'Greatest ever' pirate series based on beloved 1883 novel is 'amazing adaptation'

Prime Video fans can stream the "greatest ever" pirate drama based on a beloved 1883 novel. The period drama, which spans four seasons and a total of 38 episodes, is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic book Treasure Island - but it also includes elements of true stories taken from the lives of historical figures.

The show is Black Sails, starring Toby Stephens, Hannah New and Luke Arnold. First released in 2014, Black Sails concluded in 2017 and received rave reviews from fans. It follows Captain Flint as he sails the high seas in the West Indies in 1715. The show tells the real-life tales of legendary pirates including Blackbeard and Benjamin Hornigold.

Its first season sees Flint searching for the Spanish treasure galleon Urca de Lima, while the second season delves more into the captain's background, and how he went from a Royal Navy officer to an outlaw.

With an overwhelming number of five star reviews, the show has been hailed "hands down the best thing I've ever watched" by fans, one of whom said: "From the very first episode, I was completely hooked. The characters are so well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique quirks and backstories that make you genuinely care about what happens to them.

"The storyline is incredibly captivating, with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, and the pacing is perfect - never a dull moment!"

Somebody else penned: "This is one of the best shows I've ever watched. I didn't give it a chance until long after it had finished airing, and wasn't fully sold based on the first few episodes (I'm not a huge pirate fan, and I didn't love the way women were treated as objects in the early episodes), but holy cow, something changed mid-season 1 and the show just kept getting better and better. Like, OBSESSIVELY good. I couldn't stop watching."

A third echoed: "Best show I have ever seen. This is the first show that I kept saying I'm going to wish I could watch this for the first time again when it's over. It's gritty and emotional. Very mature show. No show has made me think as much and question characters decisions like Black Sails."