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Aside from dropping several TV shows at the beginning of each month, Amazon Prime Video doesn't have a ton of new weekly releases. But occasionally, an Amazon original comes knocking that deserves to appear on your radar. Below you'll find highlights for this week, as well as CNET's full list of best Amazon Prime Video original TV shows.
What's already hit Prime Video this month
Here are the highlights.
May 6
- The Wilds, season 2 premiere (2020- ) -- Drama. A group of teens must survive after a plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island.
May 13
- The Kids in the Hall, season 1 premiere (2022- ) -- Comedy. The iconic Canadian sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall returns with a reboot of their groundbreaking sketch series.
Read more: Amazon Prime Video: The Best Movies to Watch | Everything You Need to Know to Sign Up for Amazon Prime Video
Best Amazon Prime Video original TV shows
Sci-fi
In this sci-fi Western, Josh Brolin stars as Royal Abbott, a Wyoming rancher who finds an obtrusive, inexplicable void on one of his pastures. The mysterious pit isn't the only thing he has to worry about, though -- his family is also locked in a battle with neighbors who'd like to take a portion of their land. Between these two developments, there's more than enough going on in this small town to hold your attention. Stick with the series long enough, and you'll get swept into its rural mystery.
Amazon rescued The Expanse from the realm of canceled TV, bringing us up to six seasons. Thank goodness it did, because The Expanse is smart sci-fi with realistic characters, high production values and a dash of detective noir. Set in a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System, a conspiracy threatens to start a cold war between the largest powers. A band of antiheroes find themselves at the center. Look forward to more space western themes in the consistently excellent later seasons.
Tales from the Loop (2020-)
Not just another show about a small town where strange things happen, Tales from the Loop has a lot more underneath the surface. Drawing from a narrative art book by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the series is stunning to look at, meticulous as can be with symmetrical frames. Light and space are infused with a painterly feel. The interconnected townspeople are similarly nuanced, their stories exploring loneliness, aging, the impact of technology and more through sci-fi ideas.
Set in the near future, this sci-fi comedy imagines humans are able to upload themselves into a virtual afterlife. Nathan, a computer programmer played by Robbie Amell, finds himself pressed with that choice after a self-driving car accident and decides to upload to cozy, expensive Lake View. Though imperfect, Upload, which is part satire, part romance and part murder mystery, is easy to consume. Plus, a second season is now streaming.
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (2017-2018)
A sci-fi anthology based on short stories by writer Philip K. Dick, Electric Dreams transports viewers to the future in each of its 10 tales. Exploring what it means to be human, the series is stuffed with intriguing premises, and boasts an impressive roster of stars. In one episode, Richard Madden and Holliday Grainger play a human and a telepathic mutant whose romance heats up as they're trying to prevent a war between their kinds. If you're in need of a sci-fi fix, sample an episode from this imaginative series.
The Black Mirror vibes are strong in this British series about technology gone wrong. The Feed is set in a futuristic London where a family develops an implant that lets people livestream their lives without needing to press a button on a phone. No, absolutely nothing can go wrong with that! Some pretty impressive actors stack out the cast, including David Thewlis and Michelle Fairley. While it's not as polished or deep-cutting as Black Mirror, it's still worth a look -- just grab your phone during the less gripping parts.
Documentary
This comprehensive documentary series tackles the story of Lorena Bobbitt, the woman who, famously, severed her husband's penis in 1993. It covers the incident and two subsequent trials, incorporating a wide range of interviews that add illuminating context to the decades-old events. It gives much-needed attention to the abuse Bobbitt said she suffered at the hands of her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt. Executive produced by Jordan Peele, this well-researched series is well worth your attention.
In LulaRich, the directors of Hulu's Fyre Festival documentary explore the dark side of multi-level-marketing company, LuLaRoe. The four-part documentary series interviews founders DeAnne and Mark Stidham and paints a not-so-rosy picture of the women's clothing giant, which is known for its loudly-colored and patterned leggings and tops. In the doc, women who joined the company (investing a chunk of money in the process) dealt with stinky merchandise, a toxic culture and challenges reaching financial goals. Settle in for an intriguing and well-made docuseries that spotlights the stories of former LuLaRoe retailers.
