Apple TV doesn’t have the same type of endless back catalog like most of its streaming competitors, but what this streamer lacks in volume, it makes up for with an almost annoying level of quality. It’s one of the production companies that has very few shows with Rotten ratings on Rotten Tomatoes; most hang around and above 80%.

Since it started producing original programming, Apple TV has assembled a library of sharp comedies, mind-bending thrillers, sweeping dramas, stunning animations, and at least one musical comedy. Here are ten near-perfect Apple TV shows that are worth your time, and these dive straight in, no countdowns or fillers, just time well-spent in front of the TV.

10

‘Ted Lasso’ (2020–Present)

Ted Lasso follows the titular Ted (Jason Sudeikis), an American college football coach with an endless supply of optimism who is hired to manage a struggling English Premier League soccer team, despite knowing nothing about the game. The catch is that the team’s new owner, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), secretly wants him to fail as a form of retaliation against her cheating ex-husband, who happens to be the team’s former owner. But Ted, played with impossible warmth by Sudeikis, is more than just an optimistic cliché; his unwavering kindness gradually rewires everyone around him, from the cynical team captain Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) to the ice queen owner herself.

Ted Lasso became a genuine cultural phenomenon, winning back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. Sudeikis, Waddingham, and Goldstein all won acting awards, and the show’s third season concluded the story with a satisfying finale; however, constant pressure from global fans prompted Sudeikis and co. to make Season 4. Ted Lasso may turn sappy at times, but it consistently shows that sincerity, when executed with sharp wit and emotional intelligence, makes genuinely appealing and lovable television.

9

‘Severance’ (2022–Present)

Consider a work-life balance so extreme that your office self has no recollection of your outside existence, and your home self has no idea what you do all day. That’s the terrifying premise of Severance, a sleek, slow-burning psychological thriller about Mark Scout (Adam Scott), who undergoes a “severance” procedure that divides his consciousness between work and private life, created by the enigmatic Lumon Industries. Mark’s “innie” only exists in the Backrooms-style office space, and he begins to suspect something is very wrong. The show is a masterclass in building suspense, but it also vibes as a dark corporate satire with stunning visual storytelling.

Severance, directed by Ben Stiller and written by Dan Erickson, received 14 Emmy nominations and became an instant critical favorite, with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Many people consider the Season 1 finale to be one of the most tense and masterfully crafted hours of television, bringing each mystery to a breathtaking close. Season 2 made sure to continue the legacy of iconic television, often being deemed a near-perfect work of science fiction.

8

‘Pluribus’ (2025–Present)

Vince Gilligan‘s first series since<em>Breaking Bad</em> andBetter Call Saul,Pachinko, is a wildly original pandemic drama that explores what happens when world peace arrives and you don’t want to be a part of it. Astronomers detect an alien radio signal that encodes a viral RNA sequence within a year humanity transforms into the “Others,” a perpetually happy peaceful hive mind with a single consciousness. However thirteen people prove immune including Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn). The hive mind will give the immune whatever they want but it also wants to assimilate them which is something only Carol seems to be against.

Pachinko was immediately hailed as Gilligan’s return to form, earning a 99% Rotten Tomatoes rating and praise for its philosophical ambition and emotional honesty.The show doesn’t provide easy villains: the Others are truly nonviolent and Carol is a grieving protagonist who understands as much as we do.Pachinko is a haunting one-of-a-kind drama about loneliness individuality and freedom though many find its meditative pace and stunning landscape shots too slow,Pachinko takes its time to establish the new world order.

7
‘For All Mankind’ (2019–Present)