Even if you’ve picked a streaming service, it can be impossible to narrow down what you’re really looking for. If you’ve run out of the best Netflix movies and Netflix original series to watch, you’ll need to find somewhere else to turn. Fortunately, Netflix is far from the only game in town. Anyone who uses Amazon Prime to get packages delivered to them quickly also has access to a library of fairly impressive shows and movies.
If you’re looking for your next series to binge, and you already have Amazon anyway, then we’ve got a list of the best shows on Amazon Prime well worth you’re time. We’ve broken down the best Amazon Prime shows to start with below, with entries that range from sprawling sci-fi to touching, grounded comedies.
We’ve also found the best Amazon Prime movies, the best Hulu shows, and the best Disney Plus shows to watch if you’ve seen all of these.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018)
4 Seasons
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, War & Politics
Cast
John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Abbie Cornish
Created by
Carlton Cuse, Graham Roland
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan has been adapted to the big screen countless times, but Amazon’s choice to move him to the small screen turns out to have been a shrewd one. Starring John Krasinski as the titular analyst who always finds himself doing agent-y things, the show has been thrilling since the beginning, even if its politics have not always been totally uncontroversial. Thanks to solid production values and a built-in audience, Jack Ryan has become one of the most successful shows on Amazon.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast
Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Charlie Vickers
Created by
John D. Payne, Patrick McKay
Amazon has rarely made a bigger bet than the one it made on The Rings of Power. The show, which only has a single season at the moment, has more than lived up to all that hype. Set in a Middle Earth that has not yet been scarred by the creation of Mordor, Rings of Power follows Galadriel and a roster of other characters as they begin to uncover the evils lurking just beneath the surface of their world. Thanks to its enormous budget, Rings of Power looks incredible and has the kind of epic scope we haven’t seen since the Lord of the Rings movies were in theaters.
Reacher (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama
Cast
Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald
Created by
Nick Santora
Jack Reacher has already been adapted to the big screen, but Reacher is the first attempt to turn this popular character from the written world to the small screen. Following Reacher as he attempts to integrate into civilian life after a career as a military investigator, he’s soon accused of murder and is forced to prove his own innocence. That hook proves plenty compelling in its own right, but the series only heightens the stakes from there. There’s corruption, plenty of action, and everything else you would likely want from a show about Jack Reacher.
The Terminal List (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast
Chris Pratt, Taylor Kitsch, Constance Wu
Chris Pratt’s latest foray into the world of action filmmaking tells the story of a Navy SEAL who returns home from a mission in which his entire platoon was ambushed to discover that his life is no quieter at home. The show is action-forward in a good way, featuring some solid set pieces that elevate it above much of what Netflix puts out. Thanks to a supporting cast that includes Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, and Riley Keough, the show is also well-acted, which further solidifies it as one of the best series on Amazon Prime.
A Very English Scandal (2018)
1 Season
Genre
Biography, Comedy, Crime
Cast
Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw, Alex Jennings
From the BBC comes a very British miniseries: A Very English Scandal, which tells the story of a shocking, vile political event from the 1970s that is equal parts hilarious and cringeworthy. Surprisingly based on a true story, the series follows Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) as his political career is threatened by blackmail from his gay ex-lover, which he responds to with a combination of sloppy threats and violence. It’s dark, but it also an excellent show to stream on Amazon Prime.
The Expanse (2015)
6 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Cast
Wes Chatham, Dominique Tipper, Steven Strait
Created by
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Daniel Abraham
A sci-fi series based on the books of the same name, The Expanse is the perfect combination of contemplative and eye-popping. Set in a future where humanity has spread out and colonized the solar system, the show follows a series of factions inhabiting different planets that set themselves apart from each other and find new reasons for intra-species conflict.
The Boys (2019)
3 Seasons
Genre
Action, Crime, Drama
Cast
Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr
Created by
Eric Kripke
What happens when superheroes are actually just overpowered corporate villains in disguise? Amazon’s original series The Boys dives into just that. After losing his girlfriend to a drugged-out superhero accident, a young man named Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) ends up on the wrong side of these powerful “heroes” with a group that is trying to take down the corrupt system they inhabit once and for all.
