While Apple TV Plus may lack the quantity of a Netflix or Prime Video, it certainly makes up for it in quality. And believe it or not, it's a whole lot more than just the service on which you can watch the effervescent "Ted Lasso".
Apple’s streaming service doesn’t have the vast catalog filled with licensed content that its rivals boast. Yet, the best Apple TV Plus shows are gems that are more than worth the $10/month subscription. You’ve probably seen other series like "Severance" and "Shrinking." But Apple TV Plus is constantly adding new shows to its library and most of them are pretty good (if not great). Here's our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows to watch.
Best Apple TV Plus shows
'Bad Monkey'
“Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking” creator Bill Lawrence is looking for a third charmer by teaming up with Vince Vaughn for this adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s cult fave novel. After getting suspended from the Miami Police Department, Andrew Yancy is working as a health inspector in the Keys. When he stumbles on a case involving a human armed fished up by tourists, he sets out to prove murder and get back on the force. His investigation puts him in the path of a not-so-devastated widow, a Florida man (or two) and one bad monkey. Lawrence’s track record speaks for itself, which has attracted a sterling cast, including Michelle Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith and Rob Delaney.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Natalie Martinez, Michelle Monaghan, Meredith Hagner, Rob Delaney
Year: 2024
Genre: Crime comedy/thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
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'Criminal Record'
Detective Sergeant June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) reopens a murder case from 2012, questioning the conviction secured by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi). As June explores the details of the investigation, she begins to suspect that Hegarty may have apprehended the wrong suspect. She challenges Hegarty over her findings, which leads to a tense confrontation between the two that leads to unrest within the police department and an old man looking to keep his legacy as a lawman untarnished.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Cush Jumbo, Peter Capaldi, Stephen Campbell Moore
Year: 2024
Genre: Crime, thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
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'Masters of the Air'
The series chronicles the experiences of the 100th Bomb Group, known as the "Bloody Hundredth," part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force during World War II. These airmen undertook participated in aerial combat at altitudes of 25,000 feet, which meant they not only faced enemy forces but extreme cold and limited oxygen. These episodes explore how the "bomber boys" played an integral part in takiing down Hitler's regime as well as the psychological and emotional toll they endured. Facing constant danger, many were shot down, captured, or killed, with some sent to prison camps. It can be a difficult watch at times, but its slick cinematography and excellent cast make it one worth soldiering through.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan
Year: 2024
Genre: History, drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Watch now
'Manhunt'
This historical drama, inspired by James L. Swanson's book of the same name, is set in the tumultuous days following President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. It delves into the life of his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, while exploring the broader implications of Lincoln's death, and the efforts to uphold his Reconstruction ideals. Central to the narrative is Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War and trusted confidant, who plays a key role in the unfolding events. It's a bit of a slow burn, but a must-watch for anyone interested in the real-life events that inspired it as well as our nation's history.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Tobias Menzies, Anthony Boyle, Lovie Simone, Will Harrison
Year: 2024
Genre: History, drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
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'Sugar'
"Sugar" revolves around an influential Hollywood family led by Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell). When Jonathan's granddaughter Olivia (Sydney Chandler) vanishes, the family enlists the help of detective John Sugar (Colin Farrell) to find her. Sugar finds himself grappling with a web of secrets surrounding the Siegel family. Each revelation adds another layer of mystery to the already perplexing case of Olivia's disappearance – and there are secrets Sugar himself is hiding as well, including one of the most interesting twists you'll find on the entire streaming platform. It's a fairly short ride, but definitely one worth undertaking.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Colin Farrell, Kirby, Amy Ryan, Dennis Boutsikaris
Year: 2024
Genre: Drama, detective fiction
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
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'Palm Royale'
Set in 1969, Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) hatches a plan to infiltrate the exclusive Palm Royale country club in Palm Beach, Florida to gain access to high society. Along the way she meets colorful yet strange social climbers like heiress Linda (Laura Dern), the discerning Evelyn (Allison Janney), and Maxine's husband Douglas (Josh Lucas). Maxine finds she must decide how far she's willing to go to achieve her goal by becoming the elite of Palm Beach by joining the elite inner circle.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb
Year: 2024
Genre: Period comedy-drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 55%
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'Servant'
This M. Night Shyamalan series Philadelphia couple Dorothy and Sean Turner, played by Lauren Ambrose and Toby Kebbell as they struggle with their grip on reality after the tragic death of their infant son Jericho. In her grief, Dorothy (Ambrose) undergoes a psychotic break and believes a lifelike reborn doll is her actual child. When they hire an eccentric nanny named Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free), inexplicable and increasingly sinister events begin to unfold in their home. Dorothy's brother Julian (Rupert Grint), starts to catch on to Leanne's unnerving powers. Dorothy becomes convinced someone has kidnapped her baby as her own mental state deteriorates.
