Following the huge success of the action thriller series Reacher, Amazon is no doubt hoping to recreate this same success with each new action series that’s unleashed on the streamer. Well, things are looking good for the latest genre show to hit Prime Video, as it has quickly shot up the charts to take the #1 spot.

Related

10 Upcoming Prime Originals You Don’t Want To Miss

Prime has a lot of great original content in store for its subscribers in the second half of 2025.

Created by Derek Haas (FBI: International, Chicago P.D.), the series in question is Countdown, which stars The Boys and Supernatural actor Jensen Ackles as a maverick LAPD detective tasked with uncovering a dangerous conspiracy that could kill millions. The rest of the cast includes Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy, Bad Boys: Ride or Die), Jessica Camacho (Watchmen), Violett Beane (Death and Other Details), Elliot Knight (The Boys), and Uli Latukefu (Young Rock). You can check out the synopsis for Countdown below.
“When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles), is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement, to investigate. But the hunt for the killer soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions.”

So, Is ‘Countdown’ the Next Reacher?

Prime Video

Countdown has now taken the top spot on Prime Video in the U.S. and holds second place in the global chart, trailing just behind the thriller series We Were Liars. The series has proven to be hugely divisive, as reflected in the respective Rotten Tomatoes score of 36% from critics and 72% from audiences. Unlike many streaming shows, Countdown has not been released with binging in mind, and after starting back on June 25, will air its Season 1 finale on Wednesday, September 3. But is it the next Reacher? Well, according to MovieWeb’s own Christine Persaud…no. However, the series has instead been likened to a Netflix action hit instead…
“Countdown is more like Netflix’s The Night Agent than Reacher. The show has the same level of action with epic chase and fight scenes, undercover operations, and a pseudo-team to back up the main character. Both shows delve into the concept of a villain committing heinous acts that could harm civilians and attempting to stop them. In some ways, Countdown is also like an extended episode of a show like The Blacklist, which centers around a special (and secret) task force within the FBI working with a career criminal to take down some of the most wanted people in the world.”
As for Jack Reacher himself, Prime Video has seen huge success with their adventures with the nomadic avenger. Starring Alan Ritchson as the former U.S. Army military police officer turned equalizer, the series is based on the series of novels by author Lee Child. The Reacher universe is all set to expand beyond Season 3, with the main series having already been renewed for Season 4, while a spin-off focusing on Sten’s Frances Neagley, a private investigator in Jack Reacher’s circle, is also now in the works.

Countdown

Release Date

June 25, 2025

Network

Prime Video