The Underground Railroad (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton
Created by
Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins is one of the greatest directors working today, and his adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name really cemented that legacy. Following a young female slave as she escapes from the South, the show’s central premise imagines that the railroad was a literal one built underground, and includes a number of other fantastical elements on top of that. In spite of those less realistic elements, though, The Underground Railroad is really a reflection on the pain and promise of being Black in America, and it’s incredible.
Daisy Jones & the Six (2023)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone
Created by
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Adapted from a best-seller of the same name, Daisy Jones & the Six tells the very Fleetwood Mac-adjacent story of a band that broke big in the 1970s. The story’s timeline is split between interviews that occur 20 years in the future and the actual events of the 1970s, and it’s a compelling, soapy wonder to watch these band members fall into and out of love with one another. On top of all that, the songs are actually pretty good and the leads Sam Claflin and Riley Keough prove they could be rock stars in their own right.
Vikings (2013)
6 Seasons
Genre
Action, Adventure, Drama
Cast
Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig
Created by
Michael Hirst
Set in a fictionalized version of Scandinavia in the 9th-century, Vikings is a deeply compelling show that loosely follows the brutal introduction of the Vikings to the European world. Though this show does not claim to be historically accurate, some of the characters are based on real historical figures who changed the world forever.
Good Omens (2019)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Fantasy
Cast
Michael Sheen, David Tennant, John Hamm
Created by
Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
If you’re looking for a bit of comedy, a bit of fantasy, and a bit of heaven and hell, then Good Omens is perfect for you. This miniseries follows the tale of a bungled Armageddon from the perspectives of angels and demons — particularly one angel and one demon who find that despite their differences, they are actually great friends.
Electric Dreams (2017)
1 Season
Genre
Sci-Fi
Cast
Richard Madden, Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi
Created by
Philip K. Dick
This anthology sci-fi series is very similar to Netflix’s Black Mirror. The first season of Electric Dreams offers a set of stand-alone stories that filter humanity’s technological future through a dark, often very uncomfortable lens. Each episode is inspired by the renowned sci-fi author Philip K. Dick, whose stories previously served as source material for Blade Runner and Minority Report, two of the best sci-fi movies ever made.
Red Oaks (2014)
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Sport
Cast
Craig Roberts, Ennis Esmer, Oliver Cooper
Created by
Joe Gangemi, Gregory Jacobs
While it may at first feel like an attempt to target our nostalgia for Caddyshack, Red Oaks is actually a wonderful ode to classic 1980s coming-of-age comedies that doesn’t lean on lazy callbacks or costume gags. When college kid David Myers (Craig Roberts) signs up to work at a New York country club as a tennis instructor, Myers, of course, ends up falling for the club president’s daughter.
Upload (2020)
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Cast
Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards
Created by
Greg Daniels
In what seems like a not-so-distant future, death is no longer the end of life for humanity. When Nathan Brown meets an untimely death, he gets to choose which afterlife he wants to exist in. But this virtual world has its downsides, and as he tries to get used to it, he begins to realize that maybe his death wasn’t an accident.
Sneaky Pete (2015)
3 Seasons
Genre
Crime
Cast
Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Shane McRae
Created by
Bryan Cranston, David Shore
One of Amazon’s lesser-known series, Sneaky Pete is the kind of low-key thriller that’s perfect for a binge. Con artist Marius gets out of prison and adopts his late cellmate Pete’s identity to escape from a terrifying gangster. Marius finds himself completely in over his head trying to navigate the life that Pete left behind years ago, including an overbearing grandmother and a crotchety grandfather who think they know him already.
Mr. Robot (2015)
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin
Created by
Sam Esmail
Over the course of its four seasons, Mr. Robot was often compelling and frequently brilliant. The show became a phenomenon after its first season, and although it faded from the popular consciousness after that, it never stopped being great. Following a computer hacker (Rami Malek) who unlocks a massive conspiracy against the world’s biggest company, the show was always more concerned with the inner lives of its characters than with the massive conspiracies it depicted.
