Yahoo Lifestyle 24 Of The Best TV Shows To Stream On Amazon Prime Video In December
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1.Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005—2012)*
The late best-selling author, chef, and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018, left behind a tremendous legacy. Crucially, he showed us how food could be used as an entry point into understanding the world around us — the basis for this long-running Travel Channel classic.
Across eight seasons of his hit Emmy-nominated show, now streaming on Prime Video for December, we are able to remember his unique approach to storytelling through food — from a boozy trip to the Greek islands, to hanging with Jim Harrison in Montana, to a Fellini-esque black-and-white trip to Rome.
Watch it on Prime Video.
2.As We See It (2022)
This Jason Katim (Friday Night Lights and Parenthood) dramedy series, canceled after just eight half-hour episodes, was a critical darling that followed twentysomething roommates on the autism spectrum and highlighted the importance of employing Neurodiverse actors and Neurodiverse crew members to tell these types of stories (as was done here).
Sue Ann Pien, who plays Violet in the series and identifies as a person on the spectrum, was an undeniable standout — earning nominations at both the Gothams and Indie Spirits for her work.
Watch it on Prime Video.
3.The Boys (2019—)
Now four seasons in, The Boys feels like a full-blown hit for Amazon. The Emmy-winning series, recognized for its writing, original music, sound editing, visual effects, and stunt coordination, offers a darkly comedic spin on the paint-by-numbers superhero narrative.
Though, you've been warned: This comic book adaptation from the team behind Preacher is packed with more gore than just about any show on TV right now. (Variety said it makes Game of Thrones look like My Little Pony.)
Watch it on Prime Video.
4.Catastrophe (2015—2019)
Regarded as one of the best sitcoms to ever hit streaming, Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan's four-season journey of an unplanned pregnancy is a breath of fresh air in its honest depiction of 40 year-olds who can't seem to land on their feet.
Its signature snappy dialogue and loose, meandering structure has no doubt inspired a whole slew of truth-telling screwball comedies in the decade since. Notably, the series also features Carrie Fisher as Delaney's mom in one of her very last on-screen performances. (She received a posthumous Primetime Emmy nomination for her work.)
Watch it on Prime Video.
5.Daisy Jones & the Six (2023)
This story of a '70s rock band, adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid's popular novel of the same name, has stirred up some very strong reactions — unsurprising given fictional band draws heavy inspiration from Fleetwood Mac.
Through a docu-style framing device, we watch the rise and fall of Daisy Jones & the Six — helmed by Emmy-nominated Riley Keough — as well as hear a career-spanning collection of catchy original tunes performed by the group.
As you can imagine, the success of the show hinges on the believability of these tunes as "chart-toppers," and thankfully — with the help of Phoebe Bridgers, Blake Mills, Jackson Browne, and Marcus Mumford, who helped shape the tracks — it's not hard to imagine a world in which Daisy Jones & the Six is selling out massive stadiums.
Watch it on Prime Video.
6.Dead Ringers (2023)
Cited by many as one of the best shows of 2023, this inventive and kooky gender-flipped adaptation of Cronenberg's cult favorite stars Rachel Weisz playing not one, but two, roles as twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle.
The series is worth a watch just for Weisz's towering performance(s), but its commentary on reproductive freedom and fertility also demands to be heard in our post-Roe v. Wade moment.
Watch it on Prime Video.
7.Expats (2024)
The way you know we've reached Peak TV? There's a Nicole Kidman-led limited series that no one is watching.
Based on Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel "The Expatriates," Expats features the Oscar-winning actor as one of three wealthy Americans living in Hong Kong. The series has been praised for its cinematic quality — no surprise here, it was directed by The Farewell's Lulu Wang — and even features a standout episode that clocks in at 96 minutes.
Just don't expect an easy sit; Wang cited Lynne Ramsay's We Need To Talk About Kevin as an influence on the themes of grief and motherhood here... if that gives you a sense of what you're walking into.
Watch it on Prime Video.
8.Fallout (2024)
Nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and topping countless year-end lists, Fallout has proven that video-game adaptations are here to stay — especially post-apocalyptic ones. This original spin on the popular game has managed to please fans familiar with the IP, as well as reach those well outside diehard gaming circles.
Fallout was one of the most surprising TV snubs on Golden Globe nomination morning; Performances from Ella Purnell as Lucy and Walton Goggins as Ghoul (not to mention, the show as a whole). Goggins received a Primetime Emmy nomination for his work.
Watch it on Prime Video.
9.Fleabag (2016—2019)
No Amazon show feels quite as influential as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag, the series adapted from the award-winning one-woman show of the same name. Across just 12 short episodes, the acerbic-witted multi-hyphenate was able to give us "hot priest" (and the rise of Andrew Scott), a new way of using fourth-wall-breaking, and, ultimately, this haircut scene.
