20 Best Action TV Shows to Stream Right Now
Find the best action TV shows to stream, from Reacher and Lioness to House of the Dragon, with 20 picks across crime, drama, comedy, and thriller.
If you want the best action TV shows to stream, this list makes it easy to find your next binge without sorting through endless menus. We’ve pulled together a mix of high-stakes crime, sharp comedy, sci-fi adventure, and full-throttle drama, so there’s something here whether you want danger, tension, or a little dark humor. Start with The Gentlemen, Reacher, and Lioness for fast-moving tension, then shift gears with House of the Dragon or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds when you want bigger worlds and bigger stakes. You’ll also find smart genre blends like Major Crimes and Tires, plus newer buzz titles such as The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin. The full page includes 20 picks, giving you plenty of options across action, comedy, crime, drama, and thriller.
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01
Lanterns
action & adventure · crime · drama · mystery & thriller · science-fiction
Two intergalactic cops, new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, are drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
Directed by James Hawes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Alik Sakharov, Stephen WilliamsCast Aaron Pierre, Kyle Chandler, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna JagannathanMax -
02
The Gentlemen
action · comedy · crime
When aristocratic Eddie inherits the family estate, he discovers that it's home to an enormous weed empire — and its proprietors aren't going anywhere.
Directed by Eran Creevy, Guy Ritchie, David Caffrey, Nima Nourizadeh, Nick RowlandCast Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Vinnie JonesNetflix -
03
Reacher
action · crime · drama · thriller
Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator, has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served.
Directed by Sam Hill, Omar Madha, Gary Fleder, Carol Banker, Julian HolmesCast Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Serinda SwanAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
04
Lioness
action · drama · thriller
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Directed by Michael Friedman, John Hillcoat, Stephen Kay, Anthony Byrne, Paul CameronCast Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica GarrettParamount Plus -
05
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin
action & adventure · drama · fantasy · science-fiction
Showcases a retelling of the Arthurian legend set in a Roman-occupied Britain where barbarian invaders threaten to lay claim to the island.
Directed by Jeremy Boreing, Ryan Whitaker, Jesse V. JohnsonCast Tom Sharp, Rose Reid, Alex Laurence-Phillips, Brett Cooper, Paul ClerkinAmazon Prime Video -
06
Fauda
action · crime · drama · thriller · war
A top Israeli agent comes out of retirement to hunt for a Palestinian militant he thought he'd killed, setting a chaotic chain of events into motion.
Directed by Rotem Shamir, Omri Givon, Assaf BernsteinCast Netta Garti, Lior Raz, Itzik Cohen, Yaakov Zada-Daniel, Doron Ben-DavidNetflix -
07
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
action · adventure · sci-fi
Follow Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
Directed by Chris Fisher, Dan Liu, Jordan Canning, Sydney Freeland, Maja VrviloCast Melissa Navia, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Rebecca RomijnParamount Plus -
08
Tires
action · comedy
At his father's auto shop, a hapless manager strives to improve customer service and drive profits while keeping his troublemaking cousin in line.
Directed by John McKeeverCast Shane Gillis, Steve Gerben, Chris O'Connor, Kilah Fox, Stavros HalkiasNetflix -
09
The Ghost in the Shell
animation · action · sci-fi
In the year 2029, Niihama City has become a technologically advanced metropolis. Due to great improvements in cybernetics, its citizens are able to replace their limbs with robotic parts.
Directed by Touma Kimura, Tooru Hasutani, Jun'ya IwakeCast Maaya Sakamoto, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Hiroki Yasumoto, Yûichi Nakamura, Tomoko KanedaAmazon Prime Video -
10
Paradise
action · drama · thriller
The tranquility in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world's most prominent individuals explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high stakes investigation unfolds.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Gandja Monteiro, Liza JohnsonCast Sterling K. Brown, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Julianne Nicholson, Aliyah MastinHulu -
11
Blue Ridge: The Series
action · crime · drama · mystery
Former Green Beret, Justin Wise, leaves his dangerous life to be near his ex-wife and young daughter. As sheriff of a small, sleepy town cut out of the Blue Ridge Mountains, his quiet life is soon disrupted as he tries to keep the mountain community safe from violence and corruption.
