The 10 Best Apple TV Plus Shows You're Probably Not Watching
Before you ask, I already put together a roundup of the streamer's epic sci-fi offerings, which you should look at. So don't expect those titles to be found here.
Instead, I have filtered through Apple TV Plus' content library to find the best TV series you probably haven't watched yet. The 10 shows featured below have won Emmys and are led by top-notch talent. These dramas, comedies and thrillers are well-written and push the envelope in some way. You want something thought-provoking, heart-wrenching or knee-slapping? You've come to the right place.
Read more: Apple TV Plus Review: Small Library but the Quality Is Top Notch
Apple TV Plus
Dope Thief
Dope Thief is inspired by Dennis Tafoya's 2009 novel and follows friends Ray and Manny, who decide to impersonate DEA agents so they can steal from drug dealers. Things go sideways when their tiny crime unveils a massive drug operation. Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura lead the series, ensuring this enthralling drama is led by top-tier talent.
Apple TV Plus
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jon Hamm plays defamed hedge fund manager Andrew "Coop" Cooper in this dark comedy, who decides to try home invasions as a means of generating income. The twist on that twist? He's robbing his wealthy neighbors. What he doesn't expect through all this thievery is the dark secrets he uncovers about the members of this upper-crust community.
Apple TV Plus
Black Bird
Black Bird is inspired by the true story of Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), a man who made a deal with the FBI to go undercover in a maximum-security prison to shorten his sentence. I forgot to mention, this is a place that houses the criminally insane and his mission is to make friends with Larry Hall, a suspected serial killer, so he can discover information about where the bodies are buried. That is, if he can get a confession in the first place. Paul Walter Hauser gives a career-best performance as Hall.
Apple TV Plus
Pachinko
Pachinko is a sweeping drama that follows multiple generations of a Korean family from the early 1900s through the 1980s. Seriously, it's hard to sum up how beautiful and complex the storytelling is in this series in a few sentences. I'll just say the performances, cinematography and conflicts featured here are absolutely fabulous. It's probably the best show on this entire list, if I am being honest.
Apple TV Plus
Shrinking
Jason Segel, Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams star in this dramedy series about a broken therapist who strives to piece his life and family back together after a heartbreaking loss. There's an intriguing balance found when Jimmy (Segel) breaks from professional norms to help his clients heal while seeking to do the same for himself. It's sad, hilarious, poignant and profound. To me, this is what mental health stories on TV should look like.
Apple TV Plus
Bad Monkey
When you center a murder mystery in Florida, you have to expect things to get weird. And they do just that in Bad Monkey. It's a quirky sort of drama that stars Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a detective-turned-restaurant inspector, who gets sucked into a murder case after fishing a severed arm out of the ocean. Bill Lawrence (of Ted Lasso, Scrubs and Shrinking fame) created the dark comedy, which is inspired by the book by Carl Hiaasen.
Apple TV Plus
Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent, based on the novel by Scott Turow, hails from executive producer David E. Kelley and Stars Jake Gyllenhaal as smarmy lawyer Rusty Sabich. Unlike the 1987 movie starring Harrison Ford, this series delves way deeper into the multi-layered scandal that put Rusty in handcuffs. The exploration of every character, who all seem awful in some way, adds to a morally corrupt narrative that makes this a riveting, albeit sometimes frustrating, watch.
Apple TV Plus
Lessons in Chemistry
Here we have yet another book adaptation to add to this list, and, thankfully, Lessons in Chemistry is a feel-good delight. Inspired by Bonnie Garmus' book of the same name, the series follows a chemist named Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) who finds herself taking a job as host of a cooking show. Being a story that takes place in the '50s, it shouldn't be a surprise that Zott faces loads of sexism in the workplace. She perseveres, though, and brings a quirky scientific element to her Julia Childs-like role, making this period piece a fun show to dig into.
Apple TV Plus
Platonic
I didn't know what to expect when I clicked play on Platonic. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne have co-starred in other projects together, but their delightfully oddball dynamic in this one stands out. The story follows two long-time friends who reconnect in their 40s only to find that, even though they live very different lives, they share common midlife struggles of trying to figure out where they fit in this rapidly changing world. It's also nice to see a non-romantic exploration of a friendship between a man and a woman. Contrary to what When Harry Met Sally said, it is possible.
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