The best Amazon Prime series (December 2023): Prime Video shows, ranked

The beauty of Amazon Prime - and Netflix - is that these platforms breathe life into previously dead shows, like The Expanse. It's a show about what happens when humans colonise the solar system (spoiler: it ain’t great). Syfy cancelled it after three seasons but Amazon gave The Expanse a new home. Why? Well, for one thing CEO Jeff Bezos is a big fan. We’re glad he did - this is stunning sci-fi and universe-building at its best.

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In the US? Stream the Expanse on Prime Video here.

Bosch is a brilliant, easy watch, and is now in its fifth season. It stars Titus Welliver as the titular Harry Bosch, whose acting raises this show above your average police procedural. As does the writing. Overseen by Eric Overmyer, whose credits include The Wire, Treme and Boardwalk Empire, this is a top-quality show.

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In the US? Stream Bosch on Prime Video here.

The Jack Ryan series of movies, those starring Harrison Ford at least, were a lot of fun. While a prequel movie with Chris Pine stumbled, this alternate TV take is well worth a watch. John Krasinski is effortless as Ryan, a CIA analyst forced into the field. As is The Wire’s Wendell Pierce as Jack Greer, Ryan’s mentor - a role that once belonged to James Earl Jones. Big shoes to fill, then, but he manages it. It’s a little Mission: Impossible lite in places but well worth a watch, especially in 4K.

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In the US? Stream Jack Ryan on Prime Video here.

The Boys is one of the most original takes on the superhero genre we have seen. The concept (based on Garth Ennis' great comic) is that the world is filled with superheroes but they are all, well, dicks. Underneath their shiny, hero image they actually abuse their power and cause havoc in the world. The good news is that there's a team of anti-heroes that can put a stop to them, lead by Karl Urban. This is one gory, violent, hilarious show that's not for the faint hearted.

The second season is darker with the arrival of Stormfront to shake up the superheroes and features an ending of, well, gratuitous portions. As for Season 3 - after a (literally) explosive start, it gets even more surreal from there. Fantastic stuff.

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In the US? Stream The Boys on Prime Video here.

It was about time a show gave Rachel Brosnahan a chance to shine. After bit parts in movies and a stint on House of Cards, The Marvelous Miss Maisel sees her in fantastic form as a 1950s housewife who decides one day to become a stand-up comic. There’s a lot to love about the show, but Brosnahan’s main performance as ‘Midge’ Maisel steals it - her transformation when she eventually gets on the stage is brilliant to watch.

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In the US? Stream The Marvelous Miss Maisel on Prime Video here.

On the face of it, Vikings seems a little one dimensional: a whole show based on the pillaging, conquering and brutal world of Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. But this is definitely not Game of Thrones on a budget. The character development over the first three seasons is beautifully handled, and Vikings tells what is a simple story really well, even all the way to season 6.

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In the US? Stream Vikings on Prime Video here.

It seems a little trite to heap more praise on a show that it is pretty much universally loved but the thing is (looks to camera, with a wry smile), they’re right. Phoebe Waller-Bridge's adaptation of her own one-woman stage show manages to be stunningly crass, utterly hilarious and tear-inducing all at the same time. Yes, Waller-Bridges is perfect as Fleabag but the rest of the cast are just as good, characters rounded with surgical precision.

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In the US? Stream Fleabag on Prime Video here.

If you’ve been enjoying Susan Bier’s The Undoing, then her earlier work The Night Manager is well worth a watch. Based on late writer John Le Carre’s spy novel of the same name, here we see Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a night manager who is enlisted to find a way into the inner circle of a notorious arms dealer. This is a mini series and plays out like a sumptuous Bond movie.

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In the US? Stream The Night Manager on Prime Video here.

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s fantastic book Good Omens gets the TV treatment, thanks to a joint production between the BBC and Amazon Studios. The result is a superb six-part series with one of the best acting pairing seen on TV in recent years. David Tennant and Michael Sheen shine as angels Aziraphale and Crowley, and their job is to stave off the impending apocalypse. Fans of Gaiman will love Good Omens. He was deeply involved, as Terry Pratchett asked Gaiman to write the TV show's script before he passed away. A request we are very glad was fulfilled.

