If you loved ‘Countdown,’ these spy thrillers should be next on your list
If you loved ‘Countdown,’ these spy thrillers should be next on your list
Each show brings its own spin on high-stakes survival, betrayal, and explosive action.
If you’ve been watching “Countdown” on Prime Video, you know the Season 1 finale hits Wednesday, Sept. 3. The show follows LAPD detective Mark Meachum — a tough ex-Army Ranger — who gets pulled into a covert task force after a Homeland Security agent is murdered. From there, it’s all undercover missions, hidden agendas, and a conspiracy that threatens to blow everything up. Once the season wraps, there’s going to be a serious “what now?” moment… but don’t worry, these shows will help fill the gap. Here’s what to watch next if you loved “Countdown.”
Countdown
When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum 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.
Loved ‘Countdown’? Watch: ‘Slow Horses’
If you liked the messy, misfit-team dynamic in “Countdown,” give “Slow Horses” a shot. It’s a British spy drama (with a lot of dark humor) that follows a group of MI5 rejects stuck doing the grunt work no one else wants. But even though they’re constantly underestimated — and led by the world’s grumpiest boss, Jackson Lamb — they somehow manage to stumble into major cases.
Where “Countdown” is polished and high-octane, “Slow Horses” is scrappy and full of attitude. Gary Oldman plays Lamb like he hasn’t showered in a week and couldn’t care less, but his brain is always ten steps ahead. It’s gritty, funny, and just the right amount of chaotic. Basically, if you liked the underdog vibe of Meachum’s team but want something with British accents and a little less gunfire, this one’s for you.
Slow Horses
Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.
Watch next: ‘The Day of the Jackal’
Hooked on the edge-of-your-seat tension in “Countdown”? Then “The Day of the Jackal” on Peacock should be next on your list. It’s about a top-tier assassin (known only as “The Jackal”) who’s being hunted across Europe after pulling off a jaw-dropping hit. His only real threat? A brilliant British intelligence officer who refuses to back down.
Unlike “Countdown,” which is all about team dynamics, this one’s more of a one-on-one chess match. It’s sleek, tense, and you get to see the whole thing from the killer’s point of view: every disguise, every escape plan, every near miss. Add in some Cold War vibes and European settings, and it feels like a smarter, more stylish version of cat-and-mouse TV.
The Day of the Jackal
An unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.
Try out: ‘The Night Manager’
If the undercover angles and double lives in “Countdown” were your thing, then “The Night Manager” is a must. Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, a hotel manager who gets pulled into the world of espionage and has to infiltrate the inner circle of a dangerous arms dealer. But to do it, he has to basically become one of the bad guys.
There are fewer shootouts and more slow-burning suspense here — the tension’s all in the mind games. Pine has the same quiet intensity as Meachum, but with better tailoring and more exotic backdrops. Think yachts, hidden microphones, and whispered conversations instead of high-speed chases. If you want something a little more elegant but still packed with danger, this one’s a solid bet.
The Night Manager
Former British soldier Jonathan Pine navigates the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper, Pine must himself become a criminal.
Wild card: ‘Reacher’
Okay, hear me out on this. If what you really liked about Meachum was his no-BS attitude and military instincts, then “Reacher” is kind of perfect. Jack Reacher is a one-man wrecking crew. He’s a former military cop who now drifts from town to town with no phone, no suitcase, and a serious gift for punching corrupt people in the face.
“Reacher” is like if “Countdown” ditched the red tape and just let Meachum go full lone wolf. It’s not as much about conspiracies on a global scale, but instead focuses on small-town bad guys with big secrets. It’s still fast-paced, action-heavy, and totally satisfying in a “wow, that guy just flew across the room” kind of way, just with a more local, lone wolf vibe. Check it out.
Reacher
Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator, has just recently entered civilian life. Reacher is a drifter, carrying no phone and the barest of essentials as he travels the country and explores the nation he once served.
More to watch after finishing ‘Countdown’:
‘Bosch’ | Prime Video
Bosch
Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective, stands trial for the fatal shooting of a serial murder suspect. A cold case involving the remains of a missing boy forces Bosch to confront his past. As daring recruit Julia Brasher catches his eye and departmental politics heat up, Bosch will pursue justice at all costs.
‘Prime Target’ | Apple TV+
Prime Target
A brilliant math student is on the verge of a major breakthrough when a shadowy enemy tries to stop him. Fighting for answers—and his life—he teams up with a government agent to unravel a high-stakes conspiracy.
‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ | Prime Video
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, with a rising terrorist figurehead preparing for a massive attack against the US and her allies.
‘The Terminal List’ | Prime Video
The Terminal List
Navy SEAL Commander James Reece turns to vengeance as he investigates the mysterious forces behind the murder of his entire platoon. Free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons he’s learned from nearly two decades of warfare to hunt down the people responsible.