Directed by Gary Wheeler, Chris Dowling, Brent Christy, Gregory Alan Williams, Johnathon SchaechCast Johnathon Schaech, Sarah Lancaster, Taegen Burns, Greg Perrow, Avianna MynhierAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
12
Ride or Die
action · adventure · comedy
Best friends, Judith and Debbie, know everything about each other … well, almost everything. Judith has been living a double life that Debbie knows nothing about: she is a highly trained assassin. When a hit goes horribly wrong, Judith and Debbie must go on the run together and work to repair their broken friendship—all while being targeted by a mysterious enemy who wants them dead. And only together, can they solve this layered mystery.
Directed by Allison Liddi-Brown, DeMane Davis, Peyton Reed, Lauren WolksteinCast Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah SteynAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
13
House of the Dragon
action · adventure · drama · fantasy · romance
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
Directed by Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, Miguel Sapochnik, Greg Yaitanes, Loni PeristereCast Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Sonoya Mizuno, Kurt EgyiawanMax -
14
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
action · adventure · drama · fantasy
A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros: a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits await these improbable and incomparable friends.
Directed by Owen Harris, Sarah Adina Smith, Andrea HarkinCast Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Shaun Thomas, Danny WebbMax -
15
Spider-Noir
action · adventure · crime · drama · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
Ben Reilly, an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, is forced to grapple with his past life as the city's one and only superhero.
Directed by Harry Bradbeer, Alethea Jones, Nzingha Stewart, Greg YaitanesCast Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham PopoolaAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
16
Outer Banks
action · crime · drama · mystery · romance · thriller
A tight-knit group of teens unearths a long-buried secret, setting off a chain of illicit events that takes them on an adventure they'll never forget.
Directed by Jonas Pate, Valerie Weiss, Darnell Martin, Gonzalo Amat, Cherie NowlanCast Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, J.D., Drew StarkeyNetflix -
17
Justified
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller · western
A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." Leonard's tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father.
Directed by Adam Arkin, Jon Avnet, Peter Werner, Michael Dinner, John DahlCast Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica TazelHulu -
18
Battlestar Galactica
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
Directed by Michael Rymer, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Robert M. YoungCast Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia HelferParamount Plus -
19
The Walking Dead: Dead City
action · adventure · drama · horror · thriller
Maggie and Negan travel to post-apocalyptic Manhattan - long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made it a world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror.
Directed by Michael E. Satrazemis, Edward Ornelas, Kevin Dowling, Gandja Monteiro, Loren YaconelliCast Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Logan Kim, Gaius Charles, Zeljko IvanekNetflixAmazon Prime VideoAMC+ -
20
Person of Interest
action · crime · drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
John Reese, former CIA paramilitary operative, is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special training that Reese has had in Covert Operations and Finch's genius software inventing mind, the two are a perfect match for the job that they have to complete. With the help of surveillance equipment, they work "outside the law" and get the right criminal behind bars.
Directed by Chris Fisher, Richard J. Lewis, Frederick E.O. Toye, Jeffrey G. Hunt, Stephen SurjikCast Jim Caviezel, Kevin Chapman, Michael Emerson, Amy Acker, Taraji P. HensonAmazon Prime VideoPeacock Premium
Wrapping Up
With so many strong series available, this roundup saves you time and helps you zero in on the shows worth pressing play on first. Whether you’re here for crime-solving grit, military suspense, fantasy battles, or lighter genre twists, the picks here cover a wide range of moods and streaming tastes. Keep this page bookmarked so you can return whenever you need a fresh watchlist, because it’s updated regularly with new recommendations and current favorites. As more standout series arrive, the lineup will keep evolving to stay useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
How are these action shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the action titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.
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Last updated: September 11, 2026