20 Best TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video 2026
Find the best Prime Video picks for action, crime, drama, thriller, and sci-fi, from Reacher to Gilmore Girls, with 20 titles to stream now.
Trying to decide what to stream next on Prime can feel harder than it should, especially with so many new and returning series in the mix. This guide cuts through the noise with a handpicked set of 20 titles that lean into action, crime, drama, thriller, and sci-fi. If you want sharp pacing and big momentum, Reacher and Dark Matter are easy places to start, while The Edge of Sleep brings a tense, offbeat survival story. Fans of fantasy-leaning adventure can keep an eye on The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin and Sterling Point, both arriving in 2026, alongside Ride or Die for a fresh adrenaline hit. There is also room for comfort viewing and long-run fandom favorites like Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, so you can match your mood without digging through endless menus.
-
01
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 -
02
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 -
03
Dark Matter
drama · sci-fi · thriller
Jason Dessen is abducted into an alternate version of his life. To get back to his true family, he embarks on a harrowing journey to save them from the most terrifying foe imaginable: himself.
Directed by Alik Sakharov, Jakob Verbruggen, Roxann Dawson, Logan George, Celine HeldCast Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo OkeniyiAmazon Prime VideoApple TV Plus -
04
The Paper
comedy
A documentary crew searching for a new subject finds a dying Midwestern newspaper and its publisher's efforts to revive it using volunteer reporters.
Directed by Jeffrey Blitz, Jennifer Celotta, Tazbah Chavez, Greg Daniels, Yana GorskayaCast Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola IkumeloAmazon Prime VideoPeacock Premium -
05
Sterling Point
drama · mystery & thriller
Annie along with her twin brother were raised in New York by their single dad before they find out that their estranged grandfather left them an island on a lake in his will.
Directed by Megan Park, Andrew Ahn, Aurora GuerreroCast Ella Rubin, Amélie Hoeferle, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Bo Bragason, Keen RuffaloAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
06
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 -
07
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 -
08
Gilmore Girls
comedy · drama
Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.
Directed by Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Chris Long, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny OrtegaCast Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Scott Patterson, Yanic TruesdaleAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
09
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 -
10
MobLand
crime · drama
Two mob families clash in a war that threatens to topple empires and lives.
Directed by Lawrence Gough, Guy Ritchie, Anthony Byrne, Daniel Syrkin, Zetna FuentesCast Paddy Considine, Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Joanne Froggatt, Lara PulverAmazon Prime VideoParamount Plus -
11
Line of Duty
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A drama about the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit.
Directed by John Strickland, Jennie Darnell, Douglas Mackinnon, Daniel Nettheim, Jed MercurioCast Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar, Craig Parkinson, Gregory PiperAmazon Prime VideoPeacock PremiumFreevee -
12
Supernatural
drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · thriller
When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America ... and he taught them how to kill it. Now, the Winchester brothers crisscross the country in their '67 Chevy Impala, battling every kind of supernatural threat they encounter along the way.
Directed by Robert Singer, Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Thomas J. Wright, Kim MannersCast Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Jim BeaverAmazon Prime VideoPeacock Premium -
13
Over the Garden Wall
animation · short · adventure · comedy · drama · family · fantasy · horror · mystery
Two brothers, Wirt and Greg, find themselves lost in the Unknown; a strange forest adrift in time. With the help of a wise old Woodsman and a foul-tempered bluebird named Beatrice, Wirt and Greg must travel across this strange land, in hope of finding their way home. Join them as they encounter surprises and obstacles on their journey through the wood.
Directed by Nate CashCast Elijah Wood, Collin Dean, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Lloyd, Samuel RameyAmazon Prime VideoHulu -
14
Lonesome Dove
adventure · drama · western
A pair of longtime friends and former Texas Rangers crave one last adventure before hanging-up their spurs. After stealing over a thousand head of cattle from rustlers south of the border, they recruit an unlikely crew of hands to drive the herd 3,000 miles north to the grasslands of Montana.
Directed by Simon WincerCast Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert UrichAmazon Prime VideoPeacock Premium -
15
The Marlow Murder Club
crime · drama · mystery & thriller
Retired archaeologist and crossword setter Judith Potts believes that a brutal murder has taken place in the sleepy town of Marlow; when the police refuse to believe her story, she kicks off a private investigation with two unlikely friends.
Directed by Steve Barron, Katherine ChurcherCast Phill Langhorne, Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan, Natalie DewAmazon Prime Video -
16
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 -
17
The Expanse
drama · mystery · sci-fi
A thriller set two hundred years in the future following the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship's captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.
Directed by Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, Terry McDonough, Robert Lieberman, Kenneth FinkCast Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cas AnvarAmazon Prime Video -
18
The Chosen
drama · history
The life of Christ through the eyes of those who encountered him.
Directed by Dallas JenkinsCast Elizabeth Tabish, George H. Xanthis, Shahar Isaac, Jonathan Roumie, Paras PatelAmazon Prime Video -
19
Friday Night Lights
drama · sport
The trials and triumphs of life in the small town of Dillon, Texas, where high school football is everything.
Directed by Jeffrey Reiner, Michael Waxman, Allison Liddi-Brown, Patrick R. Norris, David BoydCast Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Brad Leland, Taylor KitschAmazon Prime VideoParamount Plus -
20
Alone
documentary · game-show · reality-tv
Hardcore survivalists are put by themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness, without camera crews, teams, or producers – on a single mission to stay alive for as long as possible.
Directed by Jeff KayCast Dan, Kiran, Kevin BurkhardtNetflixAmazon Prime VideoHulu
Wrapping Up
Whether you want a fast-moving mystery, a character-driven drama, or a sci-fi story that keeps raising the stakes, Prime Video has plenty worth adding to your watchlist. The mix of newer releases and familiar favorites makes this page useful whether you are starting fresh or circling back for your next binge. Bookmark it and return when you need a quick streaming reset, since the recommendations are updated regularly to reflect the latest additions. If you are comparing options tonight, this is an easy place to narrow things down and pick something that fits your mood.
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.
Do I need a Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Amazon Prime Video. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
Related Guides
Last updated: September 11, 2026