10 Most Perfect Apple TV Shows of All Time, Ranked

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Patty and Matt smiling at The Golden Globes in The Studio.

Published Feb 3, 2026, 3:38 PM EST

Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.

Apple streams some of the biggest, most talked-about, best new TV shows of the last five years. The service might not have as many original titles as competitors, but the quality over quantity mantra rings true. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bad Apple TV original, with the worst maybe a lukewarm one. It's rare for Apple TV to cancel a show, as most of its titles are still streaming new seasons or ending their runs with solid conclusions.

It all started with fantastic shows like The Morning Show and continues with popular ones like For All Mankind and Foundation, along with quietly brilliant ones like Drops of God and Servant. But some of the best shows on Apple TV are outright perfect, no notes.

10 'Platonic' (2023–Present)

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in Platonic Season 2 Episode 1

You'll go into Platonic expecting a silly comedy, and that's precisely what you get. But it's so wonderfully written, so perfectly acted, so uniquely themed that you can't help but fall in love. Through the two seasons and 20 episodes to date (a third season on the way), there isn't a weak one among the bunch. The show tells the story of two college friends who reunite years later following Will's (Seth Rogen) divorce. Time has passed, old wounds haven't entirely healed, but somehow, they get right back to it.

Platonic explores so many topics, from the nature of platonic friendships between a straight male and female to the idea of codependency and even dealing with middle age. Rogen and Rose Byrne have appeared on screen together before, and their chemistry is off the charts, with their comedic timing perfect. Platonic gets ridiculous at times, as you'd expect from a Rogen project, but it also has tons of heart. Anyone around the same age who is dealing with their own life challenges and midlife crises will totally relate to at least some of the themes.

9 'Mythic Quest' (2020–2025)

Poppy Li and Ian Grimm looking at a TV together in Mythic Quest Season 4.

Streaming for four successful seasons and spawning the spin-off series Side Quest, Mythic Quest is a hilarious comedy that pulls back the curtain to the inside world of a video game studio led by its quirky, arrogant creator and creative director. A love letter to self-professed nerds, Mythic Quest is a unique kind of workplace comedy with eccentric characters and themes that resonate with a younger audience.

Starring Rob Mac, the series takes you on a wild ride through its best episodes. The team is prepping to release a major expansion pack for the company's hit game title, Raven's Banquet, in the first season. But there are so many challenges in making sure it will please fans and not have any technical issues. Beyond the game itself, however, the show is as much about the interpersonal relationships among the staff. It's a workplace comedy for a new generation, replacing radio stations, newspapers, and paper companies with a high-tech business to which they can better relate.

8 'Black Bird' (2022)

Taron egerton and Paul Walter Hauser talking inside a prison in 'Black Bird'.

Both Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser are mesmerizing in this true crime drama miniseries that tells the fascinating story of criminal Jimmy Keene (Egerton), who is tasked with using his charm and gift of gab in jail to get suspected serial killer and rapist Larry Hall (Hauser) to confess to all his crimes. If he succeeds, he'll get his sentence commuted. Jimmy eventually reluctantly agrees, after which a sting operation inside a facility for the criminally insane begins, where he must befriend a sick and twisted killer.

Every episode of the show's six-episode run is thrilling and tense, but it reaches a crescendo once Jimmy finally gets Larry to open up. He's horrified by what he's hearing but has to keep a straight, understanding face so he isn't figured out as a mole. The mental toll it takes on Jimmy is emotional, especially knowing that the series is based on a real person and a true story.

7 'The Studio' (2025–Present)

Seth Rogen and Ron Howard as Matt and Ron howard staring at each other in a brown suit and blue sweater on baseball cap in 'The Studio'

They say you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, but that's precisely what Seth Rogen does in this satirical cringe comedy, which pretty much won all the awards last year, breaking multiple Emmy Award records. Rogen is Matt Remick in The Studio, one of the best TV characters of the 2020s. He has just been promoted the head of the film production company, conveniently right when it's in a slump. It's Matt's dream to finally make movies that mean something, but he quickly learns that studios are not about making art anymore — they're about making money. The directors, actors, writers, and other Hollywood types he knows so well are also not so easy to deal with when you're the one making the decisions, holding the purse strings, and forced to occasionally say no. There's a lot of pressure to keep everyone happy, not offend the public, and cut lucrative deals.

The Studio has a fantastic main, supporting, and guest cast. You'll see everyone from Martin Scorsese to Ron Howardand Charlize Theron make appearances in the first season, with storylines that will have you bursting out laughing. The finale is one of the best in recent years, highlighting some of the absurdities of Hollywood culture in a way that shows that Rogen is willing to laugh at the chaos of his own industry and possesses a keen sense of self-awareness.

6 'Slow Horses' (2022–Present)

Gary Oldman sits in the lounge in episode 2 of 'Slow Horses' Season 5.

A surprise hit for Apple TV, Slow Horses has been consistent through its five seasons and counting, delivering solid episode after episode, season after season of a fun story. Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) is the cynical head of Slough House, a division of MI5 where failed agents basically go to live out the rest of their careers pushing papers. But when he and his team are thrust out of office purgatory into a massive case, they're forced to prove they're worthy of keeping around.

