51 Best Amazon Prime Video TV Shows to Watch Tonight
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Whether you're searching for the most popular Amazon originals of the year or a classic TV series from decades ago, Amazon Prime Video has plenty of shows to suit your mood
A prime choice for television
Amazon has a reputation for being the place where you can find just about anything you need, and the same is true for Amazon Prime Video TV shows. The company’s streaming service delivers hundreds of Amazon originals on par with the best TV shows on Netflix and Apple TV, like the sweeping fantasy epic The Wheel of Time and the award-winning comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In addition, Prime Video offers an incredible back catalog of television, from classic TV shows like I Love Lucy to children’s series like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, plus reality TV shows, dramatic doctor shows, hilarious sitcoms and even some of the best TV shows of all time. And the good news is that the streaming service is automatically included in your Amazon Prime membership, so chances are, you have access to all the best TV shows on Amazon Prime already.
With so many shows to choose from, we’ve curated a list of the 51 best series available on Amazon Prime Video, including the streamer’s most popular and most watched original shows and limited series, plus critically acclaimed award winners and shows that feature breakout stars. With Amazon Prime Video, the perfect show for every member of the family is available at any time, day or night.
Fleabag (2016–2019)
Fleabag lasted just two seasons, but they were so good and so satisfying that their quality made up for their brevity. Originally conceived as a stage show written and performed by star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series garnered Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Waller-Bridge’s writing and acting. One of the most acclaimed Amazon Prime Video TV shows, the series about a woman dealing with grief and searching for love in London was groundbreaking for its wit and the way it breaks the fourth wall. While the first season focused on the death of someone close to our nameless main character, its second season becomes a story of unrequited love (that’s what happens when you fall in love with a priest) filled with humor and hope, like all the best romantic comedies are.
The Wheel of Time (2021–present)
One of the biggest TV premieres of 2021 was the fantasy epic The Wheel of Time, starring Rosamund Pike. The bestselling books behind the TV show were written by Robert Jordan and spanned 14 hefty volumes, often earning comparisons to the Game of Thrones series, and it’s safe to say this book franchise is just as beloved. The TV series, which has already been greenlit for a second season, is set in a fictional world where a woman named Moiraine (Pike), who is part of a magical order called Aes Sedai, joins a group of five younger people to fight a dark power that threatens humanity.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–present)
One of the best TV shows on Amazon Prime is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, starring Rachel Brosnahan as the title character. When her husband’s infidelities make her realize she’s destined to be more than just a housewife, she discovers she has a killer knack for comedy and begins to test her stand-up material at New York City clubs. In the late 1950s when the show is set, women just don’t do that sort of thing, but Mrs. Maisel defies expectations (and her family) to become a rising star. Written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also created one of our favorite teen TV shows, Gilmore Girls, the show features her trademark whip-smart dialogue and lightning-fast pace. Mrs. Maisel has scored a whopping 20 Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as statues for Sherman-Palladino’s writing and Brosnahan’s acting. Mrs Maisel will return for a fifth, and final, season.
Tumble Leaf (2014–2019)
Tumble Leaf was one of the very first original Amazon Prime Video TV shows for children, and this stop-motion animated series is a wonderful, gentle show that’s perfect for even the youngest kids. The show follows the adventures of a blue fox named Fig and his caterpillar friend Stick, as the pair explores the abandoned ship where they live and they discover how things work. The show lasted four seasons and won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Animated Program for three of them, sealing its reputation as one of the best kids shows out there.
Downton Abbey (2011–2016)
Set in England several years before World War I, Downton Abbey is a gorgeous upstairs-downstairs period drama about the fictional Crawleys, an aristocratic family who live on a country estate in Yorkshire, and the domestic servants who run the household. Actors including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Maggie Smith portrayed the wealthy Crawleys, while Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan and Joanne Froggatt were among the actors playing their servants. The PBS Masterpiece historical fiction series broke several records for its number of award nominations: It won a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a BAFTA Award for outstanding series, and Smith earned an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award for her performance as the queen of one-liners, Lady Violet.
