The first all-original streaming platform, Apple TV Plus has been offering riveting content since its launch in November 2019. With a captivating lineup of films, documentaries and series from many creative minds, it is worth taking a look at some of the best Apple TV shows as rated by IMDb.
From Ted Lasso (2020) to Stillwater (2020), Apple TV shows have been received well by critics and viewers alike. They make up a big share of the 365 awards and 1,452 nominations Apple Originals have to their credit, as of 14 May 2023.
Additionally, a 2023 Statista report states that the total number of Apple TV Plus viewers in the US alone amount to a staggering 42.1 million. Recently released Nikolaj Coster-Waldau starrer, The Last Thing He Told Me, became Apple TV Plus’ most-watched limited series as per a 2023 Variety report (via Nielsen data). The mystery thriller garnered 4.5 million viewers in the first 31 days of its release.
Meanwhile, global hits like Bad Sisters (2022), boast of multiple BAFTA wins thanks to their unique story and enthralling characters.
Apple TV shows with the highest IMDb ratings
IMDb rating: 8.8
Created by: Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster
Year of release: 2020 – 2023
Synopsis: An amateur American football coach Ted Lasso (Sudeikis) is hired to train an English soccer team, AFC Richmond. Upon his arrival in London, Ted faces multiple hiccups while coaching the team, which seems to have its own issues to deal with.
About the show: In 2022, Ted Lasso secured the second consecutive Emmy win for Outstanding Comedy Series.
It also won three additional Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Sudeikis), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Brett Goldstein), and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (MJ Delaney).
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 8.7
Created by: Dan Erickson
Cast: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman
Year of release: 2022 – present
Synopsis: Mark (Scott) is the team head of a group of employees whose personal memories have been detached from their work ones through surgery. When things at the office change due to the entry of an unfamiliar colleague, the group, along with Mark, start questioning the true nature of their job.
About the show: Severance took home two Emmys at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Main Title Design.
The psychological thriller received 14 Emmy nominations that year.
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Created by: Soo Hugh
Cast: Youn Yuh-jung, Ha Jin, Kim Min-ha, Lee Min-ho
Year of release: 2022
Synopsis: The story follows the immensely strong Sunja (Kim) and her Korean immigrant family across four generations after the Japanese colonisation. As they build a new home in Japan, Sunja works hard day and night to keep herself and her family afloat.
About the show: This Apple TV series is adapted from Korean-American author Min Jin Lee’s 2017 best-selling novel of the same name.
(Image credit: ActorLeeMinHo/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Created by: Rob Hoegee
Voice cast: Eva Ariel Binder, James Sie, Tucker Chandler, Judah Mackey
Year of release: 2020
Synopsis: Siblings Karl (voiced by Mackey), Addy (voiced by Binder) and Michael (voiced by Chandler) befriend their wise neighbourhood panda, Stillwater (voiced by Sie), for his enlightening stories. The new bond with the panda offers the three siblings a new way of seeing life.
About the show: Stillwater is the 2021 winner of the Peabody Award for Children’s Programming.
The series was also awarded the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program (Jill Calhoun and Jack Paulson), the same year.
(Image credit: AppleTV)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Created by: Brett Baer, Dave Finkel and Sharon Horgan
Cast: Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Claes Bang, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene
Year of release: 2022 – present
Synopsis: The Garvey sisters find themselves tangled in an insurance investigation after the unexpected death of their brother-in-law (Bang). When the insurance agents consider them the primary suspects, the inseparable siblings try their best to reach the real culprit.
About the show: The show has a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
It was also the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards winner in Best Drama Series and Best Supporting Actress (Duff) categories.
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Created by: Quoc Dang Tran
Cast: Tomohisa Yamashita, Fleur Geffrier, Tom Wozniczka, Stanley Weber
Year of release: 2023
Synopsis: When Alexandre Léger (Weber), an oenologist passes away, his will reveals he has left his daughter, Camille (Geffrier) one of the greatest and most expensive wine collections in the world. However, to claim the inheritance, she must compete with Alexandre’s spiritual son, Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita).
