Apple TV is a strong competitor in the world of streaming platforms, and here are 30 great shows to watch there. The world of streaming continues to expand with more and more platforms, both free and subscription ones, all of them offering different content, though some of them share a couple of titles.
Many platforms are home to some of the best TV shows of all time, and one of them is Apple TV. What has made Apple’s streaming service stand out is that it doesn’t have licensed content, instead focusing on original content. Perhaps Apple TV’s biggest weakness is its lack of promotion for its TV shows, but it has some great shows from different genres that are worth checking out.
Severance
Severance is a sci-fi psychological thriller created by Dan Erickson. It follows the employees at a biotechnology corporation who have undergone a procedure called “severance”, which splits their memories between work and their personal lives. This creates two separate identities for them, but some of them, like Mark (Adam Scott), begin to question their reality.
Severance already ranks among the best sci-fi TV shows of all time, and has been praised for its concept, performances, cinematography, attention to detail, and complexity, as well as for covering themes like identity and autonomy.
Pluribus
Pluribus is a recent release, but it has received a lot of praise from critics and general audiences. Created by Vince Gilligan, Pluribus is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that introduces viewers to Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), one of only 13 people in the world immune to a virus that merges everyone’s consciousness into a collective hive mind of forced happiness.
Pluribus was an instant success, and it has been praised for its writing, concept, creativity, performances, and influences. Pluribus is one of Apple TV’s most complex and thought-provoking shows, and it’s only getting started.
See
See is a sci-fi drama TV series created by Steven Knight. In a post-apocalyptic dystopia, humanity’s descendants have lost their sight. This sense has now become a myth, but when children with sight are born in a mountain tribe, their adoptive father, Baba Voss (Jason Momoa), must protect them.
See had a rough start but got better as it progressed, and it improved and became the platform’s most-watched drama series. See’s concept is creative and makes way for a lot of drama, mystery, and suspense.
Chief of War
Another Jason Momoa TV show on Apple TV is Chief of War. Created by Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and Momoa, and based on true events, Chief of War is set at the end of the 18th century, when the four major kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands are at war.
Chief of War follows the warrior chief of Kaua’i, Ka’iana (Momoa), who rebels against the unification of Hawai’i. Chief of War was praised for its historical background, performances, and production value.
The Snoopy Show
Apple TV has a deal to produce new Snoopy content, and its best so far is The Snoopy Show. Each episode has three seven-minute segments that follow Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the gang in different fun situations and adventures. The Snoopy Show has that wholesome, fun, heartwarming vibe of Snoopy and company, making it a great watch.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer is a psychological thriller miniseries created, written, and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Based on Renée Knight’s 2015 novel of the same name, Disclaimer follows Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett), a documentary journalist who finds out she’s a character in a novel that threatens to reveal a big secret she has been hiding.
Disclaimer is told in a non-linear style, which adds to the suspense and mystery, and uses an unreliable narrator to mislead the audience. Disclaimer’s biggest strengths are its visuals, Cuaron’s direction, its exploration of trauma, and its performances.
Defending Jacob
Defending Jacob is a mystery legal drama miniseries based on William Landay’s 2012 novel of the same name. Defending Jacob follows the Barber family: father Andy (Chris Evans), mother Laurie (Michelle Dockery), and son Jacob (Jaeden Martell). When a classmate of Jacob’s is found dead, Jacob becomes the prime suspect.
Andy, an Assistant District Attorney, is assigned to the case, and though he believes in his son’s innocence, he begins to doubt it the more the investigation progresses. Defending Jacob mixes legal and family drama with crime and mystery, and it has a shocking twist at the end.
Dear Edward
Dear Edward is a drama TV series based on Ann Napolitano’s novel of the same name. Dear Edward is the story of Edward Adler (Colin O’Brien), a young boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash, where his family died. Edward connects with others affected by the accident, and they support each other through their pain.
Dear Edward is emotionally charged and covers complex themes like loss and grief, which might be too much for some viewers. However, Dear Edward is very well-made and has strong performances that make the story more emotional.
The Crowded Room
The Crowded Room is a psychological thriller miniseries inspired by Daniel Keyes’ 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan. The Crowded Room is the story of Danny Sullivan (Tom Holland), who is arrested for his involvement in a shooting in 1979. In a series of interviews with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), Danny shares the events of his past that led him to this.
