It’s Father’s Day weekend, which means time to kick the feet up, relax, and do absolutely nothing. Dads should be taking a break from the regular day-to-day grind on Father’s Day, focusing on doing something just for you. You might spend the day with the kids who want to shower you with love, gifts, and special activities. But once the celebrations are over, sit back and relax at home by watching a great TV show.
Some of the five best Amazon Prime Video shows to watch on Father’s Day have only a single season so dad can binge the entire thing. Meanwhile, another popular dad-friendly show just returned with a new season, and there are three episodes already that dad can sink his teeth into right away.
The Boys (2019-present)
Dads who watch The Boys probably love it and can now binge the first three episodes of season 4. Dads who haven’t seen it can catch up with seasons 1 through 3 in time for the new weekly episodes through July. The satirical superhero series is the perfect choice for dads who love blood, guts, gore, vulgarity, and shows that aren’t afraid to push the envelope in more ways than one. The series centers around a vigilante group known by the titular name who have made it their mission to rid the world of Supes, enhanced humans who present to the public as heroes but are really anything but.
At times, The Boys almost seems like a movie with larger overarching storylines, fabulous character development, and sometimes downright gratuitous violence. Beneath its surface of grotesque violence and sexual deviance, however, The Boys is also deeply witty, satirical, and politically charged, with storylines and characters that blatantly mirror real-life events and people.
Stream The Boys on Amazon Prime Video.
Fallout (2024)
Even if dad never played the video games the show is based on, the story, acting, fabulous scenery, and beautiful mix of drama and comedy make Fallout truly fun to watch. It’s almost like a Western at times as The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) hunts down enemies working as a gunslinger and bounty hunter. Lucy (Ella Purnell) is the central character, a young woman who grew up in a postapocalyptic world in an underground bunker called a Vault. She knows nothing of the world above, which has become a vast wasteland, but decides to travel to the surface when her father is kidnapped.
The series follows Lucy’s journey as she meets interesting characters along the way, including The Ghoul and Maximus (Aaron Moten), a squire within an organization known as the Brotherhood of Steel. With a playful tone, twists and turns, and unexpected humor, Fallout has characters with whom you can sympathize with, even the bad ones. Fallout is often lighthearted and entertaining, not to mention visually stunning, with scenes that could have been pulled right from the video game.
Stream Fallout on Amazon Prime Video.
Outer Range (2022-present)
Outer Range is one of those shows dad might not have heard of before but would absolutely love. First, it stars Josh Brolin. Second, it’s a sci-fi neo-Western. And third, it’s about a dad fighting for his family. Brolin is Royal Abbott, a rancher in Wyoming who one day discovers a black void in the pasture. Along with it is a mysterious young woman named Autumn (Imogen Poots) who won’t seem to leave the land. Further complicating the situation, his daughter-in-law has gone missing, and a rival family wants to take the family land.
Kind of like Signs meets Yellowstone, Outer Range’s second season has vastly improved critics ratings on review aggregator sites like Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting the show is getting better and better. It’s dark, gritty, pensive, and will keep dad guessing.
Stream Outer Range on Amazon Prime Video.
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
Is dad one of those notorious channel changers who sits in front of the TV scrolling through an endless list of options, or, in the case of streamers, endless list of auto-play trailers? Does he love to watch the same shows and movies again and again? If so, he’ll be delighted to know that Battlestar Galactica is now available to stream. This 20-year-old classic sci-fi series, a reimagining of the original from 1978, is about humans traveling through the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. A new android race called Cylons are on the attack, having wiped out most of the population. Among the few survivors is a team of military personnel aboard a ship, and it’s up to them to find a place called Earth, the purported 13th colony, to start anew.
If dad already watched Battlestar Galactica when it first came out and counts it among his favorite shows, he’ll love being able to watch it again. He may even appreciate sharing the series with his kids who might not even have been born yet when the show originally aired. Widely considered to be among the best shows of the 21st century, Battlestar Galactica is entertaining while also touching on pertinent political topics of its time.
Stream Battlestar Galactica on Amazon Prime Video.
Reacher (2022-present)
Every dad loves a good action series, especially with a strong male protagonist who gets things done. Reacher fits the bill. It’s the story of Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), a former U.S. Army military policeman who travels through the U.S. investigating crimes and corruption. Oh, and he also possesses incredible strength and combat abilities, is fiercely smart, and is, simply put, a beast of a man.
Dads will love the elements of danger, epic fight scenes, and high-octane thrills. In the second season, Reacher is on the hunt to avenge the death of a friend. Based on the Jack Reacher book series by Lee Child, Reacher is one of the most exciting Amazon Originals you can watch right now. It’s faithful to the books, and features a hero that’s talented, confident, and downright menacing when he needs to be.
Stream Reacher on Amazon Prime Video.