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In the US? Stream Good Omens on Prime Video here.

Carnival Row is a dark fantasy story with some crime thrown in. It follows the story of a faerie refugee (played by Cara Delevingne) and an investigator (played by Orlando Bloom) whose paths cross during the hunt for a serial killer. It's already proved to be such a hit that it's been renewed for a second season.

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In the US? Stream Carnival Row on Prime Video here.

The Man in the High Castle was one of the first Prime Video Originals and it ran for four seasons, concluding at the end of 2019. It's a fantastic-looking show that is based on Philip K. Dick's novel where in a parallel universe the Nazis won and the changes this makes to the world. By the end of the show it deviates from the book but it's well worth going the distance.

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In the US? Stream The Man In The High Castle on Prime Video here.

What started off as a spin-off of the successful child assassin movie has mutated into something far better. This is a great show that reveals just what you can do when you allow a premise and characters time to breath. Esme Creed-Miles (daughter of Samantha Morton) is the titular teenage assassin. The show has three seasons now and it's just starting to hit its stride.

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In the US? Stream Hanna on Prime Video here.

The Wheel of Time feels like Amazon testing the fantasy waters before it unleashes the Lord of the Rings show on to us all but for all its faults, there is a lot to like with this epic saga. Rosamund Pike plays Moraine, a noble who has tasked herself with finding The Dragon Reborn, someone who is the key between light and dark. This was streaming weekly but now all episodes are available.

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Many Star Trek fans approached Picard with caution, after Discovery failed to satisfy many long-term Trekkers. But Patrick Stewart's return to the universe seems, so far, to be a real success. The series takes a slower approach to storytelling, with numerous story threads unravelling slowly over time. The second season is now streaming and is a superb addition to the Star Trek canon.

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Robert Kirkman has done it again with this existential look at superheroes and what these powers do to relationships. Mark Grayson is the son of the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. Now 17, Grayson is set to follow in his dad's footsteps as he develops special powers but everything is not as it seems.

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In the US? Stream Invincible on Prime Video here.

Amazon announced it has cancelled The Tick, and that can only be because Amazon doesn’t know how to have fun. It is a superhero parody with heart, and a brilliant cast. ‎Peter Serafinowicz is superb as the titular Tick, the superhero without superpowers, playing it without any knowing wink that he is in on the joke. And that’s the brilliance of the show, which really stepped up in the second season. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after Season 2, despite fans' efforts to get the show revived.

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In the US? Stream The Tick on Prime Video here.

Fresh from The Avengers, Josh Brolin is back in this sci-fi mystery series that focuses on a rancher who finds something strange happening on his land. Although series is yet to end, we're hooked with the mysteries that keep cropping up.

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If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, you're in for a real treat with an Amazon Prime subscription. Now not only can you enjoy American Gods, but Good Omens too. Both TV shows make our list because they're prime examples of deliciously addictive storytelling, rich characters and mind-bending fantasy. Neil Gaiman played a bigger part in the development of Good Omens, but that doesn't mean American Gods isn't a dark and binge-worthy series with some truly excellent performances.

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UK Only

Launching with a double episode, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of power is a stunning show that is every bit as cinematic as the Peter Jackson movies. Although it's set thousands of years before the events of LOTR, there are plenty of call backs for die hard fans and a new mythology to sink your teeth into. It's not perfect, but there is not TV show that looks as good as this one right now.

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This adaptation of the classic William Gibson novel - who helped create the cyberpunk genre - gets off to a slow start but if you can forgive the (literal) world building, there is a lot to like here. The plot? It's convoluted but is essentially about a gamer (Chloe Grace Moretz) who, while helping her brother, gets embroiled in events that are seemingly tied with the future. It's pretty dense stuff but given its showrunners are Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (WestWorld), there is a steady hand holding the pen.

You can't go wrong withe seeing Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the small screen together. It's been some 20 years (since Spaced!) and they are a lot of fun in this funny and pretty damn scary look at some part time paranormal investigators who start seeing actual ghosts. Pegg's not in it much but when he does turn up it's welcomed and Frost is fantastic as the main thrust of the show.

