Skip to main content TechRadar the technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Back to school Nintendo Switch 2 NYT Wordle today Best laptop Best web hosting Recommended reading ‘A grimy, gothic treat’: Netflix has a new crime procedural show with 81% on Rotten Tomatoes Is this Netflix’s new Virgin River? The Waterfront is this week’s most-watched TV show that everyone’s talking about Amazon Prime Video I’ve binged Prime Video’s most-watched shows of 2025 – here are 6 that you absolutely have to stream Amazon Prime Video This new Prime Video show stars Kevin Bacon as an undead bounty hunter and it's perfect weekend viewing Netflix’s new hit thriller show has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – here's why everyone’s talking about Secrets We Keep Amazon Prime Video Prime Video’s new #1 show is a whodunnit thriller that’s a perfect summer binge watch Amazon Prime Video Prime Video has a smash hit new comedy show with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes – here's why people are loving it so much Amazon Prime Video Prime Video got it hugely wrong with Bosch Legacy, but Ballard gets the franchise back on track – and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating proves it Jasmine Valentine 15 July 2025 Maggie Q to the rescue, as always When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Maggie Q as Renée Ballard in Ballard. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video) If you weren’t a fan of police procedural Bosch or its subsequent spinoff Bosch: Legacy, there’s a good chance you’re ready to write off Prime Video’s latest installment, Ballard. Despite only being released on July 9, the new TV show has already got an astonishing 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes…and that’s excellent news for the franchise as a whole. But it isn’t just the smashing review score that’s responsible for Ballard’s success. If you’ve not already spotted it on our everything new coming to Prime Video in July 2025 list, the series follows LAPD detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) as she oversees a cold case in a new department. As you might imagine, it’s all not as straightforward as that. Don’t let Bosch: Legacy dissuade you from trying Ballard as it hasn’t set an amazing example for crime fans wanting to tune in. Sure, the critic’s score still stacks up (it also had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), but Harry Bosch’s (Titus Welliver) retirement was more of the same, and that got tired and stale as the years passed. Even though we drove a cop car head-first into a snooze fest, don’t tarnish Ballard with the same brush. Don’t write off Prime Video’s Ballard just because Bosch: Legacy was awful BALLARD - Official Trailer | Prime Video | July 9 - YouTube Frankly, there’s never been a better time to be a Bosh: Legacy hater than now. Ballard’s return to the small screen has made stimulating and fresh crime drama look so effortless, it’s difficult to see how the franchise avoided a new lease of life for so long. The fact we only briefly met Ballard herself during the finale of Bosch: Legacy doesn’t hurt (she’s a big part of Michael Connelly’s original book series), but the new show’s sprint towards success runs much deeper than that. You may like ‘A grimy, gothic treat’: Netflix has a new crime procedural show with 81% on Rotten Tomatoes Is this Netflix’s new Virgin River? The Waterfront is this week’s most-watched TV show that everyone’s talking about I’ve binged Prime Video’s most-watched shows of 2025 – here are 6 that you absolutely have to stream We start off strong with Maggie Q’s casting – the actress is arguably underappreciated in the action movie genre she’s cultivating as her own (Mission: Impossible III remains the best in my book, and she should have had a two-film arc at the very least). Her cold-case detective is sharp and commanding, relentless in the face of the city’s challenges. So far, so good. Then there’s the storylines themselves. Ballard isn’t choosing to play it safe, extending the danger we’d normally see within the department into the personal lives of characters we’re growing attached to. Ballard beats up an intruder who enters her home, Samira Parker (Courtney Taylor) isn’t afraid to be a voice for the most vulnerable victims, and corrupt police conduct is exposed and tackled without hesitation. Prime Video has also played it smart by including Bosch as a cameo role in the new series. Those that did appreciate the main series and Bosch: Legacy don’t have to do without him, but there’s more than enough breathing room for Ballard to become its own programme. There are no shadows to stand in here. So what are you waiting for? Ballard is the new TV show you need to be streaming this week. If nothing else, you might be inspired to kick a door down (or two). Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You might also like The Boys season 5: everything we know so far about the popular Prime Video show's final entry Reacher season 4: everything we know so far about the hit Prime Video show’s return The best TV show on Prime Video? I can’t stop coming back to this comfortingly cringey comedy series from the 2000s Today's best Amazon Prime Video deals Amazon Prime Video - Free Trial at Amazon Prime Jasmine Valentine Social Links Navigation Streaming Staff Writer Jasmine is a Streaming Staff Writer for TechRadar, previously writing for outlets including Radio Times, Yahoo! and Stylist. She specialises in comfort TV shows and movies, ranging from Hallmark's latest tearjerker to Netflix's Virgin River. She's also the person who wrote an obituary for George Cooper Sr. during Young Sheldon Season 7 and still can't watch the funeral episode. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. ‘A grimy, gothic treat’: Netflix has a new crime procedural show with 81% on Rotten Tomatoes Is this Netflix’s new Virgin River? The Waterfront is this week’s most-watched TV show that everyone’s talking about I’ve binged Prime Video’s most-watched shows of 2025 – here are 6 that you absolutely have to stream This new Prime Video show stars Kevin Bacon as an undead bounty hunter and it's perfect weekend viewing Netflix’s new hit thriller show has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – here's why everyone’s talking about Secrets We Keep Prime Video’s new #1 show is a whodunnit thriller that’s a perfect summer binge watch Latest in Amazon Prime Video Prime Video’s mega streaming deals sale expires today – here are 3 I’d subscribe to before it’s too late Prime Video’s best action movie of 2025? This new buddy comedy is a ‘really good, dumb’ watch that surprised me Get this cheap Prime Video streaming deal to watch these 4 movies on Cinemax with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes Just signed up to Hallmark+ through Prime Video for $0.99? Here are 4 new movies and TV shows I recommend streaming first Cheap movie heaven! Get MGM+ for just $0.99 per month through Prime Video – and start with these 3 movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes Prime Video’s unmissable add-on sale discounts Apple TV+, Paramount+, MGM+ and more to record-low prices – I’m in movie and TV heaven Latest in News Here's how Google could copy the Now Bar from One UI 8 on its Pixel phones The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold could beat the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in two significant ways Donkey Kong Bananza has potentially been in development for nearly eight years: 'we started developing it after finishing Super Mario Odyssey' Netflix is gearing up to reveal something big about Stranger Things season 5, and there's only one thing it can be A new Nintendo Direct is reportedly scheduled for this month – here's what to expect and our predictions for the rumored broadcast You don’t have to explain everything to Claude anymore – it’s finally in your apps LATEST ARTICLES Prime Video got it hugely wrong with Bosch Legacy, but Ballard gets the franchise back on track – and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating proves it Here's how Google could copy the Now Bar from One UI 8 on its Pixel phones Get next-gen AI Squarespace tools with 10% off Squarespace subscriptions Netflix is gearing up to reveal something big about Stranger Things season 5, and there's only one thing it can be Donkey Kong Bananza has potentially been in development for nearly eight years: 'we started developing it after finishing Super Mario Odyssey' TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Contact Future's experts Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Web notifications Accessibility Statement Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Please login or signup to comment Please wait...