If you are fan of author Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, then you are probably eagerly anticipating Reacher Season 3, which will see the return of Alan Ritchson as the hulking drifter with a heart of gold and a clever intellect to match. If you are the kind of die-hard fan who has already read all 28 of the original novels seen the Tom Cruise action movies multiple times, you might be looking for something else to bide your time with as you wait for one of the best TV shows on Amazon Prime to return. Allow us to help point you in the right direction with these suggestions for TV shows that fans of Reacher would love.
Jack Ryan (2018-2023)
A CIA analyst (played by former The Office cast member John Krasinski) is thrust into the dangerous world of field operations, forcing him to risk life and limb for the sake of his country.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Yet another acclaimed action-packed TV show on Amazon Prime based on a literary character and starring a former sitcom star (one of Alan Ritchson’s earlier notable credits was Blue Mountain State) is this series developed by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland from Tom Clancy’s novels about Jack Ryan — a character mistaken for Jack Reacher by some people.
The Terminal List (2022-Present)
A Navy SEAL (played by former Parks and Recreation cast member Chris Pratt) risks his and his loved ones’ lives to figure out the truth behind an ambush on his platoon that he was the sole survivor of.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Like both Jack Ryan and Reacher, this series adaptation of author Jack Carr’s The Terminal List — which was renewed for a second season in early 2023 — is also an Amazon Prime original based on an action novel and starring a former sitcom star and, not to mention, bears some resemblance to the plot of Reacher Season 2.
Stream The Terminal List on Amazon.
Justified (2010-2015)
A rebellious, Miami-based U.S. Marshal (Emmy nominee Timothy Olyphant) is relocated to his hometown in Kentucky.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: While not an Amazon original, FX’s modern Western TV show favorite, Justified — which was later revived as a limited series called Justified: City Primeval — does star a future sitcom star (Olyphant later starred in Santa Clarita Diet) as a literary figure (Raylan Givens debuted in Elmore Leonard’s “Fire in the Hole”) with a sharp wit and a merciless, old fashioned approach to justice.
Stream Justified on Hulu.
Buy Justified on Amazon.
Hap And Leonard (2016-2018)
The troublesome adventures of two best friends — one a draft-dodging ex-con (played by James Purefoy) and the other a gay, Black Vietnam War veteran (Michael Kenneth Williams) — in the deep south.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Another acclaimed TV show based on a literary Neo-Western (Joe R. Lansdale’s series) is Hap and Leonard — which, instead of focusing on a loner with a knack for solving complex crimes in a unique way like Jack Reacher, focuses on the adventures of a mismatched pair of vigilantes.
Stream Hap and Leonard on The Roku Channel.
Buy Hap and Leonard on Amazon.
Shooter (2016-2018)
A talented military sniper (played by Ryan Phillippe) is brought back into action to prevent an assassination attempt, only to discover he has been set up as the culprit.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Similar to Reacher, Shooter is based on a series of novels about a decorated military officer (author Stephen Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger) that was previously adapted for cinema (a 2007 film from director Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg).
Stream Shooter on Tubi.
Buy Shooter on Amazon.
Nikita (2010-2013)
After discovering that the organization which trained her is responsible for the death of her fiancé, a highly-skilled assassin (Maggie Q in one of her best roles) goes on a personal mission of vengeance.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: While not based on any literary source material, developer Craig Silverstein’s CW original show, Nikita, is the second TV series inspired by a Luc Besson’s French action favorite, La Femme Nikita.
Stream Nikita on The Roku Channel.
Buy Nikita on Amazon.
The Old Man (2022-Present)
A retired CIA operative (played by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges), who is haunted by the violence of his past, is brought back into action by an unexpected visitor.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Similar to both Reacher and Shooter, FX’s The Old Man is a series adaptation of a novel by Thomas Perry about former special agent whose attempts to live a simple life are interrupted by volatile circumstances.
Stream The Old Man on Hulu.
Buy The Old Man on Amazon.
24 (2001-2010)
A Counter Terrorism Agent (played by Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland) goes to extreme length to protect the United States from life-threatening circumstances.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Another famous “Jack” with a strong moral compass and a no-holds-barred attitude to protecting the innocent is Jack Bauer, the hero of 24 — Fox’s high-octane political crime thriller inventively told in real time.
Stream 24 on Hulu.
Buy 24 on Amazon.
Homeland (2011-2020)
A CIA operative (three-time Emmy winner Claire Danes) suspects that a formerly imprisoned war hero (Damian Lewis) could pose a threat to his own country.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Another deeply flawed American agent willing to do whatever it takes to prevent terrorism is Carrie Mathison, the hero of Homeland — Showtime’s acclaimed, English-language adaptation of the Israeli series, Prisoners of War.
Stream Homeland on Hulu.
Buy Homeland on Amazon.
Mr. Inbetween (2018-2021)
A divorced father (played by creator Scott Ryan) juggles his seemingly normal existence with his double life as a criminal-for-hire.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Imagine if there was someone with the same unique blend of empathetic morality and merciless brutality as Jack Reacher, but worked primarily on the opposite side of the law, and you would have Ray, the protagonist of Mr. Inbetween — an FX original series that serves as a follow-up to Ryan’s 2005 mockumentary, The Magician.
Stream Mr. Inbetween on Hulu.
Buy Mr. Inbetween on Amazon.
Banshee (2013-2016)
A former convict (future The Boys cast member Antony Starr) returns to a small Pennsylvania community where he has unfinished business and manages to do so by posing as the town Sheriff.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: Another intense drama about a criminal living a double life is Banshee — the protagonist of which, Lucas Hood, might at least earn Reacher’s respect in the way he pushes back against violence with an iron will in the titular town.
Stream Banshee on Max.
Buy Banshee on Amazon.
Blood Drive (2017)
A cop (Alan Ritchson) and a street racer (Christine Ochoa) participate in a cross-country race with cars that run on human blood in alternate, dystopian 1999.
Why it is worth watching if you like Reacher: The one TV show on our list least like Reacher in tone and plot is the short-lived Syfy original series, Blood Drive, but it is one of Ritchson’s best efforts before he was cast as Jack Reacher and a unique, action-packed spectacle worth riding, nonetheless.
Reacher fans rejoice! There is still plenty of great TV to check out while you wait for new episodes to premiere.
