Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
For September 2023, we've added The Summer I Turned Pretty, Undone, Vikings, and Fleabag to our best Prime Video shows list. We've also updated other entries in this article with the most recent information available to us, including their renewals and/or cancellations.
What are the best Prime Video shows to stream? We're glad you asked. Below, we've compiled a list of the 38 greatest TV series on Amazon's main streaming platform. So, if you're looking for a new show to binge watch today (or any day, for that matter), our entertainment experts are on hand to deliver the goods.
Prime Video is chock full of first- and third-party shows to stream, so the prospect of finding something worth your time can seem daunting. But, by using this article – and the navigation bar to your left, if you're after a specific TV genre – you'll soon know about the best options available to you on one of the world's best streaming services.
From fantastical fantasies including The Wheel of Time to stellar superhero offerings like The Boys, here are the best Prime Video shows as of September 2023.
Best animated shows on Prime Video
Invincible
Amazon's adaptation of Robert Kirkman's superhero comic series isn't for the faint of heart. Invincible is full of gore, violence, swearing, and other adult content. A kids animated show, this ain't.
It's a slow burn to begin with – well, apart from a specific scene in episode 1 that shocked viewers who haven't read the comics before. However, its subversion of superhero tropes, emotional story beats, and ensemble cast will keep your attention until things really start to pick up from episode 4, by which point you should be fully hooked.
Invincible season 2, which will make its Prime Video bow on November 3, and its sequel season are currently in development, although a fourth season hasn't secretly been greenlit. It won't be surprising if it's renewed for season 4, though, as Invincible is one of the best Prime Video shows of all-time.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
The Legend of Vox Machina
Set in the fictional Exandrian kingdom of Tal’Dorei, The Legend of Vox Machina tells the story of a band of mercenary misfits hired to eradicate an unnamed evil entity that’s plagued the realm. It isn't long, though, before the seven-strong group realize they've become embroiled in a battle against a far more sinister and potentially world-threatening enemy.
In our season 1 review of The Legend of Vox Machina, we said it retains lots of what the original online DnD campaign such a hit. It's hilarious, action-packed, emotional, and full of twists and turns. It's also pretty gruesome and horror-esque on occasion, so those of a grisly inclination will get a kick out of it as well. The original Critical Role cast have returned to voice their characters, while there's a whole slew of famous actors who cameo as other individuals in this fictional fantasy world.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Undone
From the acclaimed minds behind BoJack Horseman, Undone is a beautifully animated comedy-drama series that weaves multiple genres and themes together with stunning and emotive effect.
Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel) stars as Alma, a Texas-based millennial who's struggling to find purpose in her life. That is, until she's involved in a near-fatal car accident and finds out she has a new relationship with time itself. Infused with the ability to travel back (or forward) in time, Alma begins to develop her newfound abilities to get to the bottom of the death of her father Jacob (Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk). At least, that's the plan – providing her loved ones don't interfere and try to make out that her new powers are linked to the family's history of mental health.
The show's melding of rotoscoping animation and live-action motion-capture really sets it apart. Meanwhile, Undone's exploration of relationships, mental health, and themes surrounding altering the past are expertly and sensitively handled.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Best comedy shows on Prime Video
A League of Their Own
Based on the 1992 film of the same name, A League of Their Own tells the story of the Rockford Peaches, an all-female baseball league team that not only has to navigate the perils of the Second World War but also the era's tormenting levels of misogyny and chauvinism.
The show primarily follows Abbi Jacobson's Carson and Chanté Adams' Max and their journeys to become professional players. But its study of other characters and their respective arcs, evocative themes, and thrilling baseball-based drama gives A League of Their Own plenty to work with. It's lacking in neither style or substance, which is a rarity for a sports-centric TV series. Unfortunately, though, Amazon has cancelled this highly-rated series after one season.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Deadloch
We suspect this eight-episode comedy detective series wasn't in your thinking when it comes to the best Prime Video shows. But it's certainly be one to start off with if you're looking for something new from this sort of genre TV show.
