What to watch on Apple TV Plus: 40 best shows streaming right now

Get charmed by recent arrival Land Of Women, gear up for a new season of Slow Horses, and more

What to watch on Apple TV Plus: 40 best shows streaming right now

Apple TV+ has emerged as one of the most reliable streamers, even if the platform still doesn’t know how to properly market its originals. They’ve got plenty of originals led by movie stars, underrated gems like Mythic Quest, award-winning comedies, and powerhouse shows (PachinkoSeverance). The streamer has also carved out a sci-fi niche for itself, from a space race drama to the expansion of the Godzilla universe. The A.V. Club has assembled this guide to the service’s best shows to help you figure out where to start.

Note: This list is in alphabetical order. It was last updated on October 7, 2024. It will be updated monthly.


1. Acapulco

Stars: Eugenio Derbez, Damián Alcázar, Enrique Arrizon, Chord Overstreet, Camila Perez, Fernando Carsa, Vanessa Bauche, Jessica Collins

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3

Inspired by the 2017 film How To Be A Latin Lover, Apple TV+’s Acapulco is a rare bilingual comedy on the platform. The show follows Máximo Gallardo, who gets his dream job as the cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco, Mexico. But he soon realizes the job is far more demanding than he anticipated, thanks to the clientele.


2. Bad Sisters

Stars: Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eve Birthistle, Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Daryl McCormack, Brian Gleeson, Claes Bang

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1

Created by Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer, the tragicomedy is an instant Apple TV+ standout. Bad Sisters carries the trademark of Horgan’s filmography: It’s charming, dark, and often wicked. The Irish murder mystery follows four Garvey sisters as they get tangled up in an insurance investigation after the death of their brother-in-law, whom they may or may not have killed. The show returns for a second season in November.


3. Black Bird

Stars: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Ray Liotta, Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear, Jake McLaughlin, Joe Williamson, Robert Diago DoQui, Trazi Lashawn, Robyn Malcolm, Laney Stiebing

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1

Jonesing for a tightly-paced, six-episode thriller? Here it is. Inspired by James Keene’s book, Black Bird follows crooked criminal Jimmy (Taron Egerton), who is living out a 10-year prison sentence. He gets an offer to go scot-free if he can use his charming ways to get fellow inmate Larry Hall (Hauser) to confess to being a serial killer. The two actors’ riveting chemistry and the creepy dialogue make Black Bird an un-skippable experience. As a bonus, Ray Liotta crushes it in his final onscreen appearance. As put in The A.V. Club‘s review: “Liotta proves why he’s a masterclass actor. His wide-eyed, evocative performance elevates Black Bird beyond depicting a harrowing true-crime saga.”


4. The Buccaneers 

Stars: Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Christina Hendricks, Josh Dylan, Imogen Waterhouse, Simone Kirby, Matthew Broome

Number of seasons: 1

Stream it now: Edith Wharton’s famous unfinished novel gets yet another adaptation with The Buccaneers. It follows Annabel “Nan” St. George (Froseth), who moves to London after her friend gets married to a Lord. Along with some pals, she is sent there to find a husband. Instead, she ends up getting entangled in the complications of a love triangle and the English high society. The Buccaneers features great performances, even greater gowns, and some fun music choices—all of it to certainly remind you of Bridgerton. Leighton Meester joins the cast for season two, expected to premiere in 2025.


5. Central Park 

Stars: Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Gad, Daveed Diggs, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3

Created by Loren Bouchard, along with Gad and Nora Smith, Central Park is a truly good time. The musical animated comedy centers on the Tillerman family, whose patriarch, Owen (Odom Jr.) is the park manager. Their lives revolve around Central Park, where they also live and have most of their adventures. But it’s all threatened by bitter real-estate entrepreneur Bitsy Brandenheim (Tucci), who wants to buy off the land to build more condos. Expect many, many beautifully weird original songs.


