Apple TV+ Is My Streaming Happy Place
On how Apple TV+ became my favorite streaming service + some recommendations
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If someone told me when it launched in November 2019 that I would watch and enjoy so many Apple TV+ shows that I would make a list of recommendations for my newsletter, I wouldn’t believe them. I was more interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe programming promised on Disney+. Nevertheless, my curiosity got the best of me when I saw the new icon on my Roku’s homepage.
While I can’t write about Severance or The Morning Show (I’m sure I’ll watch both eventually), I can share a few of my favorites. Given that there’s an ongoing joke that the streamer doesn’t always promote its content, I find extra joy in sharing why I like these shows. In fairness, Apple TV+ recently had a weekend of free viewing to draw in prospective subscribers. Plus, the streamer had the Severance cast doing pop-up performance art in Grand Central Station. Progress!
All of the blurbs are spoiler-free!
Dickinson (2019-2021)
Despite being one of the first on the streamer, Dickinson remains one of the best Apple TV+ shows (to me!). With its Peabody Award win in 2020, it became the first Apple TV+ show to receive such a prestigious honor. Starring Hailee Steinfeld in the titular role, this creative, half-hour comedy from Alena Smith takes a fresh approach to understanding one of the world’s most renowned poets. It incorporates modern music (The use of Taylor Swift’s “ivy” will stick with me forever!) and language to tell Emily Dickinson’s 19th-century coming-of-age story. The cast is unbelievable, the comedy is sharp, and the cameos are unexpected. One of Dickinson’s very few shortcomings is that it’s only three seasons.
Mythic Quest (2020-)
I never could have anticipated becoming so attached to a workplace comedy centered on the making of a video game, but here we are. Originally titled Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, the series from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day follows a group of video game developers. A simple concept on paper quickly becomes the exact opposite with this ensemble of characters. With McElhenney, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Charlotte Nicdao, David Hornsby, Ashly Burch, Jessie Ennis, and Naomi Ekperigi making up the cast, Mythic Quest—the fictional game and the actual show—can’t lose. The fourth season premieres later this month, so there’s time to catch up.
Trying (2020-)
Apple TV+ presents the series as a heartwarming comedy, and I second that. I’m so glad I stumbled on Trying shortly after it premiered. I still remember watching its first season and thinking it was warm and wonderful. I always look for TV show that makes me feel that way. I instantly loved Nikki and Jason and wanted the best for them. Just a heads up: Season 4 has a six-year time jump.
Ted Lasso (2020-?)
I can’t help but laugh at myself for putting a question mark on the other end of that line. Ted Lasso is originally a three-season comedy series that moves an American football coach to London to manage a fictional football club. But, as of last year, it’s starting to look like there could be another season or a new iteration of the series. Ted Lasso is easily one of the most well-known shows on Apple TV+. I can understand why—that first season is lightning in a bottle. I love it, and maybe you will, too. Hey, you'll be caught up if it does come back later this year.
Slow Horses (2022-)
I recently started watching Slow Horses and can’t stop thinking about it. Jack Lowden is ridiculously good in this show. It’s no wonder that Slow Horses, its cast, and its crew are receiving critical accolades at the Emmy Awards, SAG Awards, BAFTA Awards, and more. I’m also a massive fan of its consistent rollout. Sometimes, streaming shows will go years in between seasons. Slow Horses has released four seasons since 2022, and a fifth and sixth are on the way.
Loot (2023-)
Maya Rudolph. That’s it. That’s all you need to know to spark your interest in Loot. I only recently started the show’s second season (It’s already been renewed for a third season!), and I’m enjoying it as much as the first. Again, Loot is an easy-going, good-hearted show with a fantastic ensemble—Adam Scott, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Joel Kim Booster, O-T Fagbenle, Ron Funches, Meagen Fay, and Stephanie Styles. Loot is laugh-out-loud funny, which isn’t shocking because the series comes from Parks and Recreation’s Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.
Bad Sisters (2023-)
I have a confession about Bad Sisters. I loved the first season so much that I’m afraid to watch the second season. Executive producer and star Sharon Horgan has discussed that the second season may be the last, and I’m in denial. I don’t want to say goodbye to this family of the most deliciously complicated women. The Garvey sisters are well-defined, and the family dynamic is beyond believable from the beginning. Bad Sisters—at least in the first season—takes the best of a family drama and a dark comedy and creates propulsive, must-watch TV.
Shrinking (2023-)
To say I adore this show is such an understatement. I jumped at the chance to review Shrinking’s second season because I regretted not covering the first season that much. Co-created by Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking has some of my favorite meditations of grief and forgiveness I’ve ever seen on TV. The characters are relatable and flawed. It’s also, surprisingly, Harrison Ford’s first TV comedy. He’s brilliant in this show. But, honestly, Shrinking’s entire ensemble is outstanding—the show wouldn’t work without all of them. I can’t wait to see them in the already-confirmed third season.
Lessons in Chemistry (2024)
Brie Larson, an executive producer and star of the show, is one of my favorite actors. Therefore, I knew I wanted to write about Lessons in Chemistry. I was lucky enough to cover the limited series for Tell-Tale TV. I’m glad I did because Lessons in Chemistry became an all-time favorite over those seven weeks. Writing about that show challenged me, and I think it made me a better writer. If you’re a fan of Bonnie Garmus’s book (I am!), there are a few changes, but I like both iterations.
The Buccaneers (2024-)
It feels fitting to begin this list with Dickinson and end it with The Buccaneers because I often suggest them together. They’re recognizably different, but they have a similar energy to me. The Buccaneers takes inspiration from Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning unfinished novel of the same name. My copy is sitting on my bookshelf, begging me to read it. The Buccaneers combines all my favorite things, which is why I have a fantastic time writing about it. Just know that if you watch Season 1 and are stunned by its cliffhanger, Season 2 is coming.
Until next time,
💌 Shelby
Featured Photo: The Buccaneers Season 1, Episode 2, “Women or Wives.” Pictured: Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Kristine Frøseth, Aubri Ibrag and Imogen Waterhouse in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+.