The Underground Railroad (2021)
Colson Whitehead’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize–winning book The Underground Railroad was showered with praise and awards, and for good reason. The story is rooted in American history, with a touch of magical realism added in: An escaped slave named Cora discovers that the underground railroad is an actual train that can transport her to a new life free from slavery. The journey, however, is filled with dangers she must endure on her way to freedom. The book was turned into this critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated limited series starring Thuso Mbedu and directed by Barry Jenkins, who also helmed the Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight.
Catastrophe (2015–2019)
Catastrophe is a show about making the best of an awkward situation. Written by and costarring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, the series follows a couple whose one-night stand results in a pregnancy. Realizing they kind of like each other, they decide to get married and have the baby, and then, hopefully, fall in love. Like your favorite funny movies, although the circumstances seem far-fetched, the relationship and the realities of marriage and new-parenthood are hilariously and realistically drawn.
One Mississippi (2015–2017)
Comedian Tig Notaro and writer Diablo Cody co-created this dramedy loosely based on Notaro’s life. Notaro performed a deeply personal stand-up comedy set in 2012 revealing that she had just been diagnosed with cancer, and in the time since then, she had a double mastectomy and her mother died. It’s not necessarily fodder for comedy, but Notaro took her reality and turned it into a series that lets the dark share space with the light. The result is one of the most deeply moving Amazon Prime Video TV shows, a human response to some of life’s most grief-filled moments.
Bosch (2015–2021)
Though Amazon Studios started making original shows in 2013, Bosch is considered Amazon’s first official, original drama series. Like many other crime shows, including Bones, Mindhunter and Big Sky, it draws upon a book series for inspiration. In this case, the show is based on author Michael Connelly’s detective novels featuring LAPD homicide investigator Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch (Titus Welliver). Bosch ran for seven successful seasons, each one featuring gripping, often gruesome investigations directly inspired by Connelly’s novels.
A Very English Scandal (2018)
A Very English Scandal is based on a real-life 1960s scandal involving British Parliamentarian Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant). Thorpe engaged in a romantic affair with a man named Norman Josiffe (Ben Whishaw, who won an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA TV Award for his performance). When Josiffe, many years younger than Thorpe and at times homeless and unemployed, starts to reveal the nature of their past relationship to some of Thorpe’s family and colleagues, Thorpe arranges to have him killed—but that gets botched and leads to a trial that gripped Britain. The limited series was followed up with more Brits behaving badly in 2022’s A Very British Scandal, about the turbulent 1960s marriage and divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll (Paul Bettany and Claire Foy). Fans of The Crown (in which Foy also starred) will love it.
LuLaRich (2021)
Chances are, you probably know someone who has tried to sell you a pair of LuLaRoe leggings over the last 10 years. The clothing company recruited thousands of sales representatives to build up their multi-level marketing brand, promising sellers an opportunity to work from home and make fast money. Unfortunately, the product they were selling proved cheap and, often, defective. LuLaRich is a four-part docuseries featuring the founders of LuLaRoe and many of their employees as they tell the wild story of the rise and fall of their brand.
The Fall (2013–2016)
While Netflix is known for its vast collection of Korean dramas, Amazon Prime TV shows offer a great selection of series produced in the United Kingdom, including Fleabag, Good Omens and one of our favorite thrillers in recent years, The Fall. The show stars Gillian Anderson as Detective Stella Gibson, who has been assigned to a long-running murder investigation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Up against countless complications and bureaucracy, Gibson works to identify a serial killer (Jamie Dornan) before he kills again. Available with AMC+ on Amazon or Sundance Now on Amazon.
