The 35+ Best Shows on Amazon Prime Video
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When Amazon launched in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in his Seattle garage, it was an online marketplace for books. Now, nearly 30 years later, the internet giant is a one-stop-shop for everything under the sun—from groceries to wedding guest dresses. Notably, Amazon also has a streaming platform, called Prime Video (which is included with an Amazon Prime membership).
"One way you can think about TV is you can say, 'I want to make something that millions and millions of people are going to watch.' If that’s your starting point, you paint yourself into a corner and you often end up with homogenized, uninteresting content," Bezos said in 2015. "If you say, 'Let’s hire the world’s greatest storytellers. Let’s encourage them to take risks,' then you’re going to end up with a remarkable story, and remarkable stories always find an audience."
Like other streaming services, Prime Video has a glut of programming options. But instead of spending your night scrolling, here's a guide to the 36 best Amazon Originals that you can stream right now, including comedies, thrillers, historical dramas, and whatever you are in the mood for:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows 1950s Jewish housewife Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) as she finds her voice as a stand-up comedian. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the five seasons feature not just fast-paced (and funny!) dialogue and gorgeous costumes, but a nostalgic a look into Jewish life on the Upper West Side featuring characters that you will grow to love.
Daisy Jones & the Six
This limited ten-episode series is an adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling novel of the same name (with a few key difference). Starring Riley Keough as Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, the show charts the rise and fall of a band loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. It's a compelling drama, anchored by Keough's performance as an unreliable rockstar. Daisy Jones is a rare book-to-screen adaptation that is (dare we say?) better than the source material. Plus: The band's fictional album Aurora was released—and the music is actually good.
Mozart in the Jungle
This four-season show is set in the world of classical music in New York City and based on Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music by oboist Blair Tindall. Starring Lola Kirk as oboist Hailey, and Gael García Bernal as conductor Rodrigo De Souza, the drama is a rare show where classic music gets the spotlight.
Jury Duty
A breakout hit of 2023 is mockumentary show Jury Duty, where everyone but one juror (Ronald Gladden) is an actor. Though it sounds Truman Show-esque, it's an uplifting, feel-good show. "Our North star for this whole process was he's got to know by the end of this that this was fake but not all of it was fake," James Marsden, who plays a douchebag version of himself, told NPR.
Dead Ringers
Rachel Weisz stars as twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly in this adaptation of David Cronenberg's 1988 film of the same name. The six-part miniseries is a can't-look-away thriller about reproduction, birth, and the female body. "Women's bodies have always been politicized, so in some ways it would probably always be very relevant," Weisz told Vanity Fair.
A League of Their Own
This remake of the 1992 film centers queer stories. "We didn’t set out to remake the movie," co-creator Will Graham said. "We wanted to make it our own, to shine a light on more of the real stories that weren’t told in the movie." And they certainly deliver. Starring Abbi Jacobson (the other co-creator), Chante Adams, and D'Arcy Carden, the period comedy drama hits all the right notes.
Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge shines in Fleabag, based on her one-woman show of the same name. The beloved comedy stars Waller-Bridge as "Fleabag," who breaks the fourth wall often to talk to her audience. Also starring Sian Clifford as Fleabag's sister, and Andrew Scott as "Hot Priest" in season two, there's nothing that compares to the inventive comedy.
Harlem
Think Girlfriends, for the 2020s: Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, and Shoniqua Shandai star in this comedy as four thirty-something New Yorkers navigating love, life, and their careers. They feel like women you could really know—and the feel-good two seasons, created by Tracy Oliver, are filled with laughs, relationship drama, and incredibly stylish fits. "I didn’t see any New York-set shows that had people that looked like me in them," Oliver told Elle of her inspiration for the show." I thought, how are we getting gentrified out of everything? New York has such a robust, culturally rich Black and brown world that I was like, well, maybe you should write that." And we're so grateful she did.
Hunters
Inspired by true events, Hunters is the tale of Nazi hunters in 1970s New York, and the (false) conspiracy that Hitler survived World War II and was hiding out in South America. Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, and Jerrika Hinton star in the two season drama. As Lerman, a Jewish actor, told Hey Alma, it's meant to be a fun action show with a dark serious matter. "At the end of the day, when you’re watching it, it’s fun," Lerman said. "And these are Jews in the lead, Jews being the action heroes, and there’s something really cool about that alone. It’s something I take pride in that I think is really special."
