Once upon a time, Apple TV was one of the most underrated and underappreciated streamers out there. These days, not so much. Thanks to the critical and cultural momentum of shows like Ted Lasso, Severance, Slow Horses, and Widow’s Bay, it’s made a name for itself as a destination for quality, high-end comedies and dramas. (It also racked up 89 Emmy nominations this year.) But although a handful of its programs have become bona fide hits, there are many underrated gems in Apple’s library of originals, which are all worth your time. Here are our picks for the shows you need to stream on Apple TV right now.
(Photo: Apple TV)
The Buccaneers
Stars: Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Christina Hendricks, Josh Dylan, Imogen Waterhouse, Simone Kirby, Matthew Broome, Leighton Meester
Number of seasons: Two
A colorful, aggressively youthful adaptation of Edith Wharton’s classic novel, The Buccaneers’ whole vibe is basically “what if The CW made a period drama?” The show centers on Annabel “Nan” St. George (Froseth), who moves to London after one of her best friends lands a titled husband. Love triangles, high society hijinks, and a plot that moves at a breakneck pace ensue. The Buccaneers features some pretty great performances, even greater gowns, and fun music choices. The series has been renewed for a third season.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Criminal Record
Stars: Peter Capaldi, Cush Jumbo, Cathy Tyson, Shaun Dooley, Charlie Creed-Miles
Number of seasons: Two
This British thriller features an enticing cat-and-mouse between two detectives: Daniel Hegarty (Capaldi), a veteran, and June Lenker (Jumbo), a rookie. An anonymous phone call puts them on the same investigation when an old case is reopened, which leads to June discovering the details of Hegarty’s sordid past. The second season sees them legitimately join forces to thwart a terrorist plot, which muddies their relationship even further.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Dickinson
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Hunt, Anya Baryshnikov, Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Amanda Warren
Number of seasons: Three
Alena Smith’s Dickinson is the bold, surreal coming-of-age story of famed poet Emily Dickinson (Steinfeld). An audacious aspiring writer who doesn’t fit into the era she was born in, Emily conspicuously fights to break barriers to be a published author, even if it means rebelling against her strict parents or frequently talking to an imaginary figure known as Death. Dickinson also blooms as a love story for the ages between Emily and her best friend, Sue (Hunt), one that allegedly inspired Taylor Swift’s best song yet, “ivy,” from the album evermore. Now that’s how you do romance.
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For All Mankind
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Krys Marshall, Jodi Balfour, Wrenn Schmidt, Sonya Walger, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, Casey W. Johnson, Nate Corddry
Number of seasons: Five
For All Mankind is one of the best dramas on Apple TV, period. The alt-history sci-fi series follows NASA astronauts on a mission to reach the moon (and later Mars!) in the ’70s after Russia won the initial Space Race. It’s a gripping, emotional workforce tale of the American dream that’s perfectly tied to the characters’ complex personal relationships. FAM also boasts some of the most appealing visual effects out there, whether it’s showing us a stunning lunar base, space flights, or the surface of the Red Planet. The show has been renewed for a sixth and final season.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Foundation
Stars: Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Alexander Siddig, Cherry Jones, Troy Katsur, Lou Llobell, Terrence Mann, Pilou Asbæk
Number of seasons: Three
Based on a series of stories by Isaac Asimov, this ambitious, sprawling sci-fi epic is a millennia-spanning story of empire, prophecy, faith, and survival. (With a dash of space wizardry on top.) Featuring dozens of characters, exceptional CGI, and a willingness to wrestle with complex themes and weighty subject matter, it’s a series that’s unafraid to be both bold and difficult. A fourth season is in the works
(Photo: Apple TV)
Manhunt
Stars: Tobias Menzies, Anthony Boyle, Hamish Linklater, Lili Taylor, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh
Number of seasons: One
Based on the book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln’s Killer, this limited series turns the search for John Wilkes Booth following his escape from Ford’s Theatre into a gripping historical cat-and-mouse chase. Boyle is predictably excellent, but it’s Menzies who shines as Secretary Of War Edward Stanton, whose grief over Lincoln’s death is the emotional engine that powers the show.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Margot’s Got Money Troubles
Stars: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, Greg Kinnear, Thaddea Graham, Michael Angarano, Nicole Kidman
Number of seasons: One
Created by David E. Kelley and based on Rufi Thorpe’s 2024 novel, the series follows a young woman who starts an OnlyFans to make ends meet after an affair with a professor leaves her pregnant. Hilarious and heartwarming by turns, Offerman and Pfeiffer are particularly fantastic together. The series has been renewed for a second season.