The Americans (2013–2018)
Originally broadcast on FX, all six seasons of The Americans are now available to binge as Amazon Prime Video TV shows. The series stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as a pair of married undercover KGB agents posing as American suburbanites in 1980s Washington, D.C. The show was critically acclaimed and showered with Emmy and Golden Globe awards, as well as two Peabody Awards.
Good Omens (2019–present)
Good Omens has some serious talent behind it. The first season of the show was created and written by fantasy book author Neil Gaiman, based on his 1990 book with the late Terry Pratchett. It stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen as a demon and an angel who have both spent thousands of years inhabiting earth and, as a result, have developed a friendly rapport. Now, they must work together to stop an Antichrist who unknowingly triggers Armageddon. Jon Hamm costars, along with the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Brian Cox and Frances McDormand. A second season of the series is coming soon.
Sneaky Pete (2017–2019)
One of Amazon’s original crime shows, Sneaky Pete stars Giovanni Ribisi as a convict who, upon his release from prison, assumes the identity of his cellmate, a man named Pete Murphy. Pretending he’s Pete, he reunites with Pete’s estranged family and hopes his new identity will protect him from the men he once wronged, who are looking for him now that he’s a free man. Produced by Bryan Cranston (who also guest stars), the three-season show is a who’s who of some of the great character actors working today, like Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety and Jane Adams.
Homecoming (2018–2020)
Julia Roberts made her debut in a main TV role in the first season of the anthology series Homecoming. Based on one of the best podcasts ever, Homecoming was also one of the first to be adapted for television. On the Amazon Prime Video TV show, Roberts stars as Heidi Bergman, a woman who once worked as a social worker at a place called Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a residential program that helps soldiers acclimate back into civilian life. But, the place has mysterious motives and is under investigation for the secretive treatments it administers to the soldiers. The central mystery: What are they doing, and why can’t Heidi remember anything about her time there? Season two features some of the same core characters (minus Julia Roberts), but an altogether different storyline, and Chris Cooper, Janelle Monáe and Joan Cusack join the cast.
Red Oaks (2015–2017)
This throwback three-season Amazon original series follows 20-year-old David Meyers (Craig Roberts), who’s working at the fancy Red Oaks suburban country club as a tennis pro in the summer of 1985. But just where is his life going? Like your favorite ’80s TV shows and movies, the comedy drama explores themes of relationships and growing up. The stellar cast of adult roles includes Paul Reiser, Gina Gershon and the star of the 1980s classic movie Dirty Dancing herself, Jennifer Grey.
Pete the Cat (2017–present)
Based on the beloved series of children’s books, the TV version of Pete the Cat takes the story to a whole new music-infused level. Featuring the voices of legendary musicians like Elvis Costello, Don Was, Diana Krall and even Weird Al Yankovic, as well as actors Jacob Tremblay, Atticus Shaffer and Jessica Biel, the show brings Pete’s adventures to life with humor and groovy sounds. It’s that special kind of children’s show that parents will love too.
Them (2021–present)
Them is a terrifying horror anthology series from showrunner Little Marvin and executive producer Lena Waithe that explores the racism experienced by a Black family in their new neighborhood in 1950s California. Haunted by both real threats that loom, like their racist neighbors who threaten violence, as well as by ghostly malevolent forces that haunt the family members, they must reckon with their past, as well as their present. The show has been renewed for a second season.
With Love (2021–present)
With Love is the perfect holiday show, a seasonal rom-com that’s right up there with the best romantic Christmas movies. Gloria Calderón Kellett, the showrunner behind the One Day at a Time reboot, created the series about siblings Jorge and Lily (Mark Indelicato and Emeraude Toubia) and their dating lives, told over the course of a year, with each episode taking place on a major holiday like Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), New Year’s Eve and Dia de los Muertos. If you love holiday romances like Love, Actually or When Harry Met Sally…, With Love will definitely charm you no matter what day of the year it is. A second season of the show has been greenlit.
