Prime Video has steadily become a highly revered and lucrative streaming platform, skillfully keeping pace with fellow competitors Netflix and Hulu. The video-on-demand service launched in 2006, with original television shows being developed and released in 2013 via Amazon Studio. Despite not always making flashy headlines like its rivals, the platform continuously crafts and produces quality projects and is extremely diverse in its material. The streaming giant contains countless hit shows that offer a bit of everything, giving audiences a wide array of genres and topics to choose from, no matter your interest or mood.
Whether viewers want to immerse themselves in a dystopian sci-fi series like The Man in the High Castle, a 1950s-set dramedy following an aspiring stand-up comic in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or a group of vigilantes battling it out against corrupt superheroes in The Boys, the platform truly has it all. Its vast library of engaging and colorful content is constantly growing and expanding, giving subscribers a bottomless source of entertainment. These are the best original Prime Video shows.
Update September 4, 2023: This article has been updated to include even more great Prime Video original series, including a few the streaming service has decided to cancel.
15 Hanna
Based on the 2011 Joe Wright action thriller, Prime Video’s 2019 action drama Hanna centers on the 15-year-old titular lead, who is raised in a remote part of a forest in Poland and evades the ferocious pursuit of a determined CIA agent. Hanna is the product of a secret CIA program in which pregnant women were recruited and the children’s DNA was enhanced in order to create super-soldiers.
Esme Creed-Miles gives a dominating performance as the resilient lead, and earned praise for her superb portrayal of the young and deadly assassin. NPR proclaimed her, “the best thing about the series; the actor shoulders nearly every scene, and manages to make the taciturn and seemingly affectless Hanna expressive and achingly relatable.” The action thriller is an intense and blood-pumping coming-of-age-drama that ran for three seasons.
14 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Starring John Krasinski in the role of the main character, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan centers around an analyst, who works for the CIA, and is in for quite the surprise. While Jack is used to his fairly safe desk job and enjoys the comfort of being within his four walls, suspicious bank transfers and his subsequent investigation catapult him straight into the field.
What follows is a string of dangerous missions, which are taking him through the Middle East and even Europe, while the vicious extremist Suleiman is gathering his forces as he follows his goal of dropping a nuclear bomb. The political action thriller, which is the fifth and also the most successful portrayal of the character, is widely loved, bestowing the masses with an impeccable cast and captivating storyline.
13 Sneaky Pete
In the 2015 crime drama Sneaky Pete, Giovanni Ribisi stars as Marius Josipović, a recently released convict who, in an effort to avoid his past life, adopts the identity of his cellmate, Pete Murphy. Marius is a former con man who is on the run from a ruthless gangster that he stole from and poses as Pete in an effort to start over, but quickly realizes his new world may be just as dangerous as the one he’s escaping.
Sneaky Pete was co-created by Breaking Bad icon Bryan Cranston, who even had a cameo as the show’s villain, Vince Lonigan. During its three-season run, the crime series was heralded by critics, with the Los Angeles Times writing, “It’s that suspense and tension…that make Sneaky Pete such a smart, riveting and often tense ride through a complicated web of family, crime and everything that should (but doesn’t) separate the two.”
12 The Man in the High Castle
The dystopian alternate history series The Man in the High Castle is based on the Philip K. Dick novel and depicts a parallel universe in which the Axis powers of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan rule the world following their victory in World War II. The thought-provoking show is set in 1962 and follows a young woman named Juliana Crain who discovers a secret film that may be the key to overturning totalitarian regimes.
Upon its premiere in 2015, the provocative thriller became Prime's “most-watched since the original series development program began” and garnered universal acclaim, with Rolling Stone including it in their list of the 40 best science fiction television shows of all time. The Man in the High Castle ran for four well-received seasons and won two Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
11 The Devil's Hour
Prime Video's mystery series The Devil's Hour, which was only released in 2022, pulls its viewers right in with its gripping storyline, which will definitely leave them biting their nails in nervousness. The story centers around Lucy Chambers, who spends her time working as a social worker and trying to get through to her withdrawn son. Her life seems to become increasingly eerie, however, when she continues to wake up at 3.33 AM every night and suffers from terrifying visions, which she doesn't fully understand.
It focuses on the relationship between Lucy, her son, and even her own mother and how they all have similar mental issues, although Lucy seems to be the most aware of their situation. When a series of murders is connected to her, she is brought in to find the killer and bring them back safely. The Devil's Hour is an extremely intriguing series that is packed with suspense and chilling incidents.
10 Mozart in the Jungle
Inspired by oboist Blair Tindall’s memoir of her professional career in New York, 2014’s musical dramedy Mozart in the Jungle follows the New York Symphony’s brazen new maestro Rodrigo De Souza as he inspires and motivates a young and ambitious oboist who hopes to make it big. The moving series stars Gael García Bernal and Lola Kirke, with Bernal’s character De Souza being based on real-life conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
For his effervescent portrayal, Bernal won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series, and Mozart in the Jungle also nabbed the award for Best Comedy Television Series. The charming show was well-received by critics, with Rolling Stone writing that, “thanks to quirky scripts and a smart ensemble cast…it comes off whimsical without ringing off-pitch.” Mozart in the Jungle concluded after four successful seasons.
9 Bosch
Titus Welliver headlines the 2014 police procedural series Bosch, portraying Los Angeles Police detective Harry Bosch as he works to solve the murder of a thirteen-year-old boy while standing trial for the murder of a notorious serial killer. The show takes inspiration from the Michael Connelly crime novels City of Bones, Echo Park, and The Concrete Blonde and was one of two series that Prime Video streamed online and allowed viewers to offer their opinions on before the studio fully greenlit it.