Unfortunately, this one is just one season only as it hasn't been picked up for a second.

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In the US? Stream Truth Seekers on Prime Video here.

It's pretty rare that a show has been inspired by something other than a book, but this one is based on the paintings of Simon Stålenhag. It's a great premise - each painting is like a jumping off point for an episode, a glimpse into a bigger narrative. It's a lot of fun - a time-travelling series that has hints of Twin Peaks and its big streaming rival's hit show Stranger Things.

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In the US? Stream Tales From The Loop on Prime Video here.

The sumptuous show stars Reece Witherspoon as a housewife in the 90s who has swapped her career as a journalist. On the surface everything looks perfect but the addition of a new mother and daughter to the neighbourhood shifts this narrative. Witherspoon is fantastic, as is Kerry Washington and Joshua Jackson. This feels like a show that will end after the first season and it's all the better for it.

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UK Only

The Handmaid's Tale is a faithful-ish adaptation of Margaret Atwood's fantastic dystopian classic novel that has outgrown the plot of the book. Now in its fifth season we are nearing completion of the story of June's rise from humble Handmaiden to freedom fighter. Thanks to Amazon's buyout of MGM, all 5 seasons are now available to stream right now

The newest show on our list is also one of the best. Hacks stars Jean Smart (24, Legion) who is a Las Vegas comedian. She teams up with a younger comedy writer to try and revive her career and freshen up her act. This one is a must watch!

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Both Peter Capaldi and Jessica Raine shine in this psychological thriller which is about a woman who wakes up each night between 3-4am - also known as the devil's hour. This mystery leads her to becoming involved in a number of grizzly murders in her town. It's been announced that we are getting a second season of this show, so definitely worth watching the first now.

Citadel is one of Amazon's most expensive TV shows ever, behind The Rings of Power. It's also a riot, an action-packed show that takes inspiration from movie series including James Bond and Mission Impossible. Richard Madden and Priya Copra Jonas star as spies who have had their memories wiped, but are called back into service .

Paper Girls is an Amazon Original and a fantastic adaptation of the comic book of the same name. Given it is set in the 80s, there is more than a hint of Stranger Things to the show but its time-travel tale is much more its own show, thanks to an ensemble cast that's just fantastic. Anyone who is a fan of The Goonies and other 80s action flicks should be right at home here.

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Those craving a Twin Peaks sized hole will love Homecoming. Now in its second season (with singer Janelle Monáe taking over from Julia Roberts in the first season). The show centres on the Geist Group, a wellness company that has rather unorthodox methods of making people better. And, as you can imagine, all is not what it seems.

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In the US? Stream Homecoming on Prime Video here.

The second season of Hunters, released in early 2023, sees Al Pacino’s Meter Offerman hunt down Hitler, after finding he is still alive. This show is gory, silly and clearly a little ridiculous. However, it is also engaging, in the vein of a B-movie revenge thriller. A little uneven in spots, but Al Pacino as a Nazi hunter? Surely worth a crack.

No, it’s not a show about Mel Gibson’s big-screen vehicle but a darkly comic show about a spy who needs to stop Iran from going nuclear. Unfortunately there are only two seasons as it was cancelled by Amazon but they are a refreshing watch, balancing fun and frenetic action and, to be honest, we’ll watch RoboCop’s Kurtwood Smith in anything.

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In the US? Stream The Patriot on Prime Video here.

The 80s is a TV gold mine. Stranger Things used the era of Walkmans and shell suits as a backdrop for some crazy stuff. Red Oaks tempers the craziness but ramps up the warmth and fun, creating a wonderful coming-of-age story that needs to be seen. It is a show that doesn’t shirk big issues, but they are wrapped in a lot of affection for the era and its characters.

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In the US? Stream Read Oaks on Prime Video here.

One of the newer series on this best Amazon Prime Series list, The Rig is a great old-school supernatural shocker that follows the exploits of a group of oil riggers who may have drilled into something that's from out of this world. The cast is great and also a who's who of UK TV, with Iain Glen, Mark Bonnar and Martin Compston all starring.