Set in Tasmania, Deadloch follows two polar opposite investigators – Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) – who are forced to work together to solve the mysterious death of one of the local townsfolk.
Thanks to some sharp, witty writing and two powerhouse comedic performances from Box and Sami, Deadloch is as satirically savage as it is dramatic. A tonally dark, yet equally hilarious, whodunnit that'll burrow its way into your mind and sit there for days.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has created two of the best TV shows of the modern age in Killing Eve and Fleabag. The latter is her self-starring comedy drama – adapted from Waller-Bridge's 2013 one-woman stage show – and it's a hilarious but sometimes painful portrait of a damaged person trying to keep it together.
The supporting cast, which includes Andrew Scott's 'hot priest' in season 2, helps make this one of the best shows around full stop. With six half-hour episodes per season, you could binge it in just a few days.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Harlem
Tracy Oliver's latest comedy series earned rave reviews when it debuted on Prime Video in December 2021. With the show's second season finally airing in February 2023, it's about time you stuck Harlem on your must-watch list.
The show follows four, 30-something New York University alumni as they try to balance their work, love, and personal lives while living in – yep, you guessed it – Harlem. So far, so predictable, right? Not quite. Harlem's main cast are electrifyingly funny, and the manner in which they bounce off one another is reminiscent of some of best comedy character relationships of the last two decades. Fans of Insecure and Run the World will lap this up.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
I'm a Virgo
A comedy series that's as absurd as it is creative. I'm a Virgo stars Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall teenager who, for the first 19 years of his life, has been shielded from the world by his aunt and uncle. However, when a group of political activists accidentally stumble upon Cootie's *ahem* larger than life persona, he embarks on a surreal journey to find his place in the *double ahem* big, wide world.
An utterly bizarre but no less funny, heartfelt, and highly original series, I'm a Virgo is a knockout show from Sorry to Bother You's Boots Riley. It's a toweringly imaginative endeavor; something that many more streamers should absolutely take a chance on if similar projects fall into their lap. Stick this on your watchlist ASAP.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Mammals
James Corden is something of a divisive figure – you either think he's funny or not, and that's before he's seen getting into real world restaurant-based verbal spats.
With Mammals, though, it seems as if many (fans and critics alike) are agreeing that Corden really does have something about him. In this dark comedy drama, the host of US talk show The Late Late Show (and former Gavin and Stacey star) plays Jamie, a Michelin star chef whose life implodes when he finds out his pregnant wife Amadine – portrayed by Melia Kreilling – has secretly had multiple affairs with different men.
Mammals doesn't reinvent the genres it's associated with, but its emotive tale of swingers culture and black, at-times surreal humor – Tom Jones even makes a cameo – make it worth checking out.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel tells the story of '50s housewife Miriam 'Midge' Maisel as she attempts to become the best female stand-up comic in the US. After her husband confesses he's been having an affair, 'Midge' drunkenly gets on stage at a comedy club and discovers that she's utterly hilarious.
In a time when women aren't encouraged to be publicly funny, Midge pursues her new-found comedic talent in the male-dominated stand up comedy world. But, unbeknownst to 'Midge', the journey is far from a straightforward one.
A show filled with as much heart, and dramatic twists and turns, as jokes, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is a killer Prime Video show. No wonder it won so many awards during its five-season run.
Seasons on Prime Video: 5
Swarm
Donald Glover and Janine Nabers satirically and horrifyingly poke fun at the culture surrounding fandoms in Swarm, an disturbing drama-cum-dark comedy that'll occupy your mind for days.
Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) plays Dre, a young woman obsessed with a Beyonce-like pop superstar who has her own diehard fandom known as 'The Swarm (anyone else getting 'Bey Hive vibes?). To say anymore would be to spoil Swarm's most shocking, hilarious, and suspense-filled moments. Rest assured, though, fans of Glover and Fishback will lap up this wild-but-no-less important tale on celebrity addiction and anti-hero culture.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Upload
Set 15 years in the future, Upload tells the tale of Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a computer programmer who's mysteriously murdered and uploaded to a 'virtual afterlife' location called Lake View.
