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The best Apple TV Plus shows are comprised of the lightest of comedies to the grimmest of dramas and everything in between. Apple started producing its own original content in 2016, and it ramped up that production after launching its own streaming service, Apple TV Plus, in 2019. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford, and Samuel L. Jackson, have appeared in original programs for Apple TV Plus. Before too long, Apple had its own beloved TV shows to rival the biggest hits on streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video.
Every new show on Apple TV+ adds to a roster covering a wide range of genres, from horror to science fiction to psychological thriller. Some of its original series have put a unique spin on familiar genre frameworks, such as Dickinson, an underrated coming-of-age teen dramedy set in the 19th century, and The Afterparty, a murder mystery show in which every episode is presented in the style of a different genre. The sprawling original content library on Apple TV+ is home to feel-good comedies including Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, and Schmigadoon!, and dark, unsettling dramas like Servant, Severance, and Shining Girls. Here are the best Apple TV Plus shows — so far.
25 The Morning Show (2019-present)
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- Created By: Jay Carson
- 3 Seasons
- Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Steve Carell
- Episode Runtime: 50–90 minutes
- Genre: Dark Comedy, Drama
Also known as Morning Wars in Indonesia and Australia, The Morning Show takes a peek behind the curtain of the world of morning TV – as the titular program’s male co-anchor is accused of sexual misconduct. The Morning Show takes a frank look at both sides of the #MeToo movement as these allegations unravel with each episode, a risky premise that has secured its place among the best Apple TV Plus shows. The Morning Show cast members Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon were nominated by the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Television Series, while The Morning Show itself was nominated for best TV drama.
24 Swagger (2021-present)
- Created By: Reggie Rock Bythewood
- 2 seasons
- Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer
- Episode Runtime: 45–59 minutes
- Genre: Sports Drama
Set in the world of youth basketball, Swagger is a compelling sports series about athletes walking the fine line between ambitious and power-hungry. Drawn from the real-life experiences of NBA player Kevin Durant, Swagger is an authentic, sharply written, and critical look into the social, cultural, and economic impact of the sport — punctuated with some of the best basketball scenes in television. Led by O’Shea Jackson, Jr.’s impeccable performance as Coach Ike, the series is an eye-opening look at the passion and hard work that goes into building an athletic career. Notably, the Swagger cast is composed of mostly basketball players turned actors for authenticity.
23 Central Park (2020-present)
- Created By: Josh Gad, Loren Bouchard, and Nora Smith
- 3 seasons
- Starring: Kristen Bell, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs, Kathryn Hahn
- Episode Runtime: 22–27 minutes
- Genre: Adult Animation, Musical Comedy
One of the few animated series to count among the best Apple TV Plus shows, Loren Bouchard’s musical comedy Central Park revolves around a family living in the titular New York City park — and the real estate billionaire planning to level it to the ground. Led by a fourth-wall-breaking narrator, Central Park’s voice cast features such revered stars as Kristen Bell, Tituss Burgess, Josh Gad, Kathryn Hahn, and Stanley Tucci. With a similar art style and silly comedic sensibility to Bouchard’s previous series, Bob’s Burgers, Central Park ensured that Apple entered the animation arena with gusto. Combined with its ambitious and epic political themes, Central Park‘s 94% Rotten Tomatoes score is well-deserved.
22 Shrinking (2023-present)
- Created By: Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, and Brett Goldstein
- 1 season
- Starring: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller
- Episode Runtime: 29–37 minutes
- Genre: Dark Comedy
From Ted Lasso’s Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking stars Jason Segel as Jimmy, a grieving therapist who ignores the rule book and tells his patients exactly what he thinks. This doesn’t sit right with Dr. Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford), the foil to Jimmy and senior therapist at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center. Shrinking‘s heavy subject matters are balanced by Segel’s signature dry wit and goofiness, with Jimmy succeeding as both a parody and realistic depiction of a classic trope. Undoubtedly one of the best Apple TV Plus shows from 2023, Shrinking is a quirky study of grief with a huge heart and much to say about dealing with loss.
