The Best Apple TV+ Shows You Need to Watch

Apple TV+ has established itself as one of streaming’s premier destinations for quality television. The platform’s impressive track record speaks volumes—in 2025 alone, Apple TV+ earned 22 Emmy Awards, while 2024 brought home 13 more. This consistent recognition proves that the platform delivers compelling content across multiple genres. Whether you’re seeking emotional dramas, sports comedies, historical epics, or satirical thrillers, Apple TV+ offers something for every viewer.

If you’re looking for the best Apple TV+ shows to add to your watchlist, these five series represent the platform’s finest storytelling and performances. Each one offers unique narratives that have resonated with both critics and audiences worldwide.

1. Shrinking (2023–Present): A Therapist’s Journey Through Grief

Shrinking stands out as one of the most emotionally authentic shows on Apple TV+. Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a therapist grappling with profound grief following his wife’s death. Unlike typical therapy dramas, Shrinking doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. Jimmy’s unconventional approach—cutting through social niceties to deliver harsh realities—actually helps his patients, even if his mentor Paul (Harrison Ford) questions his methods.

The series explores a central paradox: Jimmy dedicates his professional life to healing others while refusing to address his own emotional wounds. His relationships with his daughter and friends deteriorate as he spirals, forcing him to confront what he’s been avoiding all along. This introspective drama excels at balancing humor with heartbreak, making it one of Apple TV+’s most compelling character studies.

2. Ted Lasso (2020–Present): Kindness Meets Football Culture

Ted Lasso revolutionized the sports comedy genre by proving that optimism and empathy can be genuine character strengths rather than weaknesses. Jason Sudeikis delivers a career-defining performance as Coach Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to sabotage an English soccer team.

What begins as a fish-out-of-water premise evolves into something far more meaningful. Ted’s philosophy of curiosity over judgment gradually wins over skeptical players and staff. Alongside Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beard, Ted transforms AFC Richmond from a struggling club into a unified team. The show’s enduring appeal lies in its genuine exploration of personal growth, forgiveness, and the power of believing in people before they believe in themselves.

Ted Lasso demonstrates that the best Apple TV+ shows balance humor with heart, offering viewers escapism without sacrificing emotional depth.

3. Pachinko (2022–2024): An Epic Family Saga Across Generations

Pachinko represents Apple TV+’s commitment to ambitious, culturally significant storytelling. This sweeping historical drama spans from 1915 Korea through 1989 Japan, following four generations of a Korean family navigating Japanese occupation and discrimination.

The narrative begins with Kim Sunja (Kim Min-ha), a teenage girl whose life transforms after an unexpected encounter. She finds refuge in Osaka through marriage, only to face decades of hardship as a member of the Zainichi community. Fast-forward to modern times, her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha) inherits both the economic success and the unresolved trauma of his family’s past.

What makes Pachinko essential viewing is its nuanced portrayal of systemic discrimination and displacement. The series demonstrates that persistence itself becomes an act of resistance, and that self-validation matters more than external approval. It’s a stunning example of how Apple TV+ invests in prestige international dramas that expand the streaming landscape.

4. Pluribus (2025–Present): Questioning Conformity in a Post-Apocalyptic World

From Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan comes Pluribus, a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller that premiered in 2025. Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol Sturka, one of only 13 people worldwide immune to the “Joining”—a mysterious virus that merges humanity into a collective hive mind called the “Others.”

Unlike traditional apocalyptic scenarios with zombie hordes, Pluribus presents a paradox: the unified Others live harmonious, productive lives free from conflict and inequality. Yet they’ve surrendered individual choice and identity. The series challenges viewers to consider whether dystopian efficiency truly outweighs the messiness of human autonomy.

Pluribus exemplifies Apple TV+’s willingness to tackle philosophical questions through compelling narrative, making it one of the platform’s most intellectually stimulating recent releases.

5. The Studio (2025–Present): Hollywood Satire at Its Sharpest

Seth Rogen delivers what many consider his career-best performance in The Studio, a satirical comedy-drama that critiques modern entertainment industry dysfunction. Rogen plays Matt Remick, who becomes head of Continental Studios despite possessing artistic sensibilities that clash with corporate profit-driven decisions.

The series skewers virtually every Hollywood cliché: superhero franchises, award campaigns, influencer marketing, and AI anxiety all become targets for sharp, clever writing. What makes The Studio particularly relevant is its exploration of how discourse surrounding films often matters more than the films themselves—a reality that reflects the current state of entertainment marketing.

Rogen’s Emmy-winning turn proves that prestige comedy thrives on Apple TV+, and The Studio stands as a brilliant commentary on how artistic vision often loses to marketability in contemporary Hollywood.

Why Apple TV+ Shows Stand Out

These five series showcase Apple TV+’s strengths: investing in talented creators, supporting diverse storytelling, and producing shows that balance critical acclaim with genuine entertainment value. Whether you’re drawn to intimate character dramas like Shrinking, uplifting sports comedies like Ted Lasso, historical epics like Pachinko, philosophical sci-fi like Pluribus, or sharp satire like The Studio, Apple TV+ delivers quality content worth your time.

The platform’s consistent Emmy recognition isn’t coincidental—it reflects a strategic commitment to prestige television that appeals to discerning viewers. If you haven’t explored these shows yet, now is the perfect time to discover why Apple TV+ has become essential viewing for television enthusiasts.