Here's our ranking of the best Amazon original TV shows in Prime Video's streaming catalog. Streaming's importance in the multimedia landscape has grown exponentially over the past decade, and that's largely down to an increased focus upon original content. Old favorites and box sets no longer suffice in such a crowded market, meaning every streaming service worth their salt must offer original, exclusive content featuring high production values and famous faces in order to keep those subscription fees rolling in. The major success of Stranger Things propelled Netflix to the top of the streaming pack, but other platforms have since followed suit.
Arguably the red brand's biggest contender is Prime Video. Incorporated into Jeff Bezos' Amazon Prime shopping tier, Prime Video's rise is demonstrated perfectly by the recent purchase of MGM, swallowing major franchises such as Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power lined up for a Middle-earth extravaganza in September 2022.
As Amazon's original TV show content continues to expand and evolve, we take a glance back and decide which series are worth taking to the checkout, and which should request a refund. These are our very best Amazon original TV shows.
The Legend Of Vox Machina
Adapting the Vox Machina campaign of Critical Role's Dungeons & Dragons livestreams, The Legend of Vox Machina began as a crowd-funded animation project before gathering record-breaking momentum and catching the eye of Amazon Prime Video, which immediately commissioned season 2. Predominantly covering the demonic Briarwood arc, The Legends of Vox Machina season 1 complimented Critical Role's usual cast with big names like David Tennant (General Krieg), Indira Varma (Lady Allura), Stephanie Beatriz (Lady Kima) and Rory McCann (Duke Vedmire), and set season 2 up for the Chroma Conclave's arrival. Delighting newcomers and Vox veterans alike, The Legend of Vox Machina's crass humor, inclusive warmth and deceptively deep characterization lived up to the hype. Where else are you going to find epic fantasy battles one moment, and a randy gnome singing about his "beads of love" the next?
The Tick
Arguably high among the most underrated of Amazon's original TV shows, Shaun of the Dead) as the titular blue-suited hero who possesses super-strength and invulnerability, while Griffin Newman plays his awkward sidekick, Arthur. Capturing the surreal quality of The Tick's comic book parodies, Amazon's adaptation has irreverent fun with its well-meaning but socially-oblivious lead protagonist - a lovable idiot who's buttery in all the right places. Although The Tick went over well with critics and viewers, Amazon cancelled the super sitcom after only two seasons, but even though he couldn't sTick around, Tick burrowed his way into audience hearts nonetheless.
The Man In The High Castle
Partially adapting the 1962 Philip K. Dick novel, Amazon's The Man in the High Castle takes place in an alternate history where World War II was won by the Axis powers of Nazi and Japan, altering the global landscape completely. Inhabitants of this bleak dystopia ultimately discover films proving the existence of parallel worlds, and realize the Nazis didn't win in every timeline. Benefiting from having Ridley Scott as an executive producer and starring a cast headed by Alexa Davalos, Rupert Evans, and DJ Qualls, The Man in the High Castle set a high standard for Amazon original TV shows moving forward. Premiering in 2015 and running for four seasons - an impressive feat in streaming - The Man in the High Castle suffered a critical misstep in its sophomore year, but remains widely praised for its high-concept storytelling, and richly detailed depiction of an alternate post-WWII reality.
Sneaky Pete
Another of the first Amazon original TV shows to garner widespread attention, Sneaky Pete stars the oft-underrated Giovanni Ribisi as Marius Josipović, who becomes the proverbial cuckoo in the nest after exiting prison and assuming his cellmate's identity, going so far as to assimilate into poor Pete Murphy's family. Created by David Shore and Bryan Cranston (yup, Heisenberg himself), Sneaky Pete ran for three seasons between 2015 and 2019, attracting consistently strong reviews at a time when Amazon was still finding its feet in the streaming originals game. Renowned for its tension building and constant twists, Sneaky Pete is ideally cast (Margo Martindale proves an especially valuable addition) and never takes itself quite seriously enough to stop having fun. Despite getting cancelled after season 3, Amazon revealed Sneaky Pete's opening day was its second-highest for a streamed original series at that time.
