The 25 Best TV Shows Streaming On Apple TV

In the streaming era, the current vanguard of prestige television is Apple TV, sparing no expense in producing many of the best shows in the medium. Launched in 2019, the premium streaming service has teamed up with leading actors and television creatives in developing its original content, which boasts some of the highest production values on television. For those looking for streaming originals always bringing their A-game, Apple TV has carved a strong place in the industry landscape.

Whether it’s expansive science fiction or star-studded workplace comedies, Apple has a growing selection of originals. Here are the 25 best TV shows — in no particular order — currently streaming on Apple TV that make it well worth the subscription.

There is a unique charm to the Irish sense of humor, and that gets highlighted, albeit under a darker premise, in the 2022 series “Bad Sisters.” The story centers on the Dublin-based Garvey sisters, who are implicated in the murder of JP Williams (Claes Bang). Williams was the abusive husband of Grace Garvey (Anne-Marie Duff), whom all the sisters completely detested. The show is divided into two timelines, one leading up to Williams’ death and another with insurance investigator Tom Claffin (Brian Gleeson) examining the matter to avoid a costly payout.

There is a slapstick comedy element to “Bad Sisters,” particularly when it comes to the show’s first season. The series reveals right away that the Garvey sisters have no moral qualms about killing Williams, but their efforts to get there are clumsily handled. And given the sisterhood premise of the story, the core ensemble gels together quite nicely. As a great Irish crime comedy, there’s nothing else like “Bad Sisters” streaming on Apple TV.

Another Apple TV original comedy series that revolves around murder is the 2022 series “The Afterparty,” created by filmmaker Christopher Miller. The show involves a group of old high school friends, now in their 30s, who are drawn into different murder mysteries each season. The first season has the group convene after one of their old classmates is killed at an afterparty linked to his high school reunion. The second season follows this same narrative format, now with the murder of a groom following his wedding the previous night.

Each season of “The Afterparty” plays out like Akira Kurosawa’s samurai classic “Rashomon,” retracing the same events from different perspectives, elevated by some of the sharpest comedic talent currently working in television. This includes Sam Richardson as escape room designer Aniq Adjaye, who repeatedly finds himself in compromising positions during surprise murder mysteries. A full-on ensemble comedy that showcases its cast’s comical chops, “The Afterparty” remains a solid watch years after its cancellation.

Loosely inspired by the origins of NBA player Kevin Durant, the 2021 sports drama “Swagger” delves into the world of high school basketball. O’Shea Jackson Jr. stars as Coach Ike Edwards, who takes star player Jace Carson (Isaiah Hill) under his wing. The show also explores the team’s messy personal lives, with all the coming-of-age beats expected from a teen drama. This culminates in a climactic championship game in Los Angeles as the team’s senior players contemplate their future after high school.

Though “Swagger” definitely adheres closely to the high school sports drama formula, it’s done incredibly well. There is a kinetic excitement to the competitive sequences on the basketball court, fueled by their intense cinematography. Although it ran for just two seasons, the show managed to tell a complete story, including a denouement of where its seniors are headed next. Perfect for a weekend binge, “Swagger” hits all the right notes for a teen sports drama.

Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen have a growing library of television work on Apple TV, in addition to numerous collaborations in a string of comedy movies. The two now co-star in the comedy series “Platonic” as old friends Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen), who reconnect after an estrangement. At the start of the show, Will and his wife, Audrey (Alisha Wainwright), get divorced, prompting Sylvia to come back into Will’s life. This makes Sylvia’s husband, Charlie (Luke Macfarlane), jealous of their relationship, causing its own set of marital problems.

“Platonic” is the most mature comedy that Byrne and Rogen have been involved in together across their collaborative history. Despite the more adult tone and scenarios that the two find themselves involved in, the on-screen chemistry between them is as strong as ever. This is a show that has its fair share of silly moments, but it’s informed by the ennui and lassitude of approaching middle age and marital strife. If “The Studio” gives Rogen the opportunity to get wacky with reckless abandon, it’s “Platonic” — recently renewed for a third season — that allows him the opportunity to show a more nuanced comedic range.

The quirky sci-fi novel series “The Murderbot Diaries” by Martha Wells was adapted into the 2025 series “Murderbot.” Alexander Skarsgård stars as the title character, a private security cyborg comprised of cloned human tissue and cybernetic parts. Murderbot tries to conceal his growing autonomy from others while finding himself increasingly obsessed with a trashy soap opera that he watches. Murderbot’s supervisor, Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), grows concerned that the cyborg is operating outside his programming parameters as Murderbot’s behavior becomes more suspicious.

