Entertainment
10 Most Exciting Apple TV Shows To Binge-Watch, Ranked
Apple TV has built one of the most impressive catalogs in streaming over the years. Their shows reflect a dedication and quality that’s tough to see anywhere else; perhaps even statistically, Apple TV has the least amount of criticized original programming, and though their volume is disproportionate compared to other streamers, it’s commendable to see a deliberateness in a streamer’s release schedule.
Though Apple TV is known for its versatile drama content, it has a range of genres across all shows; not all of them are exciting, but some are so fun and easy to watch that they’re worth a binge-watch. From dystopian thrillers to spy dramas and historical epics, these are the most exciting Apple TV shows to binge-watch.
10
‘Bad Sisters’ (2022–2024)
Bad Sisters is exciting because it’s one of the rare shows that prepares you for what is about to happen. It doesn’t spare its leads any trauma or heavy-hitting truths, showing them as more than just heroes of a story but rather as very regular people, humans who try to do the right thing. Bad Sisters was co-created by and stars Sharon Horgan, known for her dry, sarcastic humor; she’s surrounded by other Irish actors in this adaptation of the Belgian series Clan, adding her stamp of dark humor into the story. With two seasons and 18 episodes so far, this is one of the easiest shows to binge-watch over a long weekend.
Bad Sisters is a black comedy-thriller that follows the five Garvey sisters—Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka—who become inescapably drawn together by the untimely “accidental” death of Grace’s (Anne-Marie Duff) abusive husband, John Paul (Claes Bang). The first season flashes between past and present as two life insurance investigators (Brian Gleeson and Daryl McCormack) look into John Paul’s death, revealing the sisters’ various attempts to kill the monstrous man who made their lives hell. The second season jumps ahead two years, exploring the guilt and consequences of their actions. The chemistry between the sisters feels genuine, and while Season 2 may lack the oomph of the first, Bad Sisters is one of the best original series on Apple TV.
9
‘The Studio’ (2025–Present)
The Studio may not be the first thing you think of when you hear “exciting,” since this adjective is typically attributed to thrillers and action. However, one look at The Studio‘s pilot episode will make you realize just why this black comedy/satire is so fun. There’s one episode that was fully filmed as a single take (aptly called “The Oner”), and some extended scenes and episodes throughout the show are also continuous, or at least appear to be, to achieve the perfect flow of events. This is why The Studio is so exciting—so much happens in a span of 20–30 minutes, and it avalanches into incredible slapstick events.
The Studio follows Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), the newly appointed head of a fictional movie studio, Continental. It’s a clever Hollywood satire that explores the tension between artistic integrity and corporate demands, with Matt representing integrity and the increasing demand for IP-focused content symbolizing the industry’s urgency to keep up with trends. People around Rogen are just as ridiculous and brilliant, from Kathryn Hahn to Catherine O’Hara, who passed away before getting the chance to star in Season 2. You’ll finish The Studio within a single day, for sure.
8
‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ (2025–Present)
For anyone chronically online, you must have seen that meme of Jon Hamm dancing in a nightclub under some blue lights to a 2010s house tune; that scene is from Your Friends and Neighbors, one of the quietest and most underrated bangers streaming on Apple TV right now. Many consider this to be Hamm’s best role since Mad Men, as he delivers sharp comedic timing and drama, leaning into the absurdist and black comedy nature of the show. With Season 2 premiering in April 2026, Season 3 has already been ordered, too; Jonathan Tropper‘s series is gearing up to be one of the most consistent shows on TV, though that’s not surprising for Tropper.
Your Friends and Neighbors follows Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm), a hedge fund manager who loses his job when a consensual hookup with a coworker becomes an HR violation. This gives Coop’s ruthless boss a convenient excuse to lay him off while keeping his clients. Losing his job makes Coop resort to robbing his wealthy neighbors’ mansions to maintain his lifestyle, and what begins as a caper comedy evolves into a deep dive into themes of family, class privilege, and toxic masculinity. You can binge-watch the first season just ahead of the second to prepare for Coop’s new adventures.