Undone
Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy, Undone saw Amazon take a bold step into the realm of animation as a dramatic art-form. Starring Rosa Salazar, Undone begins when a near-fatal car accident triggers Alma's ability to bend time. Alma ventures into the past, seeking the truth about her father's death, but ends up uncovering much more than she bargained for. Though Undone never quite courted mainstream attention, the gorgeous rotoscope-style animation, emotive storytelling and ethereal tone made for a unique viewing experience that critics and audiences alike adored. Undone season 2 finished airing in April 2022 and although - at the time at writing - season 3 is yet to be confirmed by Amazon, enough loose threads remain dangling to continue the trip. Undone is a perfect example of an ambitious TV project you'd never find on regular TV, and can only happen because of the creative leeway provided by streaming platforms.
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins' 2021 miniseries The Underground Railroad puts an innovative spin on history by depicting the Underground Railroad - a real life escape route used by 19th century Black slaves in the United States - into an actual, literal train that serves the same heroic purpose. Inspired by the Colson Whitehead novel of the same name, Amazon Prime Video's The Underground Railroad follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu) during her courageous bid for freedom, pursued by villainous slave-catcher Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton). As powerful as it can be harrowing, Cora's story is stunningly presented by Jenkins, both in visual and narrative , earning The Underground Railroad a Golden Globe win among a slew of other prestigious nominations. Similar to Undone, the unconventional nature of The Underground Railroad's structure (episodes run anywhere between 20 and 77 minutes) speaks to the creative freedom streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video can offer compared to conventional TV networks, and Barry Jenkins certainly wields that flexibility to his advantage.
Catastrophe
First broadcast on regular UK television, Wars) in ing roles, Catastrophe earned recognition at the BAFTAs, Emmys and Satellite Awards.
Reacher
Amazon Prime Video's Reacher isn't the first live-action adaptation of Lee Child's famous literary action hero, but Alan Ritchson's incarnation certainly slams something worthwhile onto the table. Premiering in February 2022, Reacher draws from The Killing Floor, where the titular ex-military police officer is arrested for a murder you'll be amazed to hear he did not commit. Jack's investigative instincts kick in, and he embarks on an 8-episode effort to uncover the truth amidst a tangled web of conspiracy and death. More faithful to Child's books and more effective in its execution than Hollywood's 2012 movie and its sequel, Ritchson's performance proves the gem in Reacher's crown. Riding a wave of popular momentum, Amazon quickly confirmed season 2 was in production.
Filled with hard-hitting action and nail-biting criminal intrigue, Reacher captures the character's lonely spirit in the context of a modern TV series, refusing to shy away from his innate physical and social awkwardness (see Tom Cruise for an example of the opposite) but just leaving Ritchson likable enough to keep audiences onside. The numbers are certainly reflecting those positive reactions; Reacher ranks as one of the most successful Amazon original TV shows yet.
The Wheel Of Time
As a big-budget fantasy epic based on a beloved book series, Lord of the Rings... before Jeff Bezos went ahead and stumped up for the actual The Lord of the Rings. Nevertheless, The Wheel of Time turns Robert Jordan's famed novels into epic high-fantasy live-action drama. Rosamund Pike plays Moiraine of the Aes Sedai, who embarks on a journey to locate the Dragon Reborn of prophecy - an immensely powerful channeller destined to save the world from a dark incoming threat. Filled with magic and mayhem, The Wheel of Time takes plenty of deviations from its book source material - some of which fare better than others - but succeeds in recreating the visually-stunning environments, detailed world-building and sense of high-stakes adventure Amazon was so clearly aiming for.
Despite falling short of early comparisons to Game of Thrones and attracting criticism for prioritizing eye-popping bombast over character focus, Amazon green-lit The Wheel of Time season 2 before the premiere even started streaming, demonstrating the platform's faith in this blossoming fantasy franchise.
Invincible
Invincible represents another victory. Mark Grayson is the son of Omni-Man - a world-famous superhero from another planet, analogous to DC's Superman. After finally awakening powers of his own during adolescence, Mark is delighted to enter the family business and learn the ropes from his father, but as he ventures deeper toward vigilantism, an apocalyptic conspiracy emerges with Omni-Man right in the middle. Beautifully animated and boasting an impressive main voice cast of Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh, Invincible is a story about family and growing up wrapped in the guise of a comic book superhero series... and a particularly violent comic book superhero series at that.
Released in March 2021 and clocking in at a palatable 8 episodes, Amazon has already given Invincible the go-ahead for two additional seasons, which will inevitably dig deeper into the Viltrumite race Omni-Man hails from, as well as his broken relationship with Mark and Invincible's fledgling superhero career. Invincible will not be the last violently subversive superhero entry on this ranking of Amazon's best original TV shows.