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Based on the bestselling book by Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows 15-year-old Belly (Lola Tung), as she finds herself in a love triangle with her longtime friends‚ Jeremiah (Gavin Caselegno) and Conrad (Christopher Biney). It's a moving coming-of-age tale; as Han told Entertainment Weekly, "It really is about growing up and coming into your own and that loss of innocence." Season two premieres this summer, so now is the time to catch up.
The Boys
The Boys is not your typical superhero series. Based on a comic of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show exists in a world where powered individuals work for a corporation known as Vought. The Boys, a vigilante group, work to bring down the Seven, a corrupt team. It's a nuanced meditation on authoritarianism and entertainment, masquerading as a superhero show.
Catastrophe
When a one-night stand that turns into a six-day fling between Rob (Rob Delaney), a Boston ad exec, and Sharon (Sharon Horgan), a London schoolteacher, leads to an accidental pregnancy, the two decide to make it work. It's funny, horny, and grounded by incredible writing (and performances) by Delaney and Horgan.
Primo
One of the newest shows on this list, Primo is a coming-of-age comedy that follows Rafa Gonzalez (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) who is navigating life with his single mom (Christina Vidal) and five uncles. Loosely based on creator Shea Serrano's Texas childhood, Primo is a tender sitcom that will leave you smiling. And, Mike Schur of The Good Place and Parks and Recreation co-executive produced—so if you're a fan of those types of shows, this is definitely for you.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is reportedly the most expensive television series ever made. And you can tell when you watch: The show, set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, is an incredible cinematic experience. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, a longtime Tolkien fan, was involved in the making of this prequel, and season two of Rings of Power is currently in the works.
The English
The English is not set in England. Rather, it follows Lady Cornelia Locke, an aristocratic Englishwoman (Emily Blunt) who sets out on a revenge mission in 19th century America, alongside Eli Whipp, a Native American scout (Chaske Spencer). The six-episode miniseries offers a captivating addition to the Western genre.
The Power
In a dystopian world, teenage girls develop the ability to electrocute people at will. Based on Naomi Alderman's award-winning novel of the same name, and featuring an ensemble cast, which includes Auli'i Cravalho, Toni Collette, Toheeb Jimoh, John Leguizamo, Ria Zmitrowicz, and more, the science fiction tale is a thrilling, thought-provoking examination at what the world would be if women had power. Shop Now
Bosch
Titus Welliver plays Harry Bosch, a Los Angeles homicide detective (eventually turned private eye), and he is a solid lead of this fast-paced police procedural adapted from Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels. If you're looking for a long show, Bosch has seven seasons, plus two seasons of continuation/spinoff Bosch: Legacy, and a third in the works. As Welliver told Thrillist of doing a cop show, "You can't reinvent the wheel, but you can tell a different story." If you like gritty, realistic procedurals, don't miss this.
Swarm
Janine Nabers and Donald Glover co-created Swarm, a satirical horror about Dre (Dominique Fishback), a young woman obsessed with a Beyoncé-esque pop star, Ni'Jah. Ni'Jah's fanbase is known as "the Swarm," and Swarm is a subversive dive into the toxicity of fandom. Chloe Bailey, Rory Culkin, Paris Jackson, Billie Eilish, and more feature in the show, but it's really Fishback who carries the production.
Good Omens
The end of the world is coming in Good Omens! But an angel (Michael Sheen) and a demon (David Tennant) decide to team up to prevent Amageddon and the coming of the Antichrist. Created and written by Neil Gaiman (based on a book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch), it's a fun fantasy series with Tennant and Sheen at their best.
A Very British Scandal
Paul Bettany and Claire Foy star as the infamous Duke and Duchess of Argyll in this historical drama, based on the true story of their divorce. In 1951, Margaret, a Scottish aristocrat, married Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. Over a decade later, they divorced, and Ian submitted explicit polaroids of his wife to the court, and the press had a field day with her infidelity. It's just three episodes, and absolutely fantastic TV.
Hanna
Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles) is a 15-year-old girl who is living in a remote part of Poland, hiding from the CIA. (It's based on the 2011 film of the same name, starring Saoirse Ronan as Hanna, and Cate Blanchett as the CIA agent tracking her down.) If you like spy thrillers and conspiracies, this is for you.
