Amazon delivers great TV! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at great shows produced by Amazon Prime Video that deserve a wider audience.
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00:00I mean, maybe the imperfections make it more like life because life isn't perfect.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at great shows produced by Amazon Prime Video that deserve a wider audience.
00:12What do we know? And then what are we not supposed to know?
00:16Number 10, Outer Range.
00:18Yellowstone may have started a trend in neo-western TV, but there's nothing quite like Outer Range.
00:22Y'all hear that?
00:25Everything alright?
00:30Josh Brolin leads the typically intriguing politics of a struggling farm family compounded by wealthy rivals.
00:36Huh, yeah, and there's the matter of a portal in a pasture that leads to a disturbing world.
00:40Things only get more bizarre from there as an enigmatic drifter begins meddling in the Abbott family's affairs.
01:00Through all the daring, sometimes eccentric twists, the intense atmosphere and acting never blink.
01:05The genre-bending slow-burner is obviously hard to market, but those willing to ride with Outer Range are in for bold suspense and bolder storytelling.
01:22The fans are certainly spreading the word for season two.
01:24Number 9, Red Oaks.
01:26An affluent, if awkward, college student and his friends have the summers of their lives working in a country club in the 1980s.
01:32What are you doing here?
01:32I'm the new assistant tennis pro.
01:34No shit!
01:36I thought you were working for your dad this summer.
01:38Yeah, I was supposed to, but luckily this came along and I snagged it.
01:41Red Oaks surely has its root in scene comedies from that decade, complete with wild humor, steamy romance, and Jennifer Grey.
01:47The deep-cut soundtrack is also totally cool.
01:49The show is so much more than its nostalgic tropes.
01:51How did your old man take the news?
01:53Uh, what news?
01:55That you don't want to be a bean cunt.
01:57Oh, I never said I didn't. I mean, I don't know, you know, I mean, maybe I do. I'm still figuring things out.
02:02Oh, you haven't, uh, found yourself yet.
02:05Every memorable character of every age has time to mature through timeless themes of identity.
02:09It's the kind of smartly self-aware, genuinely heartfelt love letter that today's more popular throwbacks aspire to.
02:15Seriously? That's how you open a negotiation?
02:18Oh, I didn't realize we were negotiating.
02:20Well, then you've already lost, haven't you?
02:21Though Red Oaks has grown more obscure since its tight three-season run, it's bound to become nostalgic to its loyal followers.
02:27Number eight, Paper Girls.
02:29Honestly, traveling back to the 80s nostalgia is pretty played out.
02:31Thus, Image Comics' Paper Girls follows a group of teens from the 80s who travel to 2019 to unravel a war across time.
02:38Things exactly the way they are, which not coincidentally keeps them in power.
02:42And the STF is working to course-correct the moments in history when mankind lost its way.
02:46So, your friends are the good guys, right?
02:51Yeah.
02:52Amazon's spirited adaptation further subverts trappings as the clever sci-fi comedy we need during the Stranger Things craze.
02:58Its poignant coming-of-age leaps even further than the time-bending genre thrills.
03:02Because I just don't really care.
03:04Okay, you don't care. That's impossible.
03:06It's not impossible, because I don't care, okay?
03:10If my mother got her way, I turned out exactly how she wanted me to, and I don't need to see that.
03:16Unfortunately, rave reviews weren't enough to get the ambitious production a second season.
03:20The consensus is that it got lost in a flooded market of similar shows.
03:24Amazon itself eclipsed the release with The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power.
03:27For many, though, few can compare to the future cult classic that is Paper Girls.
03:31Future's so bright, right?
03:34Exactly.
03:35Number seven, Patriot.
03:36With the prospect of a nuclear Iran, the CIA meddles in another election.
03:40How close are they?
03:42To what? To a practical nuclear capability?
03:46It's gonna happen.
03:47This winter, if they want it to happen.
03:49Doing so by embedding the director's apathetic son in a European business trip gets even more
03:53complicated than planned.
03:55Patriot sounds like a peak espionage thriller with stunning style to match.
03:58It's really all a cover for a surreal black comedy,
04:01satirizing everything from geopolitics to workplace incompetence.
04:04Can I talk to you about something?
04:07Listen, I'm in a situation.
04:09Hey, can you not be for a sec?
04:11Can I not what?
04:12Don't be.
04:13The humor is as bitingly intelligent as the elaborate storytelling,
04:16and it was hard intelligence to properly expose to the public.
04:19Patriot went out with a whimper after two seasons, but was consistently acclaimed.
