Though Apple TV+ is still pretty new to the game, it’s quickly established itself as one of the best streaming services around, with critically acclaimed shows like Ted Lasso and Severance. Whether you’re looking for something to watch with the whole family, a thrilling mystery to take your mind off the real world, or some good old-fashioned star-studded prestige drama, we’ve got you covered with the highlight picks on Apple’s streaming service. Browse our list of the best shows on Apple TV+.
COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
For more streaming recommendations, check out the Best Shows on Netflix, the Best Shows on Amazon Prime, or the Best Shows on Hulu.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated December 15th to include The Big Door Prize.
The Big Door Prize
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 6.4/10
The Big Door Prize
Release Date March 29, 2023
Cast Chris O’Dowd , Gabrielle Dennis , Damon Gupton , Josh Segarra
Genres Comedy
Developer David West Read
Based on the book by MO Walsh, The Big Door Prize tells the story of a small town that is thrown into chaos when a mysterious machine appears that is able to measure people’s “Life Potential.” Premiering on Apple TV+ in 2023, the show stars Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) as Dusty, whose interactions with the machine and the townspeople around him are chronicled throughout the show. While Dusty is perfectly fine in his uneventful life as a teacher, his daily routine alongside his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) and his daughter (Djouliet Amara) is uprooted when the machine appears.
The show was popular upon its release, earning high on Rotten Tomatoes and a second season order. The show was created by Schitt’s Creek alum David West Read and also stars Sammy Fourlas (Backstage Features), Patrick Kerr (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Josh Segarra (Arrow), and Elizabeth Hunter (Jersey Boys). Season one is currently available to stream on Apple TV+, with season two coming mid-2024.
Watch on Apple TV+
The Essex Serpent
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 6.3/10
The Essex Serpent
Release Date 2022-00-00
Creator Anna Symon
Read Our ReviewAll snakes, no plane. The Essex Serpent tells the story of a widow named Cora (Claire Danes), who travels to Essex to investigate tales of a serpent living in the area. There, she falls in love with the Pastor (Tom Hiddleston), and the townspeople come to believe she brought chaos with her. Written and directed by Clio Bernard (Dark River), the film is as moody and mysterious as its title suggests and leaves audiences guessing until the very end. If you’re looking to be transported to another time and place, this is the gothic drama for you.
The period piece was a limited series and premiered on Apple TV+ in 2022 to good reviews, particularly that of Danes. Comprised of six episodes, the show won a BAFTA award for its costume design. The show also stars Frank Dillaine (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Hayley Squires (Beau is Afraid), Clémence Poésey (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Gerard Kearns (Floodlights), and Michael Gibson (Les Misérables). – Emily Cappello
Watch on Apple TV+
Platonic
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.2/10
Platonic
Release Date May 24, 2023
Seasons 1
Reuniting unexpectedly delightful comedy duo Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne (Neighbors), Platonic hilariously explores friendship dynamics between former best friends as they approach their individual mid-life crises. Platonic was created by Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller and features a supporting cast that includes Luke Macfarlane (Bros), Tre Hale, and Carla Gallo. Platonic is 10 episodes of relatable yet ridiculous physical comedy, drug-fueled shenanigans, and all-around ludicrous hijinks.
Read Our ReviewAll snakes, no plane. The Essex Serpent tells the story of a widow named Cora (Claire Danes), who travels to Essex to investigate tales of a serpent living in the area. There, she falls in love with the Pastor (Tom Hiddleston), and the townspeople come to believe she brought chaos with her. Written and directed by Clio Bernard (Dark River), the film is as moody and mysterious as its title suggests and leaves audiences guessing until the very end. If you’re looking to be transported to another time and place, this is the gothic drama for you.