7
‘Dark Matter’ (2024–Present)
Some viewers have called Dark Matter Apple TV’s best sci-fi show since Severance. Competition is tight in that category on Apple TV, so this isn’t for nothing; Dark Matter may be slow at some points, but it’s incredibly exciting as soon as we—and the protagonist—get the hang of the physics. Blake Crouch adapted his book into nine episodes, while Joel Edgerton is fantastic in playing two versions of the same man. As a bonus, the show uses Chicago’s urban landscape beautifully, giving noir-esque night sequences, in particular, a breathtaking atmosphere.
Dark Matter follows college physics professor Jason Dessen (Edgerton), who is a happy family man living with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and their teenage son, Charlie (Oakes Fegley). One evening, he’s abducted by a strange man and sent into an alternate version of his life; as it turns out, Jason’s place has been taken by his doppelgänger from another dimension. Jason must go through numerous parallel realities to return to his true family, facing the most terrifying enemy imaginable: himself. Captivating from the first episode, Dark Matter is a mind-bending hard sci-fi series that roots its emotional weight in Jason’s motivation and emotions. It’s a pretty cool mix of paranoid thriller elements and complex scientific ideas.
6
‘Silo’ (2023–Present)
Silo has an interesting position on Rotten Tomatoes: it has 90% critics’ approval and only 68% audience approval; yet, when viewers discuss Silo, they’re typically very enthusiastic about the show, enjoying its layered themes, dystopian sci-fi setting, and impeccable set design and production. Silo was based on Hugh Howey‘s novel trilogy of the same name, and showrunners had planned it to be a four-part series from the start; we’re now two seasons in, awaiting the third and fourth.
Silo is set in a dystopian, devastated future, where humanity lives in a massive underground silo, a 144-story structure housing 10,000 people who believe the outside world is uninhabitable. Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer with a rebellious nature, begins to uncover secrets about the silo’s origins and the reasons people cannot ever leave it, as well as why those who do simply never return. Silo is another series you might deem a bit slow, but this gives the narrative more tension and depth, filling the atmosphere of the show with uncertainty. Once the plot deepens, you’ll find it impossible to put this series down.
5
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ (2023–Present)
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters isn’t a widely discussed show, so we’ll summarize it with a few words: it’s a clever expansion of the MonsterVerse without asking its viewers to be experts on the subject matter. If you like the Japanese kaiju movies (Godzilla, etc.), Monarch plays on that well, though, admittedly, the monster scenes are rather limited. However, they’re completely spectacular when they arrive, keeping viewers hooked on watching; the human drama is also compelling enough to carry the episodes between monster appearances, and it’s guided by Wyatt Russell and his father, legendary actor Kurt Russell.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is set in 2015, after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco (as shown in 2014’s Godzilla); the story follows two siblings, Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro, who begin tracing their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization named Monarch. The narrative jumps between the 1950s and the present day, with Kurt and Wyatt Russell playing the same character, Lee Shaw, at different ages. Monarch is an intriguing, character-driven conspiracy thriller that happens to feature giant monsters, and it’s a show you won’t just stop watching so easily—it’ll pull you in almost instantly. Season 2 has just started, too, so you’ll surely catch up quickly.
4
‘Chief of War’ (2025–Present)
Jason Momoa returns to Apple TV to produce a groundbreaking series that we can safely claim hasn’t been done in such a manner until now. Chief of War is his decade-long passion project, and it’s unique because it’s performed almost entirely in the Hawaiian language, with costumes and weapons crafted to historical specifications. Beyond that, experts translated dialogue, the cast learned to speak the language, and filming took place in New Zealand and Hawaii with minimal CGI; as a cherry on top, Hans Zimmer and James Everingham provided the cinematic, epic score.