Fleabag (2016)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman
Created by
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s comedy series only lasted for two six-episode seasons, but few runs of television in the 21st century have been better. Fleabag follows its titular character as she deals with lingering guilt and trauma, and ultimately tries to move forward by finding new love. It’s a searing, brilliant series filled with pain and heartbreak, and it’s one of the smartest show that Amazon has ever had the good sense to finance.
I'm a Virgo (2023)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast
Jharrel Jerome, Brett Gray, Kara Young
Created by
Tze Chun, Boots Riley
A surreal, mind-bending comedy from Boots Riley, the director of Sorry to Bother You, I’m a Virgo follows a 19-year-old who, for reasons largely unexplained, is 13 feet tall. After living a sheltered life largely within a world his parents created for him, he ventures outside for the first time, and he is eventually shot into the limelight because of his massive size. Because Boots Riley is unafraid of being overtly political, there are plenty of thought-provoking ideas about race, capitalism, and celebrity in this series, but the thing that will keep you watching is just trying to figure out where the show is headed next.
Schitt's Creek (2015)
6 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy
Created by
Eugene Levy, Dan Levy
Telling the story of a rich family who finds themselves suddenly without all the money they’ve grown so accustomed to, Schitt’s Creek is a charming, winsome comedy that captivated many over the course of its six seasons. It takes a minute for the series’ sense of humor to really kick in to full gear, but once it does, you’ll find yourself going back for more and more until you’re done. Schitt’s Creek is winning and wholesome in a way that the best TV can be, and you can watch it from front to back anytime you want.
Gen V (2023)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway
Created by
Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, Craig Rosenberg
This spin-off of The Boys tells the story of a bunch of superhero teens as they discover what they’re capable of and push their powers to the limits. The series manages to get the balance exactly right between the harsh world of The Boys and the hormones and turmoil that come with being a teenager of any kind. Like The Boys, it has a dark, dry wit, but Gen V has its own flavor that makes it feel like a welcome addition to an already pretty compelling universe.
Class of '07 (2023)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Emily Browning, Caitlin Stasey, Megan Smart
Created by
Kacie Anning
A smart survival series about the bonds we make when we’re young, Class of ’07 tells the story of a group of women who come together for their 10-year high school reunion, only for a tidal wave to hit during the festivities. Now forced to survive together on the island part of their campus, the girls will relive the past and build a community the likes of which they could never sustain in high school. Featuring some sharp performances, some brilliant insights about what it feels like to be in high school, and a great cast, Class of ’07 is a compelling thrill ride from beginning to end.
Bosch (2015)
7 Seasons
Genre
Mystery, Drama, Crime
Cast
Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino
Created by
Eric Overmyer
Adapted from a long-running series of books, Bosch tells the story of a former special forces operative who now works as a homicide detective with the LAPD. Essentially, the show is just a variation of your standard cop drama, but it’s excellent at delivering the kind of dad TV that many people long for. Titus Welliver delivers in the central role, and Bosch has been so wildly successful that it even prompted Prime Video to launch a spinoff. It may be just another show about cops, but Bosch is one of the very best of those.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Donald Glover, Maya Erskine
Created by
Donald Glover, Francesca Sloane
Loosely adapted from the film of the same name, Mr. and Mrs. Smith follows two spies working for a private agency who are meant to pretend that they’re married. As the pair develop real feelings for one another, we come to understand the way they navigate their high-pressure job and their issues with one another. Thanks to hugely compelling performances from Maya Erskine and Donald Glover, the show makes its mission of the week premise work, and that helps us to fall in love with the relationship between the two along the way.
Fallout (2024)
1 Season
Genre
Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery
Cast
Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias
Created by
Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner
Adapted from the legendary video game series of the same name, Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles that has been decimated by nuclear war. Although the show’s characters were invented for the show, the world will be familiar to anyone who played the games. The show’s story follows a young woman who finds herself on a mission to the surface of her world to find her missing father. Fallout was a major investment for Prime Video, and it almost immediately become one of the most popular shows on the service.
What shows are coming to Amazon Prime in May?
May 3
- Clarkson’s Farm, season 3
May 4
- Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View Event on Prime Video
May 16
- Outer Range, season 2
May 24
- DOM, season 3
May 31
- The Outlaws, season 3
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