There’s no doubt about it, the rise of streaming services has given us an unbelievable amount of choice when it comes to TV viewing. But, with so much content now on tap, it’s natural for some series to simply pass us by – no matter how brilliant.
Thankfully though, the format also means you can still catch up with such hidden gems on your streaming device or Smart TV, you just have to find them.
That’s where we come in. We’ve dug out three excellent TV treasures from the bowels of Amazon Prime Video. So pop these on your binge list and enjoy.
The Night Manager
Honestly, if you take an original story by John Le Carre, film in exotic and beautiful locations, and add some of the greatest working actors to the mix, there is no surprise that it turns out to be this good.
The Night Manager sees Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, the eponymous manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo who becomes involved with the girlfriend of a local gangster. It’s a liaison that finds him unwillingly involved in murder, espionage, international arms dealing, and having to survive against overwhelming odds.
So, not like a Benidorm summer romance in the slightest.
Hiddleston is fantastic in this. His role is a million miles away from his current works within the Marvel Universe and all things super, and thus this is him at his most British. Indeed, it’s the performance to put him high on bookies’ lists to be the next Bond.
Hugh Laurie also stars, playing the quintessential English villain with a sense of entitlement that can only be earned through, we suspect, years of British boarding school trauma.
Originally broadcast by the BBC in the UK, the first season is now available in full on Prime Video, with a second finally in production too – so it’s a great time to get this one done.
Night Sky
Don’t you just hate it when you go out to the garden at night to water the plants and find a hidden tunnel that leads to a cave inside a totally different planet and universe?
This is the premise of Night Sky, a 2022 Prime Original drama that works as a beautiful character study between leads, J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek.
They play Franklin and Irene respectively, a couple who have been married “forever” and find that their garden acts as a kind of gateway between Earth and a seemingly deserted alien planet. They use this gateway as a way for them to retreat from the world, taking comfort in watching the distant “night sky” as observers, until events change their seemingly peaceful existence.
This is a bold show and premise. Not so much a sci-fi adventure than a study into old age, life, marriage, grief and loss. The alien world is simply a focus point for the couple to be together, to talk and bond, a place for them to be open about life and the losses they have faced over the years. It is quite beautiful in its approach to the subject and intentionally paced.
The only issue with Night Sky is that Amazon decided not to pick up a second season, leaving some things unresolved.
Still, it is a wonderful watch and can be seen as a great single-season limited series.
Hand of God
Hand of God is an interesting show – despite a huge budget, star-studded cast and plenty of promotion on release, it seems nobody has ever heard of it.
Released back in 2014 and running for two seasons, it stars Ron Perlman as a corrupt judge who seeks vengeance after seeing signs from god. It had all the ingredients for what should have been a successful and long run, including a sharp script and solid direction, but it never matched the hype with the fan base it craved.
No matter what he is in, Perlman is always unbelievably watchable and puts in a solid shift. Special praise must also go to Garret Dillahunt, an actor who never gets the praise he deserves, and seems to have encapsulated the idea of “I know that guy, he was great in… erm”. However, he’s a fantastic character actor and a personal favourite.
Now seemingly relegated to the dungeons of the Prime algorithm, this is a well hidden but worthwhile little gem of a show.
