The Bosch Spin-Off Series That's Taking Over Prime Video's Streaming Charts

Amazon's Prime Video has carved quite a niche for itself as the premiere outlet for what I affectionately call "Dad TV." These shows take place in a world of square-jawed, broad-shouldered dudes who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty to do what needs to be done. No one, and I mean no one, better captures this specific genre of TV than Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. Starring the gruff "Deadwood" and "Lost" alum Titus Welliver, the series had a healthy seven season run on Prime Video, which is a rare accomplishment these days where streaming shows are lucky to get even two seasons.

Premiering in 2014, "Bosch" adapted a series of novels by "The Lincoln Lawyer" author Michael Connelly with hard boiled titles like "City of Bones" and "The Concrete Blonde." The series aired its final episode in 2020, but that didn't mean Amazon was getting out of the Bosch business. They almost immediately went ahead and greenlit a spin-off titled "Bosch: Legacy," which was essentially an eighth season of the show — except this time for something called IMDb TV. Then its second and third seasons were on something called Amazon Freevee.

Now that Prime Video has Freevee, ads and all, it's only fitting that "Bosch" makes its triumphant return to the platform, albeit with a different character on the title.

The Los Angeles Police Department is the third largest police force in the United States, and with over eight thousand officers among its ranks, it's not surprising that it would prove to be fertile ground for not just one Bosch series, but three. Michael Connolley explored Bosch's story in twenty five individual novels, and as the series progressed he brought on Detective Renee Ballard as his partner in stopping crime.

After making her debut in the final episode of "Bosch: Legacy," Ballard now takes center stage in her eponymous series in which she leads a new and "underfunded" cold case division of the LAPD, tracking down leads on cases that no one could solve. With a great starring role for Maggie Q, cameos from Bosch himself, and enough twists and thrills to keep audiences guessing, "Ballard" has shot up to become the number 1 series on all of Prime Video, with "The Summer I Turned Pretty" nipping at its heels.

Dads around the world are swooning over Maggie Q and her dedication to pursuing justice for these cold cases, and you can too by watching "Ballard," out now on Prime Video