Chief of War was based on true events, set during a time of war between the four big Hawaiian islands—Hawai’i, Maui, O’ahu, and Kaua’i—and follows the warrior chief Ka’iana (Momoa) of Maui as he tries to unify the Hawaiian islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century. It’s an ambitious and epic production, violent but human all at once, showing exceptional storytelling and even greater action, depicting Ka’iana’s ambitions, struggles, and dominance while his people learn how to trust him. You can watch the nine episodes of Chief of War instantly, since the show is incredibly immersive, and you can do it before a potential Season 2 and even 3 are announced.
3
‘Black Bird’ (2022)
Black Bird is one of the most intense and thrilling cat-and-mouse chases ever made for TV, and the fact that it’s a miniseries makes it all the better. Why? Because it’s a fully wrapped-up story, and all that’s left for you, after binge-watching it, is to give it a rewatch and enjoy all the nuances of Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser‘s character work. Egerton dials up his charm as the arrogant Jimmy Keene, but the real revelation is Hauser, who delivers a career-best performance as the unsettling Larry Hall. Hauser won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance, and the series truly is one of the best Apple TV has ever offered its viewers.
Black Bird was based on true events, and this six-episode series follows Jimmy Keene (Egerton), a charismatic drug dealer sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison. The FBI offers him a deal: transfer to a maximum-security prison, befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser), and get him to confess to multiple murders, including revealing where the bodies are buried. In return, Jimmy walks free, and the charges are dropped. The pacing feels deliberately slow, made to amp up the dread while giving insight into who Keene and Hall truly are. Dennis Lehane‘s masterful script makes Black Bird a well-written show, but the performances elevate it to a higher level of brilliance.
2
‘Slow Horses’ (2022–Present)
Sir Gary Oldman in “Slow Horses,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
Slow Horses is an interesting breed: having started in 2022, the show has so far stacked five magnificent seasons that maintain the same level of quality throughout. Slow Horses may have a lot of episodes, but you’ll find yourself welcome at Slough House as much as anyone possibly can by the time your weekend is over. The beauty of Slow Horses is how well it can move from agents cleverly uncovering an elaborate threat to public safety to its main spies accidentally dropping a can of paint on a vital political figure without a dramatic change in tone.
Slow Horses was based on Mick Herron‘s novel series called Slough House (which is even funnier source material), which is the name of the “dumping ground” for MI5 agents who’ve screwed up so badly they can’t be fired, just banished to administrative hell (known as “slow horses”). Slough House is run by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a flatulent, disheveled, and brilliantly rude spy who was once legendary. These “slow horses” keep getting dragged back into real espionage, often because Lamb is several steps ahead of everyone else, often including the criminals. Oldman’s Lamb is one of television’s greatest creations, and Slow Horses is smart, cynical, and utterly addictive.
1
‘Severance’ (2022–Present)
Severance is an incredibly ambitious series, and it works in all the ways it tries to. Set in modern times, yet somehow pristinely decorated in retro-futuristic sets and motifs, Severance deliberately feels claustrophobic, sterile, and confusing. You’re meant to get lost in the world of the “severed” before you’re rudely cut away and sent somewhere else, which turns out to be their “real life.” The show works on multiple levels: as workplace satire, a philosophical exploration of identity, and a mystery-box thriller. The Season 1 finale is one of the most compelling hours of television in recent memory, while Season 2 episodes range from great to near perfection.
Severance is set in the offices of Lumon Industries, where employees can undergo a “severance” procedure that surgically divides their memories: their “innie” exists only at work, and their “outie” remembers nothing of the job. Mark S. (Adam Scott) leads a team of innies who perform mysterious, repetitive tasks while his outie, Mark, lives blissfully unaware of his own job. When a former colleague starts leaving the team cryptic messages, they begin questioning everything, and Severance unravels into thriller territory. You will likely need roundtable discussions with friends after every episode, because Severance is television at its most ambitious and most rewarding.
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