15 Most Underrated Shows Streaming On Apple TV

Apple TV has consistently proven itself as one of the best streaming platforms for television, producing endlessly watchable, sometimes mind-bending shows for everyone to enjoy. From feel-good series like "Ted Lasso" to thrilling head-scratchers like "Severance" and "Silo," the platform has become a go-to destination for prestige TV.

If you keep up with TV news, you've probably heard of Apple TV's buzziest shows, such as "Pluribus" and "Widow's Bay." But the streamer is home to plenty of other great series that have flown under the radar. Though Apple TV has become increasingly known for science fiction fare, you can also find some great comedies and even musical TV on the platform. The media giant has also dove into K-dramas and other international productions in recent years.

If you're looking for your next watch and have seen all of the biggest shows, you've come to the right place. These are the 15 most underrated shows streaming on Apple TV.

Who doesn't love a good police drama? Apple TV tried its hand at this classic genre with "Criminal Record," and the result was one of the best British crime series of all time. Cush Jumbo plays June Lenker, a detective looking into a murder from 12 years ago. Her concerns lead her to veteran detective Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi), who's not too keen on having an ambitious young woman question his conclusions. This tense thriller pits the two detectives against each other, showing us two sides of the story and allowing us to choose who we believe.

"Criminal Record" features tightly plotted, no-frills storytelling brought to life by two excellent actors. Despite the frequent microaggressions she experiences at work, Jumbo's Lenker holds her own and possesses a ferocious tenacity. Meanwhile, Capaldi plays Hegarty not as a villain, exactly, but as a member of the old guard who may stand in the way of progress. The second season follows a terrorist threat and sees the dynamic between Lenker and Hegarty shift in a fascinating way. The characters are well-rounded, and the show's morality is more grey than black-and-white.

Despite its five seasons and a very promising spinoff, "For All Mankind" never achieved the popularity of its Apple TV contemporaries, such as "Ted Lasso" and "Severance." That's too bad, because it's one of the best shows the streaming service has to offer. The ambitious series takes place in a world where the Soviets beat the U.S. to the moon, an event that impacts the unfolding of history for decades to come. The show follows a group of astronauts, scientists, and others involved in the space race as they contend with the evolution of space travel.

The performances in "For All Mankind" are phenomenal, and we get the pleasure of seeing some of the actors (Joel Kinnaman, for example) age over the course of several decades. Despite the show's interest in large-scale political changes, it remains a character-driven drama, and we track world events through their eyes. All of the space-based sequences are absolutely mesmerizing, but it's these intrepid space-farers that keep us coming back for more. The spin-off series "Star City," which takes place in the Soviet Union, is equally enthralling, and we can't wait to see what else the show has to offer.

If you're as familiar with her game as we are, you know Tatiana Maslany is one of the greatest TV actors we have today, so imagine our delight when we witnessed her delivering yet another fantastic performance in the underrated series "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed." Maslany plays Paula, a beleaguered soccer mom suffering through a bitter divorce from her ex (Jake Johnson). Paula has become dependent on a cam boy, Trevor (Brandon Flynn), for comfort, and when he's kidnapped during one of their online sessions, she sets out to solve the mystery.

Despite Paula's frequently misguided behavior, it's hard not to root for her thanks to Maslany's committed performance. Her co-stars, which include Dolly de Leon as a stony-faced cop and Charlie Hall as her fact-checking coworker, provide great comic relief, and Murray Bartlett has a juicy turn as a villain. As funny as it is thrilling, "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed" is a biting dark comedy replete with shocking plot twists and an utterly charming performance from Maslany.

From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of films like "The Lego Movie" and "Project Hail Mary," comes "The Afterparty," a deliriously fun murder mystery on Apple TV. The anthology series, which ran for two seasons before it was canceled, stars Tiffany Haddish as Detective Danner. The first season centers on the murder of pop star Xavier (Dave Franco), who wasn't well-liked, while the second follows the death of billionaire Edgar Minnows (Zach Woods).

