While Netflix and Prime Video have pretty overwhelmingly large catalogues, the best Apple TV shows aren't as hard to pin down. The platform's more refined attitude towards content creation makes it one of the best streaming services around, as it entices A-list actors and filmmakers with gigantic production budgets and lots of creative freedom.
The platform's more modest selection of titles still has something for everyone to enjoy, though, from comedies like Ted Lasso and Trying to nail-biting thrillers such as Calls and Severance. There's also twisty dramas like Slow Horses or Defending Jacob, if that's more your bag. We really weren't kidding when we said there'll be a series to suit every kind of viewer on Apple TV Plus...
But how do you pick out what's worth your time? And beyond that, how do you narrow down which popular programmes are up your street? Well, that's where we come in. If you're sitting staring at your remote and wondering what is best to stream next, then look no further. We've done the hard work and have highlighted Apple TV Plus's 25 best shows below.
25. Schmigadoon!
Year: 2021 – 2023
Seasons: 2
Frankly, your enjoyment of Schmigadoon! hinges on whether you were a musical theatre kid or not. The show tells the story of two dating doctors – played by Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong – who head out on a backpacking trip, hoping it will inspire some intimacy. They soon get lost in the woods, but rather than coming across bears or raccoons, they stumble into the magical town of Schmigadoon where everyone acts like they're in a '50s musical.
More pressingly, the only way these doctors can leave is by finding true love. There's singing and dancing aplenty, but what makes Schmigadoon! so brilliant is the balance of both laughs and emotional heft. Key and Strong are fantastic as they contend with the fact they're stuck in a frolicking musical world. And while the show hasn't been renewed for a third season, things wrap up neatly enough to make this well worth a watch.
Want to watch for yourself but haven't signed up for Apple TV yet? Check out our handy guide breaking down all the Apple TV Plus costs and prices.
24. Disclaimer*
Year: 2024
Seasons: 1
Apple TV Plus has a reputation for attracting major filmmakers, something Disclaimer* further solidifies. The mini-series, consisting of seven episodes and based on Renée Knight's novel of the same name, has been entirely directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar-winning director of Children of Men, Gravity, Roma, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The series centers on Cate Blanchett's Catherine Ravenscroft, a documentary journalist who receives a book in the post titled The Perfect Stranger, which she believes to be about herself.
What follows is a deep dive into Ravenscroft's past as we come to realize she's been hiding a few secrets from her husband, played by Sacha Baron Cohen (we weren't joking when we said Apple's good at attracting big names). Disclaimer* is a dense series that wants us to try our hands at some psychoanalysis. More often than not, Cuarón subverts your expectations, pulling surprising narrative strings, leaving you to question character motives and what’s really going on.
Want more recommendations? Read our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime.
23. Central Park
Year: 2020 – 2022
Seasons: 3
New York, New York. What a place. And at its center, a park, called Central Park. Not exactly the most original name – but it makes for a funny joke in Central Park, the animated series by Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard, Nora Smith, and Josh Gad. Central Park follows the Tillerman-Hunter family, who do everything possible to save their favorite park from becoming another building development. Owen Tillerman is the park's manager, while his children, are dealing with becoming teenagers. Meanwhile, Gad voices the fourth-wall-breaking busker Birdie.
Now, that all seems relatively simple enough, but Central Park's not your average animated series: it also happens to be a musical featuring big band numbers, raps, and some extremely catchy tunes. The results are both hilarious and charming; a shame, then, that we won't be getting more than the already-released three seasons.
Need more animated picks? Check out our list of the greatest animated TV shows of all time.
22. The Essex Serpent
Year: 2022
Seasons: 1
There's a serpent in Essex – or is there? A girl goes missing in the marshes after being tempted there by the mysterious serpent, so Claire Danes' Cora Seaborne goes to investigate. What she finds is townsfolk going mad with serpent fever, and the only seemingly sane person is Father Will Ransome, played by Tom Hiddleston, who believes holdfast that there is no serpent. But for Cora, the idea of believing in a God you cannot see and a serpent who might exist is no different.
While the Essex Serpent may deal in mysteries, the series is grounded by a romance story; Cora and Father Will cannot help but feel magnetically drawn to each other. The Gothic stylings make for a beautiful backdrop, while actors Hayley Squires, Frank Dillane, and Clémence Poésy make for solid supporting players.
For more details, read our The Essex Serpent review.
