For streaming services in a competitive market, original content is often the only way to stand out. What would Netflix be without Stranger Things? For a service like Amazon Prime Video, it's crucial that they have a long list of great movies and shows that people can't get anywhere else. Some of those shows stand above the pack.
If nothing else, Amazon's streaming content usually fares pretty well with the critics. If one were to stumble onto a new show on the service, there's a good chance that it's a well-received critical darling that seemingly no one else has ever heard of. The top five are all perfect 100% scores on the Rotten Tomatoes scale.
Phat Tuesdays
The first of Amazon's big hits is a three-part docuseries about the weekly Phat Tuesday showcase at the legendary Comedy Store in Los Angeles. The series depicts the event's gradual effect on the world of stand-up comedy. Black comedians were rarely if ever allowed to perform on the stage that frequently featured the best-received white performers of the era. Phat Tuesdays were more than the venue that launched many huge talents, it may have also been the institution that helped to desegregate standup. This show combines archival footage of many of the best comedians of the 90s and interviews with plenty of current stars like Snoop Dogg who remember the era. Through the lens of a well-made documentary, Phat Tuesdays put a simple weekly standup event into the context of American race relationships and demonstrates its impact. On top of all that, it also manages to be one of the funniest shows on the service.
The Kids in the Hall
Another retrospective on comedy, though this one has far fewer serious implications. Dave Foley and his merry band of Canadian sketch comedy performers assembled in 1984 and ran their celebrated TV series from 1989 to 1995. The following year, they released their one and only feature film Brain Candy. The Kids in the Hall went their separate ways for a while, appearing in various film and TV projects and only coming together for the occasional special event. In 2010, they came together for Death Comes to Town, an eight-part miniseries for Canadian TV. Finally, after much fan outcry, the Kids in the Hall returned for a long-awaited encore. Their return to the show that made them famous was everything fans wanted. Classic bits, new favorites, and the classic absurdism that made their show work in the 90s. It's back and better than ever.
The Devil's Hour
This slow-burning mystery thriller keeps the viewer guessing for its first third. It takes the entirety of the first two episodes for the average viewer to figure out exactly what kind of show The Devil's Hour is. The show stars Jessica Raine as Lucy, a young lady who struggles with several personal issues and chronic insomnia. She wakes in a panic every night to experience terrible visions between 3 and 4 AM. Young Benjamin Chivers portrays Lucy's 8-year-old son, who has a strong claim to the title of the creepiest on-screen kid in modern memory. Lucy discovers that her home is haunted by something or someone and as a string of gruesome murders seems to surround her, she's dragged into a dangerous hunt. Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has a stellar turn in this haunting drama. It takes a while to get where it's going, but it's an excellent atmospheric journey the whole way through.
Riches
Everyone who talks about this show has mentioned HBO's Succession and the comparison isn't unfair. In many ways, it's the equal and opposite of Jesse Armstrong's hit series. Riches follows the Richards family, who runs the well-regarded Flair & Glory cosmetics company. When patriarch Stephen Richards passes away, the struggle for power and prestige begins. Interestingly, Riches isn't as interested in satirizing the rampant corruption present in capitalism. The show depicts its wealthy protagonists with much more pride, even when they're behaving badly. It's intelligent, dramatic, and gripping. It's about legacy and pride. It's not as angry or as sharp as Succession, but it appeals in a different way.
Pantheon
Animated series don't typically earn the same level of critical reception as their live-action competition, but this sophisticated sci-fi series breaks the mold in many ways. With Katie Chang, Daniel Dae Kim, and Paul Dano in key voice roles and Titmouse, Inc. of Legend of Vox Machina fame, Pantheon has a ton of talent behind it. The series follows Maddie, who lost her father after a disastrous experiment gone wrong. When her father's uploaded consciousness reaches out, it raises questions about the future of death and the morality of technology. Simultaneously, a young man named Caspian discovers that his entire life has been a lie. Both Maddie and Caspian are dragged into the battle against a vicious tech company, a battle that threatens to become a new kind of world war. It's a shockingly intelligent sci-fi series that tackles complex questions while looking incredible. Pantheon is a deeply impressive show and the only problem with it is that not enough people have seen it.