Club Benefits
Not all shows get the attention they deserve. Some seem to get overlooked and ignored despite the best efforts of the show’s producers. Streaming services seem to suffer from this in particular; whether due to the sheer number of shows they release or the decline of appointment viewing, who's to say? Prime Video is no exception to this, and it has more than a few shows that slipped through the cracks despite being incredible.
So, with that in mind, I've compiled a list of my top 5 Prime Video shows that I think failed to get the attention they deserved. You may have heard of all, or at least some, of these, but you still might not have ever watched them. It’s time to change that.
Show | Genre | Why you should watch |
"Mozart in the Jungle" | Comedy-drama | Award-winning performance from Gael Garcia Bernal |
"Sneaky Pete" | Comedy crime drama | Clever prestige TV show |
"Patriot" | Comedy-drama | Great show for fans of dark comedy |
"Undone" | Animated psychological comedy-drama | Impressive blend of animation and story |
"Tales From the Loop" | Sci-fi drama | A must-watch for sci-fi fans |
'Mozart in the Jungle'
"Mozart in the Jungle" was one of Prime Video’s early original shows. It follows the New York Symphony as it deals with the arrival of its eccentric new conductor, Rodrigo, played by Gael García Bernal in an award-winning performance.
The first season was released in 2014, and it made it a further three seasons for 40 episodes in total before it was canceled. It might feel like a slightly hard sell for those of us not into classical music, but it's a total hidden gem. It’s bingeable, lighthearted, and often funny. And while classical music is integral to the plot, it’s still accessible for people not into that genre.
Stream "Mozart in the Jungle" on Prime Video now
'Sneaky Pete'
![Sneaky Pete Season 1 - Official Trailer [HD] | Prime Video - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KCM-I4j-Rv4/maxresdefault.jpg)
"Sneaky Pete" was another Prime Video show that may have suffered from being an early Prime Original. Despite receiving critical acclaim throughout its run, it never quite got the attention or audience that it deserved. Debuting in 2017, it was cancelled in 2019 after three seasons had aired.
The show tells the story of a conman (played by Giovanni Ribisi), who assumes the identity of his former cellmate. Unfortunately, while doing so allows him to escape dangerous criminals, it pulls him into a more complicated and dangerous web of criminality.
If "Sneaky Pete" had been an HBO show, it would have likely built a bigger audience. Still, all 30 episodes are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, so it isn’t too late to see why the critics adored this show.
Stream "Sneaky Pete" on Prime Video now
'Patriot'
"Patriot" is a slightly odd take on the art of espionage. While first-time viewers might expect action and intrigue, what Patriot delivers is a funny yet melancholic satire.
The show focuses on John Tavner, an intelligence officer charged with taking a corporate job as cover for a mission in Iran. Therefore, we get to see two sides of the same character: the boring middle manager working at an industrial piping firm in Milwaukee, and a gifted spy willing to do whatever it takes to complete the mission.
The outside-the-box take on a spy series might have been why this show failed to hit the mainstream, and Prime Video ultimately only made two seasons of "Patriot." But it has gained a slight element of cult status since being cancelled, so if you become a fan, there are still people out there who love this intriguing show.
Stream "Patriot" on Prime Video now
'Undone'
"Undone" is a show that deserves much more attention than it has received to date. Its use of motion capture and rotoscoping to create a unique style of animation makes it not only stand out from the other shows on this list, but most shows in general.
The show's trippy story focuses on the character of Alma Winograd-Diaz, a woman who develops the ability to manipulate time after a near-fatal car crash. She uses this newfound ability to investigate her father’s death after he appeals for her help from beyond the grave.
Whether because the story didn’t appeal or because the style of animation lost people early on, "Undone" failed to build enough of an audience to make it beyond two seasons. Still, the 16 episodes that were made are well worth watching on Amazon Prime.
Stream "Undone" on Prime Video now
'Tales From the Loop'
"Tales From the Loop" is a science fiction anthology series based on a book by Swedish artist Simon Stalenhag. The titular "Loop" is an underground facility at the Mercer Center for Experimental Physics, where researchers profess to “Make the impossible possible.”
The residents of Mercer are affected in different ways by the Loop, and over the course of the lone 8-episode season that was made, we get to see how. The science fiction elements are often understated, with themes of loss, melancholy, and regret pushed to the forefront instead.
In retrospect, it’s easy to see why "Tales From the Loop" was somewhat overlooked. It’s bizarre, it’s slow, and it’s a show that takes its time to grab you. That’s a problem in the streaming era, where shows are rewarded for grabbing you quickly and entirely. This doesn’t do that, but it is still well worth watching.
Stream "Tales From the Loop" on Prime Video now
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