Apple TV may have ditched the “Plus” from its name, but you can still find all the same must-watch TV shows for which the platform’s built a name for since it debuted in 2019. And no, I’m not just talking about “Ted Lasso” or “Slow Horses.” Though both are fantastic programming, plenty of other critics have already given them their flowers, and I want to spotlight some of the Apple TV plus shows you may not have heard as much about.
While Apple TV lacks the variety of a Netflix or Prime Video, I’ve been telling everyone and their mom for years not to sleep on it. Apple TV’s catalogue is small but mighty, packed with a solid lineup of movies and shows that deserve a spot on any watchlist. With the colder months finally here, it’s the perfect time to settle in and catch up on all the shows your friends or coworkers have been recommending.
‘Pachinko’ (2022)
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“Pachinko” isn’t just one of the best Apple TV Plus shows, but one of the best shows in TV history. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the first season earned an impressive 97% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second season upped the ante with a rare 100%. This adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel is a sweeping, multi-generational saga of the Korean family led by matriarch Kim Sunja (Yuh-Jung Youn).
A fling with wealthy businessman Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho) changes the trajectory of Sunja’s life forever, forcing her to make difficult choices to keep her family safe. The storyline jumps between decades as the family immigrates to Japan and navigates living as second-class citizens during and after World War II. Sunja’s sons later find success in the heavily stigmatized pachinko business, but struggle to shake the prejudice surrounding their heritage even as their work pulls their family out of poverty.
Watch “Pachinko” on Apple TV now
‘The Last Frontier’ (2025)
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The newest entry on this list, “The Last Frontier,” which arrived on Apple TV Plus on October 10, is a twisty crime thriller with neo-Western vibes from “The Blacklist” creator Jon Bokenkamp. Any show that begins with a plane crash instantly has my attention, but when that plane’s full of dangerous inmates and the crashsite’s the tundra of the Alaskan wilderness, you’ve got all the ingredients of must-watch TV as far as I’m concerned.
Jason Clarke stars as Frank Remnick, the lone U.S. Marshal in charge of protecting a remote Alaskan community. When a prison transport plane goes down nearby, Remnick uncovers clues that the crash may not have been an accident and the CIA knows more than it’s letting on. With the town’s safety hanging in the balance, he races to track down the escaped criminals, including a villain named Havlock (Dominic Cooper), while trying to figure out who he can trust. It’s “Con Air” meets “The Fugitive” with a breathtaking setting that feels ripe for frozen standoffs, isolated chases, and high-stakes games of cat and mouse between lawmen and deadly outlaws.
Watch “The Last Frontier” on Apple TV now
‘Bad Sisters’ (2022)
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As one of three sisters, “Bad Sisters” is near and dear to my heart. It’s part pitch-black dark comedy and part mystery thriller that keeps you guessing about who, if anyone, is going to come out of this mess unscathed. It follows the tight-knit Garvey sisters—Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), Eva (Sharon Horgan), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene), and Becka (Eve Hewson)—who vowed to always look out for one another after losing their parents young. But that promise is put to the test when Grace’s husband, John Paul (Claes Bang), turns out to be far from the nice guy he pretends to be.
His fate is revealed from the beginning, with the Garvey sisters gathering at his funeral (and quietly cheering at his untimely demise). The real mystery is how he died, one that insurance agent Tom Claffin (Brian Gleeson) is determined to get to the bottom of. Both because any one of the shifty Garvey sisters could have a motive, and because if he uncovers foul play, he won’t have to issue a payout that could bankrupt his father’s struggling agency. “Bad Sisters” masterfully handles its sprawling cast of characters with interlocking arcs that are incredibly satisfying to watch play out. And with only two seasons, it’s easy to lose a weekend in all the juicy twists and turns.
Watch “Bad Sisters” on Apple TV now
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