Atsushi NishijimaApple
Having earned a whopping 52 Emmy nominations in 2022, Apple TV+ has proven it’s committed to creating world-class entertainment starring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. From Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s glossy drama, to modern comedy classics like Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, and Loot, the streamer is making its subscription service pretty irresistible. 2023 heralds even more stellar content, starring everyone from Tiffany Haddish to Harrison Ford to Gabrielle Union. Here are 40 of the best TV shows on Apple TV+ to watch in 2023.
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You’ve likely already watched Ted Lasso‘s first two seasons, but that just means you’re ready for a re-watch. Jason Sudeikis stars as a hapless American football coach who agrees to train a failing British soccer team. The heartwarming sitcom got rave reviews, particularly as it arrived during the pandemic and helped viewers believe in goodness again. Season 3 is reportedly due soon.
Apple TV+’s Trying is another heartwarming British sitcom, this time about a couple’s challenging parenting journey. Rafe Spall and Esther Smith star as Jason and Nikki, a couple trying to conceive and deciding to adopt in order to expand their family. Fans are eagerly awaiting new episodes after the streamer renewed the show for a fourth season.
Based on the incredible true stories featured in Epic Magazine, Little America is an anthology series focusing on immigrants in the United States. Husband and wife team Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, who co-wrote The Big Sick, join a whole host of talented writers and directors on the project, which now has two seasons. From harrowing deportation tales to uplifting stories of families building new lives, Little America is the series we need right now.
Based on the bestselling book by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko follows several generations of one family, from their early days in Japanese-occupied Korea to Japan to New York. The series explores the real-life tensions that arose for Koreans living alongside Japanese emigrants, and the discrimination experienced by those who left Korea for a new life. Pachinko is an emotional drama about the importance of heritage and the longevity of generational trauma.
Adam Scott stars in this sci-fi-infused psychological thriller, directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle. Scott plays Mark, a Lumon Industries employee who agrees to take part in the company’s “severance” program. The procedure entails employees having their work memories separated from non-work memories. However, it soon becomes clear that a widespread conspiracy is taking place.
Hailee Steinfeld stars as beloved poet Emily Dickinson in this modern take on what it means to be young, queer, and in love in America. While developing her talent as a poet, Emily falls in love with her best friend, who just so happens to be her brother’s fiancée. As she eschews the path her parents have planned for her, Dickinson combines historically accurate costumes with contemporary dialogue to introduce the iconic writer to a new audience.
Maya Rudolph is simply superb in Loot as Molly Novak, a recently divorced billionaire trying to find her place in the world after her husband leaves her. After immersing herself in the charitable foundation set up in her name, Molly starts to realize that there’s more to life than being really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking and wealthy. A hilarious ensemble cast, including Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Joel Kim Booster, makes Loot the perfect workplace sitcom.
Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s glossy journalism drama needs no introduction. The powerhouse pair helped turn one of Apple TV+’s first releases into a smash hit that’s already netted a plethora of nominations and awards. Following Steve Carell’s exit, Jon Hamm joins the show for its forthcoming third season, so prepare yourself to swoon.
Elisabeth Moss stars in this twisty time travel thriller, based upon Lauren Beukes’ 2013 novel, The Shining Girls. Following a brutal attack that left her for dead, Kirby attempts to rebuild her life as an archivist at a newspaper. However, after discovering details of a murder that matches her own attack, Kirby starts to realize she’s part of a much bigger mystery. With the help of a reporter, her investigation spans decades, and they’re soon tracking a potential, and unlikely, serial killer.
Rose Byrne is delightful in Physical as bored housewife Sheila who discovers aerobics and finds herself in the process. With a failing marriage and no career, Sheila fills the void in her life with spandex and ’80s music, and it’s not long before she’s building an empire of her own. The ever dapper Paul Sparks plays a local businessman whose hatred of Sheila is a little too strong. Truly one of Apple TV+’s best—and most underrated—shows.
Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd co-star in this mini series based upon an almost unbelievable true story. The Shrink Next Door follows Marty (Ferrell), a very rich but directionless businessman who attends therapy at his sister’s behest. Rudd plays Dr. Ike, a psychiatrist whose relationships with his patients starts to cross a line, especially when it comes to Marty’s family, wealth, property, and business.
