7 Best Apple TV Shows That Are Amazing From Start to Finish

Published Sep 22, 2026, 6:52 AM EDT

Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.

Sign in to your Collider account

Apple TV has some of the best shows of the last decade. From early favorites like The Morning Show, which is returning for its fifth and final season, to new series like Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, so many of the streamer's shows have been well received. In fact, at the 78thPrimetime Emmy Awards in 2026, Apple TV won a record 28 awards for new shows like Widow's Bay, Pluribus, and Slow Horses. Widow's Bay set a single season record with 14 wins, making it arguably the breakout show of 2026.

All those shows are continuing; Slow Horses is even renewed for the seventh and eighth season just as its sixth has begun. Many Apple TV shows continue for long runs, but the streamer does also have great shows that have concluded already. And some of them are downright perfect from start to finish. If you're looking for a new series to entertain you with an already concluded story without worrying about waiting for new seasons, Apple TV has you covered.

'Servant' (2019–2023)

Image via Apple TV

One of Apple TV's earliest gems, Servant hails from the twisted mind of M. Night Shyamalan. If you are familiar with his movie work, including films like The Sixth Sense and Signs, you know exactly what to expect. That means bizarre, dark, and beautifully shot with characters who evoke emotion and scenes that leave you curious. Servant is all that and more, a psychological horror about a nanny who is hired to work for a couple, caring for their baby. But the baby isn't real: it's a lifelike doll. Mom Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) sure thinks that Jericho is flesh and blood, though. But maybe he is. Or no, he isn't.

Every episode is a masterpiece. Servant is emotionally wrenching, disturbing, horrifying at times and tense all the way through, even when episodes are subtle, quiet, and dialogue driven. The story, which takes place almost entirely in the couple's lavish home, is claustrophobic in a way, too. It dives into themes of the supernatural, cults, grief, working mothers, and familial strife, all wrapped into a weirdly wonderful four seasons that take you down a complex, thought-provoking rabbit hole.

'Mythic Quest' (2020–2025)

Image via Apple TV

Gamers will delight in Mythic Quest, a hilarious workplace comedy with a tech spin. The series, created by Charlie Day and Rob Mac, centers around a fictional game studio that makes a popular game of the title name. The team is working on a major expansion pack, but everyone has their own ideas of what direction it should take. None so much as creative director Ian Grimm (Mac), who tends to insist that things are done his way, and that's that.

With great cast chemistry, Mythic Quest covers the interpersonal relationships among the team members of quirky, sometimes clashing, personalities. The show is like Parks and Recreation for self-professed video game nerds, and it's one of Apple TV's most underrated shows. Once you're done working your way through the four seasons, check out the spin-off series Side Quest. Anthology style, it follows a different employee, player, or fan in each episode.

'Calls' (2021)

Image via Apple TV

If you're tired of the usual types of shows, I promise that Calls is like nothing you have ever seen. It's a visual series told mostly through audio and animated text captions that are accompanied on screen by moving geometric patterns, pulsing waves, and other mesmerizing designs made from nothing but colorful lines. You only see the characters, not hear them, but the graphics and text on screen reflect their emotions, and the intensity (or subtlety) of the moments.

Is it an actual story? It's more like an anthology with a unique story in every episode. But they all come together to tell an apocalyptic tale that connects to one big major event, the stories told in non-linear fashion. Described as a mystery thriller analog animated miniseries, you'll initially watch Calls and think this can't possibly be good. But halfway through Episode 1, you won't be able to look away. Based on the French series of the same name, Calls is like a TV show and podcast in one with your imagination left to run wild. And the cast? You won't believe how many huge stars are in it, from Pedro Pascal to Aubrey Plaza, Clancy Brown, Rosario Dawson, Nick Jonas, and more.

'Schmigadoon!' (2021–2023)

Canceled after two seasons despite the positive reception, Schmigadoon! is a musical comedy that will instantly put you in a good mood. Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key are Melissa and Josh, a couple who go backpacking to try and grow closer during a turning point in their relationship. But no surprise, they end up arguing instead. When they get lost and end up in a magical town, however, they are forced to look at the brighter side of life.

The show, one of the best musical TV shows, is one part satire, one part an homage to musicals of the '40s and '50s (the '60s and '70s in the second season), and all parts fun. It's bright, colorful, a delight for the senses. While there's no Season 3, if you're so inclined, you can check out the stage adaptation on Broadway.

Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek

Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

🖖Star Trek

FIND YOUR UNIVERSE →

01

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.

AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.

AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.

AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.

AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

REVEAL MY UNIVERSE →

Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

• You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
• You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
• Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
• The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

• Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
• You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
• Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
• Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

• The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
• You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
• Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
• That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

• Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
• You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
• Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
• Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

• Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
• You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
• The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
• You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'Swagger' (2021–2023)

Image via Apple TV

One of the best sports dramas of this decade, Swagger shines a light on the world of youth basketball, including not just the players but their families and coaches. It's high pressure and high stakes. Kids have big dreams and sometimes, so do their parents. And it's not uncommon to come across an obsession with success, which leads to corrupt, unfair practices.

Earning high praise for its two seasons, Swagger is not your typical sports story. It takes you deep into the characters and their relationships and tackles complex social themes. O'Shea Jackson Jr. has been singled out for his especially strong lead performance as Ike "Icon" Edwards. What's especially interesting to know about Swagger is that the story is loosely based on NBA player Kevin Durant's real experiences. Durant himself serves as an executive producer. The show is an essential watch for basketball fans.

'Dickinson' (2019–2021)

Image via Apple TV

One of Apple TV's first shows, Dickinson is a fun interpretation of the life of famous poet Emily Dickinson. Hailee Steinfeld plays a version of the young woman during a time when she's coming-of-age and exploring her identity and finding a way to express herself through prose. As a comedy drama, however, Dickinson is also as wickedly funny as it is a non-traditional period piece.

What's most interesting is that while Dickinson is supposed to take place in the early 19th century, the show weaves in modern language and music, too, so it will appeal to younger fans, even those who aren't familiar with the historical woman. The series also makes mention of historical figures and events. Plus, the show has Wiz Khalifa portraying the character known as Death. You'll also notice some huge names among the recurring and guest stars, including Ayo Edebiri, John Mulaney, and Nick Kroll.

'Bad Sisters' (2022–2024)

Image via Apple TV

Sharon Horgan created magic with Bad Sisters, an Irish black comedy about sisters coming together in a way they never thought they would. Second-eldest sister Grace (Anne-Marie Duff) is married to John Paul "JP" Williams (Claes Bang), who is clearly not only a horrible husband but also a downright awful man. Grace seems completely lost and under his spell. However, the sisters are unable to get through to her and convince her to leave him. So, they band together to do the unthinkable: kill JP. But they're not exactly stone-cold killers and have no idea how to go about doing it.

The series, one of the best Apple TV shows with five seasons or fewer, follows the ladies' exploits as they try and fail repeatedly to take down this horrid man. The beginning reveals (spoiler alert) that JP is, in fact, dead in present day. The question is, did they actually succeed? If so, who did it and how? Or did JP die some other way? Season 2 follows the ladies as they deal with the fallout from the events in Season 1, and it wraps the story up nicely in a way you wouldn't expect, but that makes perfect sense. Bad Sisters is fun, exciting, and humorous, the chemistry among the cast fantastic.

Bad Sisters

• 

  Sharon Horgan

  Eva Garvey

• 

  Eva Birthistle

  Ursula Flynn

• 

  Sarah Greene

  Bibi Garvey

• 

  Becka Garvey