21 Shining Girls (2022-present)
- Created By: Silka Luisa
- 1 season
- Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Phillipa Soo, Chris Chalk
- Episode Runtime: 41–59 minutes
- Genre: Murder Mystery, Thriller
Adapted from the Lauren Beukes novel of the same name, Shining Girls is a dark, twisty mystery thriller. Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss brings gravitas to the lead role of Kirby Mazrachi, a Chicago Sun-Times archivist determined to identify the assailant who left her traumatized and left for dead years ago. Fellow reporter Dan Velazquez aids Kirby in her quest, which leads to them unraveling decades-old cold cases which slowly leads them to a serial killer. Combining Kirby’s career goal of becoming a journalist, murder mysteries, and a time travel twist, Shining Girls is a must-see for crime drama and sci-fi enthusiasts alike.
20 The Afterparty (2022-present)
- Created By: Christopher Miller
- 1 season
- Starring: Tiffany Hadish, Dave Franco, Zoe Chao, Ike Barinholtz
- Episode Runtime: 31–48 minutes
- Genre: Murder Mystery, Comedy, Multi-Genre
Christopher Miller’s The Afterparty puts a fresh spin on the whodunit formula. As usual, the suspects — played by a star-studded ensemble including such talents as Ilana Glazer and Sam Richardson — each tell their own wildly different version of the same story. But this time, each witness’s account is presented in the style of a different genre. The Afterparty’s inventive narrative twist on the classic Clue formula earned it a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and several nominations at the 2022 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, including one for Best Streaming Series, Comedy. A must-see for viewers with eclectic preferences.
19 Tehran (2020-present)
- Created By: Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden, and Maor Kohn
- 2 seasons
- Starring: Glenn Close, Niv Sultan, Menashe Noy, Liraz Charhi
- Episode Runtime: 40–50 minutes
- Genre: Espionage Thriller, Drama
This Apple original TV show starring Niv Sultan revolves around an Iranian-Jewish Mossad agent embarking on her first mission to disable a nuclear reactor in the capital city of Iran. In 2021, Tehran became the first Israeli show to win the award for Best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards, a testament to the show’s compelling confrontation of the gritty realities of spy work. By taking just as much interest in its characters’ personal lives as the global conflicts, the Israeli spy thriller ranks among the best Apple TV Plus shows, and is a standout modern espionage drama to boot.
18 Servant (2019-2023)
- Created By: Tony Basgallop
- 4 seasons
- Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, Rupert Grint
- Episode Runtime: 24–36 minutes
- Genre: Psychological Thriller, Drama
From executive producer M. Night Shyamalan, Servant is an unsettling psychological thriller series starring Nell Tiger Free as Leanne, a nanny hired by couple Lauren and Toby to look after their son Jericho, a “reborn” or lifelike doll which helps Lauren grieve the loss of their real son. Strangely, Leanne is immediately comfortable with the situation, and even treats the doll like a real baby when she’s alone with it. Lauren’s descent into madness, the strange events that befall Toby, and the mysteries surrounding Leanne combine to make Servant a memorably creepy contribution to the household horror sub-genre.
17 Five Days At Memorial (2022)
- Created By: John Ridley and Carlton Cuse
- 1 season (miniseries)
- Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, Cornelius Smith Jr., Robert Pine
- Episode Runtime: 29–52 minutes
- Genre: Medical Drama, Disaster
Adapted from Sheri Fink’s nonfiction book of the same name, Five Days at Memorial focuses on a New Orleans hospital struggling through the city-wide tragedies of Hurricane Katrina. The AppleTV original limited series was recognized at the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards where it won Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode. Developed by American Crime’s John Ridley and Lost’s Carlton Cuse, Five Days at Memorial captures the chaos of a busy hospital and presents the real-life horrors of Katrina in an uncompromising way, examining the hard choices medical professionals had to make during one of the nation’s most tragic events.