Though he’s certainly had roles that have touched on it before, Skarsgård gets truly and delightfully weird in “Murderbot.” So much of the show’s fun lies in watching Murderbot come to terms with his burgeoning individuality and self-awareness, often in the most ridiculous situations. The humor is usually dry, to be sure, but Skarsgård’s earnestness and rapport with Dastmalchian are what make it work. The most offbeat sci-fi show currently produced by Apple TV, “Murderbot” is an eccentric subversion of the genre.

Dennis Tafoya’s 2009 novel “Dope Thief” serves as the source material for the 2025 series adaptation, which follows lifelong friends Ray Driscoll (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny Carvalho (Wagner Moura) as they pose as DEA agents in Philadelphia to steal from drug dealers. This ruse is completely upended when the pair unwittingly raids a drug organization that’s actively being monitored by the actual DEA. Now in the possession of illicitly obtained cash and drugs, Ray and Manny find themselves pursued by the DEA and other crooks in town who are aware of the deception.

So much of the appeal of “Dope Thief” comes from the friendly rapport between Henry and Moura. The humor and depth the two bring in their dynamite performances fuel so much of the show’s engaging story. Though these two characters are deliberately embroiled in very risky business, the audience can’t help but feel for them as the danger they’re in escalates. This healthy amount of laughs sets “Dope Thief” apart from its intense contemporaries without compromising its crime genre thrills.

The 2020 anthology series “Little America” is one of the most endearingly grounded shows produced by Apple TV. Inspired by a variety of real-life experiences, the show explores the lives of immigrants throughout the United States. Each episode focuses on a different small cast from different cultures and countries trying to get by. Concisely told in approximately 30 minutes per installment, these stories range from the sentimentally heartwarming to the occasionally comedic.

“Little America” isn’t a big, flashy take on immigrants trying to achieve the American Dream on their own terms. Instead, it’s a slice-of-life anthology that celebrates vignettes within the modern immigrant experience and the ordinary people who built something for themselves in America. No two episodes of this show are alike, to its credit; they’re just different parts of a vibrant and joyous shared tapestry. Unassuming in its presentation and tone, “Little America” is a feel-good show that highlights the often unseen.

Within Apple TV’s catalog, there is a steadily growing library of original British programming, including the 2020 comedy series “Trying.” The show centers on married couple Nikki Newman (Esther Smith) and Jason Ross (Rafe Spall), who struggle to conceive a child. This leads them to adopt one, only to endure all the unexpected trials and tribulations of the adoption process. As Nikki and Jason grow accustomed to the challenges of parenting, the show’s scope expands to their family and close friends, each facing their own personal issues.

Any couple-based show lives and dies on the chemistry between its leads, and “Trying” definitely has chemistry to burn. Smith and Spall play well off each other, with their dynamic only growing deeper and stronger as the show continues. Keeping the proceedings fresh is a sizable time jump going into the show’s fourth season, advancing the age of Nikki and Jason’s children to present new wrinkles in parenthood. A consistent gem with plenty of heart, “Trying” deserves far more attention than it currently gets.

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has worked in the horror and thriller space for most of his career. He pivoted to television as the showrunner, executive producer, and occasional director of the supernatural horror series “Servant.” Premiering in 2019, the show centers on a townhome in Philadelphia and the Turners, a couple still grieving the loss of their infant son. Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose) uses a reborn doll to cope, but after she hires a live-in nanny (Nell Tiger Free), the doll comes to life, triggering more disturbing paranormal occurrences.

“Servant” is a four-season slow burn, with each episode heightening the sense of dread permeating throughout the series. With the majority of the show set within the Turners’ home, there is a feeling that the characters are trapped with whatever their nanny brought with her. Going into the final season, all hell breaks loose as the culmination of that mounting sinister tension. A creative risk that only Shyamalan could take, “Servant” is the most consistently unsettling show on Apple TV.

One of the earliest original comedies on Apple TV was the video game workplace comedy “Mythic Quest,” which ran for four seasons from 2020 to 2025. The show follows the development team behind the fictional popular online fantasy game “Mythic Quest,” including its creator Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney). Grimm constantly butts heads with his primary collaborator, engineer and co-creative director Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao), as they look to develop new games and content. The team has to balance their personalities and egos while overcoming each of their personal hang-ups as they stay relevant in the gaming industry.