21. Bad Monkey
Year: 2024
Seasons: 1
Vince Vaughn has always had a particular sense of humor, and Bad Monkey allows the actor to dig deep into a fascinating character like never before. Vaughn plays Andrew Yancy, a detective forced into leaving his main beat to become a restaurant inspector after years of recklessness. But before he starts checking kitchens to see if there are rats, he has one last job: delivering a severed arm to the wife of the arm's former owner. Yancy ends up investigating what happened and becomes entangled in a criminal world full of eclectic and eccentric characters.
Vaughn laps up every scene, delivering deadpan jokes at every opportunity, leading to a series that's a breezy yet darkly funny watch. The beachside setting adds to the Magnum P.I. feel of the whole thing, while the central murder mystery story keeps the pace bouncing along. But perhaps most importantly of all, the series never takes itself too seriously, allowing the goofball humor to take over when necessary.
For more hits, read our list of the best shows on Amazon Prime.
20. Platonic
Year: 2023 – Ongoing
Seasons: 1
Sylvia and Will were great friends – until Will got married to a woman that Sylvia despised. The two didn't become not friends, but they did stop seeing each other. However, now Will's getting a divorce, and Sylvia finally reaches out to her single friend. They meet in a coffee shop and gradually realize just how close they are.
Were this a more straightforward series, Sylvia and Will – played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen – would fall in love, especially when the chemistry between the two actors is this good. But that would go against the show's title. These two are strictly platonic friends who bring out the absolute best and absolute worst in each other, and the results are pure chaos. That, though, makes for hilarious viewing. With two heavyweight comedians as its leads, Platonic is one of the funniest shows on Apple TV Plus to date.
Laugh out loud with our list of the best comedy movies on Netflix.
19. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Year: 2023 – Ongoing
Seasons: 1
When the news broke that the Monsterverse was getting a live-action series, many people were left asking: "Really?" After all, not every franchise needs the Marvel treatment. Yet, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a surprise success. The show delves into the origins of Monarch, the organization monitoring monster-related activities around the world. Although the bulk of the story takes place following the events of 2014's Godzilla, Legacy of Monsters has two timelines, with father-son duo Wyatt and Kurt Russell both playing Lee Shaw, a former army colonel, as he deals with various discoveries made by Monarch.
Of course, while Godzilla and King Kong may be factors in the story, it's the human aspect that keeps you watching. The Russells have charisma to spare and act as the series' heart. With that in mind, anyone going into this wanting to see Kaiju smashing buildings and thumping each other will be disappointed. This isn't Godzilla vs. Kong on the small screen, but something altogether different that enhances the overarching series' lore.
Ahead of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2, check out our list of the best Netflix horror movies for more streaming scares.
18. Criminal Record
Year: 2024 – Ongoing
Seasons: 1
Daniel Hegarty's a washed-up former detective working as a taxi driver, played by Peter Capaldi. June Lenker's a working detective investigating a case, played by Cush Jumbo. Each character could have been at the center of their own show, but Criminal Record pits them against each other, resulting in fireworks on screen.
You see, Hegarty's left the life of crime-fighting behind. However, Lenker gets an anonymous call that tips her off that a person Hegarty put away in prison may not actually be responsible for the murders they apparently committed. She starts investigating, which brings in a very unhappy Hegarty, and the series takes off from there. Capaldi and Jumbo are brilliant as they explore each characters' complexities, unraveling their layers, and asking us, as viewers, to ask questions of them.
Jump into some classics with our list of the best Hulu shows now streaming.
17. Trying
Year: 2020 – 2024
Seasons: 4
A series about two parents who are unable to have a baby doesn't exactly sound like a feel-good comedy. Yet, that's exactly what Trying is. Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) are in their 30s and have tried everything – IVF, emergency sex sessions on the train because they've just reached the end of the ovulation window, and more. But they simply cannot have a baby.
Writer Andy Wolton finds both the pain and the comedy in the situation, with Smith and Spall playing their parts perfectly. Many critics have drawn a fair comparison to Apple's better-known comedy, Ted Lasso, but Trying is perhaps more revealing about the human condition. It's also one of Apple's longest-running shows, so you can properly become absorbed in Nikki and Jason's lives. Plus, the fourth season takes place after a six-year time jump, which helps the show feel expansive and leads to new questions being asked of its leads.
