Prime Video‘s relationship with television has always been complicated. Though its shows have sometimes made history and often made headlines, it’s rare for them to dominate the cultural conversation. But that’s changing this year. Between Daisy Jones and the Six and Swarm, Prime Video has been reclaiming its place in the spotlight.
To be clear, Prime Video has long been a major player in the world of TV. When it premiered in 2015, Transparent was a critical behemoth that became the first streaming show to win a Golden Globe. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has also seen widespread awards success and has won three Golden Globes, seven Primetime Emmys, and 13 Primetime Creative Arts Emmys during its four seasons. There have also been a number of Prime Video shows that have pierced the bubble of consumer conversation. The Boys has been a fan-favorite since its premiere in 2019, and though it had to compete with HBO’s House of the Dragon, last fall’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power became a TV event on its own. But typically, genuine social media-dominating hits on Prime Video have been a bit of a rarity.
That’s changed this year. Search for Daisy Jones and the Six on TikTok and you’ll see video after video with hundreds of thousands of likes, ranging from interviews with the cast to fan compilations of Daisy (Riley Keough), Billy (Sam Claflin), and Camila (Camila Morrone) quoting interviews and looking longingly at each other. Based on the book of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones was already a story that inspired intense fan devotion, and those fans showed up when the series premiered on Prime Video. Within its first 24 hours, the music drama topped Amazon’s list of most-watched shows at No. 1, and the fictional band’s debut album, Aurora, made it to No. 1 on iTunes.
Though it was less anticipated and the conversation around it has become far more controversial, Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ Swarm has left a similar impact. A cursory search through Twitter will produce tweet after impassioned tweet. For some, it’s a brilliant show with cutting commentary on everything from Halsey to the BeyHive. For others, it’s a tone-deaf portrayal of mental illness that furthers Glover’s complicated relationship with writing Black women. Regardless of where you stand on these complex arguments, the thousands of likes speak for themselves. People are talking about Swarm.
In this crowded TV landscape, it’s impressive for any show to break through the conversation. For two new series to do so without Rings of Power’s astronomical budget is even more of a feat. There’s also reason to believe that Prime Video’s win streak is only going to continue. Though it hasn’t made as much of an impact as Prime Video’s other 2023 shows, Class of ’07 currently has 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Likewise, the upcoming The Power, which premieres on March 31, is poised to be exactly the sort of show that will be a hit with a certain kind of audience. What lover of YA dramas doesn’t want to watch a show about teenage girls suddenly gaining superpowers? While Amazon is unveiling new episodes of The Power, it will also be releasing the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which premieres on April 14. That’s a solid schedule for a streamer that typically leaves space between airing its originals.
This isn’t to say that Prime Video is winning the streaming wars or anything grandiose like that. HBO continues to dominate TV conversations with The Last of Us and now Succession, and both Netflix and Disney+ have seen the successful return of anticipated shows like Outer Banks and The Mandalorian, respectively. But lately, Prime Video has been making more waves than usual. Keep it up. And in the meantime, please renew A League of Their Own for a full season.