“Mythic Quest” is a more grounded, though no less ridiculous, sitcom effort from creators McElhenney, Megan Ganz, and Charlie Day than “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The show crafts a satisfying and surprisingly deep story for its extensive ensemble cast, including origin stories for several of its main characters. “Mythic Quest” was one of the best comedies on television during its run, mainly because it’s a show about video games that doesn’t require its audience to be gamers.

The incredible true story of reformed criminal Jimmy Keene serves as the subject for the 2022 true-crime limited series “Black Bird.” The show stars Taron Egerton as Keene, who is convicted of narcotics dealing and the possession of illegal firearms at the start of the series. Facing 10 years without the possibility of parole, Keene accepts a risky proposition from the FBI to have his sentence fully commuted and his criminal record expunged, provided he befriends suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) and gets him to inadvertently reveal his role in several unsolved murders in Florida.

Unfolding over six tautly paced episodes, “Black Bird” has a moody grit to it. There is a real drama at the heart of the story that elevates it above other true-crime contemporaries. This is beautifully illustrated in the scenes between Egerton and Ray Liotta, who played Keene’s father in one of his final on-screen roles. A tour-de-force for its cast, with Hauser playing his most sinister role yet, “Black Bird” never loses sight of its human stakes.

The 2021 sci-fi psychological thriller “Dr. Brain” is the first K-drama produced directly by Apple TV.  Based on the webtoon by Hongjacga, the series sees gifted neuroscientist Sewon Koh (Lee Sun-kyun) develop technology that lets him interface his brain with those of the deceased. Using this apparatus, Sewon investigates what happened to his family and the truth behind the accident that apparently claimed their lives. However, in exploring the memories of the dead, Sewon finds that his own memories and perception of reality begin to significantly blur.

From dark psychedelic imagery to its neo-noir vibes, “Dr. Brain” is one of the more overlooked originals on the platform. The late Lee Sun-kyun creates a compelling and obsessive protagonist in Sewon, utterly consumed over his family’s fate. This powers a spellbinding mystery that combines light sci-fi with moody thriller elements into a six-episode odyssey. Appropriately cerebral, “Dr. Brain” couches its existential questions with a murder mystery that gets more ambitious as it progresses.

Shows and movies that go into the filmmaking culture in Hollywood’s inner circles can feel a little too inside baseball to casual viewers. Fortunately, the 2025 series “The Studio” keeps its laughs both authentic and broadly appealing to those unfamiliar with the business. Series co-creator Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, recently installed as the head of a struggling film studio. Remick wants his studio to be known for artistically powerful movies, but contends with a changing landscape that favors generically appealing blockbusters.

There are plenty of good reasons to watch “The Studio,” but the show’s cringe comedy extends beyond its specific workplace setting. Rogen and co-creator Evan Goldberg have always excelled at biting comedy, and they’ve channeled their decades of industry experience to craft something wickedly funny. The show is also packed with Hollywood talent in every episode, including a scene-stealing turn from Martin Scorsese. Self-aware in its execution without coming off as particularly pretentious, “The Studio” hilariously skewers Hollywood while keeping its comedy widely accessible.

Isaac Asimov was one of the most influential science fiction writers of the 20th century, whose work included the “Foundation” series of novels. David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman accomplished the Herculean task of adapting “Foundation” for television, with the series premiering in 2021. The epic finds mathematicians Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobel) and Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) discovering their interstellar empire is headed for an inevitable cataclysm. As the ruling Cleonic Dynasty, headed by Brother Day (Lee Pace), tries to violently suppress this, Hari and his followers move to mitigate the predicted event’s impact.

In terms of scope and spectacle, “Foundation” is arguably the most ambitious show currently on television. The first season is full of detailed, expansive world-building, establishing multiple time periods and planets, each with its defining dysfunctions. Once the table has been set, the second season onward is a propulsive sci-fi adventure, with plenty of explosive action amid the time-bending narrative. Rivaling “Star Wars” in sheer breadth, “Foundation” is a must-watch for any genre fans.

An inaugural Apple TV series that is still currently running, “The Morning Show” has one of the most star-studded casts on the platform. Based on Brian Stelter’s nonfiction book “Top of the Morning,” the show revolves around a fictional morning news show broadcast nationally and based out of Manhattan. After anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) is ousted following a sexual misconduct scandal, he is replaced by Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon). As Bradley learns to work with her co-anchor Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), the two cover major news pieces while navigating the cutthroat behind-the-scenes politics at the network.

