Apple TV+ is a streaming service that doesn’t make a lot of sense on paper, yet it has carved out a place as one of the most forward-thinking studios of the 2020s.
Run by one of the world’s most lucrative companies, the streaming platform native to your iPhone creates excellent TV and movies — but does anyone actually watch them?
The truth is that Apple’s passion project has been turning out some of television’s most prestige content starring your favorite actors for nearly six years. If there’s a genre, actor or director whose work you recognize, chances are they’ve been involved in an Apple TV+ project.
To give a few examples, actors like Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Momoa and Maya Rudolph have all led their own projects. Apple has also partnered with directors like Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Guy Ritchie and M. Night Shyamalan, to name a few.
Apple seems indifferent to turning a profit on this venture, as shown by the lack of advertising on many of its shows. You likely already have access to Apple TV+ without realizing, thanks to Apple Music student plans or the free trial that comes with new devices.
Knowing all this, deciding what to binge can be daunting. After some careful consideration (and many hours of watching), I’ve compiled a short list of the best shows Apple TV+ has to offer and a few that you’d be better off skipping.
Dramas
Severance: This jaw-dropping psychological thriller crawls under your skin and keeps you guessing at every turn. With some of the best set design in any show this century, what starts as a corporate mystery spirals into something much darker and more unsettling. It’s eerie, clever and consistently makes you question what’s really going on.
Slow Horses: A gritty British spy thriller that’s fast paced, darkly funny and brilliantly written. At times the accents may call for subtitles, but the payoff is worth it. Thanks to the tight storytelling, incredible performances from British icons and pacing that keeps you locked-in, I finished the first series in one sitting.
Silo: Another mystery, this time set in a post-apocalyptic underground bunker. It’s a layered, conspiracy-filled murder mystery that keeps you on the edge until the very end. Anchored by an incredible lead performance from Rebecca Ferguson, each episode will leave you with questions and theories as deep as the silo itself.
Drops of God: Adapted from a famous manga, this story tells two parallel stories across three languages and multiple countries, all tied together by the fascinating, intense and somewhat fantastical world of fine wine.
The Buccaneers: This lighthearted, coming-of-age series follows a group of American teens trying to fit into London high Society in the 1800s. It’s full of charming drama and just the right amount of chaos.
Coda: This 2022 Academy Award winner for Best Picture is an uplifting emotional film about a young girl chasing her dream while being the only hearing member of her family. It’s a beautiful story with genuine representation and outstanding performances from the majority deaf cast.
Comedy
The Morning Show: Pure, glorious chaos awaits any viewer willing to commit to binging this series. The Morning Show pulls back the curtain of the quintessential American morning talk show, using real-world news events to anchor its storylines and spin off subplots that are as ridiculous as they are ingeniously written. It’s campy, over the top and loaded with A-list actors giving 110 per cent in every scene. Originally pitched as prestige TV, it quickly spirals into soap opera-worthy entertainment that jumps the shark at every turn and somehow only gets more entertaining. It’s constantly rewarding with every new season seeming to out-do itself in the best and most unhinged way possible.
Ted Lasso: Easily the most feel-good show on this list, Ted Lasso is funny, heartwarming and guaranteed to put a smile on your face while exploring deeper themes like mental health and belonging. It’s pure joy that only Jason Sudeikis can offer.
Shrinking: Another stand-out comedy that balances grief, friendship and healing with heart and humour is Shrinking. Following a group of therapists navigating their own messy lives, it’s weirdly comforting and consistently hilarious.
Loot: A hilarious, viral-clip-making sensation loosely inspired by a certain high-profile billionaire’s divorce. You’ll come for Maya Rudolph’s perfectly unhinged performance and stay for the lovable misfit supporting cast — and to see just how much money she can burn (and how many ways she can embarrass herself) while trying to reinvent her life through philanthropy.
Bad Sisters: An Irish dark comedy and murder mystery about five sisters bound by love, chaos and one very suspicious death. It’s sharp, funny and surprisingly heartfelt — layered with twists, wit and an antagonist so insufferable you’ll start to justify what the sisters are up to.
What to pass on
WeCrashed: A dramatization of the rise and fall of WeWork, a real-life company that provides coworking spaces for employees of various organizations. This limited series falls short despite its star power. The performances, especially Jared Leto’s, feel forced while the pacing and writing make it tough to sit through.
Napoleon: Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix, this piece of Oscar bait is uneven, bloated and fails to capture the historical complexity of both the era and its titular figure. To make matters worse, its historical accuracy has been widely questioned and criticized.
The Beanie Bubble: Though built on an interesting concept, this comedy stumbles due to its confusing pacing and uneven structure. It never decides whether it wants to be a hit of nostalgia bait or a satire of corporate greed — and unfortunately, it fails at both.
Ghosted: This spy action comedy completely wastes its A-list leads. With zero chemistry, a shoestring-looking budget and a script so bad that claims of A.I. barely hold water, Ghosted is proof that star power can’t save everything.
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Apple TV+ may not have the same cultural footprint as Netflix or Disney+, but what it lacks in buzz, it makes up for in quality.
The platform has quietly produced some of the best shows and films of this decade. These projects offer real depth, creativity and style. Sure, not everything lands, but by the numbers, the chances of finding something you’ll like — and that won’t waste your time — are far higher than its competitors. Apple is choosing to selectively produce sophisticated, human-centred content; the result is a streaming library more akin to a luxury boutique than a content landfill.
Whether you’re in the mood for a slowly unraveling mystery, a comfort comedy or a high camp masterpiece — there’s genuinely something for everyone on Apple TV+. With this list barely scratching the surface, consider Apple TV+ for your next favourite TV show, movie or limited series before you go back to doomscrolling or re-watching Grey’s Anatomy.