6. The Changeling

Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Adina Porter, Alexis Louder, Malcolm Barrett, Clark Backo, Jared Abrahamson, Samuel T. Herring

Number of seasons: 1

Based on Victor LaValle’s heartwrenching novel, The Changeling is a pretty great, nuanced horror fantasy drama. It follows used book dealer Apollo Kagwa (Stanfield), whose wife disappears after giving birth. His search across New York City to find her leads him to unexpected, possibly fairytale-like, and imaginative places. Here’s a snippet from The A.V. Club’s review: “The Changeling’s secret weapon is its characterization, with each actor in this cast embodying their respective role so richly. They all feel real and warm so that the more fantastical elements of this story can land.”


7. The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin 

Stars: Noel Fielding, Hugh Bonneville, Ellie White, Duayne Boachie, Mark Heap, Mark Wootton, Asim Chaudhry

Number of seasons: 1

This historical comedy follows the exploits of Dick Turpin (think a dandy Robin Hood), played by The Great British Bake-Off’s Fielding. Dick’s goal as the leader of a criminal gang is to turn into England’s greatest “highwayman,” a.k.a. someone who steals from travelers. But first, he has to evade being captured by a secret organization that’s after him, led by Bonneville’s Jonathan Wilde. If you’re a fan of Our Flag Means Death, this is the show for you.


8. Constellation 


Stars: Noomi Rapace, Jonathan Banks, James D’Arcy, Davina Coleman, Julian Looman

Number of seasons: 1

You know how two astronauts are currently stuck in the ISS until 2025? Well, Constellation‘s premise is eerily familiar. Jo Ericcson is left behind in a space station during a rescue mission and is forced to survive alone. By the time she returns to Earth, Jo realizes her life isn’t exactly as she remembered. Fragments and details are either missing or different, pushing her on a quest to discover the truth. As a bonus, Breaking Bad‘s Banks plays a dual role.


9. Criminal Record

Stars: Peter Capaldi, Cush Jumbo, Cathy Tyson, Shaun Dooley, Charlie Creed-Miles

Number of seasons: 1

The British thriller features an enticing cat-and-mouse between two detectives. Daniel Hegarty is a veteran while June Lenker is a rookie. An anonymous phone call puts them on the same investigation when an old case is reopened. It may just lead to June exposing Daniel’s sordid past. Criminal Record is renewed for season two.


10. Dark Matter

Stars: Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Amanda Brugel

Number of seasons: 1

Blake Crouch adapts his complex sci-fi novel Dark Matter, which has already been renewed. Edgerton plays a physicist named Jason Dessen, who is kidnapped by a version of himself from an alternate reality. The presence of Jason 2.0 from another universe threatens everything about his world, including his loved ones.


11. Dickinson

Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Hunt, Anya Baryshnikov, Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Amanda Warren

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 3

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, Steinfeld’s Dickinson 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.


12. Drops Of God

Stars: Tomohisa Yamashita, Fleur Geffrier, Stanley Weber, Makiko Watanabe,

Number of seasons: 1

Drops Of God is a global thriller that’s equal parts soapy and gripping. When a wine expert dies, he leaves behind the world’s most expensive wine collection behind. It becomes the source of an inheritance battle between his estranged daughter and his protége. Set across Japan and France, Drops Of God will be back for season two.


13. Five Days At Memorial 

Stars: Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, Julie Ann Emery, Adepero Oduye, Cornelius Smith Jr., Robert Pine, Molly Hager

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1

Based on Sheri Fink’s book of the same name, Five Days At Memorial is an often tough but enlightening watch that depicts the shattering difficulties faced by the doctors and nurses at a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As The A.V. Club’s review notes: “The eight-episode series is a gripping affair, an engrossing medical thriller that doubles as a powerful indictment of government and corporate inaction and outright neglect.”


14. 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 on Apple TV+: 4

For All Mankind is one of the best dramas on Apple TV+. 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. A fifth season (and a Russia-set spin-off) is on its way.


15. Foundation

Stars: Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Leah Harvey, Lou Llobell, Terrence Mann, Alfred Enoch, Kubbra Sait, T’Nia Miller, Nimrat Kaur, Laura Birn

Number of seasons: 2

Based on Isaac Asimov’s stories, Foundation is an epic sci-fi saga that centers on a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to fight for their rights. Yes, the plot and multiple timelines get quite intricate, but the show features remarkable performances, cinematography, music, and direction to make it worth the journey. The series has been renewed for a third season.


