There are quite a number of streaming services out there trying to convince us to shell out the money for a subscription, and I tend to cycle through those depending on what sci fi/fantasy shows they currently have available. In this column, I will focus on a different service each with each post and let you know what I am finding that might convince sci fi TV fans it is worth the money.
Amazon’s Prime Video is one of the early platforms that offered television and movies for streaming, originally going by the name Unbox then switching to Instant Video before landing on Prime Video (a name linked to its Amazon Prime service). It has not been nearly as prolific in scripted originals as Netflix, but Prime Video does have some genre entries of note. The first sci fi series it produced was The Man in the High Castle, and that was a first-rate production that will eventually go down as a genre classic. The service also saved The Expanse after it was cancelled by Syfy, and it produced three additional seasons of that well-received sci fi entry.
Currently, the streamer is getting the most attention from its superhero parody The Boys as well as its big-budget adaptation of the Robert Jordan fantasy novels The Wheel of Time. Other shows of note include Outer Range, Invincible, Upload, Carnival Row, and Undone. Arriving soon as part of the Prime Video slate is Paper Girls (July 2022) and The Lord of the Rings prequel series The Rings of Power (September 2022). Assuming that latter production does not bankrupt them (word is they shelled out a billion dollars for it), I expect more notable genre entries to arrive in coming years.
Among prior shows available to stream, Prime Video used to have a lot to choose from, but since the studios have been moving properties they own to their streaming services, the selection has gone down. But there are still some notable shows streaming on Prime Video and their free, ad-based service Freevee like Farscape, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Lost, Fringe, and more. There are also quite a number of shows (and movies) that you can purchase VOD from Amazon. And now that Amazon has bought MGM, expect much of that studio’s back catalog to start hitting the service along with the possibility that a new Stargate series could be in the works.
Prime Video is included with the Amazon Prime service which gives you free shipping with all your orders and a few other perks. That costs $14.99 per month or $139.99 per year. If you don’t want the Prime membership, you can subscribe to Prime Video separately which costs $8.99 per month. I find myself buying less and less from Amazon these days, so I may not re-up my Prime membership when it comes due. If that is the case, I will probably get Prime Video on the cycle for two to three months out of the year to catch up on originals that have released new episodes. I don’t know that it is worth keeping it year-round if you don’t have Prime unless you find enough shows that are exclusive to Amazon that will justify tuning in on a regular basis (which possibly could include the Stargate entries before long).
Amazon Prime and Prime Video Price Plans
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and keep up with what is airing/streaming each week with our Weekly Listings.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
