Best series to stream on Apple TV+
From Silo to Severance, here's everything worth your time on Apple TV+.
If you're looking for original storytelling, big-budget shows and all-star casts, then look no further than Apple TV+, a platform that has cemented itself as a major contender for the best of the best when it comes to streaming.
The streamer has all variety of shows to cater to every taste, but has particularly become known for its dedication to sci-fi, with series like Severance, Silo, Murderbot and Foundation, as well as comedies like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Sisters and The Studio.
Meanwhile, there are historical hits like Manhunt and Chief of War, sitting alongside the fan-favourite spy series Slow Horses, which is soon to return for its fifth season.
With so many impressive titles to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to start, whether it be signing up for a full membership or making the most of your free trial.
Thankfully, we've done the hard work for you. Read on for a curated list of standout series available to stream on Apple TV+ now, courtesy of Radio Times.
1. Murderbot
A sci-fi action comedy adapted from Martha Wells’s beloved novella All Systems Red, Murderbot follows a rogue security cyborg (SecUnit), played by Alexander Skarsgård, who hides its sentience while protecting a group of human scientists.
The show balances thrilling action sequences with dry humour and emotional depth, making it a standout for fans of character-driven science fiction, with Skarsgård’s performance widely praised as his best to date.
2. Severance
This psychological thriller explores the disturbing concept of work-life balance taken to the extreme. Employees at Lumon Industries undergo a procedure to separate their work and personal memories.
Adam Scott stars as Mark, whose dual existence begins to unravel in haunting ways. Season 2 continues the eerie atmosphere and deepens the mystery, with standout direction from Ben Stiller and a five-star critical reception.
3. Silo
Set in a dystopian future where humanity lives in a giant underground silo, this gripping sci-fi series follows engineer Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) as she uncovers disturbing truths about her society.
Season 2 builds on the tension, introducing new characters and expanding the world and watch out for a brilliant supporting performance from Steve Zahn as the enigmatic and troubled Solo.
4. Chief of War
Jason Momoa is the creative driving force behind this ambitious historical drama, which takes us to the islands of Hawaii in the fraught years leading up to the arrival of colonisers.
The blockbuster star plays real-life figure Ka'iana, who returns from his travels to warn of the approaching danger, seeking to unite the bitterly opposed kingdoms against the coming forces.
No expense or detail has been spared in this unprecedented depiction of Polynesian history, featuring intricate costumes, sets, hair and make-up as well as entire episodes filmed in the critically endangered language 'Ōlelo Hawai'i.
5. Dark Matter
Based on Blake Crouch’s novel, this sci-fi thriller follows Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), a physicist abducted into an alternate version of his life. The series explores identity, love, and the multiverse with emotional intensity and complex plotting.
Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly deliver standout performances in a show that is both thrilling and deeply romantic. Well worth a watch.
6. Masters of the Air
An epic WWII drama from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Masters of the Air tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group, known for their high casualty rates.
Starring Austin Butler and Callum Turner, the series features breathtaking aerial combat scenes and emotional depth. It's a worthy successor to Band of Brothers, with a five-star rating for its storytelling and production values.
7. Manhunt
This historical drama chronicles the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth. Tobias Menzies stars as Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, in a slow-burning but emotionally resonant series.
It's garnered praise for its meticulous attention to historical detail, strong performances, and an ability to humanise complex figures from history.
8. Shrinking
A therapy-based comedy starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, Shrinking follows a grieving therapist who starts breaking rules with his clients. Season 2 expands the ensemble and focuses on forgiveness, with standout performances from Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, and Michael Urie.
Very funny and surprisingly heartfelt, this is everyone operating at the peak of their powers.
9. Bad Sisters
This dark comedy follows five sisters as they plot to rid themselves of their toxic brother-in-law. With sharp writing and a strong ensemble cast, it manages to blend mystery and humour effortlessly.
It won Best Drama at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards, with Anne-Marie Duff picking up Best Supporting Actress for her excellent turn as Grace.
