast
Channing Tatum, Florin Piersic Jr., Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Created by
Brian Gatewood, Alessandro Tanaka
Easily the most absurd entry on our list, Comrade Detective is like a buddy-cop movie, except those buddies are Romanian and set during the late Cold War. The entire show is filmed in Romanian (with Romanian actors) before being dubbed over in English by big-name stars including Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nick Offerman, and more. Most of the gags in Comrade Detective are typical jokes about communism and the USSR, except they’re reverse-engineered to be “about” the capitalist pigs of America. Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell when the show is being serious and when it’s trying to make you laugh, and those end up being the best (and most thought-provoking) parts.
Fleabag (2016)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman
Created by
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
This British sitcom is created and written by star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays a young London woman who hurtles through life fueled by sex, jokes, awkward moments, and plenty of drama. The series was adapted from Waller-Bridge’s one-woman stage show and concluded its second and final season on Amazon in May of 2019. The winner of multiple TV awards and nominations over the course of its run, including a pair of Primetime Emmy Awards for Waller-Bridge and the series itself, Fleabag managed to top its widely praised first season with an even more critically acclaimed sophomore season that put it among the best-reviewed TV series of all time.
Good Omens (2019)
2 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Sam Taylor Buck
Created by
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
Amazon Studios co-produced this six-part miniseries, based on the fantasy novel of the same name by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, along with BBC Studios. The series follows an angel and a demon played by Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) and David Tennant (Doctor Who), respectively, whose comfortable lives on Earth are threatened by the impending apocalypse. The pair must team up to prevent the ascension of the Antichrist and a war between heaven and hell. The show’s impressive cast is filled out by Jon Hamm, Michael McKean, Miranda Richardson, Adria Arjona, Nick Offerman, and Jack Whitehall. Like the book that inspired it, the series is packed with quirky, irreverent humor that filters both human history and biblical mythology through its clever lens.
The Grand Tour (2016)
4 Seasons
Genre
Talk, Reality
Created by
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, Andy Wilman
If you liked Top Gear and you’ve never seen The Grand Tour … oh boy. The full crew — Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, and executive producer Andy Wilman — migrated to Amazon after Clarkson was booted from the BBC show following some untoward allegations, and it feels like they never left. The Grand Tour actually takes Top Gear to another level, with more extravagant production value and more ridiculous vehicles than ever before. As with its predecessor, Grand Tour expertly blends legitimate auto journalism with general buffoonery, as the hosts regularly take gleeful potshots at one another. The show travels across the world for numerous specialty episodes, including one involving charitable efforts in Mozambique and one in Dubai featuring sand buggies.
Homecoming (2018)
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Stephan James, Janelle Monáe, Chris Cooper
Created by
Sam Esmail, Micah Bloomberg, Eli Horowitz
Based on the podcast of the same name created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, Homecoming is a psychological thriller about a secret government program called Homecoming, a facility that helps soldiers transition back to civilian life. In season one, Julia Roberts stars as Heidi Bergman, a caseworker who left Homecoming to take care of her mother in the small town where she grew up. However, when the Department of Defense starts asking why she left, Heidi begins to realize the story she has been telling herself is completely different from what actually happened. As Homecoming bounces between timelines, we see just how deep the conspiracy between private enterprise and government brainwashing goes. Season two premiered in May of last year with a new cast centered around Janelle Monáe.
Hunters (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Logan Lerman, Al Pacino, Jerrika Hinton
Created by
David Weil
Al Pacino hunting Nazis? What’s not to love?! Hunters is inspired by real-life groups of American Nazi hunters who have tracked down defected Nazis over the decades. The story itself is set in 1977 New York City as Meyer Offerman (Pacino) builds a ragtag team designed to derail a brewing plot to create a Fourth Reich in the United States. As the team discovers hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials who have assimilated into American life, they take drastic, gory measures to thwart the Nazis’ new genocidal plans. Hunters has drawn criticism for its occasionally tone-deaf writing and misrepresentation of some historical details but if you’re in for some campy action, you could do a lot worse.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018)
2 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, War & Politics
Cast
John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, John Hoogenakker
Created by
Carlton Cuse, Graham Roland
Tom Clancy’s fan-favorite hero, Jack Ryan, has the distinction of being played on the big screen by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine. However, it was John Krasinski’s take on the character that made Amazon’s Jack Ryan such a compelling show. Think of it as Jack Ryan Begins. This series follows Jack early in his career when he was simply an analyst for the CIA. Regardless, Jack’s ability to make connections and follow the money convinced the CIA to put him into the field long before he was truly ready for it. Regardless of his lack of field experience, Jack grew into the role and personally took down a terrorist plot. Unfortunately, Jack’s personal life has suffered along the way. Thankfully, the series never disappoints when it comes to thrilling action scenes. Amazon has confirmed that a third season is on the way, which means Jack Ryan will be back in the near future.