Mr. Robot (2015–2019)
Rami Malek won an Emmy for his portrayal of Elliot Alderson, a hacker with a history of depression who’s one of the masterminds behind a global hacking scheme. Without spoiling anything—because there are loads of twists and surprises along the way—we discover more about Elliot and his mysterious boss, the titular Mr. Robot (Christian Slater), which creates a story that’s much more dark and dangerous than we first thought.
Modern Love (2019–present)
There might be an abundance of romantic movies on Netflix, but Amazon Prime has a whole series devoted to the genre. Modern Love is one of the most popular essay columns in the New York Times, and this charming Amazon Prime Video TV show brings its love stories to life with some of the biggest actors around, including Anne Hathaway, Minnie Driver, Kit Harington, Tina Fey, Andy Garcia and Julia Garner. Though it is an anthology series, with each episode focusing on a different couple or story, some of the characters show up throughout the series, providing Easter eggs and tying together certain plot points.
Good Girls Revolt (2016)
Set at the fictional News of the Week magazine in 1969 (a stand-in for Newsweek), this one-season series explores the career aspirations of a group of female employees who rarely get the recognition or opportunities afforded their male counterparts. They face plenty of misogyny and sexism in the workplace, then band together to affect change. Though the story and characters on the show are fictional, Good Girls Revolt was based on the real-life events depicted in journalist Lynn Povich’s book of the same name, in which 40 women, including Povich, sued Newsweek in 1970 for gender discrimination and won, resulting in more opportunities for women.
Jack Ryan (2018–present)
Jack Ryan is kind of like an American James Bond: The fictional character has been portrayed by some of the great actors of our time in some of the best action movies ever. And now, in the Amazon Prime Video TV show, John Krasinski joins the ranks of Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin to play the character. Though you may consider The Office star more of a comedic actor, after seeing his turn as Ryan on the show, you’ll realize his range goes way beyond the exasperated looks at the camera he gave in that sitcom—he’s surprisingly perfect as a CIA operative. The political thriller co-stars Wendell Pierce, Abbie Cornish and Noomi Rapace. A third and fourth season, which will be its last, are forthcoming.
Alias (2001–2006)
J.J. Abrams’s Alias propelled Jennifer Garner to stardom and kicked off Abrams’s reputation as one of the premier action directors and producers in Hollywood. On the show, Garner played Sydney Bristow, a double agent working for both the CIA and undercover at criminal organization SD6, a global crime syndicate. She famously changed her identity and her wig in every episode, depending on the mission, and had to deal with all the typical spy problems: hiding the nature of her work from her friends, realizing both her parents were also double agents and putting her best friends and fiancé in danger for knowing too much. As with many of Abrams’s shows, the series was well written and full of plot twists we never saw coming. It’s available through Amazon Prime’s new free, ad-supported service Freevee.
Mozart in the Jungle (2014–2018)
Created by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers and Paul Weitz, Mozart in the Jungle is a fictionalized look at life backstage at one of the world’s great symphony orchestras. Lola Kirke stars as an oboist who works as an assistant to an eccentric orchestra director (Gael GarcÃa Bernal) but has dreams of performing in his orchestra. Though they develop a mutual bond, she is also exposed to the politics and theatrics that go on behind the scenes between the performers, patrons and directors of the orchestra. Fans of movie musicals will love that the show’s cast is full of stage and screen legends like Bernadette Peters, Malcolm MacDowell and Wallace Shawn.
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001)
The children’s show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, starring Fred Rogers, taught generations of kids lessons in kindness, tolerance, how things are made and why it’s always a good idea to change your shoes when you enter your house. The show lasted 31 seasons, seven of which are available on Amazon Prime (one season is free on Prime Video; the others require a subscription to PBS Kids on Amazon). The show also lives on in the animated spinoff Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which is available on Prime as well.