Apple TV+’s Black Bird stars Taron Egerton as Jimmy, an incarcerated drug dealer offered a deal to shorten his sentence. However, Jimmy must extract a confession from a suspected serial killer in order to meet his side of the deal, something which proves to be incredibly dangerous. Based on a true story, Black Bird features a plethora of jaw-dropping performances, including Paul Walter Hauser as creepy convict Larry Hall, and Ray Liotta in one of his final onscreen appearances.
Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway star as Adam and Rebekah Neumann, the husband and wife team behind office space startup WeWork. WeCrashed takes viewers behind-the-scenes of Adam’s rise to power and WeWork’s eventual fall from grace. The business, which was once valued at $47 billion, had an unbelievable journey to the top, and thanks to Leto and Hathaway’s stunning performances, WeCrashed is an unmissable mini series.
Five Days at Memorial tells the devastating story of one hospital’s attempts to survive 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Based upon Sheri Fink’s book of the same name, Apple TV+’s adaptation is a horrifying account of what took place at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during the widespread disaster. Not for the faint of heart, Five Days at Memorial is a terrifying call to action when it comes to disaster planning, prevention, and the loss of human life.
Following her incredible performance in the first season of The Morning Show, Gugu Mbatha-Raw takes the lead in Surface. In the surprising thriller, Sophie is experiencing a severe form of memory loss, and can’t remember basic details about herself. After it’s suggested that her amnesia is the result of a suicide attempt, Sophie is forced to rebuild her life, which includes uncovering her own secrets.
Sharon Horgan serves as both creator and star of Bad Sisters, a dark comedy set in Ireland. Part murder mystery, part comedy-drama, the series follows five sisters, who find themselves being unofficially investigated by an insurance company after one of their husbands mysteriously dies. Perfectly plotted, and hilarious to boot. Plus, it’s already been renewed for a second season.
Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong star as a couple who go on a hike to try and save their relationship. While arguing, they stumble across a town called Schmigadoon, which perpetually pays homage to the Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. The twist is that the troubled couple can’t leave the magical destination until they find true love. A second season is on the way this spring.
Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston star in Apple TV+’s six-part miniseries based on Sarah Perry’s novel of the same name. When the widowed Cora decides to investigate a mythical serpent in outside of London, she forms an unexpected connection with a local pastor. However, tragedy strikes, and the locals place the blame on Cora.
Defending Jacob flew under the radar upon its release, but there are plenty of reasons to revisit it now. Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery star as the parents of a boy accused of murdering another child in a small town. This eight-part series will keep you guessing until the very end, and is perfect for fans of The Undoing and Big Little Lies.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
This six-part drama, based on the book by Walter Mosley, stars Samuel L. Jackson in the titular role. Following the death of a family member, a 91-year-old with dementia finds himself making an unexpected connection with a stranger. Challenged to step outside of his comfort zone, Ptolemy Grey starts to remember who he is, and begins to investigate the murder himself.
Eugenio Derbez stars Maximo, a wealthy man reflecting on his youth in Apple TV+’s bilingual comedy. Most of the action takes place in the ’80s, when Maximo was a poor pool boy at Las Colinas Resort in Acapulco, Mexico. From decadent guests to brilliant moments of workplace comedy, Acapulco is an uplifting sitcom.
Following its first season, Slow Horses was immediately renewed through seasons 2, 3, and 4, which has to be a good sign. The series focuses on a group of failed MI5 agents who have been relegated to an administrative division called Slough House. The drama begins when the agents get embroiled in a dangerous mystery. Gary Oldman plays Slough House’s drunk manager, while Kristin Scott Thomas stars as the Deputy Director-General of MI5.
The incomparable Octavia Spencer stars as true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell in Truth Be Told. Each season sees Poppy investigate a new mystery, attempting to find the truth while recording her popular podcast series. Season 1 stars Aaron Paul and Lizzy Caplan, season 2 features Kate Hudson, and season 3 stars Gabrielle Union.
