If you want one place to start, watch My Lady Jane. It is an unusually entertaining eight-episode mix of historical fantasy, romance, comedy, and court intrigue. For a more conventional choice, Reacher is the dependable action pick, Fallout is the strongest post-apocalyptic drama, and Fleabag is the best choice for sharp, emotionally complicated comedy.
This is a July 2024 snapshot, based primarily on the U.S. Prime Video landscape and recommendations available around that publication window. It is not a claim about what remains included with Prime in 2026. Prime Video catalogs, channel access, rental and purchase requirements, and regional availability can change.
The five best places to start
The following are the broadest recommendations in this list. They are not an objective ranking: the right choice depends on whether you want fantasy, espionage, action, science fiction, or superhero satire.
| Show | Best for | Why watch it |
|---|---|---|
| My Lady Jane | Playful historical fantasy | A witty alternate-history story that turns Lady Jane Grey into an active heroine caught in a supernatural court conflict. |
| Mr. and Mrs. Smith | Spy drama with romance | Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play freelance operatives who must pose as a married couple while carrying out dangerous assignments. |
| Reacher | Grounded action | Lee Child’s former military police officer investigates a murder accusation while relying on observation, discipline, and force. |
| Fallout | Post-apocalyptic science fiction | Three distinctive characters cross a devastated world in an original story set in the universe of the video games. |
| The Boys | Violent superhero satire | A cynical, frequently shocking examination of what happens when powerful superheroes are treated as celebrities and institutions. |
My Lady Jane: the most inventive recommendation
My Lady Jane reimagines the short reign and tragic fate of Lady Jane Grey as an irreverent fantasy adventure. Rather than presenting Jane as a passive historical footnote, the series makes her an active heroine navigating court conspiracies, romance, and a struggle between two groups: the shapeshifting Ethians and the non-magical Verities.
#1 Best Overall
- Advanced 4K streaming - Elevate your entertainment with the next generation of our best-selling 4K stick, with improved streaming performance optimized for 4K TVs.
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- Cloud gaming, no console required – Stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and hundreds of games on your Fire TV Stick 4K Select with Xbox Game Pass and Luna via cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass subscription and compatible controller required. Each sold separately.
- Smarter picks with Alexa+ – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Press the voice remote button and talk naturally to find what to watch across your apps, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- Wi-Fi 6 support - Enjoy smooth 4K streaming, even when other devices are connected to your router.
Its tone is deliberately modern and playful. This is not a strict historical drama, and viewers looking for documentary-level Tudor accuracy should choose something else. Its appeal is the collision of recognizable history with fantasy rules, comic timing, and a heroine who has agency in a story that traditionally gives her very little. The first season consists of eight episodes, making it an easy choice for a short binge.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith: the best blend of spy tension and relationship comedy
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star as two freelance operatives assigned to work together under the cover identity of a married couple. Each assignment is dangerous, but the series is equally interested in the practical and emotional problems of pretending to build a domestic life with a stranger.
The show moves between espionage, romance, comedy, and character drama. Its premise shares a title and broad setup with the 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie film, but this is a separate series rather than a continuation of that movie. Choose it when you want action with more attention to communication, mistrust, intimacy, and the strain of maintaining a performance.
Reacher: the reliable action-thriller choice
Adapted from Lee Child’s novels, Reacher follows Jack Reacher, a former military police officer who arrives in a small town and is accused of a murder he did not commit. The investigation gradually reveals a larger conspiracy, giving the series a straightforward engine: Reacher must determine who is responsible while surviving attempts to silence him.
This is a grounded action thriller rather than a superhero show. Reacher’s appeal comes from methodical investigation, physical competence, and the satisfaction of watching an apparently isolated case expand into something more organized. It is a strong default recommendation when you want momentum and mystery without a complicated science-fiction premise.
Fallout: the standout speculative drama
Fallout is based on the video-game property, but it is not a direct retelling of one particular game. Instead, it creates original central characters and storylines within the games’ post-apocalyptic world.
The narrative follows Lucy MacLean, Maximus, and the Ghoul as their separate paths intersect. Their contrasting backgrounds give the series several ways to explore the same ruined society: sheltered optimism, militarized survival, and the long memory of a violent world. The result is both a large-scale genre adventure and a character-driven story about power, identity, and what civilization leaves behind.
It is also one of the list’s more violent choices. Expect disturbing post-apocalyptic imagery and a bleak setting beneath the humor and production spectacle.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Rank #2
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- Elevate your entertainment experience with a powerful processor for lightning-fast app starts and fluid navigation.
- Cloud gaming, no console required – Stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and hundreds of games on your Fire TV Stick 4K Select with Xbox Game Pass and Luna via cloud gaming. Xbox Game Pass subscription and compatible controller required. Each sold separately.
- Smarter picks with Alexa+ – Getting to what you love has never been easier. Press the voice remote button and talk naturally to find what to watch across your apps, manage your smart home, or dive into virtually any topic.