16 Schmigadoon! (2021-present)
- Created By: Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio
- 2 seasons
- Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Martin Short
- Episode Runtime: 25–34 minutes
- Genre: Musical Comedy
Created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio with a first season directed by Men in Black’s Barry Sonnenfeld, Schmigadoon! is a delightfully quirky musical comedy series. Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key star as a pair of backpackers who stumble upon a town perpetually trapped in a Golden Age-style musical — only able to leave upon finding true love. Schmigadoon!’s Emmy-winning songs, creative choreography, and original concept are parodies of the 1947 musical Brigadoon. Following season 1 which parodied the Golden Age of musicals from the ’40s and ’50s, Schmigadoon! season 2 is inspired by musicals from the ’60s and ’70s.
15 Calls (2021)
- Created By: Fede Álvarez
- 1 season (miniseries)
- Starring: Pedro Pascal, Nick Jonas, Rosario Dawson, Aubrey Plaza
- Episode Runtime: 13–20 minutes
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Created by horror filmmaker Fede Álvarez, Calls is an experimental mystery series driven by a string of intertwined phone conversations that all lead up to a devastating apocalyptic event. What makes Calls one of the best Apple TV Plus shows is its extremely unique style: stylized text and sound wave visualizations appear onscreen in lieu of actors, allowing the terror to play out in the viewer’s mind, and leaving enough room for audiences to unravel the mysteries themselves. Despite being snubbed by award-giving bodies, Calls‘ 95% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes is well-earned. Calls was made by Apple TV and the French network Canal+, and is based on Timothée Hoche’s mystery series of the same name.
14 Trying (2020-present)
- Created By: Andy Wolton
- 3 seasons
- Starring: Esther Smith, Rafe Spall, Imelda Staunton, Ophelia Lovibond
- Episode Runtime: 26–30 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
Esther Smith and Rafe Spall star in the British Apple TV Plus comedy series Trying as a couple desperate to start a family, but who find that conceiving isn’t easy, and adoption comes with its own obstacles. Despite its heavy subject and realistic depiction of a childless couple’s tribulations, Trying succeeds at being a pure comedy hinged on the absurdity of parenthood and social expectations. The show’s overall tonal balance, accessibility, and clever writing has earned it several award nominations in the UK.
13 Mythic Quest (2020-present)
- Created By: Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, Rob McElhenney
- 3 seasons
- Starring: Rob McElhenney, David Hornsby, Ashly Burch, Imani Hakim
- Episode Runtime 22–37 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
From It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Rob McElhenney and Megan Ganz, Mythic Quest is a wholesome comedy about the day-to-day operations of a video game studio. It has a near-perfect 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an admirable 7.8 IMDb rating, but these aren’t the only reasons why it’s one of the best Apple TV Plus shows. Mythic Quest subverts sitcom staples, including a will-they-or-won’t-they couple and a supporting cast full of colorful comic personalities, along with a few surprises, like origin story episodes and dramatic moments that land beautifully. The show’s success has inspired the Mythic Quest spinoff Mere Mortals, which will be executive produced by Mythic Quest‘s creators.
12 Slow Horses (2022-present)
- Created By: Morwenna Banks, Will Smith, Jonny Stockwood, and Mark Denton
- 2 seasons
- Starring: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas
- Episode Runtime: 41–53 minutes
- Genre: Spy Thriller, Drama
Led by a rare television starring role from Gary Oldman, Slow Horses is a riveting spy thriller that follows Jackson Lamb, head of an MI6 department where disgraced operatives are sent after botching their missions. Based on Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, Slow Horses flips the conventions of the espionage genre with its focus on spies who aren’t very good at their jobs. It’s one of the few series with a 100% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and received several BAFTA nominations, including for Gary Oldman.
11 Dickinson (2019-2021)
- Created By: Alena Smith
- 3 seasons
- Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Anna Baryshnikov, Jane Krakowski,
- Episode Runtime: 26–34 minutes
- Genre: Comedic Drama
If Clueless had been about Jane Austen herself and not just adapted from her work, it might have looked something like Dickinson. Scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Apple TV original show tells the story of a young Emily Dickinson in a period setting but with the style of a contemporary coming-of-age teen dramedy. Hailee Steinfeld gives one of her best performances in the title role, bringing a relatability to the literary icon and succeeding where countless previous Jane Austen adaptations did not.
