'Must-see' crime drama with perfect Rotten Tomatoes tops streaming chart
A new crime drama that fans have hailed a "must-see" has climbed its way up Amazon Prime Video's charts, with viewers branding it "one of the best shows of the year."
The series called Ballard follows Los Angeles Police Detective Renée Ballard as she attempts to solve a new cold case unit within the Robbery-Homicide Division. Ballard is a spinoff from the detective series Bosch that aired between 2014 and 2021 and followed LAPD Detective Harry Bosch (played by Titus Welliver).
This time around, the series follows Maggie Q as she takes on the role of Renée as she leads a team of police officers and detectives attempting to solve decade old crimes including murders.
This series, which is based on Michael Connelly's detective novels, sees Renée open up the investigations to end up uncovering a web of corruption and secrets within the police department.
The official synopsis reads: "Detective Renée Ballard plunges into a web of murder and corruption as she hunts a ruthless serial killer and uncovers a sinister police conspiracy that threatens everything she stands for."
'With her own demons nipping at her heels, Ballard must outwit both criminals and colleagues to bring long-overdue justice to the victims and their families.'
Just days after it aired on Amazon Prime Video, Ballard climbed the Prime Video's UK charts and scored a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
One viewer praised the show, taking to Rotten Tomatoes to write: "It doesn't disappoint and lives up to all expectations. It should surprise no one that Michael Connelly has another winner. Must watch TV!'
Another stated: "I can't stop watching it. After every episode, I think, "I need to go do x," but then I watch another.'
'Very engaging, I binged the whole thing without stopping,' someone else said.
Over on X, formally known as Twitter, one fan expressed: "#Ballard is amazing. It picks up the pace when needed but also slows down, giving you time to breathe without ever being boring. It's been so long since I've seen a show do that, and isn't just a sensory overload (even if you binge it in a day). Also Maggie Q is absolutely [fire].'
'What a rollercoaster! Ballard was worth the binge... So far, Harry Bosch's universe remains undefeated,' another added.
In addition to roaring reviews from viewers, critics have also acclaimed the Amazon Prime series. "Smartly acted, beautifully paced and genuinely engaging, 'Ballard' is a thrilling ride from start to finish,' a Variety critic said.
While a review from Paste Magazine stated: 'Ballard is kick-a**, earnest, and extremely well-written, and may well be one of the best shows of the year.'
Responding to the calls for a second season, Maggie Q shared with Variety: 'The good news is we have a writers' room already, so that's very positive. That does not mean we're going to get greenlit for a second season!"
'I wish it did, but I've had writers' rooms start and then end. But the good news is that we are breaking the second season, which is very exciting.'
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