Seasons: 4
Cast: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Neil Tiger Free, Rupert Grint
Year: 2019
Genre: Psychological horror
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Watch now
'Hijack'
Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) an expert negotiator who finds himself jumping on a plane from Dubai to London with a plan to win back his ex-wife. But not long after the flight lifts off, he finds something amiss – it looks like someone is about to try to take control of the flight. Despite his best attempts to send a message to the flight crew in a covert manner to prevent certain disaster, the plane is soon hijacked. Across the seven-hour flight, he must rely on his specific set of skills to stop the hijacking and prevent what could easily become a massive tragedy in the air across this tense thrill ride.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Idris Elba, Neil Maskell, Christine Adams
Year: 2023
Genre: Thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Watch now
'The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin'
Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding) heads up the Essex Gang, a group of petty criminals. His wish? To someday become England's greatest highwayman. He's hardly on his way, but being chased across the city by thief Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville) and the secretive organization he belongs to, The Syndicate. Turpin is bumbling, naive, and not at all cut out for becoming a highwayman, but he certainly doesn't know that. - BV
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Cast: Noel Fielding, Duayne Boachie, Ellie White, Marc Wootton
Year: 2024
Genre: Historical comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
'Constellation'
Astronaut Johanna "Jo" Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) is returning from a mission in deep space to find that things are a bit different from how she remembers them. When she returns from the International Space Station, she begins seeing and hearing things, like distressing visions of her daughter and a collision on the ISS. Eventually Jo realizes she's seeing another reality, blaming it on the trauma of her mission in space. Except it never goes away, and things keep changing .... - BV
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Jonathan Banks, James D'Arcy, Jlian Looman
Year: 2024
Genre: Sci-fi psychological thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%
'Lessons in Chemistry'
Chemist Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) is fired from her job as a lab tech. Her next role is a little less conventional as she tackles hosting a 1960s cooking show using her scientific knowledge to educate housewives on the subject. Society isn't exactly pleased with her audacity to teach women anything outside of the domestic skills they "need" to know, but her feminist cooking show proves too popular to keep down. - BV
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Cast: Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King
Years: 2023
Genre: Historical drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
The Changeling
Bookseller Apollo (Lakeith Stanfield) and his librarian wife Emma (Clark Backo) believe their newborn child is a changeling, or a bizarre creature left behind when a demon kidnaps a human. When Emma vanishes, Apollo must navigate a disturbing journey through a city that he had no idea existed, all the while wondering – what's happened with the pair's newborn son? - BV
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Adina Porter, Clark Backo, Samuel T. Herring
Years: 2023
Genre: Horror/fantasy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%
'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters'
The Monsterverse may be a newer creation, but the primary characters of Godzilla and King Kong have been around for decades. Mostly, they’ve resided in the movie theater, but now they’re coming to your television in this new series.
After the events of 2014’s Godzilla, which leveled San Francisco and shocked the world by revealing the existence of monsters, schoolteacher Cate (Anna Sawai) journeys to Japan to learn more about her deceased father and his connection to the shadowy organization known as Monarch. Clues ultimately lead them to Army officer Lee Shaw (played in two time periods by father/son duo Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell) and long-buried secrets. - KW
Seasons: 1
Cast: Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe
Year: 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Monster action drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
'The Buccaneers'
This period romance might feel like Apple’s attempt to clone Netflix’s Bridgerton, but it already has an underrated older sibling on the service: Dickinson. The Buccaneers takes on the unfinished Edith Wharton novel of the same title and gives it a cheeky, sometimes anachronistic spin like the poet dramedy did. The diversity in the casting definitely gives shades of Bridgerton, though.
