Apple TV+ does not produce volumes of content comparable to Netflix or Prime Video, perhaps, but where it tries, it plays to a higher level every time. Since its release in 2019, Apple’s streaming service has been known for attracting a high level of quality storytelling that is bold, stunning, and deeply resonant in every genre. Whether you want a slow-burn thriller, character-driven drama, or a romantic comedy, Apple TV+ has something worth watching. Below are 10 of the best Apple TV+ originals you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
1. Slow Horses
This is no ordinary spy show. Slow Horses is about the MI5 spies relegated to the lowest rung of British intelligence—Slough House. They’re also washed-up, forgotten, and usually underestimated. Headed by the terrifically unsmart Jackson Lamb (played by Gary Oldman in his crustiest best), this dark comedy and sharply drawn show subverts spy genre expectations. Now in its fourth season, Slow Horses is one of the wittiest and most addictive shows on the service.
2. Silo
Adapted from Hugh Howey’s hit books, Silo plunks you into a terrifying dystopia where the last remnants of humanity exist in a gargantuan underground silo—allegedly to shield them from the poisonous world on the surface. But when a tenacious engineer (Rebecca Ferguson) begins excavating the truth, the fissures start to appear. The series’s combination of mystery, tense stakes, and dramatic visuals makes it a winner in the sci-fi genre.
3. Pachinko
Few programs reach the emotional and visual richness of Pachinko. Based on Min Jin Lee’s epic novel, it covers four generations of a Korean clan surviving in Japan. With breathtaking camera work, complex characters, and a heart-wrenching narrative, it’s a tour de force of historical drama. There’s one scene, though—a rain dance in episode four—that has already become one of the most iconic in recent television history.
4. Acapulco
If you’re craving something bright and full of heart, Acapulco is the perfect escape. Set in a luxurious 1980s resort, the series follows young Maximo Gallardo as he climbs the ranks from cabana boy to dream-chaser. Told with warmth, humor, and a charming bilingual narrative structure, Acapulco delivers feel-good nostalgia and life lessons in equal measure, without ever feeling cloying.
5. Drops of God
Half family drama, half high-stakes competition, Drops of God is the tale of a wine connoisseur’s daughter and his protégé as they battle for control of an iconic wine collection. Filmed across France and Japan, the show is as lovely to look at as it is deeply layered, with a story that grapples with grief, identity, and legacy. For Succession fans and aficionados of high-end drama—with a sommelier spin—this is one to sip and enjoy.
6. Severance
Imagine being able to leave your work self and personal self completely separate. Severance makes that idea into a chilling and unforgettable psychological thriller. Directed by Ben Stiller and starring Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, and John Turturro, the show delves into corporate dystopia with disturbing elegance and profound depth. It’s visually striking, thematically dense, and one of Apple’s most highly praised originals.
7. For All Mankind
Developed by Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore, For All Mankind envisions an alternate universe in which the U.S.S.R. outpaces the U.S. to the moon, launching a different history of the space race. Each season moves further into the future, carrying audiences deeper into an imagined space age filled with ambition, politics, and human drama. It’s smart, suspenseful, and one of the most reliably rewarding programs in Apple’s lineup.
8. Shrinking
Combining sadness, humor, and self-improvement, Shrinking tracks a therapist (Jason Segel) who, following a profound loss, begins dispensing brutally honest counsel to his patients. Emotional realism is neatly balanced by humor, and Harrison Ford provides one of his most endearing performances in years. The work of Ted Lasso’s creator it’s a humorous, touching exploration of the way healing sometimes means breaking rules.
9. Ted Lasso
The breakout success that put Apple TV+ on the map, Ted Lasso, is more than a feel-good sports comedy—it’s a warm-hearted masterclass in optimism, empathy, and leadership. Jason Sudeikis enchants as the irrepressibly upbeat American football coach who takes charge of a British soccer team, aided by an ensemble of richly drawn characters. No wonder this show was a global phenomenon and a multiple Emmy winner.
10. Sugar
Sugar brings a moody noir twist to the detective genre, with Colin Farrell playing a modern-day private investigator unraveling a mystery in Los Angeles. What begins as a missing persons case morphs into something far stranger and more philosophical. The show’s stylish cinematography and slow-burn narrative build to a payoff that rewards patient viewers.
Apple TV+ may sneak beneath the radar about its streaming competition, but these ten series are evidence that less is often more when it comes to telling a story. Whether you’re doing it for the excitement, the humor, or the tears, Apple’s original line has something to be discovered.