04:22You glad to be going home?
04:25Yeah.
04:26Long trip.
04:30It also established New Zealand actor Michael Dorman as a versatile Hollywood lead.
04:34Years later, his self-consciously American breakout is still worth spying on.
04:38Number six, The Devil's Hour.
04:39The so-called Devil's Hour between 3 and 4 a.m. is said to bring supernatural forces.
04:43It certainly has a strange effect on a troubled social worker whose
04:46disturbing visions get her involved in the pursuit of a serial killer.
04:49I'm not worried about myself.
04:52You don't seem worried, Lucy.
04:55You seem afraid.
04:56It's a quintessential setup for the cold-blooded noir sweeping British television.
05:00With Tom Moran's The Devil's Hour, though,
05:02each hour is packed with unpredictable twists and pathos.
05:05Listen, mate, this case destroyed three careers.
05:10Good people.
05:11That kid was never going to be found, and that, that was a dead end.
05:15Never mind tension, especially when the terrifying Peter Capaldi shows up as an enigmatic
05:19clairvoyant.
05:19The limited promotion outside of the UK was further stifled by the mind-bending thriller's
05:24mysterious plot, so all we can say about The Devil's Hour is that its praise has
05:27ensured a bright future of two more installments.
05:30Do you feel it now?
05:33The dissonance?
05:37Like something wasn't meant to be.
05:41Something changed.
05:42Changed from what?
05:44Number 5.
05:44The Tick.
05:45Ben Edlund has always had unique creative control in adapting his superhero satire for
05:49TV.
05:50With Amazon, his ambitions ran wild in the best way.
05:53Golden-voiced Peter Serafinowicz takes on the mantle of The Tick, a mysterious and
05:57invincible hero who fights evil with his reluctant ward, Arthur Everest.
06:00Who are you?
06:01I am The Tick.
06:07The Tick?
06:08The Tick!
06:09Their violent exploits have all the action-packed special effects of a major superhero blockbuster.
06:14At the same time, Edlund finds the right balance between hilarious spoof and satisfying character
06:18development.
06:19But my greatest power is this.
06:22When destiny speaks, she speaks to me.
06:28She says hi, by the way.
06:29Alas, the mighty production fell after just two seasons.
06:32But improving the potential of subversive superhero shows had paved the way for hits
06:36like Amazon's The Void.
06:38Even then, The Tick remains an ideal dream for superhero fatigue.
06:40Your real name is Arthur?
06:42Y-yeah, yes.
06:45Yes, my superhero name is Arthur, which is- that is different from my actual name.
06:50Number four, Upload.
06:51A dystopian future has rarely been as enjoyable as Greg Daniels' Upload.
06:55Oh my god, where am I?
06:58It's all good, Regina.
06:59Welcome to Upload.
07:01The creator of The Office and Parks and Rec presents a world where the ultra-rich can
07:04upload their consciousness to a virtual afterlife.
07:07There, a deceased computer programmer unravels high conspiracies with friends in both worlds.
07:12The sci-fi angle allows Daniels to take his mastery of satirical worldbuilding to new
07:17heights.
07:17Yeah, uplifting views, healthy pursuits, timeless Americana.
07:22Are there slaves?
07:23What?
07:24Are- are you serious?
07:27One, this is just a design scheme, and two, that's not even the right period.
07:31And for all the serious plot twists and outrageous gags, an unforgettable cast finds humanity
07:35in peak engineering.
07:36Upload may not be breaking the internet, but its growing acclaim and fanbase have pushed
07:40it to a natural conclusion at four seasons.
07:42The satire is just too relevant to miss, with entertainment that's sure to live on.
07:46Do you think Horizon can be capable of murder?
07:49No.
07:50Horizon's motto is, don't be evil, obviously.
07:54Unless it's, don't be evil, obviously.
07:58Like, don't be obvious when you are being evil.
08:02Number three, Forever.
08:04Death doesn't part Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph, whose lifelessly married characters
08:08die in separate accidents.
08:10Ma'am, are you alright?
08:11Okay, oh, uh, yes, arms up, arms up.
08:13The afterlife offers them a chance to start again, as they and other spirits venture into
08:17the unknown.
08:17Forever is such a slow burner that it's hard to say much about where its plot is heading.
08:21What's most important is how profoundly it explores deep metaphysical themes, especially
08:26as they relate to human connection.
08:27If you're gonna cross your legs, why don't you go all the way?
08:30See that?
08:31Stable, compact, right?
