Whether you subscribe to Apple TV or not, you’ve probably heard folks raving about buzzy shows like “Widow’s Bay” and “Ted Lasso.” But for every hit series on the platform, several other great programs have flown under the radar. Apple TV features a diverse, artistically ambitious library of offerings, from mind-bending, high-concept science fiction to absurdist comedies.
In our endless quest to bring you the best that TV has to offer, today we’re highlighting five Apple TV shows that deserve a bigger audience. These shows feature all-star casts, but if you missed them when they first came around, you’re not alone. This list features a little something for everyone: Dark comedy, light comedy, mystery, and some good old-fashioned crime drama. Let us know in the comments below if you’re already a fan of any of these series. Otherwise, it’s time to update your watchlist.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
If you’re a fan of “Orphan Black,” it won’t surprise you to hear that Tatiana Maslany delivers yet another amazing performance in the underrated Apple TV series “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.” Maslany plays Paula, a mom and recent divorcée who gets caught up in a dangerous criminal conspiracy. The bright spot in Paula’s life is her sessions with cam boy Trevor (Brandon Flynn), and when she watches him get kidnapped during one of their sessions, she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.
Maslany nails Paula’s chaotic energy, and despite her poor decision-making skills, you can’t help but root for her. Though Paula’s antics are often over-the-top, Maslany roots her behavior in real human emotion, and it never feels out of character. The show also features Jake Johnson as Paula’s ex and Murray Bartlett as a mysterious antagonist. With a second season on the way, now is the perfect time to catch up on “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.”
Platonic
Separately, Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen have both starred in great shows on Apple TV. Rogen co-created the brilliant Hollywood satire “The Studio,” while Byrne was the face of the ’80s-set dark comedy “Physical.” Together, they star in “Platonic,” which we ranked as one of the best comedy shows streaming on Apple TV. Byrne plays Sylvia, a stay-at-home mom who reconnects with her former friend, Will (Rogen), after hearing about his divorce. Unfortunately, this friendship makes Sylvia’s husband, Charlie (Luke Macfarlane), jealous.
The series is committed to keeping Sylp between a man and woman approaching middle age can look like. The show makes use of Rogen and Byrne’s contrasting energies, with Rogen typically seen as a chill, nice-guy stoner and Byrne tending to play more high-strung characters. Though it gets silly, “Platonic” is ultimately character-driven, and getting to know these folks is what makes the series so enjoyable to watch
Schmigadoon!
“Schmigadoon!” is something of a cult classic that’s popular among fans of Broadway musicals but never truly reached the mainstream. If you, too, count yourself as a musical fan, or at least don’t actively dislike them, you should give “Schmigadoon!” a chance. The Apple TV series stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as Melissa and Josh, a struggling couple who embark on a backpacking trip. They get lost and wind up in the town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts like they’re trapped in a musical from the 1940s — including spontaneously breaking out into song.
The show is whimsical and fun, and clearly reveres the musical form even as it pokes fun at it. The songs are all quite catchy, and the supporting cast is stacked: It includes the likes of Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Jane Krakowski, Aaron Tveit, Martin Short, and more. Apple TV canceled the show after its second season — in which the town transforms into a 1970s musical — but it’s since been resurrected for the Broadway stage.
Down Cemetery Road
The dynamic duo of legendary actor Emma Thompson and prestige TV mainstay Ruth Wilson teamed up for the Apple TV series “Down Cemetery Road,” and it’s worth a watch. Based on a novel by Mick Herron, whose work is the basis for “Slow Horses,” and adapted by Morwenna Banks, also a writer on “Slow Horses,” the series features a similar acerbic wit and cynicism, though it hasn’t achieved quite the same popularity as that show.
Wilson plays Sarah Trafford, an art conservator who becomes obsessed with the aftermath of an explosion at her neighbors’ house. The neighbors’ young child, who survived the blast, seems to have gone missing, and Sarah is intent on finding her. She hires Zoë Boehm (Thompson), a misanthropic private investigator who cares little for social niceties.
Sarah and Zoë are a fascinating pair, with Sarah’s apparent naiveté hiding a regretful sense of lost innocence and Zoë’s sarcasm tempering the show’s darker elements. Both actors bring loads of depth to the roles, and the show’s supporting cast, which includes Adeel Akhtar and Darren Boyd, is just as impressive and essential to the series’ twisty narrative.
Criminal Record
Though it’s only aired two seasons so far, Apple TV’s “Criminal Record” has already cemented itself as one of the best British crime drama series of all time. A major reason for its success is the powerful presence of its two leads, Peter Capaldi (“Doctor Who”) and Cush Jumbo (“The Good Wife”), who deftly embody the show’s knotty moral quandaries.
Jumbo plays June Lenker, a detective digging into a decade-old murder case. She begins to suspect the previous conviction may not have been just, and her doubts lead her to veteran detective Daniel Hegarty (Capaldi), who oversaw the case. Hegarty doesn’t take kindly to Lenker’s questions, and their philosophies on police work clash.
The series smartly plays with perspective, doing away with the concept of a reliable narrator or absolute truth, and painting neither Lenker nor Hegarty as a hero or a villain. The show’s second season, which involves a suspected terrorist threat, is just as good, and the characters continue to reveal themselves to be wonderfully complex and shrouded in contradiction.