The Wilds (2021–present)
Chances are, you will not get into a plane crash, land on a deserted island or in a forest, and have to learn to fend for yourself in order to survive. And yet, there are so many TV shows, from Lost to Yellowjackets to The Wilds, that would have you believe otherwise. In this series that fans of thriller movies will also love, mysterious circumstances surround a crash that landed a group of young women who were headed to a women’s empowerment retreat on a deserted island instead. Toggling between the women recounting the crash, a pair of investigators and the events of the island, they start to connect the dots about what actually was going on. With season two ending on a cliffhanger, hopefully we’ll get a season three to learn even more.
I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
Despite this classic show being the oldest on our list, I Love Lucy‘s humor and performances still hold up more than 60 years later. Starring real-life husband and wife Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the show chronicled the hilarious antics Lucy and company got into while trying to break into showbiz alongside her Cuban bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo. Disproving the adage that women can’t be funny, the show was groundbreaking both for its technical innovations and the over-the-top, often physical comedy of the legendary Ball. Two volumes of “best of” episodes are available on Prime. While you watch, cook up recipes inspired by vintage TV shows including I Love Lucy, then stream the behind-the-scenes 2021 Amazon original movie, Being the Ricardos.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
In this now-iconic series that rivals the best vampire movies to take a bite out of, Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Buffy Summers, the latest in a long line of young women known as slayers, who have the power to kill vampires and other demons that threaten the world. Buffy and her “Scooby gang” of friends, Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendan) and her Watcher, Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), train and educate themselves on how to combat evil. The show also begat the equally beloved spinoff Angel, which starred Buffy costars David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter.
Vikings (2013–2020)
Vikings is a historical drama series about a famed 9th-century Viking’s rise to power. Australian actor Travis Fimmel stars as Ragnar, a Norseman who raided England and would later become a king. Filmed on lush locations mainly in Ireland, the show is often compared to Game of Thrones, but where Game of Thrones is set in a fantasy world, Vikings draws from historical texts to create a story based on true events. A sequel series, Vikings: Valhalla, recently premiered on Netflix.
Lorena (2019)
Jordan Peele produced this four-part docuseries that examines the story of Lorena Bobbitt, who in 1993 cut off her husband John’s penis after suffering an abusive relationship with him. At the time, her crime and subsequent trial were a national joke, and she was fodder for late-night comedians. But this revealing documentary explores what she endured at the hands of a violent husband and the mocking she went through during her time as a public figure. It shines a spotlight on the media, which portrayed her as a jealous and angry wife rather than an abuse victim, and reveals where John and Lorena Bobbitt are now, two decades after they exploded into the public eye. Lovers of true crime documentaries won’t want to miss this one.
Reacher (2022–present)
Like Jack Ryan, this new Amazon original breathes new life into a character from a movie franchise and a successful book series, written by Lee Child. The show’s first season adapts Child’s Killing Floor, in which ex-military police officer Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), trying to adapt to civilian life, is falsely accused of murder and must find out what’s really going on in a small Georgia town full of corruption and conspiracy. A second season of Reacher has been greenlit and will follow Child’s novel Bad Luck and Trouble.
Hanna (2019–2021)
The Amazon Prime Video TV show Hanna is based on the 2011 sci-fi movie of the same name, but adds to the lore behind Hanna, a teenaged girl whose DNA was enhanced to give her the skills of a super-soldier. Esme Creed-Miles stars as the title character, who has spent her young life hidden away in the woods with a former CIA operative named Erik (Joel Kinnaman). He has raised her and tried to protect her from his colleagues, who created the UTRAX program that performed experiments on her to give her special fighting skills. But when Hanna is discovered by CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos), she and Erik must try to evade capture.
The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019)
Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel of the same name, The Man in the High Castle imagines a parallel universe in which Germany and Japan won World War II. As Germany takes over much of Europe and Africa, and Japan conquers Asia, both countries divide the United States down the middle to form the “Japanese Pacific States” and “the American Reich,” the latter of which is controlled by Adolph Hitler. As Americans endure the racist, fascist regimes of the Axis powers, an elusive Man in the High Castle has been providing them with footage depicting a world in which the Allies won the war, offering glimpses of hope but also forcing them to question their reality.
