19 best shows on Amazon Prime Video streaming free right now

Need a new binge?

We’ve looked through Amazon’s catalog for the best shows included with a Prime membership. So whether you’re searching for a snappy comedy, a historical adventure, an emotional medical drama, or off-beat muppets, we have got you covered.

In no particular order, here are the 19 best shows on Amazon Prime Video that you should be streaming right now.

1. Upload

Upload
Credit: Amazon Studios, Prime Video / Katie Yu

Step aside, Space Force. Greg Daniels’s other new comedy is getting the good reviews.

Upload fast-forwards to the year 2033, when computer programmer Nathan decides to transport to a virtual afterlife. Though his new Lake View home boasts many thrills, he soon discovers that there’s a dark side to his arrival. It’s not The Good Place, but Upload’s take on the afterlife comedy is nonetheless fresh.

Where to watch: Upload is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Credit: James Sorenson / 20th Century Fox TV / Kobal / Shutterstock

Just because it’s not spooky season doesn’t mean you have to stop streaming spooky shows. The best one to fit the bill is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Though teenage Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wishes for a normal life, she is forced to fight against the darkest forces of the world. This, thankfully, gives us 144 episodes of feminist supernatural excitement.

Where to watch: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Credit: Amazon

Midge is supposed to be the perfect 1950s housewife. That’s why she finds a way to care for her kids, keep the house in order, and begin a dazzling career as a stand-up comedian.

While Midge might have to deal with setbacks, including a cheating husband and a drunken arrest, this won’t stop her from climbing the ladder of the New York City comedy scene.

The fashion! The one-liners! The cute beaus!

Where to watch: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Mr. Robot
Credit: David Giesbrecht / Universal Cable Company / Kobal / Shutterstock

By day, Elliot Alderson works as a cybersecurity programmer. By night, he’s a hacker who hopes to bring down his company’s main client under the guidance of the mysterious Mr. Robot.

Dark and suspenseful, Mr. Robot is just as intriguing as it is relevant. It also served as Rami Malek’s breakout role, which means watching the drama-thriller will allow you to witness his rise into the spotlight.

Where to watch: Mr. Robot is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

5. Jim Henson’s The Storyteller

Though best-known for the manic Muppets and their silly shenanigans, Jim Henson also employed puppetry to explore the darker corners of fantasy. In this limited series, Henson reimagined European folk tales with his Muppets in mind. Plastered in prosthetics that made him vaguely cartoonish, English actor John Hurt starred as the Storyteller, whose enchanting tones would unfurl a new tale each week. Some were sweet. Some were scary. All are worth a revisit.

If you’re craving more of this heady blend of live-action and magical muppetry, follow The Storyteller up with its spinoff: The Storyteller: Greek Myths. With Michael Gambon in the fireside role of the titular teller, this series dives into the mythology of gorgons and minotaurs and more. And it’s also streaming on Prime Video. —Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor

Where to watch: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

6. The Fosters

The Fosters
Credit: Blazing Elm / Nitelite / Nuyorican Prods / Prodco / Kobal / Shutterstock

If you’ve been meaning to watch this Freeform family drama, now is your chance. All five seasons have landed on Prime Video.

The Fosters has officer Stef and vice-principal Lena standing by each other’s sides as together, they raise a blended family in San Diego. It’s soapy, it’s sympathetic, and it’s wholly heartwarming.

Where to watch: The Fosters is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

7. Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey
Credit: PBS

If you haven’t yet met the Crawley family and their servants, now’s the time to take a trip to their Yorkshire estate.

This historical drama explores the social hierarchy in England during the post-Edwardian era. While life is complicated at Downton Abbey, it’s just as tense outside of it as major historical events play out.

With another Downton Abbey movie coming our way, it might be smart to revisit the original series first.

Where to watch: Downton Abbey is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

8. Fleabag

Fleabag
Credit: Amazon / Steve Schofeld

In Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge stars as a spirited, sexually adventurous woman from London who tries to figure out her life after the death of her best friend.

Thanks to its originality, fourth-wall-breaking, dark humor, and relatable themes, the comedy-drama has walked away with several awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes.

Fleabag is also a super-fast binge. Two seasons, each with only a handful of episodes, means you’ll knock the whole thing out in one great weekend.

Where to watch: Fleabag is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

9. Jack Ryan

Jack Ryan
Credit: Amazon / Jan Thijs

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan received a new screen adaption in 2018. While Alec Baldwin, Harrison, Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine had taken on the titular Marine vet in the past, this version features The Office‘s John Krasinski.

The Amazon Original has Ryan leave his CIA financial analyst desk job behind to run into the field, where he hopes to end the schemes of a terrorist.

Pushing an everyman hero into an action-packed environment, Jack Ryan knows how to raise the stakes while keeping its lead relatable. Well, relatable in a Jim Halpert is Real Hot now kind of way.

