Countdown Could Be Prime Video’s Next Big Hit

Countdown could be Prime Video’s next big hit!

When Prime Video unveiled its upcoming action-thriller Countdown, it didn’t just mark the launch of a new series—it signaled an audience’s desire for a high-caliber addition to the procedural genre. Getting there requires a powerhouse cast, a pulse-pounding concept, and the creative vision of Derek Haas at the helm. Check, check and check!

Right now, there is a great deal of noise in the streaming world. Especially since audiences are awaiting new programming coming down the pipeline. So, when we hear of another action thriller, we crave one that cuts through that noise. A show that doesn’t just check all the boxes but feels like the platform’s next breakout success. Let’s take a deep dive into why Countdown may be that very thing.

Derek Haas Knows How To Build a World That Works

Derek Haas isn’t a stranger to building empires. As the co-creator of Chicago One (Fire, PD, Med, Justice) and FBI: International, Haas is a veteran of turning high-concept dramas into enduring, emotionally rich series. With Countdown, he’s stepping into new territory. This is his first post-Wolf Entertainment project. Building his own brand, ups the ante on meeting creative high-water marks. It also frees up Haas to build it his way. The stakes are high, but if anyone knows how to hook an audience and keep them coming back, week after week, it’s him.

Haas has a proven track record. He’s not just a successful writer, he’s a hitmaker! His footprint in the television entertainment industry is impressive. He has the proven skill and the golden touch when it comes to launching ensemble-driven, high-stakes series’ with heart.

And now, Derek Haas has even more on the line as he launches the next chapter of his career. He’s raising his own creative stakes as he builds and fine-tunes his own brand. This isn’t going to be just another procedural, it’s Haas unleashed—and that’s exciting.

An Irresistible Hook

Back in the early 2000’s there was a show that aired on the Fox Network, called 24. It starred Kiefer Sutherland as agent Jack Bauer. While 24 and Countdown look as though they diverge in content and delivery, they share some “clock-ticking” thematic elements that ramp up tension. One thing we do know is that audiences love shows that deliver suspense, urgency, high-pressure scenarios and the race against time that Countdown is set to deliver.

Countdown employs a special task force racing to neutralize a threat. That’s the core of the show and it’s built for speed. So yeah, think 24 with fresh legs, think The Night Agent meets Reacher. Each episode promises high-tension with heart-pounding pressure, but there’s room for layered storytelling underneath the urgency.

Not only is Countdown anticipated to fall into the category of “episodic entertainment with an edge” it’s serialized momentum is a formula that works well for streaming, lending itself to binge-worthy storytelling on repeat.

Depth Beneath The Action

True to form, Haas specializes in “character-driven, not just plot-driven” entertainment. It’s bound to be action-heavy. As an audience member, that is exactly what I’m signing up for. But if you know Haas’ work, you know he builds characters we care about. People with backstories, relationships, flaws, and fire. Countdown will grab us and not let go. We will come to know this team and not only care about them, but feel the tension of their circumstances and the weight of their choices. That balance between thrill and emotional depth is what gives a show its legs. This will be the depth beneath the action.

Countdown will be more than just shootouts and strategy. With this writer and this cast, it has to be. Haas has always written character-first stories. It is already anticipated that this series will dive into the personal toll of what this team is up against. These aren’t superheroes, they’re humans making decisions while facing immense pressure. That blend of heart and high-octane tension is what can turn a good show into a great one. My guess is that Countdown will have a deeply emotional core.

Timing Is Everything

The timing of this show just feels right. Countdown sounds like a show that is going to tap into real-world tensions in a heightened and dramatized way, playing with themes like threats, crises and government responses within a global landscape. It’s a more intelligent and knowledgeable audience that is the norm these days, and they have an appetite for hero-centric narratives in troubled times, and in that way, Countdown doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

It arrives in a world that’s already asking: who’s protecting us when the clock runs out? What happens when decisions have to be made right now? The show plays with those questions in a way that feels thrilling and, strangely, relevant.

Positioning Countdown Among Prime Video’s Elite

Prime Video is continually building its roster of smart, edgy action-dramas—The Boys, Reacher, Citadel, and historically, Jack Ryan, with a track record of delivering compelling action-thrillers that resonate. Audiences are showing up for grounded, well-paced, high-octane shows that deliver on both suspense and substance. Countdown feels like the next evolutionary fit.