16. Dark Matter
Year: 2024 – Ongoing
Seasons: 1
The multiverse. It is a concept that has been seemingly done to death in recent years, thanks to a mixture of Rick and Morty's success, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And yet, here we are, with another great series about alternative versions of the universe existing all at once. In Dark Matter, Joel Edgerton's Jason Dessen is a physicist with the perfect life; he's married to Jennifer Connelly and has a healthy amount of money. Then, one day, he wakes up in a world he doesn't recognize, in a relationship with a different woman, yet still in his own body. Jason has been abducted by another universe's Jason, and he needs to work out how to get back.
Dark Matter is another thrilling sci-fi series to add to Apple's collection. One of the reasons for the show's success is the fact showrunner Blake Crouch wrote the book that his series is based on – so he knows this story inside and out, and even improved on certain aspects of the source material. There are times when plotlines are slightly stretched, yet the main story is utterly propulsive.
If you want to dive into more multiverse action, read our expansive guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies and shows in order.
15. Lessons in Chemistry
Year: 2023
Seasons: 1
There are few who have watched Lessons in Chemistry who haven't been impressed by the production; it's no wonder, then, that the '60s-set series was nominated for multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and more. A large number of those nominations were for Brie Larson, who anchors the series playing Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who becomes a television sensation hosting her show Supper at Six, which aims to educate housewives on science.
However, Elizabeth would rather be in the lab, having been forced to leave a previous position due to her gender. Lessons in Chemistry presses some timely buttons, and Larson is exceptional in the role, while supporting actors Lewis Pullman and Aja Naomi King add just enough spice to the recipe. Oh, and there’s a talking dog… What's not to love?
14. Masters of the Air
Year: 2024
Seasons: 1
When Band of Brothers was released in 2001, it was groundbreaking television, telling the story of Easy Company in the Second World War. Almost a decade later, The Pacific recaptured that on-screen magic, focussing on the 1st Marine Division. Then, 14 years later, Master of the Air brought the 100th Bomb Group to the small screen, acting as the third part of this Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg-produced series.
Like both shows before it, Master of the Air is a stunning piece of filmmaking, highlighting the horrors of war, and the camaraderie that was forged between the men who fought it. The cast list – Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, Ncuti Gatwa – reads like a who's who of up-and-coming stars. It may not be the most historically accurate series, but it is certainly a thrilling watch.
Want more gunfights? Check out our list of the best Netflix action movies.
13. Black Bird
Year: 2022
Seasons: 1
Apple has a knack for releasing seriously good mini-series that go under the radar, and Black Bird ranks extremely high among them. Taron Egerton plays a man sentenced to ten years in prison for drugs and arms dealing. He's offered a deal to shorten his time away, be transferred into a facility for the criminally insane, befriend Larry Hall (played by Paul Walter Hauser), and get him to admit to killing 14 women.
This is very much the Egerton and Hauser show, as the two play morally complex characters who develop in interesting directions across the show's six episodes. And if you're thinking you're done with true-crime series, Black Bird's a bit different, having a tone in common with David Fincher's Mindhunter and HBO's The Night Of. Plus, in one of his last roles, Ray Liotta plays Egerton's father, a former police officer, giving a heartbreaking performance that's among his best.
Want more case-solving on your screen? Read our list of the best thriller movies of all time.
12. The Afterparty
Year: 2022 – 2023
Seasons: 2
There are few "whodunnits" as fun as The Afterparty. Created by Christopher Miller, the first season takes place the night of a high-school reunion afterparty. Everyone's having a good time – then pop icon, movie star, and party host Xavier (played by Dave Franco) falls to his death. The guests all have their motives, which leads to a guessing game over who could have pushed Xavier.
Each episode follows a different person, starting with Sam Richardson's escape-room designer Aniq, as the show delves into their past. And in a genius move, each episode is shot and styled according to that person's personality – one episode might be a John Woo-esque actioner, the next a rom-com. Best of all, Tiffany Haddish's brilliant, hilarious Detective Danner is on the scene to investigate what's happened. It all makes for a ludicrously good time – a shame, then, that a third season was never commissioned.
11. Foundation
Year: 2021 – Ongoing
Seasons: 2
Foundation is dense. It's a show that luxuriates in its world-building to a fault – there are so many complexities to this universe. After all, half the characters are clones of Emperor Cleon, ruler of the galaxy. Some versions of Cleon are the same actor, while others are different. Their rule is put into doubt when Jared Harris' mathemetician – who can tell the future with a mathematic algorithm – foresees their doom.