Comedy
The Kids in the Hall (2022-)
Prime Video has resurrected The Kids in the Hall, the Emmy-nominated Canadian sketch comedy show that originally ran from 1988 to 1995. (By "resurrects," I mean the show literally exhumes members of the comedy troupe from a grave they were buried in at end of the original show. That's just the beginning of the fun.) Follow the comedians as they freak out over mislabeled desserts, fight over imaginary love interests and write Earth's last fax. But be warned: Some of these sketches are highly NSFW.
A '50s housewife who becomes a standup comic? This brilliant series from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, is filled with sparkling performances from Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein, with dialogue to match. Set in a vibrant and changing New York, our delightful heroine moonlights as a comedian, while doing her duties as an upper class Jewish American housewife. With impressive visuals, warmth and zingers, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the full package.
Seven strangers are assigned to the same community payback sentence in this appealing comedy thriller set in Bristol, England. The six-episode show is fun, dark and touching, offering an engaging look at its rule-breakers' backgrounds and the relationships that form between them. The plot thickens when some members of the group come across a bag of cash. If you need another draw, the show is co-created by Stephen Merchant, who co-created of the UK version of The Office.
This unique series uses the Rotoscoping animation technique to tell the story of a young woman who, after suffering a near-fatal car accident, discovers she can manipulate time. Intriguing, right? It gets better: Bob Odenkirk plays Alma's dead father, who enlists her help in investigating his murder. Bending both time and space, Undone is surreal and beautifully existential for those looking for deep material.
A sex scandal in the UK Parliament? Starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw? You can thank Russell T. Davies for dramatizing this slice of late-'70s British politics. Jeremy Thorpe, a Liberal member of Parliament, wants to silence unhappy ex-lover Norman before his career ends up in tatters. Watch the murder conspiracy, big trial and media scrutiny through A Very English Scandal's darkly funny lens.
If somehow the Fleabag train passed you by, it's time to let it hit you at its full, incredible force. Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars in the play-turned extraordinary comedy series. A 30-something woman who runs a cafe lives a sex-filled life with a sense of humor that hides the tragedies she hasn't yet come to terms with. Just about word-for-word perfect, with a fourth-wall breaking device, Fleabag frequently does its best to both shock and devastate you, while being ridiculously funny.
Going on a Katheryn Hahn binge after WandaVision? Marvel's new favorite witch starred in one season of this 2016 comedy with a memorable title. Her character's name is just as memorable: Chris Kraus, an artist and filmmaker who moves to Texas with her husband. She quickly falls in love with his fellowship sponsor, played by Kevin Bacon. Yes, Kevin Bacon is in this. The dynamic of her marriage shifts as her infatuation challenges everything in smart and provocative and adult ways. Sadly, I Love Dick didn't score a second season, but the first is well worth your time.
Featuring Carrie Fisher's final TV role, Catastrophe is a rom-com about messy, chaotic people. Londoner Sharon and Bostonian Rob have a one-week stand that results in an unplanned pregnancy and Rob moving to the UK so they can start a family. The tricky part: Sharon and Rob don't know the first thing about each other. Covering age, sex, parenthood, marriage and love in its open book, Catastrophe is a superb rom-com that gives you four seasons to devour.
Transparent's unique story follows the Pfefferman siblings who discover their dad is transitioning into a woman named Maura. Other aspects of the Pfeffermans' lives, including a sour marriage and a disappointing child, give this tightly scripted comedy-drama a relatable side. Poignant and ambitious, Transparent is a show to look out for.
A comedy-drama set in New York's classical music scene, Mozart in the Jungle is as whimsical as its title suggests. Upcoming oboist Hailey meets eccentric conductor Rodrigo, who's tasked with revitalizing the New York Symphony. Never losing you with jargon, Mozart in the Jungle charmingly reveals an edgier side to the world of strings, playing its own symphony of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
A coming-of-age story. College. '80s movie references. '80s music. Endearing characters. This gem of a show from a few years back is easy viewing in the best way possible. David Myers (Craig Roberts) is a college student who gets a gig at Red Oaks, a Jewish country club, in the summer of 1985. As he figures out where he's going in love and life, David meets eccentric, chaotic characters who provide plentiful laughs along with warranting your emotional investment. Put Red Oaks on your list of ultimate comfort viewing.
Thriller
Adapted from Lee Child's best selling Jack Reacher book series, Reacher's 10-episode first season packs a muscular punch. Jack, a brawny former US Army military policeman played by Alan Ritchson, arrives in a small town and is promptly arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Armed with killer strength and some solid detective skills, the protagonist eventually fends off an array of enemies while uncovering a criminal conspiracy. A treat for crime thriller fans and lovers of Child's novels.