10. Time Bandits
A family-friendly adventure series co-created by Taika Waititi, Time Bandits follows a group of time-travelling thieves and an 11-year-old history enthusiast, Kevin.
Each episode explores different historical periods in a whimsical tone and Lisa Kudrow leads the cast with charm – all in all, it's a worthy successor to the classic 1981 film.
11. Sunny
This sci-fi mystery stars Rashida Jones as Suzie, a woman who teams up with a domestic robot to investigate her family’s disappearance. Set in a near-future Japan, Sunny blends dark comedy, emotional storytelling, and social commentary on AI.
In a competitive field, it's been hailed by fans as a standout in Apple’s sci-fi offerings.
12. Before
Billy Crystal stars in this haunting thriller as Eli, a psychiatrist dealing with grief and a mysterious child who may have a supernatural connection to his past.
The show is perhaps most noteworthy for Crystal’s career-redefining performance, making it a compelling watch both for fans of psychological drama and for anyone who's admired the actor's comedy work over the decades.
13. Presumed Innocent
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this legal thriller as Rusty Sabich, a prosecutor accused of murdering his colleague and former lover. Based on the novel by Scott Turow, the series explores themes of guilt, power, and truth.
Gyllenhaal’s performance is, as ever, stellar, with the drama of the courtroom alongside the character study making it a gripping watch.
14. Slow Horses
A spy thriller with a comedic edge, Slow Horses follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents led by the slovenly but brilliant Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Season 4 continues the show's streak of excellence, with tightly plotted intrigue, strong character development, and a perfect balance of humour and suspense.
With excellent performances from the likes of Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar and Kristin Scott Thomas, it's Oldman who steals the show in what might arguably be his greatest character to date.
15. Criminal Record
This police thriller stars Cush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi as detectives on opposite sides of a reopened murder case, exploring generational divides in policing and the legacy of institutional corruption.
Critics praised the lead performances and the show’s nuanced handling of social issues, calling it a gripping and timely drama.
16. The Studio
Ripping fun at the Hollywood film industry seems like quite an unexpectedly meta thing for an Apple TV+ comedy to do, but with a long line of starry cameos and hilarious mishaps, The Studio has come out on top as one of the streamer's shiniest comedic gems.
As a newly appointed studio head, Seth Rogen's Matt Remick must balance his own dedication and love of film with the wants and wishes of everyone around him, resulting in a juggling act of hilarious proportions that will leave you easily binge-watching the series in one go.
17. Dope Thief
Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura star in this thriller from executive producer and director Ridley Scott, about two friends living in Philadelphia who find themselves on the run, after a scam in which they pose as DEA agents to rob drug dealers goes awry.
Intense and comic in equal measure, the series lags a little in the middle but really comes into its own towards the end. Regardless, Henry and Moura are both exceptional throughout.
18. Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso was one of Apple TV+'s first breakout series, with Jason Sudeikis taking on the charming and eternally optimistic Ted Lasso - an American football coach who is hired to manage AFC Richmond.
While it seems like a feat that won't be accomplished, the team prove naysayers wrong. With a top-notch cast and loveable characters no one could forget, Ted Lasso is a must-watch, with a fourth season on the way.
19. Your Friends & Neighbors
Fitting neatly into the camp of TV reserved for laughing at rich people and their somewhat ludicrous problems, Your Friends & Neighbors follows Jon Hamm's hedge fund manager Coop, who is fired from the only line of work he's ever known.
With staggering bills to pay for, and kids and an ex-wife that have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle in Westmont Village, Coop turns to stealing from his friends' homes in order to make more money.
However, he soon finds out that once you scratch beneath the perfect façade of everything in this bubble of society, things could be a lot more sinister than they seem.
20. Platonic
The Studio may be the buzziest show starring Seth Rogen on Apple TV+, but it wasn't the first. No, that was Platonic, a very different type of show but one that's no less enjoyable and laugh-out-loud funny.
