These are some of the best TV shows available to watch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video this week, August 18–22, 2025. With the final weeks of summer 2025 fast approaching, a handful of these five Amazon shows either capture the feel of summer’s end or portray the start of a new college semester.
As always, there are plenty of TV streaming options for everybody to watch on Prime Video this week. Whether you’re looking for a laid-back sunny comedy, a gritty crime drama, a music-themed saga, or a classic one-man-army thriller, Screen Rant has got you covered with some of the very best shows to watch on Prime Video right now.
5
Red Oaks
Red Oaks is one of the first Prime Video original series that still holds up to this day. Released in 2014, Red Oaks is a coming-of-age comedy set in the 1980s about a college student enjoying his final summer before adulthood begins. It has a similar vibe to the classic Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate.
Red Oaks stars Craig Roberts, best known for his roles in Submarine and Neighbors. It also features Richard Kind (Argo, Only Murders in the Building), Ennis Esmer (Blindspot, Schitt’s Creek), Jessica Hecht (Breaking Bad, Friends), and Paul Reiser (The Boys, Aliens).
Red Oaks was created by Joe Gangemi (Blackway) and Gregory Jacobs (Extrapolations) and received a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%. Critics praised the show’s classic yet modern humor and its thorough and nostalgic affection for the 1980s era.
If you remember the glory days of a Caddyshack-esque 1980s summer, or want to be transported back to that time, Red Oaks is the perfect Prime Video watch for you this week. There are a total of 26 episodes across three seasons, each about 25 minutes long. Starting this show on a Monday night could have you heading into the final season by this weekend.
4
City on a Hill
City on a Hill is one of the best crime drama series available to stream now on Prime Video. Set in Boston, Massachusetts, during the early 1990s, the series is inspired by what’s been called the Boston Miracle or Operation Ceasefire, when crime rates abruptly dropped in the city due to a sweeping change in law enforcement practices.
Kevin Bacon, known for Mystic River, The Following, and dozens more projects, stars as Jackie Rohr, a corrupt FBI veteran who forms an unlikely alliance with Decourcy Ward (played by Aldis Hodge), the Assistant District Attorney of Boston. Together, they work to revitalize the city’s criminal justice system, starting with a single yet crucial case.
City on a Hill was originally a Showtime series but is available to stream on Prime Video without signing up for any additional subscriptions. The series was produced by Ben Affleck, created by Chuck MacLean, and earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88%.
Fans of Affleck’s other works, such as The Town, and other Boston-based crime dramas like The Departed, will naturally gravitate toward City on a Hill. It consists of 26 episodes across three seasons, with each episode running between 55 and 58 minutes on average. City on a Hill is currently only available to stream for Prime Video subscribers.
3
Overcompenstaing
Overcompensating is a great show to watch right now for new or returning college students before heading off for their first year or another semester. It follows a group of freshmen during their first days of college life, led by Benny, played by series creator Benito Skinner, a football player who struggles to accept his sexuality.
Benny finds himself overcompensating in many areas of his life in a desperate attempt to come off to his fellow students and teammates as something he’s not. As one viewer on IMDb put it, Overcompensating is “American Pie meets Blue Mountain State, but gay!“.
Overcompensating has been praised for its authentic and oftentimes relatable portrayal of the “coming out” experience for many LGBTQ+ people. The series earned a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% and a favorable audience score of 81%.
Overcompensating is a fairly new Prime Video comedy series that was released in May. It consists of eight episodes, all of which individually range from 32 to 37 minutes long. Although the series received a strong critical response, Amazon has yet to confirm whether there will be an Overcompensating season 2.
Regardless, the series is funny, grounded, and highly bingeable. If you’re looking for a series that will make you laugh out loud, Overcompensating is one of the best new options of 2025 exclusively on Prime Video.
2
Daisy Jones & The Six
If you didn’t get those tickets to the concert you wish you had gone to this summer, you can still get your live music fix with Prime Emmy-winning miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six. The 2023 series was nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and ended up taking two awards home at the 2023 Emmys.
Daisy Jones & The Six was developed for television by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the fantastic writing duo behind 500 Days of Summer, The Disaster Artist, and The Spectacular Now, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Daisy Jones & The Six follows the titular fictional band, who were at the top of the music world in 1977. Although the story is loosely based on the legendary band Fleetwood Mac, Daisy Jones & The Six is not based on a true story. The series stars Riley Keough (The Terminal List, Mad Max: Fury Road) as singer, songwriter, and band leader Daisy Jones.
Billy Dunne, played by Sam Claflin, is the other star of the band who doesn’t always see eye to eye with Daisy. This created a lingering conflict while the band toured the country before suddenly calling it quits during a sold-out arena tour. The series also features original songs on its soundtrack, similar to original music films like Inside Llewyn Davis.
Daisy Jones & The Six earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71% and a more favorable audience score of 82%. Critics’ biggest critique of the series was that its lead characters felt too one-dimensional and the story came off as generic and without substance at times. That said, the series is visually stunning and well-executed, even if it does play it a bit safe.
1
Bosch
If you’re looking for a cop drama series to really sink your teeth into, and you’ve already binged your way through Reacher, then check out Bosch (if you haven’t already). This show absolutely rewards viewers for their time and attention, with a sequel series and a new spinoff, Ballard, to prove it.
Those who have already seen all of Bosch, and Bosch: Legacy, can just go ahead and start watching the 2025 Bosch spinoff series, Ballard, which was just released on Prime Video last month. Ballard stars Maggie Q of Designated Survivor and Divergent acclaim, who was introduced in the series finale episode of Bosch: Legacy.
Bosch stars Titus Welliver, known for films like The Town, Argo, and Gone Baby Gone, as Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective. Bosch is the type of cop that was made for TV: determined, smart, and willing to do things his way to achieve results, which often finds him getting into hot water.
With seven seasons and 68 episodes in the original series alone, Bosch can be a great long-term investment for your TV screen over the next couple of weeks. Bosch: Legacy spans three seasons, which will set you up perfectly for Ballard. Similar to Reacher, Bosch is one of the absolute best ways to get the most out of your current Prime Video subscription.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
