Okay, we know summer isn’t over quite yet, but as the wind and rain descends, we’re getting ready for boxset season. You know what we mean, right? Soon, evenings spent sipping fruit-flavoured cider on a gingham blanket in the park will be nothing but a distant memory. It’s only a matter of weeks until you’ll be packing away your straw bags and sundresses, retiring the factor 50 and saying a sorrowful farewell to bare legs.

But never fear! For autumn brings with it its own perks. There’ll be no more sofa guilt because, when the nights draw in and it’s dark outside at 7pm, what else is there to do, really?

So, in honour of our favourite way to spend a rainy day, we’ve rounded up all the best shows on Amazon Prime with empowered female leads. All of these series are fronted by strong women, each challenging the old-time conventions of the small screen in inspiring new ways.

From all-time classics to fresh new thrillers, we’ve got you covered. Let the binge-watching begin!

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

From the acclaimed writer/director of Gilmore Girls, this series follows housewife Midge Maisel around 1950s Manhattan as she breaks free from the domestic shackles of middle-class life.

When Midge, played by House of Cards’ Rachel Brosnaham, discovers a secret talent for stand-up comedy, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her from a luxury apartment in the Upper West Side to the nightclubs of Greenwich village.

Watch as she balances elegant Yom Kippur dinners with arresting (literally) comedy gigs, leaving a trail of chaos, intrigue and giggles behind her.

Don’t miss: Thank You and Good Night, season one finale that’s guaranteed to leave you in wanting more.

Watch The Marvelous Mrs Maisel now on Amazon Prime.

Homecoming

In her small-screen debut, Julia Roberts stars as military caseworker Heidi Bergman in this psychological thriller series. Based on a podcast of the same name, the series centres around Homecoming, a facility helping soldiers integrate back into civilian life.

After she leaves Homecoming to start a new small-town life with her mother, Heidi is reminded of the veterans she counselled when an auditor from the Department of Defence comes asking questions.

Nominated for three Golden Globes, Homecoming follows Heidi’s subsequent unravelling, as she attempts to uncover the truth. You’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout, but Julia Roberts’ stellar performance is worth holding your breath for.

Don’t miss: Secrets uncovered in Work, episode nine.

Watch Homecoming now on Amazon Prime.

Catastrophe

Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan star as a Boston-based advertising executive and a London-based school teacher who, after meeting in a London bar start a week-long fling that ends with an accidental pregnancy.

Follow along as Rob moves to the UK to bring the burgeoning ‘family’ together, and the pair realise it’s not quite that simple.

Originally broadcast on Channel 4, cultures (and hormones) collide in this upbeat comedy, and with an unbelievable 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s definitely worth a watch.

Don’t miss: The last episode, season four, episode six.

Watch Catastrophe now on Amazon Prime.

Hanna

Based on the 2011 film of the same name that starred Saoirse Ronan, Hanna follows a courageous girl who’s been raised in a forest in her attempts to escape from an off-the-book CIA agent.

Both chilling and thrilling, this coming of age series is sure to have you hooked from the moment you dive it. It’s action, excitement and one girl’s search for the truth.

Don’t miss: the epic fight scenes in Friend, episode two.

Watch Hanna now on Amazon Prime.

Fleabag

If you haven’t already seen Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hilarious comedy drama, now’s the perfect time to indulge in the award-winning playwright’s impeccable wit.

Starring as Fleabag, Waller-Bridge puts forward a chaotic, unfiltered and hilarious depiction of modern life. Joined by Sian Clifford as sister Claire, and Olivia Colman, known simply as ‘stepmother’, Waller-Bridge tells a story of family, regret, friendship and love.

Don’t miss: Season one, ep four. Fleabag and Claire visit a female-only silent retreat and, of course, chaos ensues.

Watch Fleabag now on Amazon Prime.

Forever

Life’s pretty mundane in suburban California for married couple June and Oscar Hoffman (played by Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen). That is, until they take a spontaneous skiing holiday that prompts the pair to explore new avenue.

It’s clever, funny and bittersweet and very watch. There are only eight episodes of under half an hour each, so by our calculations, you can binge-watch Forever in just one evening. Got any plans tonight?

Don’t miss: the opening montage in episode one. It’s a tongue-in-cheek take on every cheesy romcom that’s gone before.

Watch Forever now on Amazon Prime.

Sex and the City

It’s a classic, but it’s got to be done. Watch Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda stride through the streets of New York City as they navigate Manhattan’s complicated dating scene.

When the group decide to start “having sex like men” their exploits become fodder for writer Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) weekly column and the group become closer than ever before.

Funny, relatable and sometimes controversial, the series first aired in 1998 (can you believe it?!) and has been a firm favourite ever since.

Don’t miss: Miranda’s proposal in an amazing reversal of gender roles.

Watch Sex and the City now on Amazon Prime.

Absentia

FBI agent Emily Byrne died six years ago while hunting one of Boston’s most notorious serial killers. Or at least that’s what everyone thought.

After being declared dead in absentia, she’s found in the woods with no memory of the events since her disappears. When she returns home, she finds that her husband has remarried, and Emily herself is the prime suspect in a wave of murder cases.

If you loved Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep, Absentia is right up your street; a worthy binge for any thriller fanatic.

Don’t miss: Child’s Play, season one, episode eight. Drama escalates and new truths are uncovered.

Watch Absentia now on Amazon Prime.

The Widow

Originally broadcast on ITV, this action drama series sees Kate Beckinsale star as Georgia, a woman whose husband was pronounced dead in a plane crash three years ago. The only problem is, she saw him on TV. Or at least, she thinks she did.

In The Widow, Georgia travels to the Congo to find out what really happened. Alongside Alex Kingston and Charles Dance, Beckinsale reimagines the classic action hero as a self-sufficient woman on a mission.

Don’t miss: The Spider and the Web, episode six. Georgia journeys into the wilderness with disastrous consequences.

Watch The Widow now on Amazon Prime.

Fearless

“Take a scared kid and mess with his head; you can put any words you want in his mouth.”

Kevin Russell was convicted for murder 13 years ago. He insists he’s innocent, and lawyer Emma Banville has set out to prove him right.

Along the way, she becomes embroiled in a complicated international dispute, with powerful forces from both sides of the Atlantic prepared to kill her before she reveals the truth.

Don’t miss: episode one. The story is set out in a flurry of fascinating twists and turns.

Watch Fearless now on Amazon Prime.

The Sinner

Season one begins with a murder. Cora Tannetti (played by Jessica Biel) stabs a man to death on a public beach, with no determinable motive and no memory of doing so. Sound intriguing? It is.

Two detectives are assigned to the case – one thinks it’s a simple case (there were witnesses after all), but the other disagrees. As the story unfolds, we discover the real reason behind the murder.

Don’t miss: Season one finale, episode eight. It’s a revelation.

Watch The Sinner now on Amazon Prime.

Thirteen

If you loved Jodie Comer in Killing Eve, you need to re-visit this BBC Three drama. Ivy Moxam (played by Comer) has been imprisoned in a cellar for the past 13 years, but in episode 1, she escapes.

The story unfolds from there, as her family, and the police, attempt to uncover what happened. Can she be trusted? It’s up to you to find out.

Don’t miss: episode three. Suspicions are high as more truths are uncovered.

Watch Thirteen now on Amazon Prime.

Images: Amazon