16. Franklin

Stars: Michael Douglas, Noah Jupe, Daniel Mays, Ludivine Sagnier, Jeanne Balibar

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1

Michael Douglas is transfixing as Benjamin Franklin in this miniseries, which chronicles the titular founding father’s quest to get France to back the States in the Revolutionary War. Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club‘s review: “Even at 79, the Wall Street and Fatal Attraction actor is as dashing and charming a screen presence as ever. The casting is a fitting gamble for this surprisingly spry and prickly historical drama that shuttles between backstabbing backdoor diplomacy and sultry courtly intrigues.”


17. High Desert

Stars: Patricia Arquette, Brad Garrett, Weruche Opia, Rupert Friend, Bernadette Peters

Number of seasons: 1

Patricia Arquette’s other Apple TV+ series is gaining all the attention, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore her excellent comedy, High Desert. Here, she’s an addict named Peggy living in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California. After the death of her mother, Peggy pursues a career as a private investigator, putting her on a warpath with unexpected enemies.


18. Land Of Women

Stars: Eva Longoria, Carmen Maura, Victoria Bazúa, Santiago Cabrera, Gloria Muñoz, James Purefoy, Amaury Nolasco, Carla Campra

Number of seasons: 1

Land Of Women might just be the feel-good TV show you need right now. Set in a Spanish wine town, it’s a vibrant family dramedy with notes of rom-com and suspense thrown in for good measure. In the series, Eva Longoria plays Gala Scott, a wealthy New York housewife who finds a new lease on life and reconnects with her mother and teen daughter in their ancestral home overseas.


19. Little America

Stars: Suraj Sharma, Sherilynn Fenn, John Ortiz, Zachary Quinto, Mélanie Laurent, Kemiyondo Coutinho, Shaun Toub, Haaz Sleiman, Angela Lin, Conphidance, Jearnest Corchado

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 2

Little America flew under the radar when it premiered in early 2020, barely a couple of months after Apple TV+ launched. But don’t sleep on this beautiful hidden gem of a show. Written by Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, and Lee Eisenberg, this anthology is based on true stories published in Epic Magazine’s “Little America” feature. Each episode follows the challenges and wins of different immigrants who’ve made this country their home. Here’s a bit from our review: “The series is striking because of how much story is moved along in a half-hour without feeling overstuffed. The script and cinematography are immersive, whether the setting is a Minnesota state fair, a New York City fried chicken restaurant, or a lavish Beverly Hills mansion. ”


20. Masters Of The Air

Stars: Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Nate Mann, Anthony Boyle, Ncuti Gatwa, Laurie Davidson, Nikolai Kinski, Joanna Kulig

Number of seasons: 1

The World War II drama Masters Of The Air serves as a companion piece to HBO hits Band Of Brothers and The Pacific. It centers on Gale “Buck” Cleven and John “Bucky” Egan, who lead the 100th Bomb Group, which goes on intense missions inside German-occupied Europe. Naturally, wartime tests their friendships and relationships as well.


21. Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters

Stars: Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Anders Holm, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Mari Yamamoto, John Goodman, Joe Tippett

Number of seasons: 1

Believe it or not, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters is a good Godzilla series. It’s thrilling, fast-paced, and yes, features the actual creatures in enough doses. Monarch is set in two different timelines: In the ‘60s, Bill Randa, and Keiko Miura are involved with a covert organization to monitor the Titans. In 2015, half-siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa’s investigation into their missing father uncovers secrets from years past. The connecting thread between them is Lee Shaw, played by the father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell in each generation. Apple TV+ is set to expand the franchise with a second season and multiple spinoffs.