Guaranteed laughs with Rogen and Byrne leading the charge, Platonic allows the more series moments to breathe as these characters figure out their messy lives. The central, age-old question regarding whether men and women can be just friends doesn’t diminish the talent and presence of the incredible cast. Approaching the subject from a completely different viewpoint than the classic comedy When Harry Met Sally, Platonic cleverly explores new avenues of the topic with characters facing later-in-life milestones. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Apple TV+
Central Park
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 6.9/10
Central Park is an adorable animated musical series with the visual style of Bob’s Burgers. Narrated by a fourth-wall-breaking street performer voiced by Josh Gad (Frozen), Central Park revolves around the Tillerman–Hunter family who lives on the premises in the fictional Edendale Castle. Through the first season, the series centers on the family attempting to save the famous park from the clutches of Bitsy (Stanley Tucci), a wealthy curmudgeon intent on replacing the park with condos and rental space.
Read Our ReviewAll snakes, no plane. The Essex Serpent tells the story of a widow named Cora (Claire Danes), who travels to Essex to investigate tales of a serpent living in the area. There, she falls in love with the Pastor (Tom Hiddleston), and the townspeople come to believe she brought chaos with her. Written and directed by Clio Bernard (Dark River), the film is as moody and mysterious as its title suggests and leaves audiences guessing until the very end. If you’re looking to be transported to another time and place, this is the gothic drama for you.
Appealing to the wholesome and progressive humor of adult animated shows like Bob’s Burgers and The Great North, Central Park welcomes viewers into the life of yet another working-class American family with intriguing and rambunctious children, while allowing the plot to unfold over the season instead of limiting shenanigans to a single-episode storyline. Plus, you can’t beat the catchy musical numbers featuring Gad and other Broadway star cast members like Hamilton alums Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr.
Watch on Apple TV+
The Essex Serpent
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 6.3/10
The Essex Serpent
Release Date 2022-00-00
Creator Anna Symon
Read Our Review In the domain of streaming television, Apple TV+ has started to emerge as a service not to be underestimated or overlooked in regards to its content — and one of its newest titles is well-worth tuning in for. The moody Gothic drama features Danes (well-suited for this type of period series) as a newly-widowed woman named Cora who decides to retreat from her London home to the Essex countryside, where rumors of a mythological serpent have swirled amidst the village. Along the way, she encounters the local vicar (Hiddleston) and the two connect not only over their mutual occupation of the same space but almost in spite of their opposing beliefs about whether the serpent even exists in the first place. The Essex Serpent is a series in which aesthetic is everything, from the fog-draped marshes where the story is set to the intricate costumes which showcase Cora’s evolution from the scarred woman of her past into the more confident version of herself. – Carly Lane
Watch on Apple TV+
Lessons in Chemistry
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Lessons In Chemistry
Release Date 2023-00-00
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 1
Creator Lee Eisenberg
Read Our Review Set against the backdrop of a patriarchal 1960s society, Lessons in Chemistry, based on Bonnie Garmus’ novel of the same name, follows Brie Larson’s Elizabeth Zott, who, after falling pregnant, finds herself out of work and alone. A show with drama at its heart, Lessons in Chemistry pulls no punches when approaching the topic of female empowerment in the 1960s, especially considering some of its likenesses in today’s society. Despite its serious intention, Lessons in Chemistry also revels in humorous opportunity. Brie Larson is excellent in the lead role, with her journey from zero to hero as she starts to host her own TV cooking show certainly inspiring. – Jake Hodges
Watch on Apple TV+
The Changeling
Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 5.9/10
The Changeling
Release Date September 8, 2023
Genres Horror , Drama , Fantasy
Seasons 1
Read Our Review The Changeling is a highly anticipated horror fantasy series starring LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) as the protagonist, Apollo Kagwa. The plot revolves around his journey through an alternate version of New York City. Apollo, a used book dealer and new father, faces a life-altering ordeal when his wife Emmy, played by Clark Backo (The Handmaid’s Tale), mysteriously disappears. This pivotal event sets the stage for Apollo’s epic odyssey as he encounters a chaotic world teeming with danger. Along the way, Apollo confronts supernatural forces, unravels mysteries, and battles his inner demons. Drawing inspiration from Victor LaValle’s acclaimed 2017 novel of the same name, this series distinguishes itself as a creative and imaginative adaptation. With a talented ensemble cast that includes Adina Porter (American Horror Story), Jonelle Gunderson (Titans), Emy Coligado, and Elena Hurst, it promises to be a captivating exploration of love’s enduring power and the lengths one man will go to for the woman he loves. – Hunter Wooden