The story follows young American heiresses who head to London to find aristocratic husbands. The “dollar princesses” make quite the splash, even if some snobs look down at them as nouveau riche. Nan St. George (Kristine Froseth) manages to catch the attention of a duke (Guy Remmers), but she develops feelings for the title-less Guy (Matthew Broome). - KW
Seasons: 1
Cast: Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Matthew Broome, Josh Dylan
Year: 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Period drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
'For All Mankind'
The fascinating “what if” premise is just the start of the amazing, wild ride that is For All Mankind. In the first moments of the series premiere, the Soviets beat America to the Moon. Thus, the space race never ends and an entirely different version of history is born. If the U.S. couldn’t put the first person on the Moon, they want to win at other accomplishments like building the first permanent lunar base, establishing a permanent rotation of residents, and being the first to step foot on Mars.
That said, For All Mankind has quietly become the best Apple TV Plus show by staying strong for three whole seasons. Not only did it begin with an impressive (yet slow-starting) first season, but the thrilling season 2 finale was followed by an equally engaging third season and a so-far promising fourth season. — KW
Seasons: 4
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten
Year: 2019-2023 (Ongoing)
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Platonic
Two of Hollywood’s most likable comedic stars pair up in this shaggy hang-out comedy. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play former best friends who had a falling out years ago, but reunite as they deal with midlife crises. Will is a recently divorced brewmaster navigating the dating scene, while Sylvia is a harried married mom of three. While their renewed friendship remains completely platonic, it leads to hijinks and escapades that destabilize their lives.
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Cast: Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen, Luke Macfarlane, Tre Hale
Year: 2023
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Foundation
After a first season that didn't exactly hit for many, Foundation season 2 has hit the ground with applause from many. This adaptation of Isaac Asimov's work thrives as a character study, following Lee Pace's Brother Day and Jared Harris' mathematician Hari Seldon. Pace is on the side of the galactic empire, and Harris is one of those who foresee its demise.
While Foundation didn't earn a spot in our list in its first year, this new batch is worthy because they've dispensed with the world building and setup. It's an ambitious show, and creator David S. Goyer already plans for eight seasons.
Seasons: 2 (season 2 is currently airing)
Cast: Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrence Mann, Cassian Bilton
Year: 2021 - 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Sci-fi drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
The Afterparty
High school reunions shouldn't have any more drama than old crushes potentially renewed and long-settled rivalries that could bubble up. The Afterparty, though, revolves around the least-likely high school reunion, one that turns into a crime scene as someone is mysteriously killed. On top of that? This whodunit is also a comedy. We won't spoil who dies, but with a murder's row of comedic greats — Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz and Dave Franco to name a few — the show is almost too-full of funny folks. One had to die.
Even better, The Afterparty is a perfect binge-watch because of the show's format. As each main suspect is interrogated, they tell their own awkward reunion story and the show takes the form of how they see the world. One episode is a romantic comedy, another an action movie. One episode is an animated adventure, another is a thriller. The Afterparty is such a hit that Apple TV Plus has ordered The Afterparty season 2. While the series sounds like it could have mostly different casts between seasons, it's been confirmed that Tiffany Haddish isn't the only returning cast member next year. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1 (season 2 debuts on July 12, 2023)
Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz
Year: 2022 (ongoing)
Genre: Comedy/mystery
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Silo
Hugh Howey's Wool novels get the prestige TV adaptation treatment in Apple TV Plus' Silo. This dystopic drama puts humanity deep underground inside of a giant silo. They've been told it's in their best interest to stay there, but that might not be true.
Silo generators worker Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) begins to poke at the seams of this monolithic home, as a death of a colleague raises questions. Applauded for a fantastic cast, earnest writing and a thrilling mystery that will keep you watching, Silo is the latest great Apple TV Plus show. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1 (a second season is in development)
Cast: Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, Tim Robbins
Year: 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
The Big Door Prize
The Big Door Prize takes the warmth, sentimentality and humor you expect from Ted Lasso, and throws a big steaming dose of magical realism on top. And it all centers around a small town where teacher Dusty Hubbard (O’Dowd) just turned 40. And while he thinks he's satisfied with his life, an odd machine shows up to threaten that peace.
A big blue machine with the word 'Morpho' on it sits at the local convenience store, dispensing cards to all who pay a small fee. Those cards bear a title (or two, in at least one case) that describes the user's full life potential. This is exactly the kind of thing that Dusty doesn't need, and he pushes against the value of some machine telling him what he's good for. The best new Apple TV Plus show, and one especially made for those railing against AI, The Big Door Prize is worth checking out. — HTC
Seasons: 1 (a second season has been announced)
Cast: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra
Year: 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Ted Lasso
If any Apple TV show needs no introduction, it's Ted Lasso. The story of the titular American college football coach who manages to find himself in over his head coaching the other football (call it soccer if you must) in the United Kingdom is likely the most-loved Apple TV Plus series, if not the most buzzed about online. It's not hard to see why Ted Lasso drew a strong fandom in short order, either.
