Apple TV is hitting its stride | The Verge
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The streaming service has had a steady string of new hits like Widow’s Bay alongside returning favorites like Silo.
The streaming service has had a steady string of new hits like Widow’s Bay alongside returning favorites like Silo.
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Since its inception, Apple TV, née Apple TV Plus, has built a reputation on quality over quantity. It has far fewer shows and movies than the likes of Netflix or Disney Plus, but generally speaking, the projects it does put out are quite good. It’s a strategy that has brought comparisons to the HBO of old, and 2026 has featured a particularly strong mix of new hits and returning favorites. It took a few years, but Apple TV seems to be finally hitting its stride.
In terms of brand-new series, this year’s offerings have been fairly spread out across genres. Leading the way has been the delightful Widow’s Bay, which skillfully manages the difficult task of being scary and hilarious at the same time. Joining it have been Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which explore stories about single mothers and sex workers from very different perspectives, and a splashy and frequently unhinged remake of Cape Fear led by stars like Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, and Juliette Lewis.
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That’s a pretty solid lineup on its own. But what has really helped flesh out Apple TV’s offerings is that those shows are coming out alongside the continuation of existing properties, many of which have been chugging along for several years. The last few weeks have included new seasons of the sci-fi detective series Sugar, the postapocalyptic thriller Silo, and Star City, a spinoff of the long-running alternate history series For All Mankind.
The next few months look like a similar mix. Dark Matter, Slow Horses, and Ted Lasso will all be back with new seasons. Meanwhile, there are brand-new thrillers like Last Seen and the Anya Taylor-Joy-led Lucky, along with a pair of buddy comedies: Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh in Mayday, and Matthew Mc Conaughey and Woody Harrelson in Brothers. Maybe this year Apple will even finally put out its long-delayed series The Savant, which explores domestic terrorism.
It took a few years to get to this point. That required landing on not only a handful of hits that could go on for multiple seasons, like Slow Horses and For All Mankind, but also exploring different genres. Apple has been particularly successful in the realm of science fiction, but many of its most talked-about series — like Ted Lasso and Widow’s Bay — are comedies. At this point, the service offers a strong mix of both lighthearted fare and more traditional prestige television. It’s a trend that looks to continue, at least for the foreseeable future. The likes of Silo and For All Mankind are coming to an end, but new seasons of heavy hitters Pluribus, Severance, and awards darling The Studio are waiting in the wings, while a much-anticipated adaptation of William Gibson’s cyberpunk classic Neuromancer is also incoming.
What’s particularly notable about Apple’s focus on premium-style television is how it differs from the growth mindset of its competitors. Netflix is the prime example. With the end of series like Stranger Things and Squid Game, the streamer has become less reliant on tentpole TV shows. Instead, reality television, live programming, podcasts, and even interactive games have become a big focus as Netflix attempts to reach a large, broad audience. Disney, similarly, has been experimenting with turning Disney Plus into “the immersive, interactive digital centerpiece of the company,” which will involve focusing on things other than traditional programming to lure subscribers.
Apple TV obviously isn’t perfect; its film offerings leave a lot to be desired, and upcoming features like the toy car adaptation Matchbox don’t instill a lot of confidence. It has also begun expanding into areas like live sports, including Formula 1. But on the television side, the streamer’s approach is refreshing. While nearly every subscription service seems steadfastly focused on appealing to as many potential customers as possible, Apple TV is simply a place for good TV. Signs point to that potentially changing in the future, but for now the service is the closest thing streaming has to a prestige home.
Andrew Webster Close Andrew Webster Senior entertainment editor Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Andrew Webster
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