Watch on Apple TV+
Black Bird
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Black Bird
Release Date July 8, 2022
Genres Biography , Crime , Drama
Seasons 1
Read Our Review Loosely inspired by a terrifying true story, Taron Egerton (Rocketman) continues to prove his immense talent with Black Bird, a gritty and thrilling crime drama by Dennis Lehane. Black Bird tells the arresting story of an incarcerated criminal (Egerton) who’s offered his freedom when tasked with obtaining the criminal confession of another inmate, played by Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya). Through six fascinating episodes, Black Bird is a compelling mini-series rife with tension and mystery, deviously tackled in face-offs by stars Egerton and Hauser and resulting in a series worth binge-watching straight through. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on AppleTV+
Hijack
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Hijack
Release Date June 28, 2023
Seasons 1
Creator Jim Field Smith, George Kay
Read Our Review In addition to starring badass and sex symbol Idris Elba, Hijack attracts viewers with a fascinating story and creative narrative style, unfolding in real time, similarly to the unique format of 24. Co-created by Jim Field Smith (Criminal: UK) and George Kay (Lupin), Hijack is an intense thriller taking place during an intense seven-hour flight to London from Dubai. Elba’s journey on a flight being hijacked is paralleled with the authorities on the ground scrambling to reclaim control of the plane, highlighted by a stellar British cast including Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) and Christine Adams (Black Lightning). – Yael Tygiel
Watch on AppleTV+
Silo
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 8.1/10
Silo
Release Date May 5, 2023
Genres Drama , Sci-Fi
Seasons 1
Creator Graham Yost
Read Our Review Based on the Wool novel series by Graham Yost, Silo is a sci-fi dystopia that asks an important question that feels more relevant in our world filled with misinformation and conspiracy theories: What’s more important, safety or truth? Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) leads an all-star cast, including Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption), Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), and Common (John Wick: Chapter 2) that explores this theme and more in a series set in a post-apocalyptic world where ten thousand people live in an underground silo but suspect there may be more to the story than what they’ve been told. Silo features big practical sets and detailed costumes that immerse the audience in the world of the show. Plus, the acting is phenomenal from everyone across the board.
Watch on Apple TV+
Shrinking
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Shrinking
Release Date January 27, 2023
Genres Comedy , Drama
Seasons 1
Creator Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel
Read Our Review Shrinking stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother), who co-created the series with Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence, as a grieving therapist who abandons traditional therapy expectations and starts telling his patients exactly what he thinks — with varying results. A delightfully charming comedy, Shrinking features an all-star cast, including Harrison Ford (1923), Jessica Williams (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), and Christa Miller, as well as newcomers Lukita Maxwell and Luke Tennie. Intertwining clever humor with genuine conversations about loss, Shrinking is a beautiful new comedy series that explores universal experiences like love, heartbreak, and pushing through life. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on AppleTV+
Truth Be Told
IMDb: 7.1/10
Truth Be Told
Release Date 2019-00-00
Genres Crime , Drama
Creator Nichelle Tramble Spellman
Underrated Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (Spirited) stars as Poppy Parnell, an investigative reporter and determined true crime podcaster on the hunt for answers in Truth Be Told. Inspired by Kathleen Barber’s novel Are You Sleeping, creator Nichelle D. Tramble (The Good Wife) crafts captivating mysteries, as she’s no stranger to writing crime dramas and intricate family dynamics. In addition to Spencer’s grounding performance, Truth Be Told is overflowing with incredible talent in supporting roles, including Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) and Mekhi Phifer. Truth Be Told allows crime thriller audiences to explore the process of murder investigations, along with the world of podcasting, through intriguing and engrossing stories. – Yael Tygiel
Read Our Review Shrinking stars Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother), who co-created the series with Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence, as a grieving therapist who abandons traditional therapy expectations and starts telling his patients exactly what he thinks — with varying results. A delightfully charming comedy, Shrinking features an all-star cast, including Harrison Ford (1923), Jessica Williams (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), and Christa Miller, as well as newcomers Lukita Maxwell and Luke Tennie. Intertwining clever humor with genuine conversations about loss, Shrinking is a beautiful new comedy series that explores universal experiences like love, heartbreak, and pushing through life. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Apple TV+
