Apple TV has been making waves in the streaming landscape with its emphasis on production value, star power, and quality control. In a world where content is king, Apple stands out by offering appointment television that demands your attention. Among the plethora of shows available, here are ten Apple TV shows that have consistently delivered without a single bad season, each offering a unique blend of charm, humor, and storytelling that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
Acapulco
One of the most charming series on Apple TV, "Acapulco" is a comedy that will make you laugh out loud. Loosely inspired by the 2017 comedy "How to Be a Latin Lover," the show follows the story of a wealthy business magnate, Maximo, as he recounts his unlikely journey to success to his nephew. With clever filmmaking techniques and a mildly unreliable narrator, "Acapulco" feels like a spikier, more impish version of "The Wonder Years." The show's huge, beating heart and simple sentimentality never cross into cloying distaste, making it a must-watch for fans of comedy.
The Afterparty
From the mind of Christopher Miller comes "The Afterparty," a genre-hopping, puzzle-box anthology series that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a rapid pace of jokes and genuinely shocking murder-mystery plotting, the show is like "Search Party" meets "Poker Face." Tiffany Haddish stars as Detective Danner, and while she largely eschews her buckwild shenanigans in favor of a more restrained tone, she's just as compelling. The show is one of the best on Apple TV, and you'll binge through it with ferocious speed.
Central Park
What if "Bob's Burgers" went fully musical? That's an efficient pitch to get you ready for "Central Park," another of Apple TV's most charming shows. Co-created by "Bob's Burgers" maestros Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith, alongside musical comedy performer Josh Gad, the show follows the Tillerman-Hunter family, led by Owen and Paige. With catchy tunes crossing genres from traditional musical theater to disco to Latin pop, the show is hilarious, touching, and stuffed to the brim with imagination. It grants endearing storylines to all of its characters, from the children to its villainous threats.
Dickinson
With shades of "The Great" and "Marie Antoinette," "Dickinson" is an appealingly postmodern spin on the period piece, one of the best historical TV shows of all time. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Emily Dickinson, a young woman with artistic aspirations and passions that ruffle the feathers of her buttoned-up family. The show's refreshingly frank take on their queer relationship firmly places it in the 21st century, making it a great fun to watch. If you dig "Bridgerton" and wish the whole "string quartet covers of pop tunes" concept went 20 steps further, this is your next binge.
For All Mankind
An alternate history sci-fi barn-burner with an irresistible premise, "For All Mankind" will sink its hooks into you and practically force you to binge it. It's Dad TV for the hip dads, offering enough intrigue from top to tail to captivate the entire family. The series, co-created by "Battlestar Galactica" mastermind Ronald D. Moore, asks a deceptively simple question: What if the Soviet Union won the space race? Over five seasons, with a sixth and final season set to premiere in 2027, the show thoroughly answers this question, extrapolating the butterfly effect across numerous areas of global culture.
Foundation
Speaking of intelligent science fiction barn-burners, "Foundation" is the show for any Trekkie who's found the contemporary Paramount+ "Star Trek" series lacking, or for any TV fan looking for sci-fi that treats you as smarter than the average space-bear. Taking place in a far-flung future ruled by a trio of genetically engineered clones of a powerful emperor, the show imagines a mathematical science so powerful that it can predict the collapse of the Galactic Empire. If you're up for the challenge, you'll find a consistently engaging series.
Mythic Quest
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is one of television's most notoriously dark comedies, a depiction of incompetence and downright sociopathy. But when a trio of "Sunny" writer/producers moved to Apple TV to create another unorthodox workplace sitcom, they leaned into warmth and empathy. "Mythic Quest" takes place at a video game studio, with the show celebrating collaboration and the work created together. It's full of great, self-contained episodes that play almost like short films, especially the Season 1 highlight "A Dark Quiet Death."
Servant
An unsettling horror series born from an unexpectedly fruitful creative pairing, "Servant" is stuffed with surprises, dark humor, and some of the nastiest turns you'll see on TV. Forget Ryan Murphy: "Servant" is a show that truly earns the distinction of being an American horror story. Married couple Dorothy and Sean Turner hire an enigmatic live-in nanny, Leanne, to help care for their son, Jericho. What began as a therapeutic tool for Dorothy has developed into a full-blown delusion, enabled by her hesitant husband. But Leanne's arrival brings a curious change to life in the Turner household.
Shrinking
"Shrinking" is a lovely, lovely show. It's laugh-out-loud funny while maintaining a potent emotional core. It's willing to dive into dark and difficult subject matter with grace and good humor, though it never feels like it's pandering. The show stars Jason Segel as Jimmy Laird, a therapist struggling with the death of his wife. The core trio of Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams gives rich, well-observed performances, and they navigate all kinds of material with aplomb. The show recalls the best moments of works like "Scrubs," "Ted Lasso," and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."
Slow Horses
Many action-thriller spy shows are relentlessly paced and full of audacious plot twists and set pieces. "Slow Horses" moves, as its title suggests, a good deal slower, focusing more on knotted character dynamics than exaggerated global threats. The series centers on Slough House, a British Intelligence center where embittered spies are discarded from the limelight. Jackson Lamb leads his crew of eccentrics with a visage of apathetic hostility. But when the going gets tough, Lamb's Slow Horses rise to the occasion, proving to their country they've got more pace to give.