The Man in High Castle
What if the Allied Powers lost World War II, and Germany and Japan ruled over the United States? That's the premise of this alternative history drama The Man in High Castle, adapted from Philip K. Dick's award-winning novel of the same name. Over its four season run, the show starred Alexa Davalos, Rufus Sewell, Rupert Evans, and more.
Alex Rider
Anthony Horowitz's popular Alex Rider series was turned into a mediocre film in 2006, but in 2020, the spy YA novels finally got the adaptation it deserved in this Prime Video. Otto Farrant stars as the titular Rider, a London teenager recruited by MI6. Two seasons are currently available, and a third has been greenlit.
The Wheel of Time
An epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time (based on Robert Jordan's novels), is about Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a woman who is a member of the powerful Aes Sedai organization searching for the Dragon Reborn, a person prophesied to save the world. Season two premieres in September, so now is the perfect time to watch season one.
Class of '07
We're utterly obsessed with the premise of Australian comedy Class of '07: "When a tidal wave hits a ten-year reunion of an all-girls high school, the group must find a way to survive not just the apocalypse, but each other." The eight-episode first season expertly navigated the drama of the end of the world—and a high school reunion.
Transparent
While Transparent's legacy has been overshadowed by the allegations against Jeffery Tambor, who was accused of sexual harassment on set, the comedy was still groundbreaking TV about a family learning their parent (Tambor) is a trans woman. The show wrapped up with a musical finale, which grappled with the death of Maura.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
CIA analyst Jack Ryan (John Krasinksi) is pulled from his desk into the field in this political thriller, based on (isn't it obvious from the title?) Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series. "I remember being a kid and watching all those other actors play the role and loving every second of it. I mean, from Alec Baldwin to Harrison Ford when I was growing up. You know you hope that someone like Jack Ryan's out there," Krasinski told Parade. "That there's someone with a moral compass fighting to do what's right."
Vanity Fair
Before Olivia Cooke was stealing the show in House of the Dragon, she starred as Becky Sharpe in this adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1848 novel. The seven-episode miniseries is a must-watch for any fans of period dramas. You know who you are!
The Wilds
After a plane crash strands a group of teen girls (who are en route to a women's empowerment retreat) on a deserted island, they must fight to survive—unaware that they are stranded as part of a social experiment. Season two introduces a group of teen boys, and we won't spoil anything else...
Leverage: Redemption
Sometimes you just need to watch a silly heist show with a purpose, and Leverage (which aired for five seasons) did just that, showing a crew of misfits stealing from the rich. The show was rebooted on Amazon Freevee in 2021, and it's just as satisfying as the original run.
With Love
With Love, a romantic comedy, follows siblings Lily (Emeraude Toubia) and Jorge (Mark Indelicato) over the course of a year, with each episode in season one centering on a different holiday. Season two, which premieres in June, has each episode aorund a major celebration. With Love is notable for centering Latinx stories. "We're still making up for [lack of representation] and all of those romantic comedies where we have never seen ourselves centered," creator Gloria Calderón Kellet told Entertainment Weekly. "There's always homages paid to big life events that have happened that we've never gotten to see ourselves in. And so, this is supposed to be righting that wrong of never seeing ourselves centered."
The Romanoffs
Mathew Weiner's follow up to Mad Men is this ambitious anthology series about people who believe that they are modern-day descendants of the Romanov family. Each episode has a different cast, different story, and different location, so you are never bored.
I Love Dick
Kathryn Hanh, Kevin Bacon, and Griffin Dunne star in this comedy about women's sexuality, intimacy, and lust set in Marfa, Texas, based on Chris Kraus's cult novel. Cancelled after just one season, I Love Dick is still worth your time for Hahn's performance alone.
Upload
Created by Greg Daniels (of The Office and Parks and Recreation fame), Upload is an innovative science-fiction comedy about a world where humans can "upload" themselves to a virtual afterlife. Starring Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson, and Kevin Bigley, Upload is delightful comedy about tech, humanity, and murder. Seasons one and two are now streaming, and season three is currently in the works.
Citadel
Citadel, like The Rings of Power, was a very, very expensive TV show to make. And while the plot may not be all there, it doesn't matter—stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville, and Stanley Tucci deliver a fun spy thriller.
Modern Love
Modern Love, an anthology series based on the New York Times's weekly column, explores "love in its multitude of forms – including sexual, romantic, familial, platonic, and self love." Each episode is a different story (featuring A List stars) set in New York City, so you can pick and choose what type of love story you want to watch. There are also spinoffs set in Mumbai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and more.
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