Best Shows on Apple TV+ in 2026: Ranked Watchlist
Here’s the thing about Apple TV+. The library is tiny compared to Netflix, but the hit-rate per show is arguably the best in the streaming game. Almost every flagship original is a genuine quality production, not filler. This is a 2026-updated, ranked guide to the best shows on Apple TV+ right now, covering dramas, comedies, sci-fi and thrillers. Every pick comes with a one-line verdict, ratings, season count and whether it’s still worth starting today. And because we’re writing for Malaysian viewers, we’ve included local pricing and how to watch it here. Scroll down for the quick table, then dive into the full reviews. If you want the wider picture, our best TV shows of 2026 guide covers everything beyond Apple.
Best Apple TV+ Shows at a Glance (2026 Ranked Table)
No competitor gives you a scannable summary, so here’s ours first. Scores below are widely reported figures from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and can shift slightly over time. Scroll past the table for full reviews on each show.
| Rank | Show | Genre | Seasons | IMDb / RT | Status | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Severance | Sci-fi thriller | 2 | ~8.7 / ~97% | Ongoing | Prestige mind-benders |
| 2 | Slow Horses | Spy drama | 4+ | ~8.2 / ~96% | Ongoing | Bingeable espionage |
| 3 | The Studio | Comedy | 1 | ~8.0 / ~94% | Ongoing | Hollywood satire |
| 4 | Ted Lasso | Comedy | 3 | ~8.8 / ~90% | Ended (revival talk) | Comfort binge |
| 5 | Pachinko | Historical drama | 2 | ~8.4 / ~98% | Ongoing | Sweeping family saga |
| 6 | For All Mankind | Sci-fi drama | 4 | ~8.1 / ~92% | Ongoing | Alt-history space race |
| 7 | Silo | Sci-fi mystery | 2 | ~8.0 / ~89% | Ongoing | Dystopia puzzle-boxes |
| 8 | Bad Sisters | Dark comedy | 2 | ~8.2 / ~96% | Ongoing | Twisty black humour |
| 9 | Shrinking | Comedy-drama | 2 | ~8.2 / ~80% | Ongoing | Warm, funny, sad |
| 10 | The Morning Show | Drama | 4 | ~8.2 / ~67% | Ongoing | Star-power soap |
| 11 | Black Bird | Crime thriller | 1 | ~8.3 / ~98% | Ended (limited) | Tense true crime |
| 12 | Foundation | Epic sci-fi | 3 | ~7.4 / ~73% | Ongoing | Big-budget space opera |
| 13 | Presumed Innocent | Legal thriller | 1 | ~7.9 / ~76% | Renewed | Whodunnit binge |
| 14 | Dark Matter | Sci-fi thriller | 1 | ~7.7 / ~78% | Renewed | Multiverse mystery |
| 15 | Mythic Quest | Comedy | 4 | ~7.9 / ~90% | Ended | Workplace laughs |
The 15 Best Shows on Apple TV+ Right Now (Ranked & Reviewed)
This is the core list. If you’re looking for the best shows on Apple TV right now and don’t want to gamble your subscription month, start from the top. The rankings are opinionated but defensible, weighted towards Apple’s flagship originals since those are what most people come here for.
1. Severance
An office-dystopia where workers surgically split their memories between work and home life, so their “innie” and “outie” selves never meet. Ben Stiller directs, Adam Scott anchors it, and the ensemble is stacked. Season 2 delivered the kind of payoff that had everyone talking through 2025 and into 2026, cementing it as Apple’s best-ever original. It’s the definitive gateway show, the one you use to convince a friend the platform is worth it. Widely reported ratings sit around 8.7 on IMDb and 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: Start here. Two seasons, mind-bending, confirm solid. Just don’t read spoilers first.
2. Slow Horses
Gary Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a flatulent, brilliant, deeply unpleasant spymaster running a dumping ground for MI5’s rejects. It’s darkly funny espionage with tight six-episode seasons that release fast, one nearly every year, so bingeing the lot is easy. This is Apple’s most consistently acclaimed drama, and Oldman is having the time of his life. Ratings hover around 8.2 on IMDb and mid-90s on Rotten Tomatoes across seasons. Verdict: Best for anyone who wants smart, moreish spy TV without a 10-hour commitment per season. Marathon-friendly, no filler.
3. The Studio
Seth Rogen plays a newly promoted studio head slowly losing his mind trying to make art inside a machine that only wants IP and profit. Shot in long, panicky single takes, it’s a razor-sharp Hollywood satire packed with celebrity cameos playing exaggerated versions of themselves. It arrived to rave reviews, sitting around 8.0 on IMDb and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: The sharpest comedy on the platform right now. If you like industry insidery humour, this one’s the real deal.
4. Ted Lasso
The show that put Apple TV+ on the map. A relentlessly optimistic American football coach takes over an English Premier League club he knows nothing about. Warm, funny and quietly emotional, it’s the ultimate comfort binge. Three seasons, done, though revival talk keeps bubbling. Around 8.8 on IMDb and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: If you need something feel-good after a long week lah, this is it. Start with Season 1 and let it win you over.
