There are those out there that say that the level of blood, gore, profanity and sex on our screens these days is a sign of decline in the nation's morality. But there are others that believe TV these days is great and we're lucky to live in a time of streaming services and getting the choice of what to watch and when to watch it.
No matter which side of the fence you fall on, there's no denying that The Boys is a great piece of modern TV that couldn't have been made in any other era. Oh, and that watching laser beams blow up peoples heads is entertaining.
But, what to do now that season 4 is finished? How will we fill the gap between now and our next adventure with Billy Butcher and the gang? Easy, get Prime Video back on and check out some of these great super-shows.
Gen V
The Boys has been a huge hit for Amazon. An unexpectedly adult take on the superhero genre based on a successful comic franchise, the show found its place in the market by being the most offensive, shocking show on TV at the time. It charts a world where superheroes are real and, despite their powers, have faults like normal people. It's also regularly pushed the boundaries on what you can get away with on TV.
Gen V is one of the spinoff shows and set in the same universe. However, it focuses this time on teenagers who, while at a college for those with powers, have to deal with the daily drama of growing up mixed with an overarching conspiracy, violence and the expectations put on them by a world that idolises "Supes".
Very much like The Boys, the show is largely outrageous and aims to offend as many people and as quickly as possible.
Although seen by many as a bit of a cash-in even, the show has proved to be very popular in its own right. It even grabbed itself a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and looks to be a major sideways step into an ever expanding The Boys universe.
Invicible
With the huge global success of The Walking Dead, its creator Robert Kirkman found himself in a position where every studio out there wanted to own pretty much anything he had written and any franchise he had options for.
That included his coming of age comic book series, Invincible. It has always been a huge fan favourite and in 2021, Prime Video paid an undisclosed (but we can only imagine huge) amount of money to buy the rights and bring it to the small screen.
And honestly, the streaming service has done a great job of it!
The son of Earth's most powerful superhero is about to become something greater than himself: something bold, something universal, something – invincible. From the comics to the screen, Invincible follows Mark Grayson's journey to become Earth's next great defender after his father, Nolan Grayson – also known as Omni-Man – decides to follow through on a mission to enslave the planet and generally be unpleasant.
Invincible tells a fantastic story of family relationships, teenage angst and responsibility, all wrapped up in a hyper-gory animated series. Heroes can die, people have flaws, the good guys don't always win and life can be unfair.
It's a really cool superhero show that, like the comic books, is happy to push the envelope and offend when it needs to… very much like The Boys.
Gotham
Are you at home now crying out for a 100-episode, gritty retelling of the Batman origin story? If so, 2014’s Gotham has you covered.. Kind of.
A Batman show that had no intention of ever including an actual Batman was always going to be a hard sell to networks, but Gotham has proved to be a constantly popular and evolving show that combines great storytelling with a splendid central cast.
The show has us following the character of Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he navigates the underworld of Gotham City, tries to solve the double murder of the Waynes, and fights corruption, all the while surrounded by a crowd of developing super villains. It's a lot of fun yet also carries enough weight in the drama department to keep your attention through the five seasons.
Never giving in to pressure to bring the caped crusader into the show, Gotham is a fantastic example of easily binge-able television. A perfect origin add-on to the movies as well as being strong enough to be watched on its own.
