Published Jul 17, 2026, 2:54 PM EDT
Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 2800 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.
These three Apple TV original series are all top contenders at the upcoming 2026 Emmy Awards and are great choices to binge-watch this weekend. Apple TV was third overall in terms of total 2026 Emmy nominations, which were led by HBO Max's 122 nominations, including hits like The Pitt, Hacks, and The Gilded Age, and Netflix's 111 nominations for shows such as The Beast in Me, The Diplomat, and Beef. Apple TV received a record-breaking 89 Emmy nominations this year, surpassing its previous high of 81 nominations.
These Emmy-nominated Apple TV series are all celebrated originals and universally loved by critics, as each has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% or higher. Two of the following series are brand new to Apple TV and have made an immediate impact on the platform, drawing massive viewership and generating some serious awards season buzz. The third series is one of the longest-running Apple TV originals of all time, and already has three upcoming seasons confirmed and in development.
Slow Horses
Slow Horses is one of the most nominated Apple TV series at the 2026 Emmy Awards, earning a total of nine nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series (Gary Oldman), Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series (Jonathan Pryce), Directing, Casting, and Costume Design. The series has now earned a total of 23 nominations since it premiered back in 2022 and has already won two Emmys for Writing (2024) and Directing (2025).
Slow Horses has been called one of the greatest spy thrillers of the 2020s, and now has a case as one of the best of the 21st century with its new Emmy nominations. Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, who oversees a branch of MI5 known as the Slow Horses, consisting of members who are flawed or seen as incapable of proper field work. The spy series combines elements of dark comedy and psychological thriller and is very easy to binge since its seasons only have six episodes apiece. Slow Horses is one of the very best shows on Apple TV.
Pluribus
Pluribus became Apple TV's most-watched series of all-time when it was released in late 2025 and earned a whopping 18 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actress (Rhea Seehorn), Supporting Actress (Karolina Wydra), Supporting Actor (Carlos-Manuel Vesga), Writing, and Directing. Created by Vince Gilligan, the mastermind behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Pluribus is a top contender at the 2026 Emmys in the Outstanding Drama Series category, and some would even say it's an early favorite.
Pluribus follows a disgruntled author named Carol Sturka (Seehorn), who is one of the few people in the world whose mind has not been mysteriously connected to everyone else's on Earth. Following an apparently cataclysmic event, a vast majority of humanity begins to share an inhuman, homogenous hive mind that is focused on happiness, peace, and communal thinking. Carol retains her individuality and, vastly opposed to this phenomenon, tries to get to the bottom of this global mystery. Pluribus is an absolute must-watch on Apple TV.
Widow's Bay
Widow's Bay has become Apple TV's best surprise hit of 2026 so far, raking in a platform-high 19 nominations at the 2026 Emmy Awards. They include: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor (Matthew Rhys), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Dale Dickey and Kate O'Flynn), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Stephen Root), Outstanding Guest Actor (Hamish Linklater), Outstanding Guest Actress (Betty Gilpin), and Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Comedy Series.
Widow's Bay earned a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% and is celebrated by critics and viewers alike. The series combines workplace comedy elements with Stephen King-like horror and suspense, which unexpectedly makes a fantastic combination. Rhys, who is also nominated for his role in Netflix's The Beast in Me, stars as Tom Loftis, the mayor of a small New England town who tries to keep the community's dark, even haunted, secrets out of the public eye while boosting its appeal to tourists. If you can only watch one show on Apple TV this weekend, Widow's Bay should be it.
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