Already renewed for both sixth and seventh seasons, Slow Horses, which is based on the Slough House novel series by Mick Herron, is a British spy thriller like no other. From the cast to the bumbling humor and addictive story, the show isn't just consistently good — it seems to get better with every season. Each one has earned an above 90% Rotten Tomatoes critics score, and Seasons 2 and 4 are at a perfect 100%.

5 'Shrinking' (2023–Present)

Jason Segal as Jimmy sitting near Harrison Ford as Paul with a puzzle in Season 3 of Shrinking.

Not since Ted Lasso has there been a show as feel-good as Shrinking. It makes sense since this comedy drama hails from the same creative team. The show centers around Jimmy (Jason Segel), a therapist dealing with the sudden death of his wife in a car accident. Every episode and season touches on topics of grief, healing, and hope, involving not just Jimmy, but others in his life as well.

The show, which also stars Harrison Ford and features a memorable guest appearance from Michael J. Fox in Season 3, is like sitting through therapy sessions that help you through tough moments, too, while also being thoroughly entertaining. There are many life lessons to be learned about moving on and forward, letting go of anger and hate. Three seasons in, Shrinking still manages to find new ways to entertain while presenting grief in a real and honest way that will be relatable to so many.

4 'Silo' (2023–Present)

Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette Nichols looking cautiously at someone off camera in the pilot of 'Silo.'

Based on the books Wool, Shift, and Dust by Hugh Howey, Silo follows Juliette's (Rebecca Ferguson) journey as an engineer in a silo that houses survivors underground following a catastrophic world event. Everyone is led to believe the world above is uninhabitable, and anyone who leaves immediately dies. Don't believe them? They show you on camera! But not everything is as it seems, and Jules thinks something fishy is going on. So, she starts to poke around, which puts her in grave danger.

Silo is gripping all the way through its two seasons to date, with a third and fourth on the way to conclude the story. One of the best sci-fi dystopian dramas of recent years, Silo presents strong female characters and thought-provoking commentary on societal and political issues. Residents of the silo have no choice but to comply and believe, but that doesn't stop some of them from quietly questioning the truth about why everything from the world before has been erased from existence. It's the type of show that makes you think.

3 'Pluribus' (2025–Present)

Rhea Seehorn and Karolina Wydra in the Pluribus finale

One of the best new shows of the last year, Pluribus hails from Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and former writer for The X-Files. Both of these previous projects play into this series because it's kind of like a mash-up of them. A strange event has occurred that has rendered everyone left in the world part of a hive mind with an especially happy disposition. That is, almost everyone. Carol (Rhea Seehorn) and 12 others are the only humans left on Earth who are strangely immune. The story follows Carol's journey as she deals with loneliness and confusion. Everyone treats her like their queen, ready to provide whatever she wants. But all Carol wants is to turn everyone back to normal and prevent herself from being forced to join.

Pluribus is a smart, deep show that explores existential questions about human nature, free will, and the cost of eternal happiness and peace. Is it better to be safe, happy, and have no agency over yourself, or deal with the repercussions of a fractured society but have your own wits about you? Every episode unlocks new questions and terrifying realizations as Carol navigates her way through the psychologically disturbing mess of the post-apocalyptic world that's so different from any other ever depicted on television.

2 'Ted Lasso' (2020–Present)

Ted Lasso pointing while wearing a visor and sunglasses, a woman beside him.

Even though Ted Lasso's third and supposedly final season wasn't as well-received as the first two, it's still rated well above most other shows of the last five years. Further, the show was so popular, with fans so sad to see it go, that the sports comedy drama is returning for a fourth season. It's a feel-good fish-out-of-water story that sees a Midwest American football coach travel to England to coach a flailing English football (soccer) team, even though he isn't familiar with the ins and outs of the sport.

What's so lovely about Ted Lasso is that despite the title character, played by Jason Sudeikis, being the one who should feel like he doesn't belong, his uplifting outlook on life and jovial personality are infectious, so he stands out in a positive way. Try as they might, people can't help but like him. Ted Lasso started resonating beyond the core story when it became clear that this isn't just a silly comedy, but also a show that explores deeper themes, notably men's mental health, particularly in sports. You'll laugh, cry, and love every episode.

1 'Severance' (2022–Present)

Four people in a hallway looking scared in Severance.

One of the most brilliantly written and presented shows in recent years, Severance is such a mind-bending story that you'll find yourself analyzing and theorizing with friends, family members, and co-workers after every episode. The sci-fi psychological thriller is set in a present-day time when a biotechnology company has created a procedure that can split a human's memories in two, so one half of your brain is active when at work, called an "Innie," and the other when at home, called an "Outie." Mark (Adam Scott) decides to go through with it since he is desperate to deal with the death of his wife. At least at work, he can forget for eight hours a day. But when his Outie meets a strange man claiming that sinister things are going on at the company, he needs to find a way to communicate this message to his Innie and investigate further.

The show doesn't just provide a compelling story — it's also visually stunning in its filming techniques, with long, winding hallways and bizarre scenes involving everything from goats to office marching bands. The show is strange, quirky, disturbing, and psychologically draining all at the same time, but in the best possible way. Some episodes are stronger than others, but both the Season 1 and Season 2 finales were among the best season finales ever on television, sparking huge emotional responses from viewers.