So Tim Cook and Apple were a little late to the streaming vertical. That's okay because they have more than made up for it with some excellent programming over the last several years. From reeling in some of the biggest names in Hollywood to telling compelling and thought-provoking stories, AppleTV+ boasts some of the best shows that you may not have seen yet. Here are ten of their must-watch shows
The Morning Show
Talk about an A-list cast! Apple+ went all in on one of their flagship shows, The Morning Show by dropping a boatload of cash to acquire big names like Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell to tell the behind-the-scenes story of a Good Morning America-type production. Naturally, all three are superb, and the show is a fun watch with a great supporting cast that includes Billy Crudup, Julianna Margulies, and Mark Duplass to round out the stellar ensemble. It was also recently announced that the show would be getting a third season.
Severance
Ben Stiller directs this Dan Erickson-created mind-bending thrill ride that explores a controversial process known as "severance" that splits the brain's consciousness between work and personal life at the very mysterious Lumon Industries. Neither state of awareness is privy to what the other one knows. It's a remarkable study on work/life balance and benefits from an Emmy-nominated cast that includes Adam Scott in the lead role while veterans Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken all make for an excellent cast that delivers one of the best shows of 2022.
Black Bird
Based on a true story, Blackbird stars Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and the late Ray Liotta in a riveting jailhouse drama. Egerton plays real-life drug-dealer James Keen, who agrees to become a confidential informant for the FBI in one of toughest prisons in the country in order to have his sentence shortened. The only way he can do that is to befriend a notorious child murderer, Larry Hall, and get him to confess where he put the bodies, so the state can put him away for life. Egerton shines as an egotistical hothead who is forced to learn a little bit of humility as he gets inside the terrifying mind of the despicable child rapist and killer.
Servant
A winding rollercoaster from the mind of the twist master himself, M. Night Shyamalan, Servant is a dark drama about a Philadelphia couple's fight to maintain a normal life after a strange young woman (Nell Tiger Free) shows up at their door to take over as the new nanny to their young child. A series of bizarre occurrences follow told like only Shyamalan can as Lauren Ambrose, Rupert Grint, and Toby Kebbell all deliver solid performances in this macabre offering.
Ted Lasso
The bell cow show about an affable yet clueless American football coach, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), and his trip to London to coach a down-and-out soccer club has already delivered two spectacular seasons. The Emmy Award-winning hit was largely responsible for putting Apple TV+ on the map with its combination of engaging characters and the upbeat attitude of an underdog story. Also shining in supporting roles are Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, and Brett Goldstein who plays the gruff soccer legend Roy Kent whose brilliant career is coming to an end. An absolute must-watch if you haven't gotten around to it yet.
Slow Horses
A salty and slick cast led by the great, Gary Oldman, Slow Horses has proven itself to be a critic and fan favorite about a group of MI5 agents that protect British intelligence from all manner of potential threats. Oldman is the notoriously rule-bending Jackson Lamb, who, along with a crack team including Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke, and Kristin Scott Thomas elevates the espionage thriller to must-watch status if only for the top-notch acting and well-written script.
Tehran
Tehran is another spy thriller that sees Mossad agent and computer hacker, Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan) go undercover to try to snuff out Iran's nuclear reactor before they can develop deadly weapons that will unleash all manner of discord in the region. But when her plan goes awry, and she is trapped in her fake identity behind enemy lines, she will risk the lives of everyone she loves in order to escape certain death. Tehran delivers with a terrific storyline and character arc for Tamar that will keep you glued to the TV with eager anticipation. Glenn Close is excellent at representing MI6 as a British agent working alongside Rabinyan.
Dickinson
Hailee Steinfeld plays the well-known British poet and author in Dickinson, a period piece also equipped with a modern sensibility as the budding young woman navigates her way through the social pomp and circumstance of the era as well as gender roles and an assortment of eccentric family members. The drama is also laced with a clever sense of humor and is a wonderful take on the coming-of-age story of one of the most popular American literary figures in history.
Shining Girls
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A time-traveling serial killer is out for blood in Shining Girls, and it's up to Kirby Mizrachi (Elizabeth Moss) and Chicago Sun-Times journalist Dan Velasquez (Wagner Moura) to piece together some seriously twisted puzzle in a hurry, as she is now in danger of becoming Harper Curtis's (Jamie Bell) next victim. Moss is her usual outstanding self as the emotionally troubled young newspaper clerk who is also dealing with a strained relationship with her flighty mother (Amy Brenneman) and a potential love interest in Marcus (Chris Chalk).
The Afterparty
An uproariously fun and well-paced whodunit, Creator Chris Miller's The Afterparty maximizes each of its eight episodes by using them as separate character studies to try to find out who killed nerd-turned-pop star, Xavier Duckworth (Dave Franco) at the after-party of the 10-year class reunion. Suspects include a bevy of terrific comedic performers including Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz, Zoe Choa, and Zach Woods. Tiffany Haddish brings terrific energy to the show as Detective Danner, who is tasked with sorting through all the shenanigans and narrowing down the list of suspects one by one. AppleTV+ has announced that The Afterparty has been renewed for a second season with a brand-new murder and cast of suspects.