As he adjusts to his new life, Nathan finds himself romantically drawn to his customer service angel Nora Antony (Andy Allo), despite Nathan still technically being involved with his still-alive girlfriend Ingrid Kannerman (Allegra Edwards). It isn't long, too, before Nathan and Nora begin to unravel the wider mystery surrounding his death.
If that all sounds a bit dramatic and bleak, don't fret: Upload is one of the funnier Prime Video shows out there, one that straddles multiple genres including comedy, drama, whodunnit, and horror. It also offers an intriguing look into the real world's technological-based future, metaverse and all. Season 3 arrives on October 20.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Best crime shows on Prime Video
Reacher
Alan Ritchson (Titans) stars as the titular character – aka Jack Reacher – a drifter owning few possessions following his departure from the armed forces, Reacher arrives in Margrave, Georgia at the exact moment that the small US town is reeling from its first major crime in 20 years. Somehow, Reacher is wrongly framed for the crime and, following his arrest, agrees to help the authorities get the bottom of the case in exchange for his freedom. Given his army expertise and his hulking frame, it seems that those responsible picked the wrong guy to pin the crime on.
It's definitely one to check out if you're a fan of action and mystery thrillers. It also became the first Prime Video series ever to top Nielsen's streaming charts. Reacher season 2 is due out in December.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Best drama shows on Prime Video
Daisy Jones and the Six
Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid's best-selling novel of the same name, Daisy Jones & The Six has been a massive hit for Amazon.
The 10-part series tells the fictional story of the titular rock band, whose stratospheric rise through the LA music scene to global megastars coincides with the addition of Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) to their ranks. At the height of their success, though, the band suddenly split – much like real-life rock band Fleetwood Mac, who inspired Reid's book, did in the 1970s. Daisy Jones & The Six, then, reveals all about the TV series' band's rapid rise and fall in dramatically explosive fashion.
With numerous catchy tunes, a fantastic cast – Keough and Sam Claflin being the notable standpoints – and plenty of music-infused drama and relationship betrayals, Daisy Jones & The Six has captivated viewers.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Dead Ringers
If there was any doubt about how extraordinarily talented Rachel Weisz is, Dead Ringers proves it once and for all.
Amazon's TV remake of David Cronenberg's hauntingly good psychological thriller film (itself based on the book of the same name) is, simply put, terrific. Weisz plays twin sisters Elliot and Beverly Mantle – gynaecologists who share everything from lovers to drugs and pushing the boundaries of medical ethics.
On the surface, it doesn't sound overly appealing, but there's more to Dead Ringers than meets the eye. Weisz is absolutely electric as she inhabits dual roles, while the story's biggest shocks and turning points will alarm and entertain you in equal measure. One not to be missed.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Hunters
Loosely inspired by real-world events, Hunters tells the tale of a group of Nazi hunters, who uncover a conspiracy involving a number of escaped Nazi officers trying to install a Fourth Reich in the heart of 1970s America.
Hunters' first season drew in plenty of viewers, not least because it starred legendary actor Al Pacino in his first-ever TV role. While we enjoyed what Hunters season 1 had to offer, its ending proved to be extremely divisive – and, in the two years since its debut, other Prime Video originals have overtaken it as must-watch Amazon exclusives. Still, with Hunters season 2 out now, it retains its position as one of the best Prime Video series, in our view.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Small Axe
Traversing the boundaries between film and TV, Small Axe is a compilation of feature-length stories centred around London's West Indian population between the '60s to the '80s.
Directed by Steve McQueen, the first stars Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) as part of the Mangrove 9, who faced trial following the harassment of a black-owned restaurant by racist police officers. Another features John Boyega (Star Wars, They Cloned Tyrone) training to be the first black police officer in the London MET. None of them, especially Lover's Rock, are to be missed due to their harrowing depictions of racial segregation in the UK that, in some instances, still exists today. Another McQueen show – Uprising – is also available to stream on Prime Video.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
The Summer I Turned Pretty
A coming-of-age romantic drama that's captured the hearts of the 18-25 demographic, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a solidly charming and sweet young adult series.