(Photo; Apple TV)
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
Stars: Tatiana Maslany, Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg, Charlie Hall, Jake Johnson, Jessy Hodges, Nola Wallace, Jon Michael Hill, Dolly de Leon
Number of seasons: One
An addictive thriller whose release got a bit overshadowed by the simultaneous arrival of Widow’s Bay, the story follows Paula (Maslany), a divorced fact-checker who gets scammed by a camboy online and finds herself pulled into a high-stress world of crime. Surprisingly funny and with a banging soundtrack, it makes for an easy, satisfying binge.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Murderbot
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian, Noma Dumezweni, Sabrina Wu, Clark Gregg, John Cho, Akshay Khanna
Number of seasons: One
Murderbot, based on Martha Wells’ darkly comedic sci-fi novels, centers on a private security cyborg (Skarsgård) who gains free will and emotions. But this bot must hide this truth and keep completing dangerous missions, even if all it wants to do is watch soap operas. A second season is on its way.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Mythic Quest
Stars: Rob Mac, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, David Hornsby, Imani Hakim, F. Murray Abraham, Jessie Ennis, Caitlin McGee, Naomi Ekperigin
Number of seasons: Four
Mythic Quest hails from the team behind It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so you already know this workplace comedy is full of hijinks, wacky comedy, and an even wackier set of characters. The show chronicles a video game company run by the egotistical Ian Grimm (Mac), who often clashes with fellow lead engineer and egoist Poppy Li (Nicdao) and the rest of his team. But even with all the wackiness, Mythic Quest somehow finds inventive ways to be relevant, sharp, and surprisingly emotional. The fourth and final season of the show wrapped up in March 2025.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Pachinko
Stars: Minha Kim, Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Soji Arai, Jeong In-ji, Han Jun-woo, Kaho Minami, Anna Sawai, Jimmi Simpson, Jung Eun-chae
Number of seasons: Two
Based on Min Jin Lee’s sprawling novel of the same name, Pachinko is an endearing, intricately woven tale of multiple generations of a single Korean immigrant family. The focal point is Sunja, whose journey is covered from her simple, traumatic childhood to her twilight years in Japan. Despite tackling some heavy topics, Pachinko consistently remains heartwarming and visually stunning (hat-tip to Justin Chon and Kogonada’s alluring direction).
(Photo: Apple TV)
Platonic
Stars: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Rachel Rosenbloom, Guy Branum, Janet Varney
Number of seasons: Two
In this endearing comedy, former college besties Will (Rogen’s hippie brewmaster) and Sylvia (Byrne’s event planner) end their five-year estrangement after the former’s divorce. Both of them quickly resume their co-dependent, slightly toxic, and yet sweet friendship that tends to get in the way of their respective careers and relationships. The series has been renewed for a third season.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Pluribus
Stars: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Samba Schutte, Miriam Shor, Davis Taffer
Number of seasons: One
Vince Gilligan returns to his X-Files roots (and Albuquerque) in this sci-fi thriller about romance author Carol Sturka (Seehorn), who’s one of a dozen people unaffected by an extraterrestrial virus that has turned the rest of the population happy. The series has been renewed for a second season.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Schmigadoon!
Stars: Keegan Michael-Key, Cecily Strong, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski, Jaime Camil, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Dove Cameron, Ann Harada
Number of seasons: Two
Schmigadoon! is a colorful love letter to the art of the movie musical. In the first season, the show follows a couple stranded in the whimsical titular town whose residents perpetually live in Golden Age-style musicals. In the second, the pair arrives in “Schmicago,” which is brimming with the sexy musicals of the ’60s and ’70s. The original tracks are quirky earworms, and Jane Krakowski gives an awards-worthy performance. What’s not to love?
(Photo: Apple TV)
Severance
Stars: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman
Number of seasons: Two
Severance is pretty damn stunning. Created by Dan Erickson (with Ben Stiller as a producer and director), the thriller builds tension and anxiety with each passing episode. In the show, employees of a conglomerate named Lumon have severed memories (that is, they forget their private lives once they reach work). But they soon realize the company is up to nefarious things. Severance also boasts career-best turns by Adam Scott and Zach Cherry, plus commendable breakout performances by Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Shrinking
Stars: Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Michael Urie, Brett Goldstein, Lukita Maxwell
Seasons: Three
A grieving therapist (Segel) adopts a radical new treatment method in which he tells his patients exactly what he thinks about them and their problems with varying results. Poignant, profound, hilarious, and heartwarming by turns, it’s a drama about family both biological and found. (And Ford, in particular, is fantastic.) A fourth season is in production.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Slow Horses
Stars: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung
Number of seasons: Five
Based on Mick Herron’s novels, Slow Horses is a fantastic (and quite funny) British spy drama. The show centers on a team of MI5 screw-ups in Slough House, a sort of career purgatory led by Jackson Lamb (Oldman), who find themselves racing against the clock to save London from various disasters. Season six premieres in September.
(Photo: Apple TV)
The Studio
Stars: Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O’Hara, Dewayne Perkins, Bryan Cranston
Number of seasons: One
In this highly entertaining satire, co-creator Rogen stars as Hollywood exec Matt Remick, who takes over as the new head of Continental Studios and hopes to make the movies of his dreams alongside his co-workers. If only it were that easy. Expect a ton of cameos from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Sarah Polley, Olivia Wilde, Zoë Kravitz, Dave Franco, and Adam Scott. The series has been renewed for a second season.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Ted Lasso
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, Phil Dunster
Number of seasons: Four
This award-winning comedy’s debut not only blew up Apple TV subscriptions, but it became a surprisingly hot topic for internet discourse. Jason Sudeikis plays the relentlessly charming Ted Lasso, who moves from Kansas to the U.K. to coach a struggling English football team and impart some folksy life lessons along the way. Following a third season finale that saw Ted return home to his family, season 4 sees him back in Richmond to help Rebecca (Waddingham) and Keeley (Temple) get a women’s team off the ground.
(Photo: Apple TV)
Widow’s Bay
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Stephen Root, Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, K Callan, Kingston Rumi Southwick
Number of seasons: One
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Widow’s Bay is genuinely unlike anything else on this streamer at the moment. (It’s honestly like very little on television anywhere.) A horror-comedy about a seemingly cursed seaside New England town brimming with weird creatures and dark folklore, the story follows a try-hard mayor (Rhys) determined to turn it into a tourist attraction. Rhys’ comedic instincts are top-notch, and O’Flynn steals the show as his quirky assistant Patricia. The series has been renewed for a second season.
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