In a television landscape overcrowded with ambitious storytelling, few shows have risen above the noise to earn both critical acclaim and Emmy recognition.From richly imagined worlds where power, identity, and survival collide in strikingly different ways, for example, to a modern mythological battleground where ancient gods clash with new beliefs, they push the boundaries of genre television, and that's why we love them.This weekend on Amazon Prime Video, indulge in three Emmy-nominated shows that are well worth the binge.
Our top pick is a severely underrated dystopian thriller that infiltrated the small-screen scene smack-dab in the middle of the 2020 pandemic.3 Carnival Row A neo-Victorian fantasy series blending grit, murder, and intrigue , a three-time Primetime Emmy nominee, ran for two seasons before COVID-19 led to its cancellation.The thrilling series is set in an industrial, steampunk-inspired Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures who are struggling to survive in a human-dominated society.
Orlando Bloom ( trilogy) and Cara Delevingne () star.After their exotic homelands are invaded by the empires of man, a growing population of mythological creatures fight to survive as oppressed refugees.They are forbidden to live, love, or even fly with freedom, but they remain hopeful in the darkness.
When a serial killer runs loose on Carnival Row, war-hardened investigator Rycroft Philostrate (Bloom) is the only person willing to stop the murders and maintain the fragile peace.However, when faerie refugee Vignette Stonemoss (Delevingne) arrives, Philo is forced to reckon with a past he’s long tried to forget.If you’re a fan of fantasy shows with a solid foundation, a plethora of interesting characters, and fascinating worlds filled with grit, intrigue, and Jack the Ripper-style murder mysteries, Carnival Row is quite impressive.
The period drama draws strong parallels to real-world issues like immigration, xenophobia, corruption, and class division, as well as political plotting and gritty detective work.It’s a great binge-watch with a conclusive ending.Carnival Row Drama Crime Fantasy Release Date 2019 - 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Network Amazon Prime Video Cast Cara Delevingne, Jamie Harris, David Gyasi, Indira Varma, Andrew Gower, Orlando Bloom, Arty Froushan, Maeve Dermody, Karla Crome, Jared Harris, Waj Ali Showrunner Travis Beacham Directors Travis Beacham Writers Travis Beacham Seasons 2 Story By Travis Beacham Streaming Service(s) Amazon Prime Video Powered by Expand Collapse Roku Ultra $79 $99 Save $20 Operating System RkuOS The impressive Roku Ultra has everything you'd want from a streaming device, with Dolby Vision and Atmos providing quality 4K picture and sound.
Connectivity luetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi $79 at Amazon Expand Collapse 2 American Gods A modern-day war between the old and new gods The two-time Emmy-nominated fantasy-drama series is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman.When a broken, incarcerated man is unexpectedly released from prison early, he meets a strange man and soon becomes embroiled in a large-scale, otherworldly war.Upon his release, Shadow Moon ('s Ricky Whittle) roams a world he no longer understands.
Left adrift by the tragic death of his wife, he takes a job as a bodyguard for the enigmatic Mr.Wednesday ('s Ian McShane), a con man who knows more about Shadow than he lets on.It isn’t long before the ex-con discovers a hidden America where magic is real, and the old gods fear the rising power of new gods like Technology (Bruce Langley) and Media (' Gillian Anderson).
In a grand plan to combat the threat, Mr.Wednesday attempts to unite the old gods to defend their existence and rebuild the influence they’ve lost, which leaves Shadow struggling to accept both this new world and his place in it.Season one of the show is visually stunning—so mesmerizing, in fact, that it functions very well as a standalone experience.
While later seasons suffered from behind-the-scenes turmoil, the bold adaptation is still worth watching.It is a story of the customs, history, and, of course, gods of the immigrants, slaves, and explorers who came to America, and it is indeed a very weird slow burn packed with moments of extreme violence, questions of faith, and warmly embraced absurdity.American Gods Fantasy Mystery Release Date 2017 - 2021-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Network Starz Cast Ricky Whittle, Peter Stormare, Gillian Anderson, Jonathan Tucker, Cloris Leachman, Ian McShane, Bruce Langley, Emily Browning, Yetide Badaki Showrunner Bryan Fuller Directors David Slade Writers Bryan Fuller Seasons 3 Story By Bryan Fuller Streaming Service(s) Hulu Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Snowpiercer A frozen world, a perpetual train ride, and brutal class warfare is an extremely underrated dystopian thriller that premiered in May 2020 on TNT.
It is based on both the 2013 film of the same name, directed by Bong Joon-ho (), and the 1982 French graphic novel .Jennifer Connelly (), Sean Bean (), and Daveed Diggs () star.The post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama is set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland.
As the remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually moving, 1,001-car train that circles the globe, they must also deal with intense class warfare, social injustice, and political struggles among the passengers, who are rigidly divided by wealth and status.The narrative kicks off when a former detective from the impoverished end of the train is recruited to solve a murder in the upper-class cars, sparking a massive revolutionary uprising against the train’s authoritarian leadership.The Emmy-nominated series is worth your time for several reasons.
It expands upon the original film by delivering sprawling world-building, morally complex characters, and high-stakes political intrigue.It also features phenomenal performances, a gripping murder mystery that morphs into a web of class warfare and shifting power dynamics, and urgent social commentary that serves as an allegory for capitalism, climate change, and how societies function when resources are critically limited.You will be pleasantly surprised by how strong the series is.
Snowpiercer TV-MA Sci-Fi Action Drama Release Date 2020 - 2024-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Network AMC Cast Daveed Diggs, Mickey Sumner, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg, Sheila Vand, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Roberto Urbina Showrunner Paul Zbyszewski Directors Bong Joon-ho Writers Daveed Diggs Main Genre Sci-Fi Creator(s) Graeme Manson, Josh Friedman Seasons 4 Story By daveed diggs Streaming Service(s) Netflix Where To Watch A Powered by Expand Collapse Embrace the challenge As stories that blend bold visuals with complex characters and timely themes, these Emmy-nominated shows don’t just entertain—they challenge us to see our own world reflected in their extraordinary ones.For more award-worthy watches on Prime Video, check out the platform’s June lineup.Amazon Prime Video Subscription with ads Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month Simultaneous streams 3 Live TV No Price Included with Amazon Prime subscription ($15/month or $139/year) or $9/month standalone Visit Amazon Prime Video Expand Collapse
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