An Amazon Prime Video series is receiving high praise from fans who say it’s ‘one of the greatest shows ever written’, and they’re so hooked they’re staying up late to watch more
The TV show has been compared to The Sopranos and The Wire(Image: Fremantle Australia)
There’s a TV show on Amazon Prime that’s being compared to The Wire and The Sopranos, but you’ve probably never heard of it. The rise of streaming services for watching TV means there are now countless shows you can sink your teeth into, and people are finding hidden gems that they’d never get the chance to watch without these platforms.
Some of the best TV shows of the past decade have been aired on streaming platforms rather than regular channels, including programmes from different countries that would never air on standard UK television.
And one such show is being praised online as the “greatest show ever written”, as fans stay up until the early hours of the morning to watch it.
Wentworth is an Australian television drama series that began airing in 2013 and concluded in 2021 after eight seasons and 100 episodes, making it the longest-running hour drama series in Foxtel history. But fans outside of Australia are only just discovering the series after it landed on Amazon Prime Video.
The series was recommended on Reddit after someone asked for a show that would “consume” them.
They said they were looking for a show they wouldn’t want to stop watching, but believed they had already seen all of the “greatest shows ever made”, so they were at a loss for what to watch next.
They said: “I need a show that will consume me. I’m looking for a TV show recommendation that’s a good ride. I like different genres, from good drama or thriller/mystery to a good comedy or sci-fi, basically anything as long as it’s a good show – compelling story, good acting, something that makes you wanna go episode by episode and binge it.
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“I feel like I’ve seen all the great shows ever made, but yet still missing something.”
One of the top suggestions was Wentworth, as someone said the show is a “wild ride” with a “great story”. Other commenters agreed, with one person saying that if it had been made in the US instead of Australia, people wouldn’t hesitate to compare it to legendary shows like The Sopranos and The Wire.
A commenter wrote: “I’m surprised this doesn’t get mentioned more often, but I recently discovered Wentworth and wow, it’s been a wild ride! Australian series with eight seasons, about a women’s prison. Reminded me of binging Prison Break back in the day. Great story that actually changes and evolves, fantastic acting and a set of characters that sometimes come and go, so it never feels repetitive.”
To which someone else replied: “One of the greatest shows ever written. If it were American, it might be mentioned alongside The Wire and The Sopranos.”
Another also posted: “Amazing show. It’s been years since I watched the show. And I almost forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it up.”
Others said they believed Wentworth is “better” than the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, which is also set in a women’s prison. This take is backed by IMDb, which has Wentworth rated an 8.6/10, and Orange Is the New Black rated slightly lower at 8.0/10.
Wentworth is set in modern-day Australia, and the first four seasons tell the story of Bea Smith (played by Danielle Cormack) when she first enters prison after being charged with the attempted murder of her husband. The show then evolves to tell the stories of multiple inmates in the prison, whom you grow attached to through the seasons.
The series also stars Nicole da Silva as Franky Doyle, Kate Atkinson as Vera Bennett, Celia Ireland as Liz Birdsworth, and Robbie J. Magasiva as Will Jackson.
Wentworth is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