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Created by: Graham Yost
Cast: David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Harriet Walter
Year of release: 2023 –
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world, engineer Juliette (Ferguson) is struggling to survive amid an underground civilisation living in a massive silo. After a Sheriff’s (Oyelowo) mistake leads to inexplicable deaths, Juliette finds herself trapped in a mystery that leads her to the deepest secrets of the bunker.
About the show: Silo had a special screening at the Cannes International Series Festival (Canneseries) on 14 April 2023.
It is based on the dystopian science-fiction novel series Wool by American writer Hugh Howey.
(Image credit: Apple TV)
IMDb rating: 8
Created by: Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel
Cast: Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Harrison Ford, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie
Year of release: 2023 –
Synopsis: As a coping mechanism to deal with his wife’s death, therapist Jimmy Laird (Segel) attempts a new approach with his patients. He starts talking to his patients without any filter, revealing bitter truths about them. This leads to colossal changes in his as well as his patients’ lives.
(Image credit: Apple TV)
IMDb rating: 7.9
Created by: James Hawes, Jeremy Lovering, Saul Metzstein and Adam Randall
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jonathan Pryce, Jack Lowden
Year of release: 2022 – present
Synopsis: A bunch of amateur MI5 agents are sent to the Slough House – a department where ousted agents are allotted desk jobs. As the odious Jackson Lamb (Oldman) forms his own team with the outcasts, the members try to discover the truths of the spy world to safeguard England.
About the show: Slow Horses is based on the acclaimed espionage book series of the same name by British novelist Mick Herron.
(Image credit: Apple TV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 7.8
Created by: Cece Bell and Will McRobb
Voice Cast: Cece Bell (Narrator), Lexi Finigan, Pamela Adlon, Clancy Brown, Jane Lynch
Year of release: 2022
Synopsis: When young Cece (Finigan) loses her hearing, she creates a superhero alter ego, El Deafo, to overcome the alienation. With the help of El Deafo, Cece navigates school life and challenges like making new friends.
About the show: The series was nominated under the Children’s & Youth category at the 83rd Peabody Awards.
It is based on 2014’s #1 New York Times bestseller of the same name by American author Cece Bell.
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 7.8
Created by: Mark Bomback
Cast: Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber
Year of release: 2020
Synopsis: Andy Barber (Evans) has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for 20 years. When a series of unfortunate events lands his family in trouble, Andy fights tooth and nail to save his 14-year-old son from a murder accusation.
About the show: This Apple TV series is based on the 2012 New York Times best-selling crime novel of the same name by American author William Landay.
It received nominations in multiple categories at the 2020 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Series Or Movie and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.
(Image credit: Apple TV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 7.4
Created by: Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio
Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth
Year of release: 2021 – present
Synopsis: Struggling to save their relationship, Josh (Key) and Melissa (Strong) decide to go on a backpacking trip. However, when the two mysteriously end up in a 1940s magical musical town, they must fulfil a mission to travel back to their reality.
About the show: It won the 2022 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Paul) for “Corn Puddin”.
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Created by: Christopher Miller
Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Elizabeth Perkins
Year of release: 2022 – present
Synopsis: When a high school reunion party turns into a crime scene, all the alums present become murder suspects. Different stories and perspectives come to light as every attendee’s version of the dreadful evening in question is revealed in due course.
About the show: The second season of The Afterparty is all set to premiere on 12 July 2023.
(Image credit: Apple TV)
IMDb rating: 6.5
Created by: Laura Dave and Josh Singer
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice, Aisha Tyler, Augusto Aguilera
Year of release: 2023
Synopsis: When her husband Owen (Waldau) suddenly disappears, Hannah (Garner) is left with a note asking her to protect his daughter, Bailey (Rice). Hannah must strike a truce with the non-cooperative teenager to find Owen.
About the show: The show is based on a 2021 mystery novel of the same name by American writer Laura Dave. The book was a #1 New York Times bestseller and spent 65 weeks on the list.
(Image credit: Apple TV)
IMDb rating: 6.1
Created by: Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Kit Harington, Sienna Miller, Tahar Rahim, Meryl Streep, Daveed Diggs
Year of release: 2023
Synopsis: As adverse effects of climate change continue to disrupt humanity, eight interwoven stories told spread over 33 years explore how necessary choices by mankind must be made at the earliest.
(Image credit: AppleTV/Twitter)
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