TV & Movies

21 Of The Best Shows And Movies On Apple TV+ To Watch

By Renée Ardon-Coppinger
1st Mar 2024

In our humble opinion, there is no such thing as having too many streaming services, so if you’re tossing up whether you need Apple TV+ in your life—the answer is absolutely yes. One of the newest kids on the block, it’s full of binge-worthy shows, packed with all-star casts.

From crime and action to historical dramas and rom coms, we’ve handpicked the very best Apple TV+ shows to fill your viewing schedule.

Palm Royale

Step into the glitz of 1969 Palm Beach with the brand spankin' new Palm Royale. With Kristin Wiig at the helm playing a woman determined to infiltrate high society, the series delves into the sacrifices one makes for social status. With an insanely star studded cast featuring the likes of Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, and comedy legend Carol Burnett, this adaptation of Juliet McDaniel's novel promises a captivating blend of wit, style and charm. 

Masters Of The Air

Created by the powerhouse companies of Hollywood legends Tom Hanks and Mr. Spielberg himself, this companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific is a new release to jump on immediately. Starring the dreamy Austin Butler, plus a stunning young cast of upcoming superstars, this WWII drama will keep you gripped with tons of action, darkness and heart-thumping moments along the way.

Lessons In Chemistry

Based on the best-selling novel from author, science editor and copywriter Bonnie Garmus and set in the 1950s, Lessons In Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott (played by Brie Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society.

When Elizabeth finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives—and the men who are suddenly listening—a lot more than recipes. Watch it from October 13.

Killers Of The Flower Moon

Based on David Grann’s broadly lauded best-selling book, Killers of the Flower Moon is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror. Watch it from October 19.

Drops Of Gold

Set in the luxurious world of gastronomy and fine wines,  Frenchman Alexandre Léger, creator of the famous Léger Wine Guide and emblematic figure in oenology, has just passed away at his home in Tokyo at the age of 60. He leaves behind a daughter, Camille (Fleur Geffrier), who lives in Paris and hasn’t seen her father since her parents separated when she was nine years old. When Camille flies to Tokyo and Léger’s will is read, she discovers that her father has left her a mega wine collection—the greatest collection in the world according to experts. But, to claim the inheritance, Camille must compete with a brilliant young oenologist, Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita). 

The Crowded Room

Starring and executive produced by Tom Holland, The Crowded Room is a gripping, 10-episode limited series that stars Holland as Danny Sullivan, a man who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979.  Told through a series of interviews with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried), Danny’s life story unfolds, revealing elements of a shady past that shaped him. 

Little Voice 

Working as a waitress in New York City isn’t her dream, but it’s her reality. Bess is a musician who is learning to live a little more courageously. Little Voice is a charming series that flaunts New York City’s musical richness. We watch as Bess juggles her music, friendships and even some romance all while navigating her dreams. ‘Little Voice’ includes music written by songwriting genius, Sara Barellies who also acts as an executive producer alongside Jessie Nelson.

Trying 

This awesome newbie documents the unique relationship of Nikki [Esther Smith] and Jason [Rafe Spall], a couple who have been trying to have a baby. After receiving the news that they’re not able to conceive they explore other options and land on adoption. In a journey to improve themselves to impress the adoption panel, this show captures the challenging and comedic adventure that is family and parenthood.        

Losing Alice

This bingable series follows Alice, a film director who put her career on pause as she focused on raising a family. After getting recognised by Sophie, a young screenwriter, on the train, Alice agrees to direct her film leading her on a journey to reignite her career and desire for success. This internationally acclaimed show is full of jaw dropping surprises leaving you wanting more and more with each and every episode. We recommend this one for anyone that loves a good suspenseful watch.

Calls

Calls is a compilation of stories told entirely through short phone conversations. Each phone conversation is roughly 12 minutes long and features Lily Collins and Nick Jonas. Unlike any show you’ve seen before, abstract visuals and the audio chronicle the mysterious story of a group of strangers whose lives are thrown into disarray in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event. This chilling miniseries has nine episodes in total, making it easy to binge watch so there’s no judgement here if you finish it in a single sitting. 

Defending Jacob

This dark and emotionally impactful miniseries stars Chris Evans (still sporting Captain America’s fan favourite beard from Avengers: Infinity War) as Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber. When his 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a classmate, Barber must deal with the uncertainty of his son’s innocence and a town which has made up its mind about the boy’s guilt. The show is held up most of all by outstanding performances from leads Evans, Michelle Dockery and young Jaeden Martell–as well as a stellar supporting cast (including Oscar winner JK Simmons). Like any good crime thriller, each episode will leave you more uncertain than the last about the truth.