Not many spin-offs make it into consideration for our best-of lists. But Gen V certainly does. This is a The Boys spin-off, in which the action moves to Godolkin University, where the next generation of superheroes are raised and trained. It’s no cosy “young adult” alternative to The Boys, though, with the same black streak of violence and oddness struck through its core. Definitely one for fans of the original series to check out.

Put Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files in a blender, stir in a spoonful of campy americana and you'll get something like Supernatural. This show was never destined for Oscar-winning heights, but it is a fun watch — particularly in the first fistful of seasons. And if you get into it, there sure is a lot of Supernatural to chow down on. It lasted for 15 seasons, the last originally broadcast in 2020.

A show that perhaps hasn't attracted as many eyeballs as it deserves. Upload looks at a world where people can upload themselves to a sort of digital afterlife. The show was created by Greg Daniels, a key force behind the US The Office and Parks & Rec. It's smart and funny, and becomes a sharp social satire over its three seasons.

One of the big Amazon Prime Video shows of 2023, The Continental is a John Wick spin-off that focuses on the group of assassins that operates out of the hotel of the movies. It's set long before the John Wick films, so no Keanu. And some may raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of Mel Gibson. But it's taut and stylish, and thrilling in all the right ways. It's an unusually short series too, with just three episodes.

A fab palate cleanser for those who want a break from heavy drama series. Nathan For You is a comedy reality show first aired a decade ago. Nathan Fielder talks t real people and real businesses, as a sort-of awkward business coach whose ideas are plain horrible. It sounds like a Kitchen Nightmares pastiche on paper, but Fielder’s unique, awkward and deadpan style makes Nathan for You a true original.

You may not think of a show like Takeshi's Castle when searching for stuff to watch on a streamer, but maybe you should. It's a chaotic Japanese gameshow where contestants take part in madcap games. The original series was broadcast from 1986 to 1990, but has just been resurrected in 2023. Takeshi Kitano even returns as the bizarro cohost of the show.

It's so good to see Annie Murphy on the small screen again after Schitts Creek and this is the perfect show for her. Kevin Can F Himself is about a 'sitcom wife' who shows just what happens when you are pushed to the absolute edge. Amazon hasn't bigged up that it has this show and it's a massive shame as we are huge fans.

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The Power is a 10-part series, adapted from the best-selling novel by Naomi Alderman. It's a thriller with a cracking premise: teenage girls the world over gain the power to electrify things. What ensues is a shift in how the world is run and the implications of this. While it doesn't quite 'spark' as well as the book does, it's a great watch.

After the brilliance of Bojack Horseman for Netflix, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg headed to Amazon for Undone, an animated show that uses rotoscoping to create its unique look. Undone tackles some of the same themes of Bojack, albeit in a much more dramatic way - its trippy visuals give the whole thing an unreal feel and the likes of Bob Odenkirk, Daveed Diggs and Rosa Salazar star.

The second season of Undone is streaming now and is just as trippy as the first. This show is shaping up to being one of the very beat Amazon Prime series around.

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In the US? Stream Undone on Prime Video here.

This singular, slightly surreal show is a coming-of-age story about a 13-foot-tall teenager called Cootie. He lives in Oakland, California. It deals in the everyday trials of the character, laced with strange fantasy. This show comes from the mind of Boots Riley, director of the brilliant Sorry to Bother You.

Resurrecting a classic is always dangerous, but Dead Ringers takes the classic David Cronenberg film in a different direction. First, it's a TV show, not a film. And the twin gynaecologists once played by Jeremy Irons are now represented by Rachel Weisz. She's the main draw here, sizzling away on screen in a darkly funny and feminist series.

We are surprised as you are that The Exorcist show is decent but it really is. Taking its cues from the William Peter Blatty novel but reimagining it for a modern audience, each season takes on a different exorcism tale. The first season is closest to the novel (in terms of the characters in the series) but both season are equally great and packed with chills.

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UK Only

Jungle is a near-future crime drama set in inner city London. It's a dystopian thriller with some of the UK's rap talent swapping the mic for the screen - the show is backed by a blistering drill and grime soundtrack. Its visually impressive - thinks Blade Runner with a touch more London grit - and the interweaving stories work well.

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