While the first season arguably bites off a little more than it can chew, spending a good deal of time establishing the facts of the universe, the second narrows the story and focuses on the characters to great effect. It's no wonder the sophomore effort jumped to a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score. But really, this is epic sci-fi, taking visual cues from a mixture of Dune, Star Wars, and more as the story unfolds across the galaxy. Simply put, invest in the first season, and you won't be disappointed by what’s to come.
While we wait for Foundation season 3, check out our picks for the best sci-movies of all time.
10. Dickinson
Year: 2019 – 2021
Seasons: 3
When Apple TV Plus launched, there was only one comedy on the service: Dickinson, which tells the story of poet Emily Dickinson, highlighting how she went against the worldviews of the time to live an extraordinary life. However, while the real Dickinson lived in the 1800s, the series refuses to feel dated, using modern language, music, and references, an intriguing mix that makes Dickinson feel completely of its own.
Hailee Steinfeld shines in the eponymous role; you will find it hard not to root for the rambunctious Dickinson in all that she does. The script also takes a few surreal turns as Dickinson's poetry comes to life on screen, at times taking audacious leaps into her imagination. After a first season finding its feet, the second and third move beyond any gimmicks to truly examine Dickinson's life, making for a series unlike any other. No wonder it was awarded a Peabody Award.
9. Shrinking
Year: 2023 – Ongoing
Seasons: 2
What happens when your therapist takes it a step too far? That's the question Shrinking asks. Following his wife's death, Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) starts telling his patients how it is; he implores one to leave her abusive husband and another to take up mixed martial arts. And while they appear to be better initially, things don't quite work out as smoothly as Jimmy would like them to.
It's the sheer caliber of talent both on and behind the screen that makes Shrinking so brilliant. Segel is wonderfully funny, especially when opposite his fellow shrink, Paul, played by Harrison Ford, having a fantastic time on screen. Segel also acts as co-showrunner with Ted Lasso's Bill Lawrence and Bret Goldstein, who bring that Lasso-sian mix of heart and humor with them.
8. Silo
Year: 2013 – Ongoing
Seasons: 2
In a world where mankind has been driven underground, one woman wants to discover the truth of what’s outside… Ok, voice-over; this show's not quite as simple as that. Silo may whiff of Fallout, yet it's a different beast altogether, taking a grounded approach to its storytelling as the characters – and us – discover why everyone’s trapped beneath the Earth's surface.
Silo is, as you may expect, a twisty, turny show that pulls the rug from under your feet and then the ground from under your bottom. Rebecca Ferguson is spectacular as Juliette Nichols, a hardened mechanic-turned-sheriff, as she unravels the mysteries of her silo. Go into this knowing as little as possible and prepare to be stunned; even the opening episode is an unexpected jaw-dropper.
Head over to our guide on the Silo season 2 release schedule. We've also got a Silo season 2 review to sink your teeth into as well.
7. Mythic Quest
Year: 2020 – Ongoing
Seasons: 3 (plus two specials)
When Apple announced that it was making a workplace comedy about a fictional games studio, gamers around the world collectively went: "Oh no!" After all, it's not like the industry has been particularly well represented on screen before. However, Mythic Quest doesn't go for any under-the-belt jabs at gamers and instead fully embraces the chaos of creating video games.
The result is another fantastically funny series from co-creators Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and Rob McElhenney, who are best known for their work on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. McElhenney plays Ian Grimm, the creative director of the fictional Mythic Quest game, and is joined by Ashly Burch and Danny Pudi, among others. If you're an avid gamer, prepare for hundreds of references to your favorite games.
If you want to take a break from streaming and dive into some gaming, check out our list of all the upcoming games heading our way this year.
6. Bad Sisters
Year: 2022 – Ongoing
Seasons: 2
Few people have a knack for comedy like Sharon Horgan. First, she created and starred in BBC Three's underrated Pulling, about three singletons in Hackney. Then came Catastrophe, the award-winning series about a woman who becomes pregnant following a fling with Rob Delaney. Horgan now has another critical darling on her hands with Bad Sisters, about five sisters all living in modern-day Dublin. They're being investigated for insurance fraud after one of their husbands dies in suspicious circumstances…
The series takes place across two timelines; the first before the death of the husband, the second during the investigation into how he died. The hilarity comes from the absurdity of the whole thing, while the mystery of what really happened will keep you stuck to the TV screen.
