The 25 Best Apple TV+ Shows, Ranked

Based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry follows the story of talented chemist Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), who is struggling to make a breakthrough in the scientific field during the era of ’50s misogyny. Along the way, an unlikely romance sets Elizabeth’s life on a different path, where she finds herself combining her love of science with helming a cooking show. Like Elizabeth’s culinary ventures, her story is filled with delightful and bittersweet flavors that viewers eagerly devour. —Meaghan Darwish

Loosely inspired by writer Edith Wharton’s final work, The Buccaneers tells the story of five American women living during the Gilded Age as they travel to England in search of husbands. Described as a series somewhere between HBO‘s The Gilded Age and Netflix‘s Bridgerton, The Buccaneers may include a love triangle, modern music, and gorgeous gowns, but at its heart, it’s a show about female friendships, setting it apart from some of its TV counterparts. —Meaghan Darwish

Swagger explores the world of youth basketball and the players, their families, and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition and opportunism and corruption as they involve themselves in the youth sports economy. But it also showcases what it’s like growing up with exceptional talent and all the demands on a kid as a result. Although it approaches every cliche known to scripted basketball drama, performances from O’Shea Jackson and Quvenzhané Wallis shine through. —Isaac Rouse

While the off-air happenings tend to be the most dramatic, what’s said on-camera by and makes the news about the morning show’s anchors (Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon) can be equally as attention-grabbing. No matter where you look in this star-studded drama, chances are you will find a juicy storyline or messy relationship. —Meredith Jacobs

Would you want a machine to tell you what your true potential is? The Morpho machine does just that for a small town, teeing up big questions—including what exactly the next stage is—and allowing the dramedy to evenly divide focus among all the residents (played by Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Josh Segarra, and others). They’re surprised by what they learn about each other and themselves. —Meredith Jacobs

Maya Rudolph plays a billionaire scorned as her character Molly discovers her husband John (Adam Scott) has been cheating on her. Demanding a divorce, Molly earns billions in the settlement and ultimately vows to give it all away for the greater good. Loot focuses on her efforts to find the best way to use these funds with a ragtag team of do-gooders among which include stars Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, Joel Kim Booster, and Ron Funches to name a few. The laugh-out-loud comedy is elevated by Molly’s effort to relate with her non-billionaire cohorts. —Meaghan Darwish

Little Voice is a little show that just didn’t make it beyond its fabulous first season, but that doesn’t make the cozy New York City-set tale any less worthy of your enjoyment. The series from Waitress duo Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson followed Bess (Brittany O’Grady), a young singer-songwriter trying to break through at the same time that she’s caring for her autistic brother, supporting her best friend and faced with two romantic prospects.  The original soundtrack alone is reason enough to tune into this canceled-too-soon series. —Meaghan Darwish

In any other instance, following a seven-hour flight in nearly real-time would not sound like one of the most exciting binges of 2023. But that’s exactly what this Idris Elba-led thriller is, with his corporate negotiator having to translate his skills in the boardroom to a hijacking up in the air. To make things even more complicated, just as he solves one problem and identifies one threat, another arises: It seems like anyone on the plane could be involved — not to mention the problems on the ground, including the danger to his own son! —Meredith Jacobs

This British comedy follows the trials and tribulations of couple Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall), who are eager to expand their family despite being complete and content as a duo. After exhausting all of their options, infertility leads them to adoption, and the series tracks their journey on the road to parenthood, delivering the ups and downs in a cleverly comedic package that makes you want to laugh and sometimes cry at the same time. It’s an utterly underrated gem. —Meaghan Darwish

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, known for their comedic synergy in Neighbors, reunite in Apple TV+‘s Platonic. In this new venture, they play Sylvia and Will, former best friends who, after a prolonged estrangement, reconnect in their approaching midlife. The duo’s revived friendship takes center stage, creating uproarious chaos that disrupts their lives. The humor stems from their undeniable chemistry and the amusing situations they find themselves in, with Sylvia serving as the “straight man” navigating the eccentric world of Will. —Isaac Rouse

Godzilla had a hell of a 2023, with the success of Minus One, the announcement of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and the release of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, solidifying the legacy and staying power of the giant lizard. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters unfolds after the destructive battle between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco in the 2014 film, revealing the existence of real monsters. The series follows two siblings tracing their father’s legacy, unraveling their family’s ties to the secretive organization Monarch. Clues guide them into the realm of monsters, leading to Army officer Lee Shaw (portrayed by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell) in the 1950s and half a century later. —Isaac Rouse

This crime drama needs heavy hitters to go head to head as two detectives, one more experienced out to protect his legacy and the other looking to uncover the truth about a cold case, and it has that in Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. You want to see Jumbo’s June Lenker succeed, not just for herself but also the man who might be in prison for a crime he didn’t commit (Tom Moutchi’s Errol Mathis), and you worry about just how far Capaldi’s Daniel Hegarty might go to stop her. —Meredith Jacobs

The former host of The Daily Show returned to comedic political commentary in this series that proved once again that Jon Stewart is one of our greatest living interviewers. The searing interviews with political leaders are not only fantastic to watch, but vital for our current social and political climate. Through his quick wit and depth of knowledge, Stewart gives his subjects no room to bulls**t viewers. He holds the powerful to account not out of personal interest, but because it’s absolutely necessary. The show won’t continue, but Stewart will now return to The Daily Show once a week to cover the 2024 presidential election. —Kelli Boyle