Arriving during the Covid-19 pandemic, when everything was dire, Ted Lasso's brand of wholesomeness (from the character and the show) was a winning strategy. As a coach of a losing team, Lasso's upbeat energy completely upended the toxic masculinity that was always just about to rip AFC Richmond apart. And the show's upbeat energy helped it stand out from the sea of depressing prestige TV (which we still love). And while season 3 has had its ups and downs — with plenty of missing moments that were seemingly glossed over — it still finished well, and should not get a spinoff series. That said, Ted Lasso season 4 still feels somewhat possible. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 3
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein
Year: 2020-2023 (possibly ongoing)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Rotten Tomatoes scores: 92% (season 1), 97% (season 2), 79% (season 3)
Shrinking
Two of the minds behind Ted Lasso (Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein) have teamed up with star Jason Segel for Shrinking, the latest Apple TV Plus show you need to see. While it can often pack the earnest energy of Coach Lasso's show, Shrinking gets a bit darker, as Jimmy (Segel) is a therapist who's going above and too far with his advice to patients — while still having trouble processing the loss of his late wife.
Harrison Ford (fresh off of his other TV show, 1923), plays Jimmy's boss, who is going through his own personal troubles. But the show isn't specifically about either man. The patients, especially Luke Tennie's Sean, get a lot to process each episode. Shrinking (just like Peacock's Poker Face) is the latest proof that there's life outside Netflix.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie
Years: 2023 (Ongoing)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Slow Horses
A band of misfits is always a recipe for entertainment, but Slow Horses makes this trope sing by putting a bunch of MI5 agents into danger — and letting us see them flop. Your introduction to its Slough House is through agent River Cartwright (Lowden), who is kicked out of MI5 and sent to work with the team run by Jackson Lamb (Oldman). From the mind behind Veep and The Thick Of It (Will Smith, not the American one), Slow Horses deftly mixes humor with action.
Seasons: 2
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Lowden
Years: 2022 – Ongoing
Genre: Spy thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Bad Sisters
One of our favorite new shows of 2022, Bad Sisters takes a death in the family in an unexpected direction. Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) and John Paul Williams (Claes Bang), have a terrible marriage, as he treats her extremely poorly. So much so that her sisters celebrate his death.
To give them the benefit of the doubt, the Garvey sisters (Grace took JP's last name) all took a vow to protect each other, no matter what. So of course they'd toast the foul man's passing. Except this all brings up the question of "did they kill him?" Bad Sisters, developed by Sharon Horgan (who plays Eva Garvey) thrives with its biting tone and excellent comedy.
Editor's note: Apple TV Plus announced that Bad Sisters season 2 is officially happening!
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Cast: Anne-Marie Duff, Claes Bang, Sharon Horgan, Eve Hewson, Sarah Greene,
Years: 2022
Genre: Dark comedy/Mystery thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Trying
One of the 7 best Apple TV Plus shows you're (probably) not watching, Trying has spent three seasons finding the humor in the that Rafe Spall's Jason and Esther Smith's Nikki have had on their way to parenthood. At first, the two struggle with difficulty conceiving a child, and they then realize adoption is their best option. Effortless chemistry between Spall and Smith make Trying far from it's own name — more like a joy — to watch.
They're enabled by a strong supporting cast, as they see parenthood through friends Erica and Freddy (Ophelia Lovibond and Oliver Chris), whose situation gives them constant doubts. Imelda Staunton's also turning in a great performance, as the adoption agency rep Penny, who is trying to figure out if Jason and Esther should be parents. – Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 3 (season 4 is confirmed)
Cast: Rafe Spall, Esther Smith, Imelda Staunton, Oliver Chris, Ophelia Lovibond
Years: (2020 – Present)
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Mythic Quest
In the annals of "shows we never knew we needed," Mythic Quest ranks highly, because a live action series about the life of video game developers just didn't sound riveting. Our opinions changed, though, when we met the egotistical Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney), the timid Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao) and the rest of the dysfunctional team behind the online game Mythic Quest.