- Enjoy the show in 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
The Boys: for viewers who want superheroes without the hero worship
Adapted from the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys centers on a world where superheroes are often corrupt, self-serving, or dangerously insulated from consequences. Homelander and the corporate-backed Seven represent the public-facing superhero establishment, while Billy Butcher and his allies try to oppose them.
The show is a violent and cynical satire of celebrity, corporate power, political influence, and the commercial packaging of heroism. Its fourth season was a major part of the July 2024 conversation, so it was an especially timely recommendation during this snapshot.
Content note: This is the most extreme title in the main group. It includes graphic violence, gore, disturbing imagery, sexual material, and deliberately abrasive satire. It is not a family superhero adventure.
More good choices, organized by what you want to watch
For more action and espionage
Jack Ryan
John Krasinski plays Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who repeatedly finds himself pulled out of desk-based intelligence work and into field operations. The series combines accessible action with investigation, geopolitical threats, and the tension between analysis and direct intervention.
Jack Ryan is a good choice if you want a familiar contemporary spy formula that is easier to enter than a dense political thriller. Its four-season run was complete by July 2024, so viewers could watch it as a finished series rather than waiting for another season.
Hanna
Hanna is a coming-of-age action thriller about a highly trained teenage girl whose unusual abilities make her the target of powerful forces. The central tension is not only whether Hanna can escape the people pursuing her, but also how someone raised for survival learns to understand ordinary life, relationships, and her own identity.
Pick it for a more intimate, youth-centered alternative to Reacher or Jack Ryan. It has action-thriller intensity, but its coming-of-age structure gives the violence and pursuit a personal dimension.
For science fiction, animation, and speculative worlds
Invincible
Invincible is an adult animated superhero series about 17-year-old Mark Grayson, whose father is the most powerful superhero in the world. Mark is beginning to develop abilities of his own, but the story’s defining conflict comes from a devastating betrayal and his struggle not to become like his father.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- Essential 4K streaming – Get everything you need to stream in brilliant 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range 10+ (HDR10+).
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- Make your TV even smarter – Fire TV gives you instant access to a world of content, tailor-made recommendations, and Alexa, all backed by fast performance.
- All your favorite apps in one place – Experience endless entertainment with access to Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, and thousands more. Easily discover what to watch from hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes (subscription fees may apply), including free, ad-supported content.
- Getting set up is easy – Plug in and connect to Wi-Fi for smooth streaming.
Animation does not make this a children’s show. Its themes, violence, and emotional stakes are aimed at adults, and its strongest material comes from the contrast between Mark’s ordinary teenage concerns and the consequences of near-limitless power.
The Expanse
The Expanse is the choice for viewers who want a more expansive space-opera story built around politics, competing interests, and the consequences of humanity spreading beyond Earth. The series was canceled by Syfy after three seasons, then rescued by Amazon, which continued it for three more seasons. The completed run ended in 2021.
That production history matters because the Prime Video version contains the continuation that followed the original three-season run. It is a substantial commitment compared with an eight-episode limited season, but it rewards viewers looking for sustained world-building and a larger interplanetary conflict.
Homecoming
Homecoming is a psychological science-fiction thriller about a therapist who uncovers a secret government facility connected to experimental PTSD treatment for soldiers. The first season was adapted from the podcast and stars Julia Roberts.
Recommended Free Tools
Its suspense is driven less by spectacle than by uncertainty: what is the facility really doing, who knows the truth, and how much can the people involved trust their own memories and institutions? Choose it for contained psychological tension rather than conventional action.
Content note: The story deals with military trauma, PTSD treatment, institutional secrecy, and psychological distress. It can be an uncomfortable watch for viewers sensitive to those subjects.
For comedy, romance, and complicated relationships
Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag is a two-season comedy-drama totaling 12 episodes. Its signature fourth-wall breaks let the central character speak directly to the audience, but the technique is more than a recurring joke: it reveals how she controls, edits, and hides her emotional life.
The series combines dry wit with grief, family tension, desire, guilt, and emotional insight. It is short enough to finish quickly and layered enough to reward close attention. If you want a comedy that becomes more vulnerable and serious without abandoning its humor, start here.
Rank #4
- Upgrade your TV, instantly – Fire TV Stick HD is our fastest HD streaming stick ever, with a streamlined navigation that jumps straight to your movies, shows, and live TV. Take your entertainment on the go with the new ultra-portable profile. And watch it all come to life with crisp Full HD and Wi-Fi 6 support.
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- All your apps in one place – Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, and thousands more. It’s easy to find what to watch from hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including free, ad-supported content. Subscription fees may apply.
- Our most portable stick – Thin and light, without extra clutter. Connects directly to your TV's HDMI port without blocking other ports.
