The “Game Of Thrones” star’s “Supernatural” thriller series lands in Prime Video’s top 10 charts
Amazon Prime Video has increasingly become a bigger player in the ongoing streaming wars. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the streamer is finding success with high-profile shows like… “The Boys,” which has grown into a full-fledged franchise with several spin-offs. These are series with big names and big stars. But sometimes a (relatively speaking) smaller show can cut through the noise and become a big hit. This is the case with “The Rig”.
Starring Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”) and Emily Hampshire (“Schitt’s Creek”), the second season of “The Rig” recently premiered on Prime Video, kicking off 2025. It made it into 2025 pretty quickly Prime Video’s Top 10 charts and currently sits at number four in the US FlixPatrol. That also means it’s just behind “Cross,” the new “Alex Cross” series, and ahead of “Pop Culture Jeopardy!” Both are shows with great brand recognition. Nevertheless, this British supernatural thriller has managed to compete with much larger series.
For this purpose, “Reacher” is also in sixth place ahead of the show’s third season debutalthough other giants such as “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and “Fallout” are also involved. However, none of these can compete with Mr. Beast reality show Beast Games, which is firmly in the top spot. In any case, “The Rig” is the biggest surprise here.
The series focuses on the crew of a massive oil rig struggling to survive after a strange nebula cuts off all communications. Stranded with few supplies, Magnus (Glen) must lead his broken colleagues through the ever-evolving crisis. His increasingly desperate attempts to re-establish contact with the mainland fail as tensions rise, culminating in a devastating accident that confronts them all with the dangers of one of the world’s most extreme working environments.
The rig has become an insidious hit for Prime Video
What’s fascinating about this show’s success is what it says about the state of streaming. Amazon in particular has spent huge amounts of money producing global hits. The Russo Brothers’ “Citadel” cost a whopping $200 millionFor example. Yes, it was a success when it came out, but was it big enough to justify that expense? The same could be asked of The Rings of Power, one of the most expensive series of all time.
The Rig, on the other hand, is a Scottish series produced in the UK and written by an otherwise unknown author named David Macpherson. Nothing about it screams “great success.” While the budget hasn’t been revealed yet, it’s certainly far more affordable than many of Prime Video’s other top shows due to its lack of high-profile actors (among other things). Glen is, of course, one hell of an actor, best known for portraying Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones and even playing Bruce Wayne in the DC Comics series Titans. However, it can be assumed that he does not receive an exorbitant salary.
Whatever the case, the series has clearly built a following in the two years since the first season premiered. This was not an obvious attempt to score. Instead, an unknown author had a compelling idea, they found the money to bring their concept to life, and it slowly found its audience. Not that it’s a tiny little independent production or anything, but it’s a sort of David and Goliath story for the streaming era. So don’t be surprised if the series gets picked up for a third season.
“The Rig” is now streaming on Prime Video.