Bosch was a smash hit for the streaming platform, garnering numerous accolades and universal acclaim; 6 of its seasons currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100%. The series ran for seven seasons, and a spinoff series, Bosch: Legacy, which was released on Prime Video's IMDb TV and renewed for a second season.
8 The Peripheral
Based on the novel written by William Gibson, the sci-fi series The Peripheral is packed with thrilling action connected to time travel and artificial intelligence. Flynne Fisher, who is portrayed by the talented Chloe Grace Moretz, is a young woman who spends her time caring for her sick mother, while her older brother, who suffers from PTSD and leads a withdrawn life, makes money through VR gaming. However, Flynne, being a secret genius at the game, she occasionally takes his place.
When he is suddenly called in for a trial run, which could gain him a lot of money, the highly skilled Flynne appears instead of him. When Flynne realizes that the company's VR game is not what she thinks it is, she is caught in a web of tangled power dynamics, risky missions, and highly advanced technology, which affects not only her present but also her future. Even though the series was sadly canceled after its initial renewal, leaving many fans upset, The Peripheral is definitely a must-watch. It tells a futuristic story of gripping crimes that reach beyond the boundaries of time while still allowing for grounding human connections.
7 Paper Girls
Paper Girls only lasted one season, but it was a great season. Based on the popular comic series of the same name, the series follows four girls in the 1980s who travel into the future (the present-day 2019) and see what becomes of themselves in the future.
The series is a great exploration of adolescence, showing a group of young kids confronting what their future will eventually have in store for them while they also explore their own identities when confronted with the future. Despite being canceled, it is worth a watch as it was one of the best series produced by Prime Video.
6 Good Omens
In 1990, the two authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett released their novel called Good Omens, which became a bestseller for a long time, and is still an absolute classic in the world of the comedy and fantasy genre. Due to its success, the first season of the TV series of the same name was released in 2019, and has now recently celebrated its second season. Considering that it ends with a cliffhanger, the demand for another season is high.
The story focuses on Crowley and Aziraphale, who couldn't be more different since the former is a demon and the latter an angel. However, both of them are walking on Earth as representatives for their respective sides, and still manage to keep up somewhat of a friendship. When news of Armageddon reaches them, they have to team up again and face yet another challenge. Good Omens is a wonderful mixture of excitement, comedy, and suspense and is one of the best series to simply get lost in and binge-watch.
5 The Boys
Based on the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic book series, 2019’s mega-hit show The Boys focuses on the eponymous team of vigilantes as they battle against super-powered individuals who abuse their abilities. Starring an impressive ensemble cast including Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, and Erin Moriarty, The Boys premiered to rave reviews for its gifted cast, humor, writing, and unique storyline. The dark comedy attracted 8 million viewers during just its first ten days on the streaming platform, making it one of the most successful original programs on Prime Video.
The Boys won the Saturn Award for Best Superhero Television Series and now consists of three seasons. The two spin-off shows, the animated anthology series entitled The Boys: Diabolical, which was released in 2022, and another series called Gen V, which will be released at the end of September 2023, offer some more exciting action.
4 A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is an adaptation of the popular 1992 film of the same name. The series isn't a remake but instead uses the basic plot of a woman's baseball team as a jumping-off point to explore concepts like gender, sexuality, and identity set in the backdrop during World War II. The series received positive reviews from critics and fans, with special praise going to the stars Abbi Jacobson, D'Arcy Carden, and Chante Adams.
The series was originally intended to return for a limited four-episode final season, but in August 2023, Prime Video decided to cancel it, citing the WGA Strike instead of their own ability to reach a fair agreement with the guild. Despite the series ending on a cliffhanger, the series' eight episodes are outstanding and worth a watch.
3 Invincible
Adapted from the Robert Kirkman comic of the same name, 2021’s Invincible is an adult animated series that follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson as he embarks on his transformation into a superhero under the care of his father, Omni-Man, the most powerful being on the planet. Mark struggles to find a balance between having a personal life and fulfilling his superhero duties while dealing with feelings of living in his father’s shadow.
The series features an impressive voice cast including Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, and J.K. Simmons, and debuted to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, with praise for its stunning animation, storyline, writing, and riveting performances. Less than a month after its release, Prime Video renewed the series for an additional two seasons, with the second season premiering at the beginning of November 2023.
2 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Set in 1958 in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a Jewish-American housewife who discovers her knack for stand-up comedy after her husband leaves her for his secretary. The dramedy was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the genius behind the hit series Gilmore Girls, and stars Rachel Brosnahan as the energetic and optimistic Maisel. Sherman-Palladino was inspired to develop the show by childhood memories of her father, who was a stand-up comedian in NYC, as well as her admiration for early female comics like Joan Rivers and Totie Fields.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was a homerun for Prime Video, earning widespread acclaim and countless accolades like Golden Globes and Emmy Awards for both Borshahan and the series. The show’s fifth and final season was released earlier this year.
1 Fleabag
The British dramedy series Fleabag is written, created and stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge and is adapted from her one-woman show first performed in 2013. It centers on the titular character, a free-spirited yet confused young woman who tries to grapple with life in London while attempting to confront a recent tragedy. The leading lady is known for breaking the fourth wall and often engages with audiences through internal monologues and ongoing commentary.
The two-season show was heralded by critics and audiences alike, with both seasons holding an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The New Yorker described Fleabag as “a precision black-humor mechanism, a warped and affecting fable about one single woman’s existence.” The dramedy swept the awards seasons, winning countless accolades like Emmy, British Academy Television, Golden Globe, and Peabody Awards. Fleabag is, without a doubt, one of the most successful Prime Video shows of all time.