Since its launch in 2019, Apple TV+ has quietly become the go-to streaming service for prestige television. Boasting all-star talent in front of and behind the camera, Apple TV+ original programming strives for a consistently high bar of quality.
More than just maintaining a lofty bar for storytelling excellence, Apple TV+ offers an impressive and growing library of original titles across all genres and a variety of intended audiences. From gripping dramas and high-concept science fiction to television adaptations of licensed properties, there is a considerable breadth to the premium streaming service’s programming to enjoy. Here are the best shows available to watch on Apple TV+ for those looking for their next weekend binge.
Ted Lasso
Let’s get the most obvious highlight out of the way first. For three seasons, audiences have flocked to the sports comedy series Ted Lasso, chronicling the adventures of an unassuming college football coach tasked with restoring a British football/soccer club to its former glory. Starring Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso leads with its heart as its eponymous protagonist wins over skeptical and cynical doubters with his humble charm and soft-spoken leadership skills.
Ted Lasso pulls off the tricky balance of coming off as wholesome while avoiding cloying schmaltz, largely by making its protagonist a more nuanced nice guy than he initially appears. But really, everyone in the main ensemble gets their own time to shine, united by a love of soccer as they learn how to work together and appreciate each other on and off the playing field. With an all-around solid cast and hopeful message in quiet defiance to an increasingly cynical world, Ted Lasso deserves all of its widespread hype as one of the biggest comfort shows in recent memory.
For All Mankind
Of all the series that launched Apple TV+ in 2019, the one that has the strongest staying power and has only improved over time is the alternative history series For All Mankind. The show’s premise hinges on the simple question of “What if the Soviet Union had beaten the United States by landing the first man on the Moon in 1969 before Neil Armstrong?” From that springboard, the Space Race continues well into the 21st century as global powers compete for the next breakthrough in space, from establishing permanent bases on the Moon and Mars to mining asteroids as they weather espionage and domestic terrorism.
Despite the ambitious, interplanetary scope and international intrigue of the story, For All Mankind keeps its science plausibly grounded and the humanity of its characters at the forefront. At its core, For All Mankind is a solidly crafted prestige drama that just happens to be framed against an extended Space Race and divergent history. Each season improves upon the last, matching the space programs’ escalating aspirations with deepening character arcs and relationships in a story that spans generations.
Peanuts
Apple TV+ has an extensive library of all age-friendly programming, but the crown jewel in its child-appropriate lineup is Peanuts. Based on the iconic comic strip created by Charles Schulz, Apple TV+ has produced several television specials and documentaries, as well as the animated series The Snoopy Show and Snoopy in Space. Each program is all part of the enduring Peanuts tapestry, continuing the legacy of Charlie Brown and his friends that have entertained fans worldwide since 1950.
In addition to its original Peanuts programming, Apple TV+ is also the premier place to watch all the classic Peanuts specials from yesteryear, either for a revisit or first-time viewing for new fans. This juxtaposition underscores how much Apple TV+’s new Peanuts programs maintain the fan-favorite spirit that Schulz imbued his long-lasting creation with and why it continues to thrive. There are a lot of solid children’s shows on the platform, but, at the end of the day, never count out Charlie Brown, even when he considers himself down on his luck.
The Morning Show
If there was ever an heir apparent to solid drama series like The West Wing or Suits about working professionals exceedingly good at their jobs navigating the intricacies of their careers and lives, it’s The Morning Show. The series delves into the fast-paced world of morning news television after a popular nationally broadcast show is rocked by a massive scandal involving one of its hosts. As the production scrambles to find a replacement and continues to cover the news in an engaging way each morning, the complicated personal relationships evolve and strain under pressure.
In a lot of ways, The Morning Show is kind of what HBO’s The Newsroom wanted to be, documenting the lives of television journalists, both professionally and personally. The Morning Show offers its own approach to recent news stories, from the #MeToo movement to the COVID-19 outbreak, framed against their characters and how they react. Boasting an ensemble cast led by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Apple TV+’s The Morning Show will have audiences diving into one episode after another with its binge-friendly pacing.
Foundation
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novel series is an enormously influential set of works for the science fiction genre, helping inspire works like Star Wars. Spanning centuries, Foundation follows scientist Hari Seldon, who seeks to avert an apocalypse predicted by his research in open defiance of the Galactic Empire. This expands into full-blown interstellar intrigue as Cleon, a line of clones ruling over the Empire, seeks to squash Seldon’s followers and tighten their control of the galaxy.
Foundation is as elaborate and high-concept as sci-fi television gets, jumping across different points in time, unfolding across multiple planets, and involving different rival factions, each with their own motivations and backstory. Anchored by an impressive cast, Foundation starts out with methodical, deliberately paced world-building before catapulting into a more propulsive and action-packed story with its second season. A richly dense bit of science fiction, Foundation showcases how committed Apple is to producing quality television, sparing no expense in bringing Asimov’s classic story to life.