The series, which has just returned for its second season, sees Rogen re-teaming with his Bad Neighbours co-star Rose Byrne, as the duo play old friends from college who have drifted apart and taken very different paths in life. When Rogen's character Will gets divorced, he and Byrne's Sylvia reconnect, but it brings a whole heap of chaos into both of their lives.
The comedy is firmly out of Rogen's playbook, with lots of improvisation and hijinks. However, when something works, it works, and here Rogen and Byrne are both on top form with the material. It's also refreshing to see a comedy which is firmly not a will-they-won't-they, we already know they won't, even if their friendship is too close for some of the show's other characters to handle.
21. Black Bird
While Taron Egerton most recently starred in Smoke, the Rocketman actor previously made his Apple TV+ series debut with Black Bird, from the same team he's reunited with on the recent arson investigator drama. This series, though, sees Egerton star as the confident Jimmy Keene, who gets slapped with a 10-year prison sentence for dealing drugs.
However, when he's offered a deal of a lifetime from the FBI, he can't quite resist. The deal involves befriending killer Larry Hall in order to illicit a confession that can be used to charge him, but the cat-and-mouse nature of the entire series keeps you hanging on, leaving you curious to see whether Jimmy succeeds in the unthinkable task.
While the very nature of the series being based on a remarkable true story is enough to pique anyone's interest, the real reason you'll want to tune into this drama is for the simple fact that both Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser are phenomenal in the leading roles, as well as the heartbreaking Ray Liotta in what was to be his last small-screen role before his death in 2022.
22. Smoke
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett lead the cast of this twisted drama, which sees Egerton's Dave Gudsen, an enigmatic arson investigator, reluctantly team up with Detective Michelle Calderone to try and race against time to catch two serial arsonists.
Inspired by true events, the series may get off to a bit of slow start but is certainly worth sticking with as it delivers twists that are both surprising and intense.
23. The Buccaneers
While many of us wait patiently for the fourth season of Bridgerton, there's actually another period drama gem that boasts the same levels of drama, raunch and show-stopping style. The Buccaneers, which has just finished airing its second season, follows a group of American girls who travel to London in the 1870s in hope for more. Now settled in the capital, these women must navigate new scandals, characters like Leighton Meester's Nelle, as well as the regular romantic highs and lows of life.
24. Still Up
Craig Roberts and Antonia Thomas star in this sweet, light-hearted comedy about two friends who are both insomniacs, so stay up each night talking to each other via video calls. For those who are not a fan of the "screen life" format, there's no need to worry - this show does not take that approach, showing plenty of the duo's external interactions too, as they get themselves into various scrapes.
It might not be world changing, but the central duo have great chemistry and are enormously funny individually. It also features a strong supporting cast including Blake Harrison and Daniel Mays. It may have only run for one season before being cancelled, but if you're looking for an easy, highly bingeable comedy, then look no further.
25. The Morning Show
Since it launched in 2019, Apple TV+ has made all manner of star-studded series, but this satirical drama – one of the platform's original launch shows – still takes some beating when it comes to the sheer volume of A-list talent.
Led by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, the cast has also included the likes of Billy Crudup, Steve Carell and Jon Hamm at various points throughout its run, and some more big names – including Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons – are set to join for the upcoming fourth run.
Set in the world of morning television news, the first season focused on the #MeToo movement – following allegations of sexual misconduct made against the male co-anchor of the titular programme. Subsequent runs have spotlighted a number of other recent talking points, and have garnered mixed critical receptions, but the show has remained popular with viewers.
26. Foundation
All three seasons of this epic sci-fi series, based on the works of Isaac Asimov, are now available to stream in full, meaning now is the perfect time to catch up, ahead of the already-confirmed season 4.
The series, which stars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey, follows a band of exiles as they work to save humanity and rebuild civilisation amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. With strong performances, stunning visuals and a complexity of story which only keeps getting more twisty and intriguing, any sci-fi fan looking for their next binge-watch should look no further.
Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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