# Mad Dogs
**Mad Dogs** is an American dark comedy-drama television series adapted from the British series of the same name, following four 40-something college friends whose reunion at a friend's villa in Belize descends into a web of lies, deception, and murder. It was created for television by British writer Cris Cole, who wrote the original, and executive produced by [Shawn Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shawn-ryan), creator of *The Shield*; the ten-episode season premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 22, 2016 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria, and Amazon canceled the show after one season.[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/amazon-cancels-drama-series-mad-dogs/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Hour-long dark comedy-drama, 10 episodes, one season, TV-MA rating[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) |
| Premiere | Pilot released January 15, 2015; full season January 22, 2016 on Prime Video (US, UK, Germany, Austria)[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) |
| Main cast | Steve Zahn as Cobi, Michael Imperioli as Lex, Billy Zane as Milo, Romany Malco as Gus, Ben Chaplin as Joel[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) |
| Key creatives | Created by Cris Cole; executive producers Shawn Ryan, Cris Cole, Marney Hochman, Andy Harries, Suzanne Mackie, and Charles McDougall[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) |
| Source | Remake of the UK series *Mad Dogs*, which ran four seasons and 14 episodes on Sky1 from 2011 to 2013[3](https://www.c21media.net/news/sony-unleashes-mad-dogs/) |
| Reception | 66% average Tomatometer and 82% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 64 on Metacritic[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mad-dogs) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mad-dogs-2016/) |
| Fate | Canceled by Amazon after one season, announced by Shawn Ryan on February 28, 2016[2](https://www.thewrap.com/amazon-cancels-drama-series-mad-dogs/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Cobi, Lex, Gus, and Joel, a group of underachieving friends in their forties, gather in Belize to celebrate the early retirement of their wealthy old friend Milo at his luxury ocean-side villa. What begins as a weekend of partying turns dark when Milo draws them into his business dealings with a local crime lord, and the trip becomes a nightmare of secrets, deception, and murder in which the friends can trust only each other.[1](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22) • [6](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/mad-dogs)
The season's episodes carry the four men through escalating complications: a missing yacht, a duffel bag tied to a cartel, a failed trip to the US Embassy, an overnight siege at the villa, and an escape attempt across the Belizean countryside.[7](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/mad-dogs/umc.cmc.3r1vj3h5ospn0avne7a75robg)
## The British original
The source series was created by Cris Cole for the production company Left Bank Pictures and aired on Sky1 in the United Kingdom. It ran four seasons and 14 episodes between February 2011 and December 2013, starring [Max Beesley](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-beesley) as Woody, Philip Glenister as Quinn, John Simm as Baxter, and [Marc Warren](https://www.edgepedia.org/marc-warren) as Rick, four men in their forties whose holiday in Majorca to celebrate a friend's early retirement goes wrong.[3](https://www.c21media.net/news/sony-unleashes-mad-dogs/) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/1995/mad-dogs) • [9](https://epguides.com/MadDogs/) The Sky press pack for the third series described it as a benchmark for Sky's homegrown drama slate, and it received a BAFTA nomination.[10](https://www.philipglenisterfans.org.uk/uploads/1/4/2/3/14236600/mad_dogs_3_press_pack_-_final.pdf)
## Development of the American version
Shawn Ryan, the American television writer known as creator of the FX police drama *The Shield*, learned of the British show from his creative partner Marney Hochman and was struck by its shifting tone. [Sony Pictures Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-television), having acquired Left Bank Pictures, proposed that Ryan and Cole remake it together; the project was first developed as a miniseries at the cable network FX before Amazon ordered a pilot for its Prime Instant Video service in 2014.[11](https://www.c21media.net/news/amazon-collars-mad-dogs-pilot) • [12](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/shawn-ryan-on-remaking-the-best-show-youve-never-heard-of/)
Amazon released the pilot during its 2015 pilot season, in which viewers rated candidates for full-season orders, and in February 2015 it green-lit *Mad Dogs* alongside *The Man in the High Castle*, *The New Yorker Presents*, and two children's shows.[13](https://time.com/3580873/amazon-pilots-announcement/) • [14](https://time.com/3713231/amazon-new-original-series/) The series was produced by Left Bank Pictures, MiddKid Productions, and Amazon Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television, and was shot in Puerto Rico.[3](https://www.c21media.net/news/sony-unleashes-mad-dogs/) • [15](https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/mad-dogs-83547/)