The secret sauce of Mythic Quest is that McElhenney isn't the only veteran of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on hand. Both Charlie Day, Megan Ganz and David Hornsby (who is also in the cast) executive produce Mythic Quest. While Mythic Quest's characters are less heinous than the Sunny gang, you can see that the show carries the excellent banter from that series over. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 3 + 2 special event episodes
Cast: Rob McElhenney, Ashly Burch, Jessie Ennis, Imani Hakim, David Hornsby, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, F. Murray Abraham
Year: 2020-2022 (ongoing)
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Monster Factory
Apple TV Plus and pro wrestling are the last two topics I ever expected to meet up, but Monster Factory is all about breaking your expectations. The six-part docuseries follows the students training at Danny Cage's titular wrestling school. The Factory has produced many a star on the big stage, but these kids in New Jersey are struggling to even get a try-out with the likes of WWE.
And while the series will have you rooting for its wanna-be stars throughout, their demanding coach is arguably its best weapon. Cage pushes his kids hard, as he knows that their dreams of the big time require practically-perfect presentation. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Cast: Danny Cage, Hurley A. Jones Jr. (aka Bobby Buffet), David Goldschmidt (aka Goldy), Gabriella Belpre (aka Gabby Ortiz)
Year: 2023
Genre: Docuseries
Rotten Tomatoes score: n/a
Black Bird
True crime dramatizations live and fail on one thing: performances. Since we know how the story ends (or can at least google it), shows such as Black Bird have to deliver the goods to make us stop what we're doing and make us focus on the drama. Black Bird, an Apple TV Plus miniseries about James Keene's trip into a maximum security jail to try and get himself out of minimum security jail, is told through the eyes of Taron Egerton, who plays Keene with charisma.
That said, Black Bird's real power comes from Paul Walter Hauser, who is playing serial confessor and prime suspect Larry Hall. Suspected of killing young girls, Hall has already confessed to to the crimes, but he's not exactly a reliable narrator. So, Keene is tasked to talk some actual evidence out of the truly creepy Hall. Recently finishing its first and likely only season, Black Bird gets better and more haunting with each episode — and it should be a show that gets people to sign up for Apple TV Plus. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1
Cast: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Greg Kinnear, Ray Liotta
Year: 2022
Genre: True crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Pachinko
Effort is rewarded. That's not the lesson of Pachinko, a far-reaching historical epic about generations of a Korean immigrant family, but what I learned while watching it. One of the best shows of the year, Pachinko is also dense and layered. It even presents subtitles with different colors, as the use of Japanese and Korean language is intrinsic to the series.
Since so much of the story is told in its language, Pachinko is hopefully benefitting from the current trend where the public isn't as put off by subtitles as it was prior. But with its subtly-told stories (this is no Squid Game), you're going to want to pay attention at each step. Beautifully shot, expertly acted and marvelous down to each strand of its proverbial DNA, Pachinko is proof that Apple TV Plus' eye for quality is strong. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1
Cast: Youn Yuh-jung, Jin Ha, Eun-chae Jung, Min-ha Kim, Jimmi Simpson
Year: 2022
Genre: Historical drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Shining Girls
Apple had us at Elizabeth Moss, who stars in its time-bending crime mystery series Shining Girls, an adaptation of Lauren Beukes' novel. In this series, Moss plays newspaper researcher Kirby Mazrachi, who was the victim of a horrific attack that left a mental trauma on her that is extremely difficult to manage. Details in her life, including where she lives, keep shifting without warning.
But when Kirby's cold case seems to get warm, as similar victims emerge, it seems like she might get some answers. But to figure it all out, she'll have to work on the case herself. Kirby begins to find clues, despite the fact that her attacker (Jamie Bell) seems to live a step head of everyone. The series' mind-bending conceit may be confusing, but Moss makes Shining Girls one of the best Apple TV Plus shows. We're curious to see how it ends, though. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1
Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Phillipa Soo, Chris Chalk, Amy Brenneman, Jamie Bell
Year: 2022
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
The Essex Serpent
Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), a London widower who is finally pursuing her own interests, finds herself in a very murky situation when she goes to investigate a local legend of a serpent abducting townsfolk in Essex. And while she want to bring a scientific approach to her search, the townsfolk seem to immediately distrust her as an outsider.
There, she meets Will Ransome (Tom Hiddleston), the local vicar who she bonds with at first. But as the people of Essex start to blame Cora, her new friend doesn't seem like he's going to be able to help her. The Essex Serpent is a limited series that just started, but its strong first episodes have us eager to recommend it.
