Did you know that Amazon Prime Video launched a series almost a decade ago with a killer cast that was met with solid reviews but was canceled? Mad Dogs didn’t get the due it deserved. That show counts among three underrated shows on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in November.
The other two shows are likely ones you have heard of before but never took the time to watch. They received mixed reviews but played a significant role in their respective genres. Without one, for example, we might not have seen shows like The Great, and without the other, NCIS would never have graced the small screen.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+.
The Tudors (2007-2010)
Set in 16th-century England, this British Canadian historical fiction series fits right in with others of the same ilk, like The Gilded Age, The Great, and Bridgerton. If you like any (or all) of those shows, you’ll appreciate The Tudors, which is based on the reign of King Henry VIII, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Also featuring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Henry Cavill (The Witcher), and Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders), you’ll notice a lot of familiar faces among the main and guest starring cast.
From King Henry VIII’s challenges in the political sphere to a mysterious illness that takes over England, multiple marriages, ghosts, and betrayal, The Tudors covers all the juicy details of the former king’s life in its dramatized retelling. The series received mixed reviews from critics but was largely beloved by fans. Of the first season, Hollywood Reporter’s Barry Garron calls The Tudors a “solid and historically grounded drama that is dependably entertaining with performances often more riveting than the stories from which they arise.”
Stream The Tudors on Amazon Prime Video.
JAG (1995-2005)
While fans have JAG to thank for the launch of NCIS, which serves as its spinoff, this legal drama doesn’t get the credit it deserves. In fact, JAG was canceled by NBC after its first season due to low ratings but picked up by CBS where it finally took off and continued on for nine more seasons. Taking place within the Department of the Navy’s Office of the Judge Advocate General in Washington, D.C., the series centers around judge advocates (aka lawyers) who handle criminal cases within the sphere of military justice.
JAG provided a unique angle in an oversaturated primetime procedural space by having many episodes featuring stories inspired by real-life events, like the USS Cole bombing and the Kelly Flinn incident. Despite its intriguing focus, talented cast, and the fact that JAG spawned what has become one of the longest-running scripted live-action primetime series in U.S. history, the series has become overshadowed by others, and it’s ripe for rediscovery.
Stream JAG on Amazon Prime Video.
Mad Dogs (2015-2016)
Inspired by the British series of the same name, Mad Dogs only lasted a single season, but it’s still an entertaining watch. The comedy thriller centers around four underachieving 40-something-year-old men, old high school friends, who decide to travel to Belize to visit their old friend who, unlike them, is a successful businessman living a lavish life. While there, they try to let loose and live in the moment, but it turns into a vacation from hell.
The cast is impressive, including Ben Chaplin (The Truth About Cats & Dogs), Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, The White Lotus), Romany Malco (Weeds), Steve Zahn (The White Lotus), and Billy Zane (Titanic). It’s a wonder with a cast like that why Mad Dogs didn’t get more attention or a renewal.
Co-showrunner Shawn Ryan, who also created The Shield and the Netflix smash hit series The Night Agent, told The Hollywood Reporter that someone leaked the ratings of the show to him and purports that it was the third-highest-rated show behind only Man in the High Castle and Bosch at the time of launch. He claims the high viewership and good reviews weren’t expected and “they already had made a business decision to move on.” As far as underrated shows that deserve to be brought back go, Mad Dogs makes the cut.
Stream Mad Dogs on Amazon Prime Video.