Slow Horses
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.9/10
Slow Horses
Release Date April 1, 2022
Genres Drama
Seasons 3
Read Our Review An innovative intersection of witty dialogue and suspenseful action, Slow Horses is a clever dark comedy series following British intelligence agents who have made career-ending mistakes, resulting in relegation to a forgotten department of MI5. Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) stars as the bitter head of the department, leading a team of banished agents hoping to claw their way back to active status within the agency. An entertaining thriller, Slow Horses knows exactly how to best utilize the stars – including Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kristin Scott Thomas – to tell a deeply fascinating story of these agents with once-promising careers. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on AppleTV+
Bad Sisters
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.3/10
Bad Sisters
Release Date August 19, 2022
Seasons 2
Creator Brett Baer, Dave Finkel, Sharon Horgan
If you’re looking for a dark comedy in the vein of Dead to Me, look no further. The show centers around Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), whose husband, John Paul (Claes Bang), has recently died. The series begins on the day of his funeral, where Grace and her sisters are all having vastly different reactions. Grace is in disbelief while Eva (Sharon Horgan) waters her plants and chugs down wine. Bibi (Sarah Greene) lounges in the tub, Ursula (Eva Birthistle) hides from her family, and Becka (Eve Hewson) runs late. When Thomas (Brian Gleeson) sees a large life claim has been taken out against John Paul, he decides to investigate – and suspect that the Garvey sisters had something to do with it due to the cruel way John Paul used to treat Grace. Mystery and comedic, Bad Sisters is an intriguingly sharp gem from the always excellent Sharon Horgan. – Taylor Gates
Read Our Review An innovative intersection of witty dialogue and suspenseful action, Slow Horses is a clever dark comedy series following British intelligence agents who have made career-ending mistakes, resulting in relegation to a forgotten department of MI5. Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) stars as the bitter head of the department, leading a team of banished agents hoping to claw their way back to active status within the agency. An entertaining thriller, Slow Horses knows exactly how to best utilize the stars – including Oldman, Jack Lowden, and Kristin Scott Thomas – to tell a deeply fascinating story of these agents with once-promising careers. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Apple TV+
Five Days at Memorial
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Five Days at Memorial
Release Date 2022-00-00
Genres Disaster , Medical , Drama
Creator John Ridley, Carlton Cuse
Read Our Review Five Days at Memorial chronicles the appalling realities that ensued after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The mini-series from Carlton Cuse (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) and John Ridley (American Crime) follows the five days without power where medical professionals, doctors, and nurses attempted to treat patients in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Five Days at Memorial shines a light on a heinous truth, providing actors like Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Julie Ann Emery, and Cornelius Smith Jr. (Scandal) an opportunity to explore the sensibilities of those involved. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Apple TV+
Trying
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Trying
Release Date 2020-00-00
Genres Comedy
Creator Andy Wolton
Trying is an earnest and hilarious British comedy about Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), a couple who desperately wants a child. After they struggle to get pregnant, the two decide to adopt. The series shows this process with unflinching honesty, covering the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trying has a massive amount of heart and effortless chemistry between the two leads, making it a compelling watch. If you enjoyed Netflix’s Private Life, Trying will be right up your alley. – Taylor Gates
Read Our Review Five Days at Memorial chronicles the appalling realities that ensued after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The mini-series from Carlton Cuse (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) and John Ridley (American Crime) follows the five days without power where medical professionals, doctors, and nurses attempted to treat patients in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Five Days at Memorial shines a light on a heinous truth, providing actors like Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Julie Ann Emery, and Cornelius Smith Jr. (Scandal) an opportunity to explore the sensibilities of those involved. – Yael Tygiel
Watch on Apple TV+
Loot
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 6.8/10