5. For All Mankind
Year: 2019 – Ongoing
Seasons: 4
What if the Russians touched down on the moon before the Americans? That's the central question of For All Mankind. The series takes place in an alternate reality where the soviet engineer Sergei Korolev led the Russians to space flight in 1969 (when, in real life, Korolev died in 1969). This all leads to NASA becoming ever more obsessed with getting to the moon – and far beyond.
Each season of For All Mankind takes place across 10 years, with actors playing both fictional and real-world characters. The space race itself makes for a thrilling narrative as countries battle to become the first to reach certain planets and start colonies on them, all while corporate interests become more and more important. The show has been so well-received that a spin-off is on the way, making this a bonafide franchise for Apple.
If you are keen to see what other series are heading our way, check out our guide on all the new TV shows on the near horizon.
4. Ted Lasso
Year: 2020 – 2023
Seasons: 3
The show that put Apple TV Plus on the map. Ted Lasso's the reason most people have a subscription – its cocktail of heart and humor was the soothing balm we all needed during the COVID lockdowns. Jason Sudeikis plays the titular American football coach who comes over to the UK to head up the "soccer" (bleurgh) team Richmond FC. While he might not know his Earl Grey from his PG Tips, Ted's fully committed to helping his team, both on and off the pitch.
Ted Lasso launched the careers of its actors into the stratosphere; Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, and Juno Temple are essentially household names now. That's mainly down to the sheer quality of the first two seasons – you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has watched the show and who is not to be head-over-heals with everyone involved with Richmond FC. Expect to laugh, expect to cry, and expect to be tweeting at the cast asking for more the moment it's over.
3. Slow Horses
Year: 2022 – Ongoing
Seasons: 4
Few shows have snowballed quite as much as Slow Horses. The series – about a group of MI5 detectives deemed useless by their superiors, and so they're sent to work in administrative roles at Slough House – has jumped hurdle after hurdle, quickly becoming one of the very best shows on television. Gary Oldman is Jackson Lamb, the rude head of Slough House who suffers no fools but is loyal to his team to a fault.
Every season is based on a different novel by Mick Herron, and each offers a new twisty case for Lamb and his "slow horses" to solve. Jack Lowden, Jonathan Pryce, and Kristin Scott Thomas make up the supporting players that appear across all seasons, while Sophie Okonedo, Hugo Weaving, Katherine Waterston, and Sope Dirisu are guest stars. Considering the quality of writing, it's no wonder so many stars want to get involved.
Read our Slow Horses season 4 review for more details!
2. Pachinko
Year: 2022 – Ongoing
Seasons: 2
Pachinko is one of those shows that everyone will tell you is good and, chances are, you will put off watching because, well, it sounds like quite a lot. After all, the show follows four generations of a single Korean family between 1915 to 1989 as they deal with starting a new life in Japan and the racism they face. But Pachinko is a show that needs to be at the front of your watchlist, if not playing on your television right now.
Soo Hugh's series is epic in scope yet intimate in the way it develops interesting characters. The Baek family goes through turmoil, fighting together through thick and thin, enduring it all – this is a story of triumph in the face of hardship. The sumptuous cinematography is matched by stunning performances from the cast. In other words, don’t sleep on Pachinko; you will want to get this watched ASAP.
1. Severance
Year: 2022 – Ongoing
Seasons: 1
Imagine clocking into work and then, poof, you're clocking out again, like no time has passed at all. Sounds too good to be true. But that's what Lumon offers you; the chance to sever your working consciousness (your innie) from your everyday consciousness (outie) so that your work self and real self don’t remember each other. If only it were so simple…
Severance sets out its unique premise in its opening episode – and the problems that come from severing yourself in two. The show has everything; engrossing mysteries, conspiracy theories, philosophical questions about life. Adam Scott grounds the series as Mark Scout, whose "outie" is mourning his wife, while Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, and John Turturro, bring this sci-fi world to life. Severance is a thrilling watch – no wonder we named it the best TV show of 2022. Season 2 is set to kick off on January 17, so you'll have just enough time to catch up if you hit play now...
If you want to keep up to date with the next outing for the best show on Apple TV, check out our guide on everything that you need to know about Severance season 2!
For more streaming picks, head to our lists of the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Disney Plus, and finally, the best shows on HBO Max.
