Apple TV+ is quickly becoming one of the better streaming services on the market. While Apple TV+ does not have an expansive library like Netflix or Disney+, its hit rate is very high as the service churns out more hits than flops. Ted Lasso is an Emmy darling, CODA won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Killers of the Flower Moon is destined to be a huge success.
With the strikes halting Hollywood productions, now is the perfect time to catch up on some of Apple TV+’s best TV shows. Below, we selected three shows to watch next, including a sci-fi drama from Ben Stiller, a thriller in the sky with Idris Elba, and a haunting crime series starring Taron Egerton.
Severance (2022)
In Severance, the sci-fi psychological thriller from creator Dan Erickson, employees of Lumon Industries have two lives thanks to a memory-wiping procedure called “severance.” This procedure separates the memories of work (“innies”) and personal lives (“outies”), so in a way, the employees have two completely different lives.
Mark Scout (Adam Scott) is a severed employee in the Macrodata Refinement division. Mark and the lives of his team – Dylan George (Zach Cherry) and Irving Bailiff (John Turturro) – are upended by the arrival of a new coworker, Helly Riggs (Britt Lower). The group slowly uncovers the mysterious details surrounding their work at Lumon, leading them to embark on a series of missions threatening the entire severance program. Severance‘s season finale remains one of the best episodes of television from 2022.
Stream Severance on Apple TV+.
Hijack (2023)
Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) is a passenger on Flight KA29 from Dubai to London. Shortly after takeoff, a group of hijackers take control of the plane, holding the passengers at gunpoint. Sam, a corporate business negotiator, springs into action to broker with the hijackers to ensure that no one dies and save everyone on board.
Meanwhile, an air traffic controller and the London authorities race to identify the hijackers and thwart their master plan. If you enjoy action movies from the late 1980s and 1990s, you’ll like Hijack, which channels Die Hard and Air Force One. Additionally, Hijack is an easy-to-digest show that doesn’t involve much thinking. There’s no need to research conspiracy theories on Reddit like you would with a Game of Thrones. It’s Idris Elba trying to stop a plane, a simple but effective premise.
Stream Hijack on Apple TV+.
Black Bird (2022)
Black Bird is an example of a crime drama done right. Jimmy Keane (Taron Egerton) is a hotshot criminal arrested for drug possession and illegal firearms. Despite taking a plea deal for five years in prison, Jimmy receives a 10-year sentence after the judge reverses course. While in prison, Jimmy receives the deal of a lifetime from the FBI: elicit a murder confession from serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), and he will be freed. However, Jimmy must transfer to Larry’s more dangerous and violent prison.
Black Bird is based on the real-life Keene and his autobiography In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. Black Bird is the type of show that’s harrowing to watch, but you can’t look away because of the terrific performances from a top-shelf cast.
Stream Black Bird on Apple TV+.