Uprising (2021)
Uprising is a three-part documentary series from filmmakers Steve McQueen and James Rogan examining three events that occurred in Great Britain in 1981, each having ongoing consequences for race relations in the country, then and now. The first part of the documentary discusses the New Cross house fire, which left more than a dozen Black youths dead. Unrest over that investigation resulted in the Black People’s Day of Action later that year, which is documented in episode two. The racial unrest which culminated in the Brixton riots in April 1981 between police and Black youths is the focus of the third and final episode. The series provides a much-needed, very relevant history lesson of events many Americans may not be aware of—it’s one of the documentaries about race everyone needs to see.
Invincible (2021–present)
Being a teenager is hard enough, but when you’re Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) and you’re about to become a superhero, it’s even harder. Mark’s father is the world-famous Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), known to be the most powerful superhero on the planet, but as his father trains him to become a hero himself, it turns out Omni-Man has a lot of secrets too. The animated Invincible, based on the Image Comics imprint of the same name, features dozens of Hollywood actors in voice roles, including Sandra Oh, John Hamm, Seth Rogen, Zachary Quinto and Mark Hamill. A second season is forthcoming.
The Boys (2019–present)
The Boys is a superhero series in which the superheroes are not exactly the good guys. They belong to a group called The Seven, and unlike, say, the charming and decent Avengers, these guys all work for the powerful Voight Corporation and are churlish, smug and corrupt. Which is why a group of vigilantes who call themselves The Boys want to take them down. Karl Urban and Jack Quaid star, and the supporting cast includes Elisabeth Shue, Simon Pegg and Chace Crawford.
Undone (2019–present)
Undone is a visually impressive series for adults that uses the animation technique of rotoscoping to bring its characters to life. The series stars Rosa Salazar of American Horror Story (which is one of the best Hulu TV shows available) as a woman named Alma who survives a near-fatal car crash and, as a result, develops an ability to bend space and time. The series also stars Bob Odenkirk and Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs.
Goliath (2016–2021)
Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton stars in Goliath, a legal drama created by David E. Kelley. The four-season series follows a formerly successful lawyer named Billy McBride whose reputation was destroyed when a murder suspect he was representing was acquitted and then went on a killing spree. McBride has become an alcoholic but tries to keep his professional practice afloat, and sometimes finds himself facing off against the lawyers in the very firm he built—which also happens to be where his estranged wife (Maria Bello) works.
Small Axe (2020)
Small Axe is another entry on our list from the mind of filmmaker Steve McQueen. This Amazon Prime Video TV show is really an anthology of films, each one telling stories about people living in London’s vibrant West Indian community during the mid to late 20th century. The films feature stars like Star Wars‘ John Boyega, Black Panther‘s Letitia Wright and Michael Ward, in stories including the tale of a couple who meet at a 1980s house party, and the riot and ensuing trial of British Black activists called the Mangrove Nine.
The Expanse (2015–2021)
Both visually stunning and completely original, The Expanse takes place after humanity has colonized the rest of the solar system. Shoreh Aghdashloo, Thomas Jane and Steven Strait star as characters who have to work together to investigate conspiracies and political plots in an effort to prevent an interstellar war. The six-season series is a must for lovers of science fiction.
The Night Manager (2016)
Adapted from the John le Carré novel of the same name, The Night Manager ranks up there with the best spy movies and TV series, and stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman, who all won Golden Globes for their performances. In the limited series, a hotel night manager (Hiddleston) finds himself involved in a plot to bring down an arms dealer (Laurie) after an intelligence officer (Colman) ropes him into the investigation. The screen adaptation of le Carré’s book was widely acclaimed—and if you look closely, you’ll even see a cameo of the author in the show.
