Is this detective show my next obsession on Prime Video?

Ballard expands an existing universe

Ballard on Amazon Prime Video
(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

While each of the biggest and best streaming services on the market right now aims to be a jack of all trades, to attract the most viewers, they also all have specialisms that can't be ignored. In Apple TV+'s case, for example, sci-fi is clearly its strong suit, with an impressive range of high-concept shows in its library.

For Amazon's long-established Prime Video, I'd argue that detective shows are its speciality. It's got a deep roster of on-screen crime-solvers, including really big hitters like the free-roaming Jack Reacher and line-treading Harry Bosch. Now, it'll add another new star as a spinoff from Bosch's own recently-ended series - Ballard.

BALLARD | Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube BALLARD | Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube
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Maggie Q is the star this time around, and she was actually introduced in the last couple of episodes of Bosch's final season, which only came out in the very recent past. So, if you're a big fan of that series, there's every chance you were intrigued by her appearance and the high-profile casting of Q in the role.

Now, Amazon's confirmed that it plans to keep the ball rolling, and it's unveiled the above teaser trailer for Ballard's standalone series, which seems like it should be extremely entertaining. After she helped Harry Bosch solve one final case, Ballard will take centre stage with most of the police force shooting daggers at her with their eyes.

All the best on-screen detectives need a challenging work environment to really thrive, after all, and it looks like Ballard will have exactly that, as she tries to keep a squad together to actually solve some crimes. The fact that the trailer implies Bosch will also be dropping in on her occasionally looks like an added complication she could do without.

We don't get much detail on what sort of case or cases Ballard will be dealing with, but tiny glimpses of real action scenes, including her toting a shotgun in one quick cut, make it clear that the show won't just be about desk work. That means it could quickly become another big hit for Amazon, at a time when it's just retired one of its very best detectives. Ballard arrives sometime this summer, apparently.

Max Freeman-Mills
Staff Writer, Tech

Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.

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