Lola Tung plays Isabel 'Belly' Conklin who, on the eve of her 16th birthday, reunites with the Fisher brothers Conrad and Jeremiah after a few summers apart. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the trio become involved in a love triangle, which alters the dynamics between the three main characters.
A show that'll induce plenty of eye-rolling from older viewers, The Summer I Turned Pretty knows its audience and fully leans into romance-laced drama tropes. Even so, it's one of Prime Video's biggest hitters, so it must be doing something right, even if its second season wasn't as strong as the first.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
Three Pines
Based on Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache novel series, this Canadian crime thriller has earned plenty of acclaim since its December 2022 launch.
Alfred Molina (Spider-Man: No Way Home) stars as Armand Gamache, who travels to the titular Eastern Township to investigate a series of grisly murders. There, he's forced to confront demons – including his own – from all corners and unearth long buried secrets that the town's population have hidden away.
As detective tales go, Three Pines isn't a ground-breaking world beater. But, thanks to Molina's riveting, soulful performance and some surprising twists and turns, it's a show that delivers a largely fascinating whodunnit – all set in a picturesque snowy location. Unfortunately, Three Pines has been cancelled after one season.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Best documentary shows on Prime Video
Clarkson's Farm
This Prime Video original sees Jeremy Clarkson try his hand at being a farmer. Yes, its premise is that simple.
In 2008, Clarkson bought a 1,000-acre plot of land, including Curdle Hill Farm, in Oxfordshire in the UK after its former caretaker retired. Clarkson, in his infinite wisdom, decides to try farming the land himself – and it goes about as well as you'd expect.
Clarkson's Farm is as ludicrous as it sounds, and it seems pretty scripted for a comedy-styled docuseries but it's actually a decent watch. Clarkson's rapport with his helpers – most notably Kaleb Cooper, the show's breakout star – is endearing, humorous, and at-times maddening. But, if you're a fan of Clarkson (not many people are these days, admittedly) or amusing documentary-style shows, this is one to check out.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
KSI: In Real Life
Prime Video has made a name for itself in the documentary space with its fantastic All or Nothing series. KSI: In Real Life, though, might be one of its most fascinating docuseries to date.
It follows the world-famous YouTuber-turned-influencer as he prepares to release his second rap album. However, while KSI is riding high in the public eye, his private life has taken a beating – including the fraying of his closest relationships – which forces the global megastar to re-evaluate his life.
This warts-and-all docuseries offers a compelling behind-the-scenes look at KSI's life. From his humble beginnings in Watford to the unprecedented fame that followed, In Real Life is captivatingly emotional and thought-provoking. KSI fans will eat this up, but general documentary fans will also enjoy the series' exploration of fame, the internet, and overcoming trauma.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1
Best fantasy shows on Prime Video
Good Omens
Before he passed away in 2015, Terry Pratchett reportedly made Neil Gaiman promise he'd adapt Good Omens into a TV series.
Gaiman delivered on that front – and the result is an addictive, bonkers, and heart-warming tale about good and evil, friendship, demons, angels, and a future-gazing witch. It's brilliantly British, has one of the most stellar casts imaginable, and can be binged in one weekend – or one sitting if you can't face waiting a whole night for the final few episodes.
It brings a few fresh characters and twists to the story, but is also faithful enough to the book to give those who have been fans for nearly thirty years a real treat.
Seasons on Prime Video: 2
The Rings of Power
Set during Middle-earth's Second Age, The Rings of Power tells the multi-narrative tale of the forging of the titular rings, Sauron's ambitiously evil masterplan to become the world's dictatorial ruler, and Middle-earth's various races uniting to stop him.
That's the basic premise, anyway. There's more to Amazon's Lord of the Rings than that – it's a majestic, sweeping, and epic fantasy series that long time Tolkienites and Lord of the Rings newcomers will thoroughly enjoy. Simply put, it's one of the best Prime Video shows around.
The Rings of Power season 2 wrapped filming before the actors strike began. Its second season to closely follow the story told by way of The Lord of the Rings novels and J.R.R. Tolkien's wider works, too.
Seasons on Prime Video: 1