Billions (2016–present)
Every episode of the Showtime original series Billions is available now on Amazon Prime Video, with the first four seasons free to Prime members, and seasons five and six through Amazon’s Showtime extension. The show stars Damian Lewis as hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, whose skill at making money sometimes veers into the illegal. Paul Giamatti plays the U.S. attorney who wants to prosecute Axelrod for his crimes. It’s a game of cat and mouse set on Wall Street, as each man tries to outmaneuver the other. Lewis departed after season five, replaced by Corey Stoll as a new billionaire; season seven is to come.
Yellowjackets (2021–present)
Another Showtime original, Yellowjackets is the story of a group of teenage girls whose plane crashed on the way to a soccer tournament in 1996. Not all of them survived their time alone in the woods, and the show flashes forward to the present day to reveal just how the brutal experience affected them—slowly chipping away at the secrets the survivors carry with them. Starring Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress, the show is a thrilling mystery wrapped in pure 1990s trends and nostalgia. Viewers can watch the first two episodes free; the rest of the season requires Prime’s Showtime extension. A second season is in the works.
Life in Pieces (2015–2019)
Life in Pieces is a star-studded CBS sitcom, featuring actors like Colin Hanks, Dianne Wiest, James Brolin and Betsy Brandt, that centers on the daily lives of three generations of a family living in L.A. What sets this show apart from other sitcoms is its format: The storylines are delivered in five- to six-minute vignettes, each one separate from the rest. These vignettes often contain small, sweet moments or huge milestones, and they offer a glimpse at a family whose tender moments are just as common as their comical ones.
The Affair (2014–2019)
The Showtime series The Affair, which starred Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Joshua Jackson and Maura Tierney, certainly delivers on its title. When Noah (West) and Alison (Wilson) begin an extramarital affair, the secrets and deception rock the foundations of both their marriages. The show’s construct also features the events of the affair depicted from both lovers’ points of view, which show co-creator Sarah Treem calls “the Rashomon effect,” referencing one of the best movies of the past 100 years, in which the same events appear differently from alternate, subjective viewpoints.
American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story (2017)
This series about the rise of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is part docuseries, part dramatic retelling of the life of a man who would become synonymous with his brand. The series features archival footage provided by Hefner himself before his 2017 death and also depicts such infamous incidents as the opening of the first Playboy Club, the shocking murder of a Playboy playmate and Hefner’s fight for civil liberties and free speech.
House (2004–2012)
The Emmy-winning series House is one of our all-time favorite and most addictive hospital shows. This eight-season series stars Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a misanthrope if ever there was one. His grumpy demeanor, mixed with his penchant for conflict and his dependence on pain meds, means he’s not always easy to get along with, but throughout the show’s seven seasons, he earns the respect and friendship of his colleagues. House‘s ensemble cast was stellar, too: Over the years, co-stars included Lisa Edelstein, Olivia Wilde, Omar Epps, Kal Penn and Robert Sean Leonard.
The Knick (2014–2015)
Clive Owen stars in this two-season drama series about a turn-of-the-century physician in New York City whose genius is tempered by his addiction to cocaine and opium. Dr. John Thackery (Owen), head of surgery at the Knickerbocker Hospital, struggles to keep his hospital on the cutting edge of medical science. Moonlight actor André Holland also delivers an excellent performance as Dr. Algernon C. Edwards, a Black surgeon who is brilliant himself but must endure a constant flow of racism from patients and colleagues alike. Included with Cinemax on Amazon, The Knick was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also served as an executive producer.
Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection (2010)
Wallace (the human) and Gromit (the dog) are pioneers of stop-motion animation who’ve been having grand adventures for decades in one of the best cartoon shows of all time. Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection is a compilation of some of their most classic TV specials, including The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, A Grand Day Out and A Matter of Loaf and Death. The British characters have appeared in two subsequent series, but this collection on Amazon Prime is essential viewing, perfect for kids and adults alike.