Loot
Release Date 2022-00-00
Genres Comedy
Creator Alan Yang, Matt Hubbard
Read Our Review Maya Rudolph is one of the greatest working comedy actors, full stop, and Loot takes full advantage of her talents. The show revolves around her character, Molly, who’s been married to tech billionaire John (Severance’s Adam Scott) for two decades. When she discovers he’s cheating on her, however, she demands a divorce – and half his fortune: a whopping $90 billion. To stave off boredom, she begins to work at a charity she didn’t even know exist – much to the chagrin of Sofia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez), the charity’s head. Loot is a hysterical workplace comedy that serves up laugh after laugh. Honestly, it’s worth watching for that incredible fake Hot Ones interview alone. – Taylor Gates
Watch on Apple TV+
Physical
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.3/10
Physical
Release Date 2021-06-00
Genres Comedy , Drama
Seasons 1
Set in the 1980s, Physical follows dutiful but unfulfilled housewife Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) as she finds passion and power in the world of aerobics. At the same time, however, her husband has lost his job as a political science professor but has decided to take Sheila’s advice and use his free time to run for the California State Assembly as a local representative. Even though this series is set in the 80s, Sheila’s story is still relatable for so many women. Sheila has to stretch herself between her growing aerobics business and her duties as mother and wife while struggling with her own self-image and disordered eating habits. Through voiceovers, the series offers a look at Sheila’s innermost thoughts, showing how incredibly judgmental and mean she is toward herself. Sheila doesn’t really have anyone to confide in, so aerobics becomes an outlet through which she can get out her frustrations and quiet the voice in her head. Physical manages to combine commentary on women’s empowerment, the moral hypocrisy of politics in the 80s, and the rise of aerobics as a form of fitness into a truly intriguing and compelling series that is absolutely worth the watch. – Brynna Arens
Read Our Review Maya Rudolph is one of the greatest working comedy actors, full stop, and Loot takes full advantage of her talents. The show revolves around her character, Molly, who’s been married to tech billionaire John (Severance’s Adam Scott) for two decades. When she discovers he’s cheating on her, however, she demands a divorce – and half his fortune: a whopping $90 billion. To stave off boredom, she begins to work at a charity she didn’t even know exist – much to the chagrin of Sofia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez), the charity’s head. Loot is a hysterical workplace comedy that serves up laugh after laugh. Honestly, it’s worth watching for that incredible fake Hot Ones interview alone. – Taylor Gates
Watch on Apple TV+
Shining Girls
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Shining Girls
Release Date April 29, 2022
Seasons 1
Creator Silka Luisa
Read Our Review Shining Girls is rooted in a premise that feels doubly gripping: what would happen if there was a serial killer scouring the globe for women to kill, but was also capable of doing so across time? When we pick up at the beginning of the Apple TV+ series, based on the novel of the same name by Lauren Beukes, Kirby Mazrachi (Moss) has been experiencing side effects in the aftermath of a near-fatal attack on her life — but what if they’re linked to something other than her trauma? The series actually goes through the slow burn of introducing us to its premise right away, building up the strangeness and the mystery and the crime elements before propelling us headlong into its definitive genre spin. It means that when the second half of the season kicks into gear on its supernatural leanings, it goes hard — and the best bet is to just strap in and hold on for the ride. As Collider’s Therese Lacson wrote in her review of the show, “For those who enjoy a more experimental approach to storytelling, unburdened by the confines of one specific genre, Shining Girls is an exciting entry for Apple TV+.” – Carly Lane
Watch on Apple TV+
Pachinko
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 8.3/10
Pachinko
Release Date 2022-00-00
Cast Jin Ha , Soji Arai , Jun-woo Han , In-ji Jeong
Genres Drama
Creator Soo Hugh
Read Our Review There are some series that come along and shouldn’t be poised to act as simply a drop in the content bucket of streaming content; they should be considered an absolute tidal wave of stunning achievement. Such is the case with Pachinko, which doesn’t feel like a television show so much as a time and generational-spanning epic. Although that concept in and of itself is nothing new, as is the notion of adapting a TV show from an equally impactful novel, the eight-episode Apple TV+ series overwhelmingly succeeds on both fronts, with the end product resulting in not just one of the best shows of the year but a show that should end up on everyone’s best-of-all-time lists. As Collider’s Chase Hutchinson said in his review, “the series weaves a tapestry that finds as much art in the quiet intimacy of conversations between its characters as it does in the vastness of the landscapes they inhabit over the many decades.” – Carly Lane
Watch on Apple TV+