The best shows on Amazon Prime Video have included some of the highest quality original streaming series available, and it’s safe to say as December arrives that 2024 has been one of the best years for Prime so far. The arrival of original shows like Fallout and Cruel Intentions drew in plenty of new subscribers for Amazon’s streaming service. Not only that, but new seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Invincible, and The Boys (which has started filming season 5 in later 2024) ensured the platform had plenty of headline-grabbing content over the last 12 months.
Amazon Prime Video has carved out a niche both as an original content creator, and alongside the likes of Fallout and The Boys hosts multiple licensed prime-time and high-end TV shows like Fleabag and Downton Abbey. Competition to be considered the best show on Amazon Prime Video is fierce, as it’s not only high-end fantasy like The Rings of Power or hit original sci-fi that’s popular, but also crime dramas like Cross and Reacher that rank among the most watched shows on the platform at the end of 2024 (via Flix Patrol).
For even more Amazon Prime Video streaming recommendations, be sure to check out the best Prime Video shows of 2024 , best period dramas on Amazon Prime Video , and 25 best detective series on Amazon Prime Video .
Cross(2024) [Crime Thriller] – Gritty crime thriller based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels, and the most-watch Amazon Prime Video show in December 2024.;
Like a Dragon: Yakuza(2024) [Crime Action] – Based on the video game of the same name, Like A Dragon brings Prime Video subscribers to the shady and cut-throat world of the Yakuza, and the dangerous world of organized crime in Japan they inhabit.
The Legend of Vox Machina(2022-Present) [Animated Fantasy] – The Legend of Vox Machina retells a Critical Role Dungeons and Dragons campaign as an incredibly adult animated fantasy show – and the results are just as hilarious as they are heart-poundingly intense.
Hazbin Hotel(2024) [Animated Comedy] – Animated musical Hazbin Hotel has had a significant following ever since the pilot debuted on YouTube in 2019, dealing with the complex relationship between Heaven, Hell, and whether damned souls can be redeemed and rehabilitated.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(2017-2023) [Comedy Drama] – Loosely inspired by the life of Joan Rivers, Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a pleasant comedy-drama set in the ’50s and ’60s. Rachel Brosnahan plays the titular Miriam Maisel, a homemaker who discovers a talent for stand-up comedy after her husband unexpectedly leaves her.
Elementary(2012-2019) [Mystery Thriller] – Airing on CBS between 2012 and 2019, Elementary is a modern reimagining of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. Stars Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, the gender-swapped modern version of Holmes’ trusted advisor and partner in (solving) crime.
Castle(2009-2016) [Crime Drama] – Nathan Fillion stars as author-turned-detective Richard Castle in this gripping yet light hearted crime drama that mixes the elements of his characters in Firefly and The Rookie which made the actor so popular.
Psych(2006-2014) [Crime Comedy] – The antics of hapless detectives Shawn and Gus as they hilariously lie their way through solving dozens of crimes.
American Horror Story(Horror Anthology) [2011-Present] – The first 11 seasons of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s anthology horror phenomenon make for some of the most spine-chilling viewing currently on Amazon Prime Video.
Daisy Jones & The Six(2023) [Music Drama] – One of the best dramas to come out of 2023 on Amazon Prime Video, Daisy Jones and the Six. Based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the miniseries is an account of a fictional rock group that found fame and was torn apart by drama within.
Downton Abbey(2010-2015) [Period Drama] – While the inner workings of an English estate in the early 1900s might sound like dry material, Downton Abbey managed to turn it into one of the most popular and riveting shows on TV.
Bosch(2014-2021) [Action Thriller] – Titus Welliver plays hardboiled detective Harry Bosch, a Los Angeles police detective who works his cases with total commitment but sometimes plays by his own rules. The sequel series, Bosch: Legacy, is also available on the platform, and both titles have fast become flagship titles for Amazon Prime Video.