22. The Morning Show

Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup, Reese Witherspoon, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Holland Taylor, Mark Duplass, Nicole Beharie

Number of seasons: 3

Is the star-studded The Morning Show often over the top? Yes, it demands patience, but TMS is a good way to spend time watching Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon duke it out as frenemies working on a morning news show. Plus, Billy Crudup’s Emmy-winning performance makes everything better. The upcoming fourth season adds Marion Cotillard, Aaron Pierre, Jeremy Irons, and William Jackson Harper to an already stacked ensemble.


23. Mythic Quest

Stars: Rob McEllhenny, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, David Hornsby, Imani Hakim, F. Murray Abraham, Jessie Ennis, Caitlin McGee, Naomi Ekperigin

Number of seasons: 3

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 (McElhenney), 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.


24. 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: 2

Based on Min Jin Lee’s sprawling novel of the same name, Pachinko is an endearing, intricately woven tale of 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). The show’s second season ends on October 11, 2024.


25. Presumed Innocent

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Peter Sarsgaard, Bill Camp, Renate Reinsve, O-T Fagbenle.

Number of seasons: 1

David E. Kelley adapts Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, which is turning into a legal anthology on Apple TV+. Season one centers on prosecutor Rusty Sabich, the prime suspect in the murder of his colleague and mistress. He gets unrelenting support from his wife as he teams up with his lawyer to prove his innocence. Expect a fair amount of courtroom theatrics with this one.


26. The Reluctant Traveler

Stars: Eugene Levy

Number of seasons: 2

Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy produces and hosts this travel docuseries. The fun gimmick is that he hates getting out of his comfort zone. To push himself out of it, the actor jets off to Costa Rica, Japan, Portugal, Finland, etc. to explore these locations. In season two, Levy traipses around entirely in Europe.


27. Schmigadoon!

Stars: Keegan Michael-Key, Cecily Strong, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski, Jaime Camil, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Dove Cameron, Ann Harada

Number of seasons: 2

Schmigadoon! is a delightful homage to the many musicals it pays tribute to with its songs. The show follows a couple stranded in the whimsical titular town whose residents perpetually live in Golden Age-style musicals. the pair arrives in “Schmicago,” a town brimming with the sexy musicals of the ’60s and ’70s. The original tracks are quirky earworms, and Krakowski gives an awards-worthy performance. What’s not to love?


28. Servant

Stars: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Rupert Grint, Nell Tiger Free, Tony Revolori, Boris McGiver, Todd Waring, Katie Lee Hill

Number of seasons: 4

Trust M. Night Shyamalan to produce one of TV’s weirdest shows in recent memory. Servant is a twisted and chilling story of the Turner family, who lose their 13-week-old son Jericho in an accident. Dorothy and Sean resort to using an unborn doll to cope, even hiring a nanny, Leanne, to help. But it turns out that Leanne is an ex-cult member with powers—one who resuscitates this figure into a human baby again. It’s an entertaining, darkly comedic, and bizarre show.


29. Severance

Stars: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman

Number of seasons on Apple TV+: 1

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, leading up to an edge-of-your-seat season-one finale. The series centers on the employees of a conglomerate named Lumon, most of whom have severed memories (that is, they forget their private lives once they reach work). Severance also boasts career-best turns by Scott and Cherry, plus commendable breakout performances by Lower and Tillman. Season two kicks off on January 17, 2025.


30. Shining Girls

Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Phillipa Soo, Chris Chalk, Jamie Bell, Amy Brenneman, Madeline Brewer, Erika Alexander

Number of seasons: 1

Let’s admit it outright: is quite complex. Silka Luisa’s limited series, based on Lauren Beukes’ acclaimed novel, has several interesting but labyrinthine plotlines. It’s a good thing an ace cast carries it all the way through. The eight-part show follows Kirby Mazrachi, a newspaper archivist who teams up with journalist Dan Velazquez to try and capture a time-traveling serial killer who attacked Kirby and left her for dead. The two trace how he has violated women across multiple decades and cities, leaving Kirby questioning her reality and understanding of time.