Who exactly is Sophie? That’s the question not only for the audience but for Gugu Mbatha-Raw‘s character as well after she loses her memories. Was it a suicide attempt? Can she trust her husband (Oliver Jackson-Cohen‘s James)? Can she trust herself? The first season leaves us with even more questions than we already had with a trip to London. —Meredith Jacobs

Gary Oldman‘s Jackson Lamb is in charge of the intelligence agents in Slough House (a.k.a. the dumping ground of MI5 misfits), with our introduction to them coming alongside River Cartwright’s (Jack Lowden) at the start of the series. It’s the perfect slow burn espionage thriller filled with betrayals, shocking deaths, and plenty of mistrust among those in the government to keep you guessing about just what’s going on and who’s hiding what. —Meredith Jacobs

One of Apple TV+‘s first flagship series, crafted by Tony Basgallop and M. Night Shyamalan, delves into psychology, posing several insane questions before unraveling deeper, more unsettling revelations. Centered around couple Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean (Toby Kebbell), their lives begin to take an ominous turn when Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) arrives as a nanny for their reborn baby doll, Jericho, a coping mechanism for Dorothy’s tragic loss. As Leanne tends to the artificial baby, an air of suspense lingers, making it an eerie watch that resonates long after the credits roll. —Isaac Rouse

If you’ve ever craved to know what your therapist is like outside of work, this series gives a messy, hilarious, poignant answer to that question. Jason Segel plays Jimmy, a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules by telling his clients exactly what he thinks, much to his co-workers’ (Harrison Ford, finally in a comedy series, and Jessica Williams) chagrin. But everyone learns that sometimes, to reset your life after hard times, it’s good to go a little rogue. —Kelli Boyle

One of Apple TV+’s flagship series, Dickinson delivered a unique take on poet Emily Dickinson’s (Hailee Steinfeld) story through the eyes of showrunner Alena Smith. The half-hour comedy highlighted Emily’s relationship with Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt), the poet’s mostly progressive family, social issues pertinent to the Civil War-timed telling and today’s world, and introduced several other historical figures into Emily’s world with a hilarious twist or two. Oh, and Emily often conferred with “Death,” played by rapper Wiz Khalifa, making Dickinson a true one-of-a-kind viewing experience. —Meaghan Darwish

Screenwriting and songwriting are hard enough on their own. Schmigadoon’s Cinco Paul and his wildly talented team did both of those things while seamlessly paying homage and parodying two decades worth of beloved musicals. The wit and whimsy of this musical romp — and its stellar cast — are unmatched. Season 3 was already written with 25 new songs on the roster when Schmigadoon! was canceled in January 2024, marking a serious loss of singular and original programming on TV. —Kelli Boyle

If you’re looking for a feel-good, family-friendly romp, Acapulco is your go-to option. The bilingual comedy series is set in two time periods as Eugenio Derbez‘s Maximo recounts his past during story-telling sessions with his young nephew, recalling the years when he was first hired to work at the titular town’s Las Colinas Resort in the ’80s. With the story cutting back and forth between flashbacks and present-day, there’s a little baked-in mystery of how Maximo’s ultimate path to success impacted his friendships and romantic relationships unfolding in the ’80s. It’s a slice of neon-colored, musical TV heaven. —Meaghan Darwish

When Jimmy Keene, a skilled con man from Chicago portrayed by Taron Egerton, realizes that his charm won’t save him from a 10-year prison sentence, he reluctantly takes on a mission that could offer him a way out of incarceration. Adapted by Dennis Lehane from Keene’s memoir, the story unfolds as Keene ventures into a maximum security prison for the criminally insane. His objective: to delve into the mind of suspected serial killer Larry Hall, convincingly played by Paul Walter Hauser with a mix of pathos and suppressed menace, in order to extract a confession. —Isaac Rouse

The five Garvey sisters lost their parents when they were young, leaving eldest sibling Eva (Sharon Horgan) to raise them all. When one sister’s husband (Claes Bang) abuses her and the rest of the sisters, they say the quiet part out loud: what if they just… killed him? But here’s the twist: he died before they could try. The thrill of this series is finding out whodunnit, but most importantly why he had it coming. —Kelli Boyle

What started out as an NBC commercial became a sleeper hit when the Jason Sudeikis-led series first debuted in 2020. Coach Ted Lasso was brought to AFC Richmond to tank the team in an act of revenge from jilted owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham). What she and everyone else in the underdog club didn’t know was that Ted’s lack of football know-how was exactly what they’d need to succeed, both on and off the pitch. Fútbol is life. —Kelli Boyle

What would happen if we never stopped the space race? What would the world look like? That’s what For All Mankind explores in its current four-season narrative as we transition from the 1960s all the way to 2003, showcasing the headlines, technological advancements, and new world ethics that crop out as a result. The series stars Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Wrenn Schmidt, Joel Kinnaman, Edi Gathegi, and Coral Peña. Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, and Daniel Stern as new series regulars. —Isaac Rouse

One of the most talked about shows of 2022, Apple TV+’s Severance, starring Adam Scott and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, follows an employee of a fictional corporation who agrees to separate his non-work memories from his work memories. However, things get a little sketchy when an employee disappears, and Mark (Scott) uncovers some dangerous conspiracies at his workplace, Lumon. A dark and hypnotically weird workplace satire like no other, this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller earned all the buzz it stacked up as fans patiently waited for a second season. —Isaac Rouse