Not enough credit is given to showrunners like Waller-Bridge who know when it's time to walk away from a show — especially while it's at the height of its critical and commercial success. The reward of this artistic confidence? Well, booking a role in the Star Wars franchise. But also: what will certainly be regarded as one of the best TV show endings for years and years to come.
Watch it on Prime Video.
10.High School (2022)
Canceled after just one season, this coming-of-age series based on Tegan and Sara's best-selling memoir was a critical favorite that never quite reached the audience that it needed to stick around.
Don't let that stop you from revisiting this eight-episode Freevee Original, which features the TikTok twins Railey and Seazynn Gilliland playing Tegan and Sara, and is now available ad-free on Prime Video.
Watch it on Prime Video.
11.I'm a Virgo (2023)
Boots Riley made waves back in 2018 with his satirical film Sorry To Bother You, the story of a telemarketer (LaKeith Stanfield) realizing that he could get much further at his telemarketing job by passing as white.
Riley's TV followup, I'm a Virgo, is also packed with big ideas and strokes of surrealist genius. In it, our Oakland-based teen protagonist named Cootie (Moonlight's Jharrel Jerome) grapples with being (literally) 13 feet tall — a biting commentary, we come to see over the course of seven episodes, on the way society perceives Black youth.
If you're starting to feel like all the current prestige television on offering feels formulaic or simply lacks imagination, you'll want to stream Virgo, which is unlike anything you've ever seen.
Watch it on Prime Video.
12.Invincible (2021—)
So, I've already gone on record saying that The Boys is a great answer to all of the stale superhero shows right now. But might I add another? Touted as "far and away the best superhero show on TV," Invincible, the adult-animation series now entering its third season, follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) whose father is Omni-Man (voiced by J.K. Simmons), the most powerful superhero on the planet.
And don't worry — the list of talent doesn't end there. There are... a lot of superheroes cycling in and out of this series. Look out (or, listen closely) for appearances from Sandra Oh, Mahershala Ali, Jon Hamm, Zazie Beetz, Gillian Jacobs, among many, many others.
Watch it on Prime Video.
13.Jury Duty (2023)
The most successful Original to come out of the now-shuttered Freevee streaming service was, without question, Jury Duty. This hilarious fake trial mockumentary, which scored an Emmy nomination for James Marsden (plus Outstanding Comedy Series), was a word-of-mouth sensation and launched the acting career of Ronald Gladden — the lone non-actor among the juror who was unaware of the elaborate hoax.
Gladden had no TV aspirations prior to stumbling into this series, and has since signed an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios to produce, develop, and star in a variety of content. Thankfully, the series didn't disappear with the shutdown of the ad-supported streaming service — it's now available to stream on Prime Video.
Watch it on Prime Video.
14.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022—)
Amazon really splashed out with this one. The Rings of Power, the streamer's biggest-budget production to date — which still has the potential to become the most expensive show of all time — is certainly worth a watch just for the production design alone.
The series' first season wound up with seven Primetime Emmy nominations, while its second season, which just concluded in October, is destined to show up in next year's race.
Watch it on Prime Video.
15.The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017—2023)
Nothing has ever made for better comfort TV-viewing than the story of a woman ruining her entire life in the pursuit of becoming a standup comedian.
Amy Sherman-Palladino, who you'll know from Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, and wearing hats, has a real knack for creating eccentric fast-talking characters and that's exactly what she was able to deliver for five seasons of Maisel.
The awards juggernaut landed trophies for many of its actors — including Rachel Brosnahan (the lovably cringey Midge Maisel) — and became the first-ever steaming series to win in the Comedy category at the Emmys.
Watch it on Prime Video.
16.Mozart in the Jungle (2014—2018)
On the heels of Amazon's critical success with Transparent came this Gael García Bernal-led series about the world of classical music that couldn't have been more different in tone.
Based on a 2005 book by the oboist Blair Tindall, and created by an unlikely team (Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz), Jungle dabbles in magical realism to tell the story of a new conductor of a prominent New York orchestra. The highly bingeable hidden gem ran for four seasons and had a strong 2016 at the Globes, securing a win for Television Series - Comedy or Musical and for its lead performance by Bernal.
Watch it on Prime Video.
17.Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024—)
This Donald Glover and Maya Erskine two-hander, a reimagining of the mid-aughts blockbuster film, has been on an awards tear. Most recently, it scored three nominations at the Golden Globes, including for its two leads and Best Television Series - Drama. This is hot on the heels of 16 nominations (and two wins) at the Primetime Emmys.