Where to watch: Jack Ryan is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

10. Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek
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Star Trek might have exploded into a massive franchise today, but it all started with this three-season sci-fi series in the ‘60s.

Star Trek: The Original Series has Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer Spock, and Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy exploring the Milky Way during a five-year mission on the Enterprise a few hundred years in the future.

The show’s complex plot and unique character interactions helped define the sci-fi landscape. It continues to influence its genre today.

Where to watch: Star Trek: The Original Series is now streaming on Amazon Prime through a Paramount+ free trial.

11. Grimm

Grimm
Credit: GK Prods / Hazy Mills / Universal TV / Kobal / Shutterstock

Though Grimm got off to a shaky start, the supernatural fantasy redeemed itself by Season 2 and secured a passionate fanbase thereafter.

Grimm centers on Portland Homicide detective Nick, who is tasked with keeping the peace between the mythological Wesen and the human race. Think a horror-themed Once Upon a Time with the happy endings traded for terrifying suspense.

Where to watch: Grimm is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

12. The Boys

‘The Boys’ Season 1
Credit: Jan Thijs

A super Season 1 and an even better Season 2? Yup, that’ll do.

The Boys follows a group of vigilantes who try to take down a bunch of heroes who aren’t all that heroic. Though it’s filled with thrills comparable to that of a Marvel blockbuster, it’s much heavier and more thoughtful as it parodies the feel-good superhero genre.

Where to watch: The Boys is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

An animated superhero show that doesn’t pull any punches, Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson, son of Omni-Man, the world’s mightiest hero. Mark hones his own powers over the course of the series and discovers that his father might not be all that he seems.

Invincible is a thrilling adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comic series. It’s intense and violent and not afraid to shy away from examining the repercussions of being a superhero. The dark side of being a superhero isn’t exactly a new theme, but Invincible plumbs new emotional depths and sets itself up for a bombastic second season. Plus, it’s got a killer cast. What’s not to love? —Belen Edwards, Entertainment Fellow

Where to watch: Invincible is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

14. Vikings

Vikings
Credit: Irish Film Board / Kobal / Shutterstock

This historical drama has Norse farmer Ragnar Lothbrok rising up from his humble beginning to become the leader of the Vikings. While the show serves up heaping amounts of gore and tension, it’s also loaded with drama, adventure, and resilience. Seasons 1 through 6 are available for your binge-watching needs.

Where to watch: Vikings is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

15. Poldark

Poldark
Credit: PBS

Based on the books by English novelist Winston Graham, Poldark has the titular captain returning to his Cornwall home after fighting in the American Revolutionary War. Though Poldark hopes for a peaceful homecoming, he quickly learns that his father has passed, his estate has been destroyed, and his former love is betrothed to someone else. Poldark begins to put the pieces of his life back together as he finds new love, starts a business, and faces foes. Exciting and emotional, this one will please fans of British historical dramas who have already seen Pride & Prejudice too many times.

Where to watch: Poldark is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

16. House

Dr. House
Credit: Fox TV / Kobal / Shutterstock

House has the cynical head doctor of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital leading his patients through his unconventional practices. Though Dr. Gregory House is smart, his frequent disagreements with the diagnostics team cause tension to bubble.

The best part of this pick (in addition to the engrossing script and skilled actors, including the always-excellent Hugh Laurie) is that you’ll have a full eight seasons to get through. This one will keep you occupied for a long time.

Where to watch: House is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

17. Psych

Psych
Credit: USA TV / Kobal / Shutterstock

Did you catch the Psych 2 movie released on Peacock? Do you want to go back and watch the show? Cool! This is where you can catch it.

Psych has an amateur sleuth (James Roday) faking supernatural psychic abilities to con his way to power. Of course, he drags his best friend (Dulé Hill) along for the journey and works through a ton of hilarious scenarios in the process.

Where to watch: Psych is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

18. Suits

Suits
Credit: Frank Ockenfels / Dutch Oven / Kobal / Shutterstock

Suits catches up with college dropout Mike Ross after he begins a law career in New York City despite being unqualified to do so. Though he successfully closes cases alongside lawyer Harvey Specter, he must keep his history tightly under wraps.

The legal drama features well-crafted characters and clever storylines. It’s also fun to watch a pre-royals Meghan Markle star as a senior paralegal.

Where to watch: Suits is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

19. Undone

Undone on Amazon Prime
Credit: Amazon Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock

If you’re looking for something both weighty and stylistic, you might want to turn to Undone.

The comedy-drama follows a woman’s ability to twist time after a car crash and the effect it has on her relationship with her late father.

The story features visuals created through Rotoscoping (when animators draw over live-action footage) that help present its themes of self-examination in an imaginative light. Bonus! If Undone becomes one of your new favorites, you’ll be glad to know Season 2 is coming soon.

Where to watch: Undone is now streaming on Amazon Prime.