The Crowded Room is a great watch for those into psychological thrillers based on true events, and its biggest strength is its performances. The Crowded Room’s pacing might not be for everyone, but it’s worth staying for the story.
The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me is a mystery thriller series based on Laura Dave’s novel of the same name. It’s the story of Hannah Hall (Jennifer Garner), who forms an unexpected friendship with her stepdaughter as she searches for her husband, who has disappeared.
The show’s focus on the bond between Hannah and her stepdaughter, and the mystery of where her husband is, makes it one of Apple TV’s most compelling shows.
Silo
Silo is a sci-fi drama based on Hugh Howey’s book trilogy of the same name. Silo takes the audience into a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo covering 144 levels. Silo stars Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette, an engineer who finds herself entangled in mysteries of the past and present.
Silo is one of the best sci-fi TV shows of the last decade, and it has succeeded thanks to its intriguing world-building, storytelling, performances, and production value.
The Morning Show
The Morning Show is a drama TV show inspired by Brian Stelter’s 2013 book Top of the Morning. The Morning Show follows Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), co-host of the title morning news show, who fights to keep her job after her on-air partner, Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell), is fired due to allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Morning Show is one of Apple TV’s most successful shows to date, thanks to its performances, the social issues it covers, its exploration of themes like power and work ethics, and its pacing.
Palm Royale
Palm Royale is a period comedy-drama show based on Juliet McDaniel’s 2018 novel Mr. & Mrs. American Pie. Set in 1969, Palm Royale follows Maxine (Kristen Wiig), who wants a place in the high society of Florida’s Palm Beach through the exclusive country club Palm Royale. Palm Royale has an incredible cast that has mastered both comedy and drama, and has a stunning production design.
For All Mankind
For All Mankind is a sci-fi drama series that offers a dramatized alternate history of what would have happened if the global space race had never ended after the Soviet Union landed first on the moon.
For All Mankind’s biggest hook is its story, with its many layers of politics, society, and more, which, along with its production quality and performances, has made it one of Apple TV’s best shows to date.
Masters of the Air
Masters of the Air is a war drama miniseries based on Donald L. Miller’s 2007 book of the same name. It’s the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II and the bomber crews that went on dangerous missions. Masters of the Air mixes drama and action with great performances, and it’s the perfect replacement for fans of Band of Brothers.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a sports comedy-drama show that follows the title character (played by Jason Sudeikis), a college football coach hired to coach an English soccer team, despite his lack of experience in that sport. Lasso was hired because the new owner gained the team in her divorce, and hopes Lasso will cause the team’s downfall, which would hurt her ex-husband.
However, Lasso wins over the team and even the owner, thanks to his personality and humor. Ted Lasso has been praised for its tone, writing, performances, and themes, and it’s often described as a “comfort show.”
Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent is a legal thriller TV series based on Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name, and it’s the story of Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a prosecutor who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of one of his colleagues, with whom he was having an affair. Presumed Innocent’s mix of mystery, drama, suspense, and Gyllenhaal’s performance as the morally complex Sabich make it a must-watch.
Shrinking
Shrinking is a comedy-drama TV series starring Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, a therapist grieving the death of his wife. Because of this, Laird begins to break ethical barriers by being fully honest with his patients and meddling in their lives, which, to everyone’s surprise, massively changes his and his patients’ lives.
Shrinking has been praised for bringing together comedy and emotional depth, the latter through the exploration of themes like grief, loss, and life, with flawed and relatable characters.
Servant
Servant is a psychological horror TV series with M. Night Shyamalan as executive producer. Servant is the story of wealthy couple Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), who undergo transitory object therapy using a lifelike reborn doll after the death of their 13-week-old son and Dorothy’s psychotic break.
Dorothy believes the doll is her real child, and they hire a nanny, Leanne (Nell Tiger Free), to take care of the doll, but they soon begin to experience increasingly unusual occurrences. Servant’s strengths are its atmosphere, performances, and story, which builds suspense and quickly hooks viewers.
Black Bird
Black Bird is a true crime drama miniseries based on James Keene’s autobiography. Black Bird is the story of James Keene (Taron Egerton), a once-promising young football star who ended up involved in dealing narcotics. After being arrested, he accepts a plea deal that turned out to be a trick to give him a longer sentence.
