If you’ve gotten an Amazon Prime account for all your holiday shopping, then it’s time to make the most of it by checking out the offerings on Amazon Prime Video! The streaming service comes alongside the $2.99 Amazon Prime subscription (which in itself, provides more cost-effective delivery options). Here are the must-watch shows on Amazon Prime Video – and you’ll be surprised at the diverse genres offered!
Set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, this epic drama follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
The 8-episode series debuted earlier this year, serving as a prequel to the main The Lord of the Rings stories we’re more familiar with. The big mystery through most of the series is the reveal of Sauron – who is the antagonist for The Lord of the Rings films. The lavish production values, epic feel and tone, and operatic score (from Howard Shore, who composed the music for the film trilogy) truly makes it feel like we’re reliving the 2000s Lord of the Rings films once again.
Set in an epic fantasy world, The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young villagers, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn… the one who will either save or destroy humanity.
If The Rings of Power has whetted your appetite for fantasy, then The Wheel of Time might just be the answer to those newfound cravings. The television series is based on the epic fantasy novel series that spanned 23 years and 14 novels. With a distinctly different magic system and a more Asian take on its lore and mythology, The Wheel of Time provides a different, but just as epic, tale of magic and fantasy.
They’re rowdy, they’re ragtag, they’re misfits turned mercenaries for hire. Vox Machina is more interested in easy money and cheap ale than actually protecting the realm. But when the kingdom is threatened by evil, this boisterous crew realizes that they are the only ones capable of restoring justice. What began as a simple payday is now the origin story behind Exandria’s newest heroes.
As a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fan, this is a personal favourite — and also probably not suitable for children. It’s based on the actual campaign seen in the popular Critical Role web series, but adapted into a proper animated series. With plenty of humour, action, and rife with D&D elements, this is another way to sate the fantasy appetite created by The Rings of Power.
Aziraphale and Crowley, of Heaven and Hell respectively, have grown rather fond of the Earth. So it’s terrible news that it’s about to end. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing. The Four Horsemen are ready to ride. Everything is going according to the Divine Plan…except that someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Can our heroes find him and stop Armageddon before it’s too late?
Based on the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, this contemporary fantasy series, the series depicts a hilarious version of Heaven and Hell — despite the original novel (and hence, premise) coming out in 1990. But the real draw of the series is David Tennant’s Crowley, who takes to the role with aplomb. Do the pair manage to save Earth? Do they manage to thwart the Divine Plan? Or will there be a happily ever after… or what passes for one?
In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, an accountant with mental health issues and zero powers comes to suspect his city is owned by a global super villain long-thought dead. As he struggles to uncover the conspiracy, he falls in league with a strange blue superhero. They launch into an adventure brimming with crazed archvillains, blood-soaked vigilantes, and superhuman freakery.
Spanning two seasons, The Tick premiered in 2016, amidst the boom in superhero shows. But it’s a decidedly different take from most other series, choosing to focus on humour and quirkiness rather than extreme violence or superhero theatrics. It’s a refreshing change of pace from many other superhero shows now, and worth checking out if you watched 1994 cartoon series too.
When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, with a rising terrorist figurehead preparing for a massive attack against the US and her allies.
Now with three seasons under its belt, the series stars John Krasinski as the title role, and helped transform his image as a bookish corporate slave (which he also begins the series as) into a bona fide action hero. From Venezuela to Russia, the series seems him facing off against political enemies all over the world as he gets caught in web after web of lies and deceit over the seasons. The series has been announced to end with Season 4, so now’s a great time to catch up on it!
In his debut standup special, Good Deal, Jimmy will tell you all about his take on Asian representation, how he learned to speak English from rap videos, dating tall women, and pursuing his dreams only to disappoint his old school Chinese parents. From assimilation to representation, Jimmy O. Yang delivers an absolutely hilarious hour of comedy in Good Deal.
We all need a good laugh, and we all know that the best comedians are Asian (cough – Uncle Roger – cough), so what better way to settle in for a hilarious night with a comedy special? Besides, attending a live stand-up comedy show can sometimes be prohibitively expensive. With relatable jokes and a familiar face, this comedy special is just one-hour — perfect for viewing commitment phobes.
A funny, romantic, and sweet story unfolds in the palace. Ye So-rang, a fraudulent match-maker insisting she can summon the deceased crown princess, shows up to King Lee Heon who proclaimed a ban on marriage since he lost his wife 7 years ago.
K-drama fans, you haven’t been forgotten. This period drama combines the best elements of K-drama — period costumes, angst, love, drama, lies, deceit, longing stares —into a lavish show that hits you right in the feels. Based on a web novel, the series is in the middle of its run, and is set to conclude next January with 12 episodes.
So what are your favourite Amazon Prime Video shows?
This article was written for and first published on Yahoo.
About the author
Marcus Goh
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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