While you can find an enjoyable series from any genre on Prime Video, these shows are the most exciting ones. The streaming service has become known for teen shows like the love triangle-heavy The Summer I Turned Pretty and the action-packed The Boys and The Terminal List franchise.
But when you’re seeking out a truly great watch, you want to know the show has amazing character development, a cool premise, and an ending that feels earned.
These Prime Video shows prove that the platform has a lot of unique stories, as these shows are truly different from one another, but they each have something that makes them special. Some are short but perfect, and others have plenty of seasons to dig into.
Carnival Row (2019-2023)
The beloved fantasy series delves into the difficult lives of faerie Vignette Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne) and Philo (Orlando Bloom), who is part fae, as they try to survive in an urban environment. The show has murder, adventure, and battles, and despite only having 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is an enjoyable watch that lets you forget your worries and focus on this singular world.
While Prime Video’s popular fantasy series The Wheel of Time was canceled before a real conclusion, Carnival Row has a compelling ending. Thankfully, you find out what happens to the two main characters you’ve become so interested in. You’ll likely feel that watching the past two seasons was time well spent.
Daisy Jones & the Six (2023)
It could have been a tall order adapting Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved novel, as it’s structured by various interviews instead of a typical first-person or third-person story. But the Prime Video series is just as cool, creative, and captivating as the book.
Riley Keough is sheer perfection as Daisy Jones, the talented yet troubled singer who records an album for the ages with the rock band the Six, led by frontman Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin). Rather than a conventional love story about Billy and Daisy, the series charts the band’s success and focuses on Billy’s complex relationship with Camila Alvarez (Camilla Morrone).
Daisy Jones & the Six takes the literary story up a notch since you can actually hear the music from the band’s hit debut album Aurora. The songs are genuinely impressive and emphasize the emotional and optimistic tone of the story.
Fleabag (2016-2019)
Whether you want to rewatch this brilliant comedy or missed it when it first started streaming, Fleabag is a quirky and creative show that proves what a special talent creator, writer, and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge is.
Fleabag doesn’t hide her feelings, and the show’s storylines revolve around intimacy, relationships, family, grief, and finding the career you’re meant for. The show is a perfect example of how, when a protagonist is exactly themselves and always bold and honest, you’ll watch them no matter what the storyline or character arc.
The best part about the show is how satisfying the season 2 finale feels. You’d love to follow this character for 10 seasons, but two feel like enough because she shares it all with you.
Sneaky Pete (2015-2019)
A show about a con man has to achieve the tricky feat of ensuring you care about them and they’re somewhat likable. That’s what makes Sneaky Pete so good.
The question at the heart of the show is, can Marius Josipović (Giovanni Ribisi) really get away with pretending to be Pete Murphy, the man he shared a prison cell with? You’ll want to watch all three seasons quickly in order to find out.
It’s so easy to want Marius/Pete to succeed and find contentment in life that you almost forget that he’s doing something he shouldn’t. While many shows about cons are soapy thrillers based on true stories, such as Netflix’s Dirty John, Sneaky Pete is a great character study.
Upload (2020-2025)
What is heaven really like, and could you be happier there than on Earth? No matter what you believe in, you’ll be drawn in by Upload, which tells the memorable story of Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) as he becomes part of Lakeview, a digital afterlife.
Like the special sitcom The Good Place, which offers up fresh and quirky takes on heaven and hell, Upload has an immersive and fascinating setting that you want to spend more time in. It’s the perfect example of the artistic risks that can be taken with a streaming show when writers aren’t confined to the structure of broadcast episodes.
Creator Greg Daniels has brought his smart comedic sensibility to beloved sitcoms like Parks and Recreation and The Office, and while Upload is different, it has a similar uplifting tone.
Jack Ryan (2018-2023)
Sometimes picking a show to catch up on is all about seeing why people adore it so much, and that’s the case with Jack Ryan. While a few actors have played this character, John Krasinski is no doubt the strongest actor in the franchise based on Tom Clancy’s book series. It’s fun to see what he does with the part.
Action shows without well-crafted characters are just a lot of noise and violence, and thankfully, Krasinski’s protagonist is nicely developed here. You see him grow more confident in his role with every season, and as the stakes keep increasing, you see his emotional journey.
One Mississippi (2015-2017)
More than a few talented and famous comedians have been given their own sitcoms with storylines based on their lives, with mixed results. While this two-season Prime Video show didn’t get the love that classics like Seinfeld have, One Mississippi is a fantastic show.
Tig Notaro plays a version of herself, a comedian with cancer who is grieving her mother. This really happened to Notaro, who beautifully and humorously chronicled this raw and sweet story in her 2015 documentary Tig.
Notaro’s honest and real style makes this comedy stand out. Every episode focuses on Tig’s family life, work issues, and new relationship with Kate (Stephanie Allynne). It’s also a great watch if you’re also a Diablo Cody fan, who co-created the show with Notaro and whose movies Juno, Young Adult, and Lisa Frankenstein showcase her singular smart and offbeat voice.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)
The quick banter of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s popular Gilmore Girls is alive and well in this Prime Video series, which has a meaningful message about art, comedy, life, love, and not conforming to society’s standards.
Rachel Brosnahan delivers a truly special performance as Midge Maisel, a woman who is expected to be a 1950s housewife but who knows she wants to experience more from life. The show benefits from lovable and quirky characters, especially Midge’s dad Abe Weissman (Tony Shalhoub), who is a particularly quirky take on the absent-minded professor trope.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel does a great job showing the complexities of Midge’s choices. Her family is sad about her marriage’s end but supports her the best they can. The drama also comes from Midge trying to prove herself as a female comedian, and you’re in awe of her vibrant energy.
Forever (2018)
Incredible shows unfortunately fly under the radar every year, and Forever was one of the best shows of 2018 that few saw. What seems like a typical suburban story about June (Maya Rudolph) and Oscar Hoffman (Fred Armisen), who have been in a boring marriage for years, becomes a completely different tale by the end of the first episode.
The twist in the pilot could come off as cheap if the rest of the show wasn’t solid, but clever writing, realistic performances, and a lot of heart make Forever work.
It would have been nice to see Oscar and June continue their journey in a second season, as you become attached to them and want to see them again. Still, although the show only has eight episodes, you feel pleased by the end.
Bosch (2014-2021)
Those looking for action, mystery, thrills, and a likable main character who is still complicated will be pleased with Bosch, the hit Prime Video series with seven seasons.
Titus Welliver will forever be associated with the role of Detective Harry Bosch, as he truly gave it his all. As he works for the LAPD and solves crimes, he also has a lot of suffering in his past to grapple with. It’s this balance of past and present that makes you want to play just one more episode.
The Bosch franchise can also be praised because the spin-offs aren’t carbon copies of one another. Bosch: Legacy and Ballard feel distinct since they focus on brilliant protagonists — Bosch’s daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) and Renée Ballard (Maggie Q). After finishing the original, you’ll want to jump into these, too.