However, he’s later offered an opportunity for a fully commuted sentence with a clean record if he can get an imprisoned man to admit to a crime. Black Bird is intense, with incredible performances and an interesting look into the psychology of its complex characters.
The Studio
The Studio is a satirical cringe comedy series starring Seth Rogen as Matt Remick, the new head of the struggling film production company Continental Studios. The show follows Matt’s struggles to balance his interest in making good movies with the company’s corporate side and the rise of IP-driven content.
The Studio was released in early 2025 and became an instant success thanks to its satire of the film industry, its cinematic approach, overall production value, and performances, including high-profile celebrity cameos like Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard.
Constellation
Constellation is a sci-fi psychological thriller series. Constellation follows three astronauts, survivors of the crash of an unidentified object on the International Space Station. The astronauts make an emergency evacuation and leave Swedish astronaut Jo (Noomi Rapace) behind to repair the other module.
When Jo finally returns to Earth, she finds that parts of her life are missing or are different than how she remembers them. Constellation has incredible visuals, which, combined with psychological mystery, sci-fi themes, Rapace’s performance, and themes like trauma and loneliness, make it one of Apple TV’s most underrated shows.
Hijack
Hijack is a thriller TV series that follows Sam Nelson (Idris Elba), a corporate business negotiator who uses his skills to end the hijacking of a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. What makes Hijack stand out is its real-time suspense, which makes it an immersive experience led by the incredible performance of Elba.
Mr. Scorsese
Taking a break from fiction to recommend the five-part documentary series Mr. Scorsese. Directed by Rebecca Miller, Mr. Scorsese follows the legendary filmmaker’s life from his time as a student at New York University to the present day, with access to his personal archives. For those who love Scorsese and cinema, this will be a great watch.
Lessons in Chemistry
Lessons in Chemistry is a historical drama miniseries based on Bonnie Garmus’ novel of the same name. Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), who, after being fired from her job as a lab tech, uses her new job as the host of a 1950s cooking show to educate housewives on science.
Lessons in Chemistry offers commentary on sexism in the 1950s, particularly in the area of science, and an inspiring story with strong performances and stunning production design.
Murderbot
Murderbot is a sci-fi action comedy TV series based on Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries book series. Murderbot follows the title character (played by Alexander Skarsgård), a rogue, self-hacking security robot who hides its autonomy while completing dangerous tasks and being fascinated yet appalled by humans.
Murderbot has a unique lead character who is introverted yet funny and has a lot of heart despite being a robot. Murderbot has a creative concept and main character, and it’s as funny as it is heartwarming and even deep at times.
Pachinko
Pachinko is a drama TV series based on Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name. Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean family, exploring the lifestyle and discrimination against Korean immigrants in Japanese society. Pachinko has been praised for its cinematography, performances, and themes.
Loot
Loot is a comedy series that follows Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph), a recently divorced middle-aged woman. Her divorce made her the third-wealthiest woman in the country, as her ex-husband is a tech billionaire, so she decides to re-engage the charity foundation she had forgotten they had founded. At the same time, Molly wants to reconnect with the world outside the billionaires’ bubble.
Loot is lighthearted, with a unique premise, great sense of humor, and the always great and enjoyable talents of Maya Rudolph.
Lisey’s Story
Lisey’s Story is a psychological horror drama miniseries based on Stephen King’s 2006 novel of the same name. Lisey’s Story is the story of Lisey Landon (Julianne Moore), who is grieving the loss of her husband, Scott (Clive Owen), a famous author. While defending his work from those looking to get their hands on his unpublished works, Lisey finds a treasure hunt Scott left for her.
This leads her to revisit her past, unearthing suppressed and forgotten dark memories and secrets. Lisey’s Story brings together mystery, suspense, drama, and romance, though the latter not in a very heartwarming style. Although it might be too slow for some, the performances of Moore and Owen make it worth the wait.
Dr. Brain
Dr. Brain is a South Korean sci-fi thriller series based on the Korean webtoon of the same name by Hongjacga. Dr. Brain is the story of Sewon Koh (Lee Sun-kyun), a brain scientist trying to solve what happened to his family after they died in a mysterious accident.
For that, Koh does “brain syncs” with the deceased to search for clues in their memories, but it becomes increasingly difficult to separate their memories from his own. Dr. Brain is an engaging sci-fi show with a creative and complex concept, and with just six episodes, it’s easy to binge-watch.
