Big news for Amazon Prime members-slash-travelers: You can now download shows and movies to watch offline—say when you’re trapped on a 15-hour flight to Sydney. And it’s free (for those who pay the $99 annual fee). As a long-time Prime fan who lamented the former streaming-only policy, I’m tempted to book a long flight just so I can catch up on The Americans. Here, our staffers’ picks for the best Prime-eligible shows and movies to queue up for your next trip.
“The X-Men movies—even the newer ones that take the mutants back in time to the 60s and 70s. It’s a perfect mix of comic-book drama, comedy, and camp. And who wouldn’t love watching a brooding, furry Hugh Jackman as Wolverine?” —Danielle Walsh, associate editor
“The Wire! I finally started watching two weeks ago. Yeah, I know, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to see this classic series that takes us into 2000-era Baltimore drug scene with the police, drug sellers and users. I can’t say I ever lived this scene, but the characters are fascinating and the story is compelling. Wish I had it available on my 11-hour flight last Sunday!” —Greg Sullivan, CEO
“Transparent is an emotionally riveting portrait of 60-something transgender woman who finally comes fully out of the closet. It’s impossible not to root for Maura as she navigates her new life and new challenges (especially with her adult children who are, for the most part, total babies). Best yet, at 30 minutes a pop, you can easily watch all 10 episodes of the first season on a mid-length flight.” —Aislyn Greene, associate editor
“American Horror Story, because each season is completely different. Same faces, but different storylines and settings.” —Barry Brown, executive sales director
“Treme shines a thoughtful light on a post-Katrina New Orleans. Bonus: It’s a great primer in advance of our Experiences trip there next May 18–20.” —Jill Greenwood, director of events
“I really enjoy Newsroom binges. Perhaps it’s the journalism nerd in me, but the topic of each episode paired with the intensity of what’s going on in the newsroom itself keep me on the tip of my seat—the perfect combination for entertainment on a long flight.” —Samantha Juda, audience marketing specialist
“The Americans. Although it requires suspended disbelief at times, the show has really well-written characters and the attention to detail to 80’s nostalgia is on-point. Also, Veronica Mars. This series was filmed in San Diego when I was living there so it was fun for me to see popular restaurants and beaches in the show. Plus, it is a really fun series about a high-school girl sleuth who solves simple crimes for her classmates while working towards solving a much bigger whodunnit arcing the individual seasons.” —Breanna Rhoades, HR manager
“I have to go with HBO’s Rome. They only made two seasons because the show was so expensive to produce and didn’t have a big enough following. But if you are a Roman Empire nerd like me, then you will be all over this series—it has all the drama, deception, violence, and sex that make this period in history so fascinating.” —Jennifer Flowers, deputy editor
…and another vote for Rome. Plus a warning.
“This show is, in many ways, the spiritual precursor to HBO’s Game of Thrones series. Beautifully filmed and full of lush sets and powerful performances, the series follows two Roman soldiers through the events of Julius Caesar’s rise to power and the civil war that follows. The plot features just as many political gyrations as GoT, and even more sex and violence to boot. You may possibly want to use a screen filter if you’re watching this in close proximity to someone else on an airplane.” —Sherry Jin, lead engineer
Want more? Check out a pro’s 13 tips for making flying much easier.