The Man in the High Castle (2015)
4 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast
Alexa Davalos, Joel de la Fuente, Jason O'Mara
Created by
Frank Spotnitz
What would have happened if the Axis powers emerged victorious from World War II? That’s the question posed by The Man In The High Castle, a dramatic, highly stylized adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel of the same name. Set in the early 1960s (novelly, it’s a dystopian past this time around), the Third Reich and the Japanese empire hold split control over the continental United States. When a dangerous propaganda film makes its way into the hands of revolutionary groups, a clandestine conflict begins over the truth of the war as an aging Adolf Hitler prepares to relinquish control of the Reich and several prominent party members vie for a chance at the throne. The pace is slow, but the acting, especially from Rufus Sewell (Victoria) as the icy Obergruppenführer John Smith, is worth your patience.
Mozart in the Jungle (2014)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Gael García Bernal, Lola Kirke, Saffron Burrows
Created by
Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola, Alex Timbers
Gael García Bernal stars as an eccentric, wunderkind orchestra conductor in one of Amazon’s first originals, created by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Paul Weitz. Lola Kirke stars as an oboist and the conductor’s protégé. It’s neither a steamy, passionate drama nor a high-stakes thriller. Instead, Mozart in the Jungle is just a fun, low-key show about being human. There’s ambition, triumph, failure, connection, disconnection, and a slew of ordinary things, played out in the world of extraordinary musicians. Plus, Malcolm McDowell and Bernadette Peters are in it, so you know it’s fun.
The New Yorker Presents (2016)
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Created by
Alex Gibney
You don’t need a subscription to The New Yorker — just watch this short anthology series on Amazon. The New Yorker Presents is an odd collection of interviews, news investigations, and scripted comedy shorts that hold little relation to one another but are all worth watching in their own way. Want to learn about the effects of pesticides on amphibian ecosystems? You came to the right place. Each episode is host to several different segments, which vary wildly in tone and subject matter. That said, you never feel as though you’re wasting time or watching something uninteresting. And don’t worry: There are no political cartoons.
One Mississippi (2016)
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Cast
Tig Notaro, Rya Kihlstedt, John Rothman
Created by
Diablo Cody, Tig Notaro
One Mississippi might be the most melancholy comedy series ever made. When L.A. radio host Tig Bavaro (Tig Notaro) returns to her Mississippi hometown after her elderly mother is taken off life support, she moves back in with her brother and stepfather to try and sort everything out. What follows is a bittersweet culture clash, as progressive, big-city Tig struggles to adapt to the antiquated traditions in Bay St. Lucille. Notaro is wonderful, the kind of comic whose jokes come simply via observation. Despite Amazon’s cancellation of the series after two seasons (apparently as part of a move toward “bigger, wider-audience series“), critics heaped praise on One Mississippi for its authentic tone and unique brand of humor. The semi-autobiographical show is one of the most genuine you’ll find, depicting its characters with both comedy and care.
Patriot (2015)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Michael Dorman, Terry O'Quinn, Kurtwood Smith
Created by
Steven Conrad
A blend of dark comedy and drama, this series from writer, director, and executive producer Steven Conrad follows a reluctant spy who’s forced to take a position as a mid-level employee at an industrial piping manufacturer to gather intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program. As he gets drawn deeper into the dangerous assignment, he finds himself taking greater risks to protect his secret. Michael Dorman stars in the series as intelligence officer John Tavner, with Terry O’Quinn portraying his esteemed father and senior officer. The impressive cast is filled out by Kurtwood Smith, Michael Chernus, Kathleen Munroe, Aliette Opheim, Chris Conrad, and Debra Winger. While the first season received generally positive reviews and a nomination as the year’s best comedy series from Critics Choice Television Awards voters, the second season raised the bar, earning widespread acclaim after its November 2018 debut.