While season 2 of Homecoming didn't quite find its feet, season 1 hit the ground running. Julia Roberts stars in this psychological thriller about an army rehabilitation facility run by questionable owners. Using an effective, mystery-building narrative that covers two timelines, Homecoming is high on tension and paranoia as it reveals what the facility's true purpose is. Fun fact: The series uses the actual scores of movies from Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and more.
The Man in the High Castle imagines an alternate history where the Axis powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo) win World War II. Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, the series follows characters in the '60s who live in a parallel universe, where Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan control the US. But there's impossible newsreel footage surfacing of a world where Germany and Japan lose the war, causing some to rebel. To really hammer home its dystopia credentials, The Man in the High Castle is steered by producer Ridley Scott. Fully realized and with a focused plot, this is gripping TV.
The premise of Hanna, a Joe Wright action thriller from 2011, is so good Amazon fleshed it out for a TV series. Starring Esme Creed-Miles as the skilled young assassin living in the Romanian wilderness, Hanna the TV show expands the teen's backstory and explains why the CIA's Marissa Wiegler has an obsession with capturing her.
Drama
A Very British Scandal (2022)
Unfurling over three hour-long episodes, A Very British Scandal dramatizes the highly publicized, real-life divorce between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in the 1960s. Starring Claire Foy, of Netflix's The Crown, and WandaVision's Paul Bettany, it depicts everything from the pair's first meeting to their appearances in court. Escape into this gripping retelling, which features committed performances from Foy and Bettany.
Amazon's first original young adult offering is an intriguing combination of Lost and the Breakfast Club -- and it works. Crucially, the cast of characters who find themselves stranded on a deserted island are all teenage girls. To them, that makes life even more excruciating. Each has a very different background -- from spoiled rich girl to Native American -- but they have to put aside their differences to survive, learning a thing or two about themselves on the way. Things get even more dark and thrilling when Rachel Griffiths' Gretchen Klein comes into the picture as the head of the secretive Dawn of Eve program.
A newer entry to Prime Video, As We See It earns a spot among its best shows. Starring three actors who identify as autistic, this sincere series follows young adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate jobs, making friends and finding love. Neurotypical actors usually play autistic characters on screen, so the casting sets this one apart. It's also heartfelt, funny and poignant, with well-rounded characters you'll want to root for. I could let the show's glowing Metacritic score speak for itself -- but whatever convinces you, this needs to be your next watch.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018)
This TV version of Picnic at Hanging Rock isn't quite a masterpiece like the 1975 film adaptation of the classic Australian novel. But it's just as mysterious, unfurling a dreamy yet eerie veil over a fictional disappearance in the isolated Australian bush. When three students and their governess go missing after a picnic at the rock area, hysteria sets into the community and the esteemed Appleyard College, led by Natalie Dormer's formidable headmistress. Dark secrets emerge, keeping you hanging on until the end.
Con man Marius walks free from jail, only to be hunted by the gangster he once robbed. So, he assumes the identity of his cell mate Pete and walks back into the lives of Pete's estranged family, who are none the wiser. Bryan Cranston brings all the gravitas to gangster Vince in this part-drama, party-comedy. The twists and dicey situations will carry you through the addictive episodes as quickly as Pete pulls his cons.
The Underground Railroad (2021-)
Sublime filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) takes on adapting Colson Whitehead's novel The Underground Railroad into a powerful 10-episode series. Set in the southern US during the 1800s, the fictional story follows Blacks attempting to escape from slavery via a network of hidden tracks and tunnels. Tapping magical realism and a superb cast including Thuso Mbedu and William Jackson Harper, The Underground Railroad is an emotional and chilling triumph.
This gripping British series is about, yes, an informer and the murky territory involved in coercing someone to take on the dangerous gig. Paddy Considine (who now has a gig on the Game of Thrones prequel) stars as DS Gabe Waters, a counterterrorism officer tasked with infiltrating a far-right movement in West Yorkshire. Partnered with an excellent Bel Powley (The Morning Show, The King of Staten Island) as the young and inquisitive DC Holly Morten, he attempts to bring British Pakistani Raza (Nabhaan Rizwan) on board to uncover information about a possible terrorist attack. A provocative thriller that will keep you on your toes.