Central Park

Maybe you’ve already watched Bob’s Burgers, and you understand the genius of creator Loren Bouchard. Perhaps you have a big soft spot in your heart for loveable characters and musical comedy. Well, if that’s the case, then you should binge the first season of Central Park. The animated series follows the story of the Tillerman-Hunter family, whose father is the grounds manager of New York’s Central Park. The characters all have their own set of relatable issues to deal with, but a real test arises when a hotel-magnate tries to buy the Park and develop it into condos and shops. In case you need more encouragement–an impressive ensemble cast voices the show including Josh Gad (also a co-creator), Stanley Tucci and Hamilton favourite/Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr..

Home Before Dark

What is it about watching inquisitive kids outsmart adults and solve murders that’s just so bloody compelling? Lucky for us, we get a good helping of that in Home Before Dark. Based on the true story of a nine-year-old reporter, the show details underage investigator Hilde Lisko as she moves to a small town and uncovers a cold case which seems to impact half of the suburb, as well as her father. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself lost in the incredible performance of 10-year-old Brooklyn Prince (the star of 2017’s The Florida Project) as the tenacious and resolute journalist.

Greatness Code

This short documentary series explores the minds of legendary athletes at the peak of their respective sports. Get unprecedented insight into the games/performances which these sporting greats personally view as career-altering or defining. There’s nothing quite like hearing about iconic moments in sports history (or moments you didn’t realise were important) straight from the horse’s mouth. Hear Lebron James talk about the game six where he truly became ‘The King’, and which Sunday night mid-season game Tom Brady considers his best performance. For those of us with busy lives but an undying interest in sport, these episodes are easy to smash through, all sitting between five and seven minutes long.

Truth Be Told

Crime buffs assemble, this one is for you. Starring an all-star cast (something Apple TV+ is becoming known for) of Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul and Lizzy Caplan, this dark series will get you thinking. The show centres around Poppy (Spencer), a journalist from The New York Times who made her name publishing stories on the violent 1999 death of a Stanford professor and the kid, Warren Cave (Paul) who was eventually sentenced for the crime. But 20 years later, evidence arises suggesting Cave is innocent and Poppy, now a true crime podcaster revisits the case with her listeners. It’s like Serial in a TV show. 

Little America 

From the people who brought you The Big Sick and Master Of None comes this anthology series that follows the romantic, heartfelt and inspiring stories of immigrants in America. What makes Little America special (aside from the fact that a second season has already been given the green light) is that all of the stories told are inspired by the writer’s own experiences. There’s ‘The Manager’ which tells the story of 12-year-old Kabir who is left to run a motel on his own when his parents are deported back to India. And your heart will break in ‘The Son’, as we watch Rafiq escape from his home in Syria after his father discovers he is gay only to find a new “family” in the States. It drops 17 January. 

Servant

From M. Night Shyamalan comes this deliciously dark show. Servant follows Philadelphia couple Dorothy and Sean who are in mourning after they tragically lose their baby son Jericho. In an effort to ease their grief they find solace in a hyper-realistic therapeutic baby doll that looks like their late son. But things start to get weird when Dorothy begins to believe the doll is real and even hires a creepy nanny Leanne to help look after the doll. Remember this is a M. Night Shyamalan show so expect things to get seriously messed up. 

Link
The Morning Show

This snappy series stars Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy, everyone’s favourite news presenter on The Morning Show. Known for changing the face of television the show takes a dive when Levy’s co-host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carrell) is fired amidst a sexual misconduct scandal. Levy must fight to keep her place, while field reporter turned new TMS co-host Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) threatens to take her place.  

See

If you’ve been mourning the loss of Jason Momoa on the small screen since his untimely demise in Game of Thrones, then you’ll want to download this epic series stat. In this one, a virus has decimated humankind and those who survived emerged blind. Momoa stars as the father of twins born centuries later with the mythical ability to see. In this dangerous post-apocalyptic world, Momoa must protect his tribe against a threatened queen.

Link
Dickinson

She might be the woman behind some the world’s greatest poems but it turns out when Emily Dickinson was a teen, she one badass babe… well according to this series anyway. In this series we follow Dickinson, played by Hailee Steinfeld, as a teen, rebelling against her parents, falling in forbidden love and starting trouble. In this version of Dickinson she’s a mouthy, feminist and we dig her! The series only gets better thanks to the epic musical score including songs by Billie Eilish and Mitski.

For All Mankind

For All Mankind asks the question, "What if the Space Race had never ended?". In this series, we’re offered an alternate storyline in history— the USSR beats the US to the moon via their Russian cosmonaut, Alexei Leonov. The loss devastates NASA and fuels them to challenge the Soviet Union once more, reigniting the race. The series follows the lives of NASA astronauts, which include historical figures like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong and even better, some badass female astronauts. You don’t have to be sci-fi nerd to love his series, in fact its so popular, it’s already been renewed for a second season.

Link
 

Got Netflix too? Check out the latest list of binge-worthy shows on Netflix AU and NZ.

Image Credit: Apple TV+ 

Get our top stories direct to your inbox.

Get our top stories direct to your inbox.