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (2017)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Created by
Philip K. Dick, Ronald D. Moore, Michael Dinner
An anthology sci-fi series akin to Netflix’s Black Mirror, the first 10-episode season of Electric Dreams offers a set of stand-alone stories that filter humanity’s technological future through a dark, often unsettling lens. Each of the episodes is inspired by the works of prolific sci-fi author Philip K. Dick, whose stories previously served as source material for Blade Runner and Minority Report, among other acclaimed films. Although the series isn’t a fully original Amazon Studios production, Amazon Prime Video owns the U.S. rights to the series, which has a surprisingly well-known cast of familiar faces in front of the camera, and an equally impressive team behind it. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) is one of several high-profile cast members to appear in episodes, along with Hidden Figures actress Janelle Monáe, Terrence Howard, Steve Buscemi, and Anna Paquin.
Red Oaks (2014)
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Craig Roberts, Alexandra Socha, Paul Reiser
Created by
David Gordon Green
Red Oaks is a surprisingly fun ode to classic 1980s coming-of-age comedies that doesn’t lean on lazy callbacks or costume gags, instead crafting a genuinely affecting tale of love, loss, and growth. College kid David Myers (Craig Roberts) signs on to work at an upstate New York country club in the summer, where he works as a tennis instructor under the charming Nash (Ennis Esmer, always stealing scenes). David inconveniently finds himself falling for the beautiful daughter of the club president (Paul Reiser, of course) while navigating his parents’ messy relationship, and a relationship of his own. The series doles out hilarity and wholesomeness in equal measure, with excellent comic acting by both known commodities (Richard Kind, ’80s icon Jennifer Grey as the parents) and diamonds in the rough (Oliver Cooper). The first season is the best, but it’s all worth your time.
Sneaky Pete (2015)
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Cast
Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale
Created by
Bryan Cranston, David Shore
Sneaky Pete is one of Amazon Studios’ lesser-known productions, but the three seasons released so far have all earned tremendously positive reviews. The premise is classic Hollywood, as con artist Marius (Giovanni Ribisi) gets out of prison and adopts his late cellmate’s identity to escape from a terrifying gangster (Bryan Cranston). Predictably, Marius finds himself in over his head trying to navigate the life that Pete left behind years ago, including an overbearing grandmother (Margo Martindale) and a crotchety grandfather (Peter Gerety). Ribisi’s roles are typically smaller parts, but he nails the lead here, and overall the show takes a fun tone without dipping too far into “comedy” territory.
The Tick (2016)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Cast
Peter Serafinowicz, Griffin Newman, Valorie Curry
Created by
Ben Edlund
The Tick began his (fictional) existence as a sort of tongue-in-cheek superhero and mascot for a New England chain of comic book stores. Amazon’s take (the third Tick TV series, but who’s counting?) follows lowly Arthur, a typical office worker with little ambition and few goals. Suddenly, Arthur meets The Tick — perhaps a real superhero, perhaps a figment of his imagination — who begins to uncover the hero hidden within Arthur. The show is quite funny, powered largely by Peter Serafinowicz’s dopey performance as the title character.
Transparent (2014)
5 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass
Created by
Joey Soloway
Not only is Transparent an incredible show, but it is also perhaps the best double entendre in TV history (trans-parent … get it?). In a widely acclaimed turn, Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) portrays Morton Pfefferman, a retired college professor who opts to live his truth as a transgender woman — Maura — thus forcing Maura’s family to adapt to their father’s newly revealed identity. The series is an honest, emotional look at the difficulties that plague transgender people as they attempt to justify their identities to both close friends and complete strangers. Creator Jill Soloway found inspiration for Transparent after her own father came out as transgender, lending the show a feeling of authenticity you can’t help but appreciate. Just after being renewed for a fifth season, the series fell into limbo due to multiple sexual harassment allegations levied against Tambor, who was subsequently fired from the show. The first four seasons are available on Amazon, along with the show’s feature-length musical finale.
ZeroZeroZero (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Andrea Riseborough, Dane DeHaan, Giuseppe De Domenico
Created by
Stefano Sollima, Mauricio Katz, Leonardo Fasoli
ZeroZeroZero might be the most ambitious TV series you’ve never heard of. This massive eight-episode miniseries was shot on three continents, even more countries, and encapsulates three fairly distinct stories. Why? Because this is the story of the world’s cocaine supply chain, from manufacturers in Italy to sellers in Mexico to brokers and buyers around the world. It’s reminiscent of Netflix’s Narcos but far broader in scope, attempting to tell a technical, yet still dramatic, tale about how enormous the world’s drug machine truly is. It makes the War on Drugs seem positively stupid. With great performances from the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Andrea Riseborough, and Dane DeHaan, it’s surprising how under the radar ZeroZeroZero is.
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