- Easier than ever to set up – Now with Direct Power, it's powered by your TV with the included USB-C cable and eliminates the need for a wall adapter.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
This young-adult romantic drama follows Belly Conklin and the complicated relationship between Belly and brothers Conrad and Jeremiah during summers at Cousins Beach. Its central appeal is the combination of a recurring summer setting, coming-of-age emotion, and a romantic triangle that changes as the characters mature.
It is a natural seasonal recommendation, but keep the date context in mind: a third season was not scheduled for 2024. Viewers beginning the show during this July 2024 snapshot should not expect a new season that same summer.
For historical and prestige drama
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins adapts Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel as a limited series that transforms the historical Underground Railroad into a literal railway running through an alternate version of the nineteenth-century American South.
The speculative premise does not soften the history. Instead, it creates a visual and narrative framework for examining enslavement, escape, terror, resistance, and the people and systems surrounding them. This is a serious, demanding limited series rather than casual background viewing.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Content note: It includes depictions of enslavement, racist violence, trauma, and sustained emotional distress. Consult a detailed content guide if those subjects require preparation.
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey follows an upper-class British family and the household staff who serve them as social and political changes reshape the early twentieth century. The series moves between upstairs family concerns and downstairs work, loyalty, ambition, class tension, romance, illness, inheritance, and changing expectations.
Choose it when you want a long-form period drama with an ensemble cast and a strong sense of place. It is less about a single mystery or mission than about watching an entire social order adapt—and resist adapting—over time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was new on Prime Video in July 2024?
New releases are not the same thing as the evergreen recommendations above. A contemporaneous July 2024 schedule listed the following additions and returning titles:
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchBest Value
- This bundle contains Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select and 2-Year Protection Plan.
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
- Essential 4K streaming – Get everything you need to stream in brilliant 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range 10+ (HDR10+).
- Make your TV even smarter – Fire TV gives you instant access to a world of content, tailor-made recommendations, and Alexa, all backed by fast performance.
- Find it fast. Watch it now. – Easily find what to watch from hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes (subscription fees may apply), including free, ad-supported content.
- Space Cadet: July 4, 2024.
- Sausage Party: Foodtopia: July 11, 2024.
- My Spy: The Eternal City: July 18, 2024.
- Betty la Fea, La Historia Continúa: July 19, 2024.
- Troppo, season two: July 25, 2024.
Those dates describe the announced July schedule; they do not guarantee that each title remained available indefinitely, that every title was included with a standard Prime membership, or that the same dates applied outside the U.S.
How to check whether a show is included with your Prime access
- Open the Prime Video app or website for your country.
- Search for the exact show title and open its main title page.
- Check the primary viewing button and the access label. Depending on the title and region, it may indicate that the program is included with Prime, or it may offer rental, purchase, or an add-on channel instead.
- Confirm the season you want to watch. A series can have different availability by season, and a title available in one country may be absent or offered through a different provider in another.
Do not assume that a recommendation described as a Prime Video pick is automatically included in the standard membership. Licensing windows and channel arrangements change, so the title page is the final check before you start watching.
A quick decision guide
- Want a funny, fast fantasy binge? Start with My Lady Jane.
- Want relationship drama inside a spy thriller? Choose Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
- Want the most straightforward action? Choose Reacher.
- Want a large, imaginative post-apocalyptic world? Choose Fallout.
- Want an uncompromising superhero satire? Choose The Boys, but read the content warning first.
- Want a completed modern spy series? Try Jack Ryan.
- Want a short, emotionally sharp comedy? Watch Fleabag.
- Want serious speculative drama? Pick Homecoming or The Expanse.
- Want a demanding historical limited series? Choose The Underground Railroad.
- Want a long period-drama ensemble? Start Downton Abbey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all of these shows included with a standard Amazon Prime membership?
Not necessarily. The July 2024 recommendations were drawn from the Prime Video landscape, but availability could depend on country, licensing, season, an add-on channel, rental, or purchase. Search for the title in your local Prime Video app and check its access label before watching.
Is Mr. and Mrs. Smith the same story as the 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movie?
No. The series shares the title and broad premise of married-couple spies, but the Donald Glover and Maya Erskine show is a separate production with its own characters, assignments, and relationship story.
Which show is best for a short binge?
My Lady Jane has eight episodes, while Fleabag has two seasons totaling 12 episodes. Either is a more contained commitment than a long-running series such as The Expanse or Downton Abbey.
Is The Summer I Turned Pretty season three included in this July 2024 guide?
No. The guide recommends the available series as a summer romance, but season three was not scheduled for 2024. Release plans and availability should be checked against current official listings.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe Bottom Line
For most viewers, begin with My Lady Jane, Reacher, Fallout, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or Fleabag. Choose The Boys only if you are comfortable with graphic, deliberately provocative satire, and choose The Underground Railroad or Homecoming knowing that both address heavy trauma. Because this is a July 2024 U.S.-oriented snapshot, verify the local Prime Video title page for current access before pressing play.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