Hannibal(2013-2015) [Crime Thriller] – Across its three gory cannibalism-filled seasons, Hannibal explores the relationship between Hannibal Lecter (played by Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a gifted yet troubled criminal profiler.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan(2018-2023) [Spy Thriller] – Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan stars Jon Krasinski as the titular CIA analyst, and it’s secured itself as one of the best thriller shows available on Amazon Prime Video thanks to each season having subscribers on the edge of their seats.
Mr. Robot(2015-2019) [Sci-Fi Thriller] – Mr. Robot shows a chaotic underworld where technology can control everything, except the mind. Rami Malek’s breakthrough performance is also mesmerizing in this paranoid, ground-breaking series.
The Man in the High Castle(2015-2019) [Alternate History Drama] – Set in an alternate reality, The Man in the High Castle imagines what America would be like had Germany and Japan had won World War II. The series follows a group of rebel heroes seeking to overthrow an oppressive regime in a gripping example of great “what if?” storytelling.
Reacher(2022-present) [Military Thriller] – Though Tom Cruise brought Jack Reacher to the big screen, many fans of the books by Lee Child prefer the more book-accurate take on the character in Reacher. Alan Ritchson plays the titular drifter, a former military police officer who gets wrapped up in a conspiracy in a small town.
Outer Range(2022-Present) [Sci-Fi Mystery] – Outer Range re-entered conversations thanks to the release of season 2 in 2024, and stars Josh Brolin, Impogen Poots, and a wide ensemble cast in what may be one of the most intriguing time-travel-based mystery thrillers of the last decade.
Battlestar Galactica(2003-2009) [Action Sci-Fi] – Battlestar Galactica is a modernized reboot of the 1978 and was widely acclaimed, and not just for its science fiction elements. It’s a genuinely gripping drama that chronicles the last surviving remnants of humanity as they flee the race that all-but-decimated their own — the Cylons.
Fallout(2024) [Apocalyptic Sci-Fi] – Not only is Fallout among the best originals on Amazon Prime Video, it’s also one of the most anticipated new shows to arrive in 2024 on any platform. Based on the incredibly popular video game series of the same name, Fallout blends post-apocalyptic action with retro futurism and a healthy dose of social satire.
The Expanse(2015–2022) [Action Sci-Fi] – Across 6 seasons, The Expanse gained both a reputation as one of the best modern sci-fi shows and an intensely loyal following to match.
Invincible(2021-present) [Animated Superhero] – An animated superhero series that doesn’t pull its punches, Invincible is as gnarly and blood-soaked as any live-action alternative. The story revolves around a young hero who tries to follow in the steps of his father, the world’s most powerful superhero, unaware that he’s a heartless mass murderer.
Gen V(2023 – Present) [Superhero Drama] – The first live-action spin-off of The Boys also explores superhero satire, Gen V flips up the formula yet again by focusing on the students of Godolkin University — a loose parody of well-known comic book properties like the X-Men.
Good Omens(2019-) [Fantasy Drama] – Perfectly augmented by Michael Sheen and David Tennant’s inimitable onscreen chemistry, follows an angel and a demon as they enjoy a relatively peaceful existence on Earth. The Amazon Prime video show slyly rewrites biblical history, introducing a rich new mythology to established stories.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power(2022-present) [Fantasy Drama] – Middle-earth looks visually stunning in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the show takes its time to introduce different cultures, creatures, and, of course, enemies, that put at stake the balance between good and evil.
From(2022-Present) [Horror Mystery] – There are plenty of horror TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, but few can claim to have as gripping a mystery running throughout as From. One of the surrealest yet engaging TV series of the decade so far, From focuses on the inhabitants of a nightmare-like town that’s trapped every resident.
Humans(2015-2018) [Sci-Fi Mystery] -Gemma Chan stars in the British sci-fi series Humans, which explores what would happen if robotic assistants did the unthinkable and developed self awareness.
If you’re looking for more to watch on Amazon Prime Video, you can read our lists on the best Amazon original TV shows, best Hindi original dramas on Prime Video, or the best sitcoms on Amazon Prime Video.
