Apple TV was first launched in 2019, and since then it has gained recognition for its originality, with many talked about series available on the platform. From broadcast news series The Morning Show to Irish-set dark comedy Bad Sisters, the platform has been hailed for its stellar selection.
But which of these series is the best? Here are the top 10 Apple TV series as ranked by Paste Magazine.
10. Trying
Couple Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) are in their thirties and have been together for three years. As the series title reflects, it follows their journey to have children, trying all of the options before deciding to adopt. The show dives deep into the societal expectations and legality of adopting as well as love and relationships.
9. Little America
Little America is an anthology series that explores immigrant stories inspired by real events. Telling a different story in each episode, the unique series is worth savouring as opposed to watching it in one sitting. Little America’s main theme is about finding your home and it features beautiful cinematography.
8. For All Mankind
This sci-fi drama that explores an alternate history where the Soviet Union lands the first man on the moon and not the US. The series follows NASA astronauts and their families as they navigate the peaks and troughs of the space program, with the Cold War rivalry intensifying. The show’s title is inspired by the lunar plaque that was left on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
7. Schmigadoon!
Schmigadoon! is a musical comedy seires that follows two New York doctors, Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) as they embark on a camping trip that is supposed to bring the pair closer. But they get lost and stumble upon the town of Schmigadoon, only to find out that you can only leave once you’ve found true love…
6. Slow Horses
Slow Horses is a UK-based spy drama following the lives of MI5 has-beens. They are led by Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman, who is cynical, crass and difficult to work with but of course there is more to him than meets the eye. Jack Lowden and Kristin Scott Thomas also feature often throughout the exciting and very much bingeable series.
5. Ted Lasso
This comedy is somewhat of a culture clash. Starring Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, the man who has been hired as the manager of Tottenham, one of the top football teams in England’s Premier League. Lasso is a loud alpha male with a southern accent attempting to figure out a totally unfamiliar sport in new environment, too stubborn for his own good.
4. Dickinson
Dickinson is a fictionalised portrayal of Emily Dickinson’s life, a rebellious young poet living in 19th-century America. It blends themes of societal contrainsts, family dynamics and gender roles with historical elements and holds a modern sensibility that highlights the girl’s struggle to challenge expectations and find her own voice.
3. Shrinking
Shrinking is a comedy drama that tells the story of Jimmy, played by Jason Segel, who is a therapist suffering with grief and decides to abandon his traditional menthodology in his work following the death of his wife. He starts being brutally honest towards his patients, as well as meddling in their lives in the hope to try and find some sense of healing himself.
2. Pachinko
This series tells one woman’s story of three different periods of Korean history. Pachinko is set over Sonja’s childhood (Jeon Yu-na), adolescence (Kim Min-ha) and senior years (Academy Award-winner Youn Yuh-Jung), during a time of hardship for Koreans while under Japanese rule. There is also a romance at the centre of the story involving a man connected to Japanese gangsters (Lee Min-ho) and a heartbreaking story of immigration.
1. Severance
Popular psychological thriller, Severance, follows the lives of employees who have chosen to have a procedure that means their work memories are separated from their personal memories, supposedly to create a better work-life balance. The “Outies” (employees in the outside world) and “Innies” (those who work at Lumon Industries) have completely separate lives. The show explores themes of identity, the human condition and control.