The Boys saw a 20% viewership increase in its fourth season, surpassing 55 million viewers while Reacher captivated over 54 million viewers in just 19 days. Jack Ryan consistently drew in millions, with its final season amassing 1.15 billion minutes of viewing in a single week.

Given the success of these series’, Countdown is poised to join Prime Video’s lineup of high-performing action-thrillers. With Derek Haas at the helm and the kind of headliners attached to this show, the series is a guaranteed home run in captivating audiences. The show’s premise offers a blend of urgency and character-driven storytelling that aligns with the elements that made Prime Video’s current roster of shows a resounding success.

Star Power That Packs A Punch

When creator Derek Haas described Prime Video’s new show as having a cast that is “an embarrassment of riches,” he wasn’t exaggerating. This is the perfect ensemble for Prime Video’s Countdown series. This troupe have been assembled for their talent, presence, emotional range, and storytelling credibility. These six talented professionals—Jensen Ackles, Eric Dane, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, and Elliot Knight—don’t just fill roles. They bring chemistry and complexity that elevates. These talented actors will ensure that Derek Haas can make good on his continued promise – “making shows that keep you on the edge of your seat with nonstop action, drama, surprises, and suspense…”

Jensen Ackles – Mark Meachum

Jensen Ackles is an actor whose screen presence is both captivating and commanding. With over a decade as Dean Winchester in Supernatural, he crafted a character beloved for his grit, loyalty, humor, and haunting vulnerability. Ever the rugged hero, he’s proven that he can blur the lines between charisma and chaos with an adept ability to navigate morally murky territory. More recently, he turned heads as Soldier Boy in The Boys, reshaping expectations and showing audiences just how dark, unpredictable, and layered he can be. Ackles can easily employ agility, physicality, emotional dexterity, and comedic timing, all of which are guaranteed to deliver memorable performances and keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

In a storyline where loyalties shift and truths unravel, Ackles is a thrilling anchor on the Countdown team.

Eric Dane – Nathan Blythe

Eric Dane has perfected the art of restrained intensity. From the charismatic “McSteamy” in Grey’s Anatomy to the hardened Navy captain in The Last Ship, Dane excels at playing men with a commanding presence. He has proven himself to be adept at playing characters who lead with gravitas. His on-screen style leans into stillness and control–masterful strokes in creating on-screen tension. This cumulative set of skills were never more present then in his tour de force performance in Euphoria, where he plays Cal Jacobs, a man with a complex and troubled inner life. Dane delivered a raw and authentic depiction of a tortured man through utilizing his abilities to portray both vulnerability and humanity.

Leading a team of elite law enforcement professionals, Dane’s commanding presence makes him essential in a series where trust is likely a limited resource and the stakes are dizzyingly high.

Jessica Camacho – Amber Oliveras

Jessica Camacho is a talent whose skills and abilities position her as a rising force in the industry. She has an undeniable je ne sais quoi that commands an audience’s attention. Whether she’s delivering courtroom drama while fighting crime in All Rise, or bringing true grit and action chops to her roles in Watchmen and The Flash, she delivers. Camacho brings kinetic energy and an emotional immediacy to her roles. With an uncanny ability to ground high-concept material in real-world emotional stakes, she has an expressive delivery that grounds the extraordinary in real, urgent emotion, who can humanize chaos.

In a series like Countdown, where emotional weight matters as much as plot mechanics, she’ll likely bring soul to the story: fierce, vulnerable, and impossible not to root for.

Violett Beane – Evan Shepherd

Violett Beane brings a rare combination of fresh-faced relatability and quiet intensity to the screen. Hitting high notes with roles that range from endearing and curious to gritty action, Beane has already proven she can balance emotional nuance with adrenaline-packed stakes. With roles spanning the genre spectrum—from the bright optimism of God Friended Me to the mystery and grit of Death and Other Details and the fearless Jesse Quick in The Flash, Violett Beane brings both range and resonance. She excels at playing characters caught in the middle of something larger than themselves. Beane connects with audiences across age groups, making her an essential bridge between the show’s action and its heart. She draws you in.

In a series like Countdown, which is expected to blend suspense, interpersonal dynamics, and procedural elements, Beane’s flexibility makes her a standout casting choice.

