What movies/TV shows available for free with an amazon prime membership would I like?

July 25, 2012 2:11 PM

Please recommend some movies and TV shows I would enjoy watching that are available for free streaming with an amazon prime membership.

I have a new amazon prime membership, and I want to take advantage of the free movie/TV show streaming through amazon instant video that is part of the deal. It seems like there are a lot of older movies and TV shows that I'm not familiar with available.

My preferences are for dramas and comedies, particularly ones with interesting female characters. My favorite recent TV shows are:
- The Good Wife
- Parks and Recreation
- Downton Abbey
- 30 Rock
I don't do well at all with violence, so I avoid most detective shows, thrillers and action movies - they just freak me out too much. I sometimes enjoy shows with very light, not at all gory, cartoon-y violence, like Chuck and Covert Affairs.

What should I watch?

posted by medusa to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Better Off Ted and Arrested Development are both free on Amazon Prime Instant Video. Both excellent comedies. Funny female characters in both, but especially the ones in Better Off Ted.
posted by dayintoday at 2:17 PM on July 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Yeah, Better Off Ted and Arrested Development both hit it out of the park as far as making the women on the show actual characters.
posted by griphus at 2:22 PM on July 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have to recommend Fringe for these sorts of questions as it has the best female lead in all of television, but it's got a fair bit of violence and lots of gore, especially in the first season.
posted by Oktober at 2:23 PM on July 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Foyle's War is a must if you like Downton Abbey. Though not a serial, it is just a great well rounded show.
posted by magnoliasouth at 2:31 PM on July 25, 2012

I don't know if you like hospital dramas, but I have been enjoying my own personal Gray's Anatomy marathon since I got Amazon Prime/Roku.
posted by gillyflower at 2:58 PM on July 25, 2012

I've been watching Julia Child cook, and it has been very enjoyable and educational.
posted by hilaryjade at 3:55 PM on July 25, 2012

Okay, I know you didn't mention any sci-fi stuff, but all of the new Dr. Who is available on Amazon streaming (even some of the specials that Netflix doesn't have!), and the companions are pretty much always awesome women. There's sometimes some minor action-y violence-y stuff, but usually involving aliens of some sort, so not too terribly jarring.
posted by itsamermaid at 5:52 PM on July 25, 2012

Daria.
posted by djb at 7:59 PM on July 25, 2012 [1 favorite]