5. Pachinko
A multi-generational Korean family saga spanning Japan and Korea across the 20th century, told in Korean, Japanese and English. Gorgeous, emotional and criminally underwatched. The performances are exceptional and the cinematography is film-grade. Widely reported at around 8.4 on IMDb and a near-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: Apple’s most quietly powerful drama. Two seasons in, no regret one.
6. For All Mankind
Alternate history where the Soviets landed on the moon first, kicking off a space race that never cooled down. Each season jumps forward roughly a decade, so the world keeps evolving. It’s ambitious, emotional and gets better as it goes. Around 8.1 on IMDb and low-90s on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: A slow burn that rewards patience. Push past the first few episodes.
7. Silo
Ten thousand people live in a giant underground silo, and nobody knows why, or what’s really outside. Rebecca Ferguson leads a moody dystopian mystery based on Hugh Howey’s novels. Season 2 deepened the puzzle. Roughly 8.0 on IMDb and high-80s on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: For anyone who loves a proper puzzle-box. Patient pacing, big payoffs.
8. Bad Sisters
Five Irish sisters conspire to bff their sister’s monstrous husband, told with pitch-black humour and a killer whodunnit structure. Sharon Horgan is fantastic. Around 8.2 on IMDb and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: Funny, tense and surprisingly moving. One of Apple’s most underrated.
9. Shrinking
Jason Segel plays a grieving therapist who starts breaking every rule and telling clients exactly what he thinks. Harrison Ford steals scenes as his crusty mentor. It’s warm, funny and sad in equal measure. About 8.2 on IMDb and 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: The best cry-then-laugh show on the platform.
10. The Morning Show
A behind-the-scenes drama about a network breakfast show rocked by scandal, powered by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon at full wattage. It’s glossy, a bit soapy, and thoroughly addictive. Ratings sit around 8.2 on IMDb with a more divided 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Verdict: Prestige trash in the best way. Great if you want star-power drama.
11. Black Bird, Foundation & The Rest of the Best
To keep this tight, here’s the tail end of the top 15. Black Bird is a taut limited crime thriller where a charming inmate must befriend a suspected killer to earn his freedom, with a haunting final performance from Ray Liotta (~8.3 IMDb, ~98% RT). Foundation is Apple’s big-budget space opera adapting Asimov, spectacular to look at even when the plot sprawls (~7.4 IMDb, ~73% RT). Presumed Innocent is a bingeable legal whodunnit led by Jake Gyllenhaal (~7.9 IMDb, renewed). Dark Matter is a twisty multiverse thriller with Joel Edgerton (~7.7 IMDf, renewed). And Mythic Quest wrapped up four seasons of sharp video-game-studio comedy (~7.9 IMDb). All worth your time.
Best Apple TV+ Dramas
Apple’s drama slate is where the prestige budgets and film-grade cinematography really show. These aren’t cheap-looking streaming fillers. If you filter by mood and want serious, well-made drama, start here.
- Pachinko — the emotional heavyweight and best newcomer pick (~8.4 IMDb).
- For All Mankind — alt-history that grows into an epic (~8.1 IMDb).
- The Morning Show — glossy, star-driven, four seasons deep (~8.2 IMDb).
- Presumed Innocent — a tight legal thriller to marathon in a weekend (~7.9 IMDb).
- Palm Royale — a candy-coloured 1960s social-climbing comedy-drama with Kristen Wiig (~6.9 IMDb), lighter and more divisive but stylish.
Start-here pick: Pachinko for newcomers. It shows exactly what Apple money buys you when they aim for quality over volume.
Best Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Shows
Quietly, Apple has become one of the strongest homes for sci-fi on TV. The budgets are huge, the ideas are ambitious, and the writing mostly keeps up. If you’re building a proper genre watchlist, our roundup of the best sci-fi shows to stream goes wider, but Apple alone carries the load here.
| Show | Concept | Seasons | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severance | Split-memory office dystopia | 2 | ~8.7 |
| For All Mankind | Alt-history space race | 4 | ~8.1 |
| Silo | Underground survival mystery | 2 | ~8.0 |
| Dark Matter | Multiverse thriller | 1 | ~7.7 |
| Foundation | Galactic empire epic | 3 | ~7.4 |
| Invasion | Global alien-arrival drama | 3 | ~6.4 |
Start-here pick: Severance, no contest. If you’ve already finished it, go For All Mankind for the long haul or Silo for a tighter mystery. Invasion is the slowest burn of the bunch, so save it for last.
Best Apple TV+ Comedies
Apple’s comedy identity is warm and character-driven, less crude than a lot of the rivals. These are shows you actually feel something for, not just laugh at.
- Ted Lasso — the ultimate comfort binge lah, three seasons, done.
- The Studio — the sharpest, most current pick if you want satire with bite.
- Shrinking — the one that’ll make you laugh and then quietly wreck you.
- Bad Sisters — dark comedy with a proper mystery engine.
- Mythic Quest — four seasons of underrated workplace laughs set in a game studio.