10 Acapulco (2021-present)
- Created By: Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman
- 2 seasons
- Starring: Eugenio Derbez, Enrique Arizon, Damian Alcazar, Camila Perez
- Episode Runtime: 30 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
Inspired by the movie How to Be a Latin Lover, Acapulco stars Eugenio Derbez as Maximo Gallardo Ramos, a Malibu mogul from a rags-to-riches background. The Apple TV Plus show switches between his lavish present-day lifestyle and flashbacks to Maximo’s humble beginnings. With its charming cast and harmless humor, Acapulco has earned a 7.7 rating on IMDb and a perfect approval score of 100% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes — securing its place among the best Apple TV Plus shows.
9 The Snoopy Show (2021-present)
- Created By: Rob Boutilier, Mark Evestaff, Alex Galatis
- 2 seasons
- Starring: Terry McGurrin, Rob Tinkler, Ethan Pugiotto, Tyler Nathan
- Episode Runtime: 22 minutes
- Genre: Comedy
Based on Charles M. Schulz’s iconic characters, The Snoopy Show puts Charlie Brown’s dog in the spotlight. This wonderfully wholesome animated series was crowned the Best Animation Series at the 2021 Leo Awards, and is a worthwhile continuation of Charlie Brown’s decades-long legacy. The show’s delightful old-fashioned animation style evokes a warm feeling of nostalgia from long-time readers and viewers of the Peanuts franchise and welcomes new fans with open arms. For a family-friendly series parents will enjoy as much as kids, The Snoopy Show is one of the best options on Apple TV+.
8 Prehistoric Planet (May 2022-present)
- Created By: Jon Favreau and the BBC Studios Natural History Unit
- 1 season (miniseries)
- Starring: David Attenborough
- Episode Runtime: 39–42 minutes
- Genre: Nature Documentary
Older-than-ancient natural history comes to life in one of the best Apple TV Plus shows: Prehistoric Planet, an in-depth exploration of when dinosaurs walked the Earth. Prehistoric Planet’s jaw-dropping visuals won Best VFX at the 2022 Televisual Bulldog Awards and the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards, and its scoring picked up a win at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. With captivating voiceover narration by Sir David Attenborough, engaging music by Hans Zimmer, and stunning visual effects by the Moving Picture Company, Prehistoric Planet brings the Late Cretaceous period to life — an immersive and outstanding achievement in documentary storytelling.
7 For All Mankind (2019-present)
- Created By: Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi
- 3 seasons
- Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten
- Episode Runtime: 46–82 minutes
- Genre: Fantasy, Alternate History, Drama
For All Mankind imagines an alternate history where the space race never ended. In this alternate reality, the father of the Soviet space program Sergei Korolov lived instead of dying during an operation, allowing Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov to become the first man on the moon. Each astronaut in the For All Mankind cast is based on real-life top NASA astronauts from the late ’60s, with each succeeding season taking place a decade later than the last, portraying an alternate, head-to-head version of the historic space race. For All Mankind‘s unique premise earned it recognition from the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming, and the Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Television Series.
6 Black Bird (2022)
- Created By: Dennis Lehane
- 1 season (miniseries)
- Starring: Taron Egerton, Ray Liotta, Greg Kinnear, Paul Walter Hauser
- Episode Runtime: 54–60 minutes
- Genre: Crime Drama
Based on James Keene and Hillel Levin’s autobiographical novel In with the Devil, Black Bird is a crime drama miniseries about Jimmy, a young football star unexpectedly faced with narcotics charges that could send him to prison. Jimmy is forced to use his gift of gab to take a deal for a fully commuted sentence. The catch is that, in exchange, he must help federal authorities coax a confession out of Larry Hall — a serial killer. Paul Walter Hauser who plays Larry won for Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Golden Globes, while series lead Taron Egerton was nominated for Best Actor, and Black Bird itself earned a nomination for Best Limited Series.
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