Though Aniston and Witherspoon expertly lead the entire series, the real strength of “The Morning Show” is its ensemble cast. As the characters cover real-world events, the appeal is seeing how they react to things like changes in network ownership or tweaks to content strategies. In every season, the main characters’ personal lives get delightfully messier while expanding the cast. A sharply crafted, character-driven drama, “The Morning Show” gives its A-list cast some of the juiciest material they’ve ever dug into.

While actor Idris Elba’s cinematic action hero credentials are well-deserved, the 2023 thriller “Hijack” gives him a deeper role than the genre usually calls for. Elba plays corporate negotiator Sam Nelson, whose commercial flight to London from Dubai is hijacked shortly after takeoff. With the show unfolding in real time, Nelson tries to ascertain what the hijackers are after and how to defuse the situation peacefully. Meanwhile, authorities on the ground try to resolve the hijacking, only to discover that it’s part of a larger international conspiracy.

Also executive-produced by Elba, “Hijack” isn’t a show where the hero on board the flight overpowers and outwits the hijackers, at least not initially. Elba’s character is caught in an evolving mental chess game with his captors, constantly changing based on how the other passengers and authorities react. This distinction keeps the audience riveted across eight episodes, with Elba giving a standout performance showcasing new sides to his talent.

The manga series “Drops of God” by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto was adapted for television in 2023 with an even more international scope. The show has wine expert Camille Léger (Fleur Geffrier) learn that her estranged father has passed away, leaving behind his vast estate in Tokyo. She also learns her father trained a new protégé in Japan, Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita), who is every bit the authority on wine that she is. Issei and Camille compete in a series of wine-related challenges to see who will inherit the estate.

A loose adaptation of its source material, “Drops of God” maintains the spirit of the original story while building the series around two compelling leads. Flashbacks reveal Camille and Issei’s respective backstories and each of their complicated relationships with Camille’s father. The wine sequences are masterfully staged, and even people who aren’t particularly fond of wine will find the competitions entertaining. Beautifully assembled and progressively engrossing, “Drops of God” is another underrated Apple TV drama.

The life and times of 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson are explored in the historical dramedy “Dickinson.” Hailee Steinfeld stars as the eponymous protagonist, who falls in love with her brother’s fiancée, Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt). This comes as Emily turns away several male suitors while her parents are initially uncomfortable with her burgeoning writing career. Along the way, Emily encounters other famous contemporary authors, including Louisa May Alcott (Zosia Mamet) and Henry David Thoreau (John Mulaney).

Wonderfully anachronistic, including its prominent usage of modern slang and music, “Dickinson” weaves a delightful portrait of its historical figure. Though obvious creative liberties are taken, it’s clear the show is a love letter to Dickinson, both in terms of her work and the person that historical texts gloss over. Running for three seasons, the show also grows darker and more intense as it progresses, with Emily’s public profile increasing. A period piece showcase for its cast and crew, “Dickinson” is pure imagination in its hip recounting of its protagonist’s life.

British author Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novels were adapted into the genre-blending espionage thriller comedy “Slow Horses.” Delving into the clandestine world of covert intelligence, the series centers on operatives who have been disgraced but are too valuable to fully dismiss. Led by the slovenly Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) from their London headquarters of Slough House, the team is given menial intelligence tasks by the government. However, despite their humiliated status and lowly jobs, the operatives find themselves resolving various matters of national importance.

“Slow Horses” gives audiences the chance to see Oldman as they’ve never seen him before, playing a character who is gleefully repulsive in appearance and demeanor. While the usual espionage thrills and drama are present, the show is also darkly funny. This not only sets it apart from other covert ops shows, but it’s something that’s sharpened with each passing season.

Harrison Ford has steadily been increasing his work in television, including taking on a rare comedic role for 2023’s “Shrinking.” Series co-creator Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a therapist whose personal life is in tatters after the sudden death of his wife. This leads Jimmy to decide to change his therapy approach by sharing his personal advice and insight with his patients. This not only results in significant changes for Jimmy’s patients, but he also bristles against his colleagues, including Paul Rhoades (Ford).

With Segel teaming up with co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, “Shrinking” is the Apple TV show that feels the most like “Ted Lasso.” Like the platform’s breakout show, there is a heartfelt earnestness to “Shrinking” that forms its emotional core. This provides Ford with the opportunity to give one of the most nuanced performances of his career, gruffly funny and balanced with heartbreaking vulnerability. Sweet without feeling saccharine, “Shrinking” is a fantastic showcase for its ensemble cast.