31. Shrinking

Stars: Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Michael Urie,

Number of seasons: 1


32. The Shrink Next Door

Stars: Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell, Kathryn Hahn, Casey Wilson, Cornell Womack, Sarayu Blue

Number of seasons: 1

The cast alone is a reason to watch The Shrink Next Door, but this limited series flips the script on the leading duo Rudd and Ferrell. For a change, Ferrell plays the subdued and shy Martin “Marty” Markowitz, while Rudd is the loud and effervescent Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf. Based on a heartbreaking real story, the show unpacks how Ike, a therapist, took advantage of Marty’s vulnerabilities for financial gain. The A.V. Club‘s review states: “The series immerses audiences in the lives of its lead characters to elicit two distinct reactions: sympathy for one, indignation for the other. The tension that grows over eight-hour-long episodes can feel redundant and aggravating at times, but the payoff is well worth it.”


33. Silo

Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, Harriet Walter, Avi Nash, Rick Gomez, Tim Robbins

Number of seasons: 1

The A.V. Club’s persistent readers are right: Silo is excellent. Graham Yost’s sci-fi drama, based on Hugh Howey’s novels, is set in a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo comprising 144 levels. Ferguson plays Juliette Nichols, an engineer working on the lower levels who gets caught up in a murder mystery that sheds light on bigger conspiracies and threats within the silo. Season two arrives in November 2024.


34. Slow Horses

Stars: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung

Number of seasons: 4

Slow Horses is a quintessential British spy drama. Based on Mick Herron’s novels of the same name, it centers on MI5 spies who are exiled to Slough House, a sort of administrative purgatory led by Jackson Lamb (Oldman). They thought they signed up for boring day-to-day but soon find themselves part of dangerous missions. Season four wraps up on October 9.


35. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces

Stars: Steve Martin

Number of seasons: 1

The two episodes of STEVE! dig into the life and career of legendary actor Steve Martin with the help of never-before-seen interviews, his early years in Hollywood, and the golden years of his acting career.


36. Sugar

Stars: Colin Farrell, Amy Ryan, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, James Cromwell, Nate Corddry

Number of seasons: 1

We’ll be the first to tell you that Sugar has a ridiculous twist near the end of season one, threatening to blow up its premise. Luckily, Apple TV+ has renewed the drama so we won’t be left without answers. However, the show is fairly slick and enjoyable as a neo-noir thriller. Farrell is great as a movie-loving PI who finds himself in the midst of Hollywood drama when he’s tasked with finding the missing granddaughter of an esteemed producer.


37. Sunny


Stars: Rashida Jones, Joanna Sotomura, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Judy Ongg, You

Number of seasons: 1

Rashida Jones shines in this Severance-meets-Black Mirror series set in futuristic Japan. She plays Suzie, whose husband and son are presumed dead after a plane crash. She finds an unexpected companion in a robot that her spouse designed just for her. With its help, Suzie goes on a journey to find out the truth behind what happened to her family.


38. Swagger

Stars: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Caleel Harris, Isaiah Hill, Tessa Ferrer, Shinelle Azoroh, James Bingham, Quvenzhané Wallis, Tristan Wilds

Number of seasons: 2

Reggie Rock Bythewood’s sports drama Swaggerloosely based on the life of NBA player Kevin Durant, has a lot going for it: With nuanced storytelling and excellent direction, the series explores the world of youth basketball, including the players, their families, and the coaches who walk the fine line between opportunism and corruption.


39. Ted Lasso

Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, Phil Dunster

Number of seasons: 3

There’s a reason everyone adores Ted Lasso. Not only did this award-winning comedy’s debut blow up Apple TV+ subscriptions, but it became a surprisingly hot topic for internet discourse. Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, who moves from Kansas to the U.K. to coach a struggling English football team. His optimism surprises everyone—and it turns out that an upbeat and cheery comedy is exactly what we all need right now.


40. Trying

Stars: Rafe Spall, Esther Smith, Sian Brooke, Ophelia Lovibond, Imelda Staunton, Darren Boyd

Number of seasons: 4

British comedy Trying, with all its wry humor, unpacks the relationship of a couple who struggle to conceive. Nikki and Jason decide to adopt, which brings a whole set of challenges they didn’t see coming.

 
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