Its impressive stunt work, fresh writing, and chemistry between Glover and Erskine have been called out again and again. But it's the show's deep bench of guest stars — Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey, Michaela Coel, Paul Dano, and John Turturro, to name a few — that really elevates this series to must-watch territory.
It makes sense that buzzy actors are clamoring to be part of its sophomore season. Anora's breakout star Mark Eydelshteyn, it was recently announced, will officially be boarding its upcoming season. Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl about Billie Eilish.
Watch it on Prime Video.
18.My Lady Jane
Into Tudor dramas like The Great that offer ahistorical, feminist retellings? Then this one might just be for you. My Lady Jane, Prime Video's fantasy drama that premiered earlier this year and received wide critical acclaim, was canceled after just one season, so — glass half full — you'll have no problem finishing this one in a single sitting.
The series was based on the 2016 YA novel of the same by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows.
Watch it on Prime Video.
19.Nip/Tuck (2003—2010)*
Menendez Brothers this, Capote that. Why not treat yourself to a deeper Ryan Murphy cut with these seven newly added seasons of Nip/Tuck? Before he was considered "the most powerful man in TV," the prolific showrunner gave us this juicy FX medical drama centering on one very busy plastic-surgery office and its docs Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).
With all the signature Murphyisms here — crime, thrills, hot people — you certainly don't have to worry about getting bored.
Watch it on Prime Video.
20.One Mississippi
Comedian Tig Notaro's harrowing life story has now been well documented across several mediums (her memoir, "I'm Just a Person," the legendary "Live" live album at Largo, and the This American Life episode "What Doesn't Kill You, for starters). But it's this darkly comedic series that aired for two seasons on Amazon that really managed to find new emotional weight in Notaro's story of breaking up with her girlfriend, losing her mom, and getting diagnosed with cancer.
Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult) co-created the show and Nicole Holofcener (You Hurt My Feelings, Enough Said) served as Executive Producer and writer — a winning formula right there.
Watch it on Prime Video.
21.Reacher (2022—)
Reacher was the first-ever Amazon series to top the streaming charts, and S2 was the most-watched title on the platform. So, what is the secret sauce? An enormous, fearless, cheeseburger-gobbling protagonist (played by Alan Ritchson) who is a former Army investigator turned crime-solver, of course!
Some will call it "Dad TV," others will remind you that women, too, want what Reacher's got. Whatever you see, or don't see, in Jack Reacher, you can't argue with the viewership numbers. People are entertained by this man.
Watch it on Prime Video.
22.Swarm (2023)
Donald Glover's second mention on this list is this canceled-after-one-season horror-comedy series, which he created with Janine Nabers (writer/co-executive producer on Atlanta). Most will remember Swarm as the show that was loosely based on Beyoncé and her rabid fanbase (BeyHive). In it, Dre (Dominique Fishback), seeks violent revenge on those who don't properly worship at the altar of her favorite pop star named Ni'Jah.
Fishback, who was previously best known for her work in HBO's The Deuce, is undeniable in the series. She earned an Emmy nomination in the Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for her work.
Watch it on Prime Video.
23.Transparent (2014—2019)
Transparent was one of the first serious award contenders to really put Amazon's streaming service on the map for prestige television — and revisiting the series in 2024, it's not hard to see how it was able to become such a cultural phenomenon.
In Joe Soloway's warm, and at turns raunchy, comedy series, a dysfunctional Jewish family tries to make sense of their lives in the wake of their father coming out as trans. It is one of the most impressive ensemble casts in recent television memory, giving us some career-best work from Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Judith Light, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, and Gabby Hoffman. Minor roles from Melora Hardin, Bradley Whitford, and Anjelica Huston are also simply unforgettable.
The series won eight primetime Emmys, including twice for both Soloway and Tambor.
Watch it on Prime Video.
24.The Underground Railroad (2021)
With Nickel Boys gaining major Oscar momentum, it's a great time to revisit Colson Whitehead's *other* much-celebrated screen adaptation from 2021. In Moonlight director Barry Jenkins's hands, The Underground Railroad becomes an artfully rendered — and urgent — story of America's dark history.
Just don't expect to breeze through all 10 episodes in one sitting. Many will tell you that each dense, gut-wrenching episode deserves room to breathe as its own film.
The anthology series picked up seven Primetime Emmy nominations — including for Jenkins's directing.
Watch it on Prime Video.
All these movies and more could be yours to watch for $8.99 per month when you subscribe to Prime Video, or you can sign up for Amazon Prime for $14.99 per month. Not so sure about a big commitment to a new streaming service? You can try out Prime Video free for 30 days (for new subscribers only).
* denotes title, or episodes, have been newly added for December
Open date ranges denote title is mid-season or has been officially greenlit for another season.