## Reception and cancellation
Critics responded favorably but unevenly. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 66% average Tomatometer from 29 reviews and an 82% Popcornmeter audience score; the site's critics consensus says the show "boasts exciting twists and a rich landscape, but occasionally squanders its talented actors on stale midlife-crisis observations."[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mad-dogs) Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 64 from 14 critics, with seven positive and seven mixed reviews and none negative, alongside a user score of 7.2.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mad-dogs-2016/) Reviewers singled out the chemistry of the four leads and the color-saturated cinematography; Alan Sepinwall, then of Hitfix, called the leads' chemistry terrific while noting the repetitive structure of the men's dilemma, and the Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert praised the thriller pacing and blackly comic moments.[16](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mad-dogs-2016/critic-reviews/)
On February 28, 2016, Shawn Ryan announced on Twitter that Amazon would not make any more episodes, writing that the show had been "one the best reviewed dramas on Amazon, if not the best."[2](https://www.thewrap.com/amazon-cancels-drama-series-mad-dogs/) The cancellation came even as Sony Pictures Television had sold the ten-episode season to broadcasters in more than 140 territories across Europe, Africa, and [Australasia](https://www.edgepedia.org/australasia) ahead of its Amazon debut.[3](https://www.c21media.net/news/sony-unleashes-mad-dogs/)
## Availability
The series remains distributed by streaming and digital purchase. In the United States it streams on Amazon Prime Video and can be bought digitally on the Apple TV Store starting at $19.99; in the United Kingdom it is available on Prime Video, Sky Go, and Now TV.[17](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/mad-dogs/VQmANewSFrZiT4tjqM8Vt6/where-to-watch/) • [18](https://www.flickfinder.net/tv/mad-dogs-2015-61922) [Availability](https://www.edgepedia.org/availability) differs by country: as of the most recent checks it is not on Netflix or Disney+ in any region, and it is not available on Dutch streaming services.[18](https://www.flickfinder.net/tv/mad-dogs-2015-61922) • [19](https://waarkanikdatkijken.nl/mad-dogs)
## References
1. [Amazon Original Series Mad Dogs Will Debut Exclusively for Prime Members on January 22, Amazon US Press Center](https://press.aboutamazon.com/2015/12/amazon-original-series-mad-dogs-will-debut-exclusively-for-prime-members-on-january-22)
2. [Amazon Cancels Drama Series 'Mad Dogs' After One Season, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/amazon-cancels-drama-series-mad-dogs/)
3. [Sony unleashes Mad Dogs, C21Media](https://www.c21media.net/news/sony-unleashes-mad-dogs/)
4. [Mad Dogs, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mad-dogs)
5. [Mad Dogs (2016) Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mad-dogs-2016/)
6. [Mad Dogs Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/mad-dogs)
7. [Mad Dogs, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/mad-dogs/umc.cmc.3r1vj3h5ospn0avne7a75robg)
8. [Mad Dogs, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/1995/mad-dogs)
9. [Mad Dogs (UK), epguides](https://epguides.com/MadDogs/)
10. [MAD DOGS series 3 returns on 4 June, Sky press pack](https://www.philipglenisterfans.org.uk/uploads/1/4/2/3/14236600/mad_dogs_3_press_pack_-_final.pdf)
11. [Amazon collars Mad Dogs pilot, C21Media](https://www.c21media.net/news/amazon-collars-mad-dogs-pilot)
12. [Shawn Ryan on Remaking the Best Show You've Never Heard Of, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/shawn-ryan-on-remaking-the-best-show-youve-never-heard-of/)
13. [Amazon's Pilots for 2015 Include Comedy With True Blood Star, Time](https://time.com/3580873/amazon-pilots-announcement/)
14. [Amazon Orders Full Seasons for 5 New Shows, Time](https://time.com/3713231/amazon-new-original-series/)
15. [Mad Dogs Production Listing, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/resources/detail/productionlisting/mad-dogs-83547/)
16. [Mad Dogs (2016) critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mad-dogs-2016/critic-reviews/)
17. [Mad Dogs Where to Watch, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/mad-dogs/VQmANewSFrZiT4tjqM8Vt6/where-to-watch/)
18. [Where to watch Mad Dogs (2015), FlickFinder](https://www.flickfinder.net/tv/mad-dogs-2015-61922)
19. [Mad Dogs (2015) kijken, waarkanikdatkijken.nl](https://waarkanikdatkijken.nl/mad-dogs)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Genre web series: horror, thriller, science fiction, and mystery*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license