The selection of TV series on Prime Video, including originals, library titles and international acquisitions, can be a bit dizzying. If you’re looking for a new show to watch and aren’t just going for the latest release that pops up at the top of your app, the options may prove to be too much to handle. It’s always helpful, then, to turn to critics, the people who watch TV for a living, to offer a bit of guidance.
Among critically acclaimed series, it’s even rarer for a show to receive a full 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating universal approval from every critic featured. That’s the case with these five shows streaming on Prime Video, including comedy, drama, animation and sci-fi, all with the highest stamp of critical approval.
'Fleabag'
Phoebe Waller-Bridge created and stars in the series that first brought her international attention, adapted from her one-woman stage show. Critics immediately responded to Waller-Bridge’s humor and insight, giving both seasons of “Fleabag” 100% fresh ratings. She plays the title character (who never gets a proper name), an aimless London singleton whose often self-destructive behavior keeps her from finding stable relationships and income. She offers snarky asides to the audience that take down everyone in her life, including herself.
The supporting cast includes Olivia Colman as Fleabag’s passive-aggressive stepmother and Brett Gelman as her boorish brother-in-law. Andrew Scott got his own breakout role in the second season as a handsome, charming priest who becomes Fleabag’s ill-advised romantic obsession, in a plot that showcases Waller-Bridge’s bold, boundary-pushing storytelling.
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'The Kids in the Hall'
Many critics may have been skeptical when Amazon announced that classic 1990s sketch-comedy series “The Kids in the Hall” was being revived for Prime Video, but the Canadian comedy troupe proved the doubters wrong with a hilarious, highly acclaimed new season. The five members of the Kids (Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson) bring back familiar characters and concepts while exploring new material that often deals with aging and nostalgia.
The bottom line, though, is that the Kids are still funny, and this eight-episode season measures up to their original run of rewatchable sketches that fans in the U.S. initially discovered on cable TV. It’s further proof that they belong alongside groups like Monty Python in the comedy-troupe pantheon.
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'Freaks and Geeks'
The roots of so many teen comedies and dramas in the streaming era can be traced back to this cult classic NBC series, which also launched the careers of many of its talented stars. Successful writers/directors/producers Paul Feig and Judd Apatow also got their start on this series created by Feig, inspired by his own teenage years. Set in the early 1980s, “Freaks and Geeks” follows the title’s two high school factions, embodied by Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley).
The cast also includes James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Busy Philipps in some of their earliest roles, playing Lindsay and Sam’s classmates. Critics immediately praised the show for its humor and authenticity, and while it was canceled after just one season, its legacy remains strong nearly 25 years later.
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'Batman: The Animated Series'
Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton and Zack Snyder combined still don’t quite reach the level of influence that this 1990s animated series has had on the modern portrayal of Batman and his supporting cast. It owes much of its enduring popularity to an approach that is kid-friendly but also ambitious, complex and often dark, which appealed to adults (including critics) during its original run, and continues to appeal to adult fans who first watched the show as kids.
Kevin Conroy is often cited as the greatest actor to play Batman, and the voice cast also includes character-defining work from Mark Hamill as the Joker and Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, who was initially created for this series. It’s perfect for both new superhero viewers exploring the genre’s history, and veteran fans who want to revisit a classic.
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'Vagrant Queen'
This obscure one-season Syfy series is just waiting to be rediscovered, and Prime Video could be the perfect place for it. Based on the comic book series by Magdalene Visaggio and Jason Smith, “Vagrant Queen” is an endearingly ramshackle space adventure starring Adriyan Rae as a member of intergalactic royalty who’s been on the run as a scavenger, after her family was wiped out by a cruel conqueror.
Even with that grim back story, “Vagrant Queen” is colorful and campy, featuring great chemistry between Rae and genre favorite Tim Rozon as her roguish smuggler frenemy, an Earthling from Canada who was mysteriously transported to this distant galaxy. Critics responded to the show’s goofy charm and exuberant silliness, and viewers who missed its run on Syfy now have the chance to do the same.
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