- Loot — Maya Rudolph as a suddenly-single billionaire trying to do good (~7.0 IMDb), light and easy.
Best comfort-watch: Ted Lasso. Best if you want something sharper: The Studio. Two very different moods, both excellent.
Best Apple TV+ Shows for 2026: New & Returning Series
If you searched specifically for the best Apple TV+ shows 2026, this section is for you. The platform’s release calendar is stacked with returning heavy-hitters and fresh originals, and knowing what’s coming helps you time your binge-and-cancel month. For the wider streaming picture beyond Apple, our new TV shows 2026 guide tracks everything.
- Severance — the follow-up season is the most anticipated Apple release, though exact timing keeps shifting. Worth waiting for, but Season 2 is already binge-worthy now.
- Slow Horses — a new season is widely expected to land on Apple’s reliable near-annual cadence. Easily worth starting now so you’re caught up.
- Silo — the story is building towards its endgame across upcoming seasons. Start now.
- The Morning Show — continues its star-powered run with more seasons confirmed.
- Foundation and For All Mankind — both ongoing epics with more chapters on the way.
Anything with a firm date should be checked against Apple’s own listings before you plan, since streamers love to shuffle release windows.
Hidden Gems & Underrated Apple TV+ Shows
There’s a very real “what else is good besides Severance?” question floating around the internet, and Apple’s smaller titles deserve the love. These fly under the radar but punch well above their weight.
- Bad Sisters — still criminally underwatched for how good it is (~8.2 IMDb, ~96% RT).
- Sugar — Colin Farrell as a private detective in a stylish LA neo-noir with a genuinely wild twist (~7.2 IMDb). Best for anyone who loves old-school detective vibes.
- Dark Matter — a smart multiverse thriller that never got the buzz it deserved (~7.7 IMDb).
- Trying — a gentle British comedy about a couple navigating adoption, quietly one of the sweetest things on the platform (~8.0 IMDb).
- Black Bird — a tense limited series that’s basically a masterclass in slow-burn crime drama (~8.3 IMDb, ~98% RT).
Verdict: If you’ve exhausted the big names, start with Bad Sisters, then Sugar. Both are the kind of shows you finish and immediately want to tell someone about.
How to Watch Apple TV+ in Malaysia (Price & Availability)
Good news first: the full Apple TV+ catalogue is available in Malaysia with no regional gaps. Unlike some rivals that cut content by region, everything listed above is watchable here. Note that Apple rebranded the service to simply “Apple TV” in 2025, dropping the “plus”, but it’s the same subscription most people still call Apple TV+.
Pricing is widely reported at around RM34.90 per month in Malaysia after a global price increase, though the exact figure has changed over time, so check the current rate on the Apple TV app or website before subscribing. New subscribers usually get a 7-day free trial, and buying certain Apple devices can unlock a longer free period, so check what your new iPhone, iPad or Apple TV box qualifies for.
| Option | Approx. price (MY) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV+ monthly | ~RM34.90/month | Full catalogue, cancel anytime |
| Free trial | Free (7 days) | New subscribers; longer with select device purchases |
| Apple One bundle | Bundle price varies | Combines Apple TV+, Music, iCloud+ and Arcade for better value |
You can watch on the Apple TV app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, most smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony and more), streaming boxes, PlayStation, Xbox and the web at tv.apple.com. Pro tip: if you’re on a tight budget, the smart move is the binge-and-cancel. Subscribe for one month, marathon three or four shows, then cancel. At RM34.90 for a month of Severance plus Slow Horses plus Ted Lasso, that’s serious value. Prefer completely free options for the in-between months? Our best free streaming apps guide has legit picks.
Is Apple TV+ Worth It in 2026?
Honest verdict: yes, but with a strategy. Apple TV+ has a small library, maybe a few dozen originals rather than the thousands on Netflix. What it lacks in quantity it makes up for in hit-rate. Very few shows here are duds, and the top tier competes with anything on HBO Max. Compared to Netflix, you get far less to scroll through, but you’re also not wading through filler, and our what to watch on Netflix guide shows just how much sorting that platform needs.
Who should subscribe: quality-over-quantity viewers who’d rather have 15 great shows than 1,500 mediocre ones. Who should wait: anyone who only wants one or two specific shows. For you, the binge-and-cancel window is the play. If you’re weighing platforms overall, our roundup of the best streaming services of 2026 puts them side by side. One-line recommendation: Apple TV+ is small but mighty, and at RM34.90 a month it’s the easiest subscription to justify for a focused binge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Verdict: Your 2026 Apple TV+ Watchlist
If you take nothing else from this guide, remember the top three: Severance, Slow Horses and The Studio. By genre, Pachinko is the best drama, Severance the best sci-fi, and Ted Lasso the best comedy for a comfort binge. Apple TV+ proves that a small, curated library can out-punch the giants, and for budget-conscious Malaysian viewers, the binge-and-cancel approach at RM34.90 a month makes it a no-brainer. Load up the watchlist, subscribe for a month, and go all in. For more picks beyond Apple, check our best TV shows of 2026 guide and start planning your next lepak weekend on the couch.