Following the loss of their newborn son, Dorothy and Sean undergo a form of therapy by caring for a lifelike reborn doll. Their lives get turned upside down further when they hire a new nanny, Leanne, to care for their son. Despite integrating into the family, Leanne isn’t all that she seems, and her dark past quickly makes everyone’s lives more dangerous than ever before. Rupert Grint and Lauren Ambrose co-star.
Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey teamed up for The Me You Can’t See, a docuseries exploring the real-life effects of mental health. Featuring frank conversations with celebrities including Lady Gaga and Glenn Close, the series aims to destroy the stigma around mental health and help viewers to feel less alone.
Grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) starts breaching ethical guidelines by telling his patients what he really thinks about them. This results in some major life changes for himself and everyone around him. Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams co-star.
Loosely based on the life of NBA player Kevin Durant, Swagger is a critically acclaimed sports drama starring O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Isaiah Hill. Focusing as much on the relationships as the sport, Swagger is set in the world of youth basketball, and explores what it takes to make it in a seriously ambitious arena.
This ambitious series spans decades, and asks what might have happened had the “space race” never ended. In For All Mankind‘s alternate universe, women and minorities are instrumental in U.S. space exploration, changing the course of history forever. Starring the ever-beautiful Joel Kinnaman.
This Israeli thriller follows Tamar (Niv Sultan), an Iranian-Jewish Mossad agent who is tasked with disabling a nuclear reactor in Iran’s capital. At the same time, she’s being hunted by the Revolutionary Guards, while rediscovering her heritage in the city she was born. Glenn Close joins the series for season 2.
This delightful animated musical series follows one family’s quest to save New York City’s Central Park from greedy land developers. The all-star cast features Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., and Stanley Tucci. Three seasons of the show are already streaming on Apple TV+.
Mythic Quest is a sitcom set in a game studio that produces a hugely popular, and often ridiculous, online multiplayer role-playing game. Co-created by its star—Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame—Mythic Quest is an ensemble comedy with a huge heart.
Visible: Out on Television
Visible: Out on Television is an important docuseries exploring the challenges LGBTQ+ people have faced in television, both as on-screen talent and while working behind the camera. Spanning decades, the series shows the progress that’s been made so far and urges for positive change for the future.
Based on the novel by Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram stars Charlie Hunnam as an Australian bank robber who flees to Bombay, India. There, he changes his name, but escaping from his past isn’t as easy as he might have hoped. One season of the thriller is streaming on AppleTV+.
Apple TV+’s fun murder mystery series stars a whole host of comic talent, including Tiffany Haddish, Zoë Chao, Sam Richardson, and Ilana Glazer. The first season is set at the afterparty of a high school reunion, and each episode takes on the perspective of a different character. A second season is on the way.
Losing Alice is a gripping psychological thriller about a film director who develops a dangerous fixation on a young screenwriter. Stagnating in her own career, Alice is quickly led down a dark path by her new acquaintance, making her eschew her own family for her all-encompassing obsession.
Based on Cecelia Ahern’s short story collection of the same name, Roar is a feminist anthology series which explores what it truly means to be a woman. Each episode tells a different story, and the incredible cast includes Issa Rae, Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever, and Alison Brie.
A fun weekend ends in disaster when somebody dies in this billingual thriller. Twenty years later, the remaining friends reunite when a blackmailer threatens to put their adult lives at risk. Rosie Perez stars, and fans are eagerly awaiting news of a second season.
Based on Stephen King’s novel, Lisey’s Story stars Julianne Moore as the widow of a famous novelist. While protecting her dead husband’s estate, Lisey discovers he’s left behind a treasure hunt which forces her to reflect on their life together. Clive Owen and Jennifer Jason Leigh co-star.
In this 15-episode series, Oprah Winfrey interviews everyone from Will Smith to Elliot Page to Barack Obama and Mariah Carey. If you’re a fan of Oprah—and let’s face it, who isn’t?—settle in for some fearless conversations about life, the universe, and everything in between.
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Based on the popular segment introduced on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Apple TV+ Carpool Karaoke: The Series brings you more viral moments featuring the world’s biggest stars. What more could you want?
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist.
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