08:34And the best part is, I'm not showing off my genitals.
08:37It's less thematically zany than The Good Place, but the eccentric humor is formidable.
08:41Still, a comedy about death may not have much popular longevity.
08:44Forever was canceled after one season in what many say is one of Amazon's great losses.
08:49That just makes it all the more worth memorializing.
08:51I think you will find this very peaceful.
08:54Let's go!
08:56I'll give it a shot.
08:57Number two, Sneaky Pete.
08:58Veteran character actor Giovanni Ribisi takes the lead as an ex-con artist with dangerous
09:03enemies.
09:03You're a con, man.
09:04Yes, I'm a confidence man.
09:06I give people confidence, they give me their money.
09:08You, what, you tried to rob a gun range at gunpoint?
09:12I get out of here in two days, you're not even up for parole for another two years.
09:16He steals his cellmate's identity and lies low with his estranged family,
09:19only to realize they're in bail bonds and law enforcement.
09:22Co-created by David Shore and Bryan Cranston, Sneaky Pete knows the hustle of the modern
09:26crime drama.
09:26It's full of ambitious twists and action, with complicated characters to raise the stakes.
09:30You ever get that feeling where you think you've been here before?
09:34You know, déjà vu, where everything, what you said and did, everything was like before.
09:42All the same, it never takes itself too seriously.
09:44Sneaky Pete achieved peak entertainment and peak TV, but couldn't smooth talk a consistent
09:49audience.
09:49The caper's cancellation after three seasons was disappointing to loyal fans.
09:53It's still sure to entice new ones as a perfect fit for any binge watch list.
09:57I'm really happy you're here.
09:59Didn't have much choice.
10:01I know how nuts it all sounds.
10:03Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:06Chloe, an imposter's immersion into high society,
10:08uncovers thrilling twists and wicked commentary.
10:11How are you?
10:12Oh, sorry, I'm Sasha Miles.
10:13Nice to meet you.
10:14Olivia Fulton.
10:15A pleasure.
10:16Gosh, I love your shirt.
10:18Thank you.
10:19Isn't the work great?
10:21It's beautiful.
10:22Class of 07.
10:23A high school reunion becomes an enlightening fight for survival after a title wave.
10:27Hey, I knew some weird shit was going on.
10:30I told you guys that.
10:30I didn't know Noah's bloody ark was coming up the hill, did I?
10:33You knew?
10:35You knew?
10:36Lore.
10:37Aaron Mankey's true horror podcast is adapted into a chilling anthology docudrama.
10:41The only thing that I know for certain is that my life is over.
10:48Too Old to Die Young.
10:49Nicholas Winding Refn's neo-noir pushes the boundaries of political satire and avant-garde
10:54television.
10:54Got some good news for you.
10:57You did pretty good on the detective exam.
11:00And the higher-ups like you.
11:02The Wild.
11:02A corrupt research experiment tests troubled teens' survival skills on a deserted island.
11:07So it turned out everyone had a working knowledge of CPR.
11:15That's weird, isn't it?
11:17That every single one of us knew how.
11:21Is that important?
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11:38Number 1.
11:39Undone.
11:39Bojack Horseman alumni collaborate on another animated dramedy that dares to be wholly original
11:44and wholly satisfying.
11:46When a car wreck grants a woman the ability to bend time, she sets out to explore her
11:49father's death and other family secrets.
11:51It's, like, been really hard to organize things when I'm in a coma.
11:54You're not going to use that excuse forever, are you?
11:56Probably a while, yeah.
11:57No.
11:59Well, partly.
12:01What?
12:02Partly what?
12:03It's an unpredictable story that melds emotion with style through extensive rotoscope animation.
12:07This brings extra surrealism to the cosmic fantasy while preserving the cast's poignant
12:12performances.
12:12It's altogether the kind of cleverly written, nuanced art that must speak for itself.
12:16Time is a limited form of experience, you know what I mean?
12:20No, I don't.
12:21I don't understand any of this.
12:23Undone is so hard to talk about that Amazon has not formally renewed or cancelled it since
12:27a conclusive feeling second season.
12:29But those who have experienced its creative genius agree that it's worth going back to.
12:33It's all good, Dundee.
12:36I did what I needed to do, and now everything's going to be okay.
12:40What are your favorite hidden gems on Amazon Prime?
12:43Polish them off in the comments.
12:44Tried a meditation class at the Y once, but all I could think about was not farting.
12:50What a delightful story.
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13:10Transcribed by https://otter.ai