Another original series available since Apple TV’s launch that’s still in production is the alternate history sci-fi series “For All Mankind.” The show revolves around the premise that the Soviet Union landed on the moon before the United States, continuing the space race for decades. This escalates the scope of the global powers extending their presence beyond Earth, including the installation of permanent bases on the moon and Mars. This heightened focus on the cosmos leads to other surprising nations becoming involved, as well as a growing presence of private corporations.

Like “Foundation,” “For All Mankind” is a show that only builds and improves as it progresses, rewarding the audience for sticking with it. After its intriguing opening hook, the show develops the human drama elements as much as it does humanity’s reach into outer space. And no matter how high the stakes are raised, its sci-fi elements always feel grounded, earning it praise from former NASA personnel. “For All Mankind” is smart science fiction that knows to keep its emotional arcs at the forefront.

The best-selling 2017 novel “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee was adapted into a historical drama by Soo Hugh in 2022. The show is set in two different stages of life for protagonist Kim Sunja, with her younger self played by Kim Min-ha and older self by Youn Yuh-jung. The younger Sunja endures the brutal Japanese subjugation of Koreans amid the horrors of World War II as she relocates to Osaka. This is juxtaposed with Sunja’s grandson Baek Solomon (Jin Ha) returning to Japan in the ’80s for a business deal that reunites him with his family.

Though technically not a K-drama, “Pachinko” shares many similar qualities that will appeal to Korean television fans. Hugh masterfully alternates between the story’s two main time periods, tracing the hard-won origins of Sunja’s family to its neon-lit present. This is a show that doesn’t shy away from the novel’s most heartbreaking moments, but also celebrates the survival and endurance of its main characters. Poetically constructed and full of characters that feel completely nuanced in their realization, “Pachinko” is the best historical drama on Apple TV.

Science fiction is one genre that noticeably thrives on Apple TV, including the dystopian futuristic series “Silo.” Based on the novels by Hugh Howey, the show follows a community living in an underground silo that extends for 144 levels. The society is governed by strict rules after an uprising attempt that took place more than a century earlier, though widespread tensions and suspicions remain. As these tensions come to a head, engineer Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) finds herself increasingly drawn into the conflict and mysteries within the community.

At its core, for all its sci-fi trappings, “Silo” is a mystery series, albeit one with societal implications in a dystopian setting. Once tasked with keeping her community’s generators running, Juliette steps into an adventure far grander in scope than she could’ve possibly imagined. “Silo” builds on that with the premise’s dark possibilities in an intriguing post-apocalyptic neo-noir tale.

The feel-good show that made Apple TV a must-subscribe streaming platform, 2020’s “Ted Lasso” is an effective sports dramedy. Series co-creator Jason Sudeikis stars as the titular Midwestern soccer coach, who accepts an offer to coach an English Premier League club. Initially brought on by club owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) with the secret hope of tanking the team, Ted’s innocent charm and personality win her and the organization over. Ted overcomes his own personal hang-ups while inspiring the team and people within the organization to improve upon themselves, both on and off the pitch.

In contrast to more cynical programming that’s been in vogue for years, “Ted Lasso” feels like a breath of fresh air. The show also showcases Sudeikis as he’s never been seen before, wholesome and vulnerable, rather than the more boorishly comedic characters he’s played in the past. Though Season 3 endured some fan backlash, the series still maintains its overall quality throughout its run. Originally conceived as a three-season show, “Ted Lasso” has reconvened to provide its amiable title character with more adventures moving forward.

One of those breakout hits that felt like it came out of nowhere, “Severance” premiered in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim. The show stars Adam Scott as Mark Scout, a white-collar employee for the mysterious Lumon Industries. Mark is one of the Lumon employees who has undergone a “severance” procedure, splitting his brain into an at-work persona and outside-of-work persona (better known as Innie Mark and Outie Mark) that are entirely unaware of how the other personality spends his time.

Simply put, there is nothing else like “Severance” currently on television, or at least nothing else like it in years. It’s hard to divulge too much about the show without giving away its full scope and complex mysteries, which only escalate after its first season. But even aesthetically, the design and cinematography behind the series elevate it visually while hinting at its themes of sinister monotony and the loss of individuality. A show that only gets deeper and twistier as it progresses, “Severance” is an engrossing mystery that raises more intriguing questions as viewers get sucked in.