Uli Latukefu – Lucas Finau

Uli Latukefu has the rare gift of balancing sheer physical power with a thoughtful, internalized style of acting. He demonstrates a commanding screen presence, but what truly sets him apart is the emotional depth he brings to the roles he plays. He’s capable of layering vulnerability beneath strength. Whether portraying the young Dwayne Johnson in Young Rock or going toe-to-toe with extraterrestrials in Alien: Covenant, Latukefu illustrates authenticity. His work suggests a deep well of emotional control beneath every outward action. He is the kind of performer who can surprise you with vulnerability.

Where viewers need to believe in both the physical risks and human toll, Latukefu is an ideal casting choice for a high-stakes thriller like Countdown.

Elliot Knight – Keyonte Bell

Elliot Knight’s career has been marked by enigmatic, often morally complex characters—from Merlin in Once Upon a Time to Don Hall in Titans. He can challenge perception and unsettle expectations with his ability to bring a quiet intelligence and a simmering emotional core to every frame. Knight also brings diversity to the cast in a meaningful way, not just in identity but in range—he can switch between empathy and suspicion, hope and cynicism, in a heartbeat. He’s the kind of actor who draws attention in ensemble scenes, and his theater background encourages an ability to elevate even the most subtle dialogue with weight and intention.

He exudes quiet strength, and emotional introspection—traits that thrive in the tense, layered world of a Derek Haas thriller like Countdown, where allegiances matter and doubt runs deep.

In Closing

Countdown has all the ingredients to make it a breakout success. It is stacked with a powerhouse of talent, a pulse-pounding concept, it has Derek Haas at the helm and an ever-growing fanbase that is already giving this show the buzz and traction typically reserved for shows that have already premiered… how could it be any other way?

Be sure to tune into Prime Video on June 25, 2025, to watch Countdown – Prime Video’s next big hit! 😉

Links and Source Material

For anyone who wishes to follow the links for my source material they are as follows, listed in no particular order.

• Prime / Amazon MGM Studios Website / Press Release
• Article: FoundMyJam Website – Derek Haas, Countdown & Jensen Ackles
• Article: Men’s Health – Jensen Ackles Gets Us Fired Up for His New Prime Video Series Countdown
• YouTube Video-ScreenSlam: Derek Haas Talks Casting, Spin Off, Characters, and Situations
• YouTube Video-MyTakeOnTV: One Chicago Day 2016: Derek Haas and Michael Brandt talk Chicago
• YouTube Video-MyTakeOnTV: One Chicago Day 2019: Derek Haas gives us the Scoop
• Link to the SPNSF Convention Video- Excerpt
• Article: The Sheila Variations – Trauma and Self Pity: Jensen Ackles’ Acting Technique
• Article: Collider – The Boys Showrunner on Why He Cast Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy
• Interview with Live-Kelly-and-Mark with Eric Dane
• Esquire video interview with Eric Dane
• Variety: Euphoria’s’ Eric Dane Showcase Is the Show at Its Astounding Best: TV Review
• Jessica Camacho IMDb Take 5 Video
• Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV: Jessica Camacho CBS’s All Rise at PaleyFest’s Fall TV Preview
• Rachel Bailit-Diary of an Actress Podcast – YouTube Channel -Interview- Jessica Camacho
• Movie Review: Rue-Morgue-DROP
• Interview: Schon – Violett Beane
• Article: SLAM – Actor Uli Latukefu moves from ‘Young Rock’ to ‘The Rock’
• Article: The New Zealand Herald – The Legend of Baron To’a stars Uli Latukefu and John Tui
• Review: Uli Latakefu – Movies and TV Shows List – Rotten Tomatoes
• Article: CG Mag Backlot Magazine – From Pirate to Wizard: An interview with Elliot Knight
• Article: Icon Vs Icon – Catching Fire: Elliot Knight on Career, Artistic Evolution and ‘Once Upon a Time’
• Article: Cryptic Rock: Interview – Elliot Knight
• Reacher’ Season 3 Scores Biggest Premiere Yet, Amazon Says
• Reacher Tops Nielsen Streaming Charts Again With Season 3
• The Boys’ Season 4 Exceeds 55 Million Viewers, a 20% Increase From Season 3
• The release of Jack Ryan season 3 closes out one of Prime Video’s best years yet
• Jack Ryan’ Series Finale Takes Over Nielsen’s Streaming Chart