Seasons: 1
Cast: Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Clémence Poésey
Year: 2022
Genre: Period piece/Mystery
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Severance
Little in our personal everyday lives these days is more frustrating and relatable than a poor work/life balance. Some of us take our frustrations with our bosses home with us on a nightly basis, while others can't stop working. Severance asks, "But what if there was another way?" No, not by developing a healthy balance or seeking therapy. But by severing the nerves in your brain that connect your work and non-work memories. That mind-boggling premise is the center of Severance, which you need to binge watch now.
Severance works so well because Adam Scott is perfectly awkward for the role of Mark Scout. Mark is one of the many worker-bees at Lumon, the company that performs severance on its employees, who then live two lives. Your "innie" lives a life of only work, while your "outie" doesn't know anything about their day-job and lives the rest of the life. A less satirical and more horrifying spin on Black Mirror, Severance is replacing Ted Lasso as Apple TV's most heralded show.
The Severance finale, though, was one of the most exhilarating TV episodes in recent history. Revelation after revelation had us almost screaming at our TVs, and the amazing performances of supporting cast members Zach Cherry and Britt Lower made it all the more intense. We cannot wait for Severance season 2. Can't we just get our own "severance" that lets us fast-forward to the next episode? — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 1 (9 episodes)
Cast: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Britt Lower
Year: 2022
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Schmigadoon!
Fans of Broadway musicals — particularly mid-century musicals — should make a plan to visit Schmigadoon!, Apple TV Plus’ stab at a show where everyone’s prone to breaking out into song. Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong play a couple out on a hike who stumble into the mythical village of Schmigadoon and discover that anything from a lover’s spat to a bowl of corn pudding is likely to trigger a big Broadway production number. They also discover that they can’t escape Schmigadoon until they’ve found true love. It’s hard to say which discovery is more horrifying.
Schmigadoon is packed with a supporting cast of Broadway heavyweights including Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose and Aaron Tveit, among others. And the references to everything from Carousel to The Music Man to Oklahoma! fly thick and fast. That the songs are actually pretty toe-tapping will make even people who shy away from musicals succumb to Schmigadoon’s charms. — Philip Michaels
Seasons: 2
Cast: Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming
Year: 2021 - 2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Musical comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Central Park
Tailor-made for fans of musicals and the animated series Bob's Burgers, Central Park posits that families actually live in NYC's iconic park. In this case, it's the Tillerman–Hunter family, which makes sense as patriarch Owen Tillerman (voiced by Leslie Odom Jr.) is the park manager. Much like Bob Belcher, though, Owen doesn't get much respect from anyone around him, even as he does his best to make sure the park stays in pristine condition. Filled with excellent songs, a fantastic cast and plenty of laughs, Central Park is probably the best Apple TV Plus show that more people should be watching. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 2
Voice cast: Kristen Bell, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Stanley Tucci, Emmy Raver-Lampman
Year: 2020-2021
Genre: Animated sitcom
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
The Morning Show
The Morning Show has been a story of the reinventions of television, not just in the show-within-a-show hosted by Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), but the series itself. While season 1 of TMS focused on the downfall of talk show host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) due to sexual impropriety at the workplace, the series was never meant to take that angle on — but was later reworked to do so (following the news of Matt Lauer's misconduct).
The same thing happened in the second season, where The Morning Show — which is practically required to be topical — fit the Covid-19 outbreak into its story. While the second season is a bit more soapy, it seems to have discovered a better sense of the kind of drama it is. — Henry T. Casey
Seasons: 2
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Steve Carell
Year: 2019-2021 (ongoing)
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%
Dickinson
The show about one of America’s greatest poets is fittingly lyrical, beautiful and brief. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Emily, the often-misunderstood middle child of her family who has a penchant for penning verses that cut right to the bone (and heart). Dickinson is brimming with anachronisms in the language, casting and needle drops. But they’re never jarring; instead, they connect the modern viewer to the still-relevant difficulties faced by a young, ambitious, talented woman. As she grapples with her place in the world, her sexuality and her legacy, Emily turns her feelings into poems that will ultimately transcend time. — Kelly Woo
Seasons: 3
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt
Year: 2019-2021
Genre: Romance
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Need more to watch? Since Apple TV Plus doesn't have a ton of options, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows for more ideas.