The show makes great use of non-linear storytelling, with every episode showing us the different perspectives of the suspects during the night of the murders. The series also uses frequent flashbacks to illustrate some of the characters' motives for murder. Haddish, who is relatively subdued in the role, does impressive work here, though "The Afterparty" is ultimately an ensemble show. Her co-stars include great comedic talents like Sam Richardson, Ike Barinholtz, Ilana Glazer, Poppy Liu, and John Cho. The mystery narrative is genuinely clever and compelling, while the comedy is top-notch.

The underseen Apple TV series "Swagger" is a dramatization of NBA player Kevin Durant's origin story. Isaiah Hill plays Jace Carlson, a talented high school basketball player. O'Shea Jackson Jr. plays Ike Edwards, a coach who mentors Jace and helps him achieve greatness. Though it was canceled after two seasons, it's still worth watching as both a nuanced high school drama and a rousing sports story.

Jackson delivers a powerful performance in the series, reminding us of Edwards' once-promising talent and the cost of his dashed dreams, while proving what it takes to be a good mentor. The show features classic coming-of-age tropes, but it has a necessary air of authenticity that keeps the characters from falling flat. All of the basketball sequences are thrilling to watch and shot using dynamic cinematography that gives it a zippy feel. Though you know where Durant's real-life story ended up, the stakes for these characters feel real, and you get the sense that success is far from a guarantee. It's one of the best shows streaming on Apple TV, even if not many folks have seen it.

Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen have both done some great work on Apple TV, with Byrne donning a leotard for "Physical" and Rogen penning a brilliant takedown of Hollywood in "The Studio." The two talented actors teamed up for "Platonic," a charming comedy that deserves more love. When we first meet Rogen's character, Will, he's going through a divorce. This inspires Byrne's Sylvia to reconnect with her former friend after years of estrangement. Their renewed friendship makes Sylvia's husband, Charlie (Luke Macfarlane), jealous, and the show light-heartedly touches on the central question posed in "When Harry Met Sally." Can men and women really be friends?

More of a buddy comedy than a deep exploration of social expectations, "Platonic" nonetheless offers Byrne and Rogen a chance to do both broad humor and more nuanced character work. Their ostensibly opposing sensibilities — Byrne often plays uptight women while Rogen has a goofy, nice-guy aura — play well off each other, and it's nice to see Byrne retain her native Australian accent. The series approaches friendship, particularly friendship between men and women, in a refreshingly honest manner, and the slow creep of middle age is treated with a deft comedic hand.

Co-created by "Bob's Burgers" masterminds Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith alongside singer and actor Josh Gad, "Central Park" is an animated musical comedy that marches to the beat of its own drum. The series centers on the Tillerman–Hunter family, led by devoted park manager and dad Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.), and mom Paige (Kathryn Hahn). Gad voices Birdie, a busker who narrates the series, and Stanley Tucci plays the role of Bitsy Brandenham, a mean old lady trying to buy up all the land in Central Park. (His assistant, Helen, is voiced by Daveed Diggs.)

"Central Park" is a character-driven comedy-musical that concocts inventive storylines for both its heroes and villains and features hilarious, catchy songs that help tell the story. The talented voice cast also includes Kristen Bell (whose biracial character was recast with Emmy Raver-Lampman in Season 2), Tituss Burgess, Patti LuPone James, Ed Asner, and guest stars like Audra McDonald and Fred Armisen. The series comes off like an animated Broadway musical, and it has the kind of heart fans of "Bob's Burgers" have come to expect.

"Little America" is a wonderful anthology series that didn't get enough love when it premiered in 2020. Created by husband-and-wife duo Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon alongside Lee Eisenberg, each episode of "Little America" tells the real-life story of an immigrant in America, as featured in Epic Magazine. Different directors helm each episode, including Indian-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta and "CODA" director Sian Heder, and most feature unknown actors, giving the series an unadorned sense of authenticity.

Though the show tackles some difficult topics, certain episodes have a lighthearted, inspiring, and even comedic element to them, such as "The Cowboy," which follows a Nigerian student who becomes accustomed to the cowboy lifestyle, and "The Son," a tale about a gay Syrian refugee told through the music of Kelly Clarkson. It's a moving collection of stories, each told in a unique style over approximately 30 minutes. The series beautifully illustrates the diversity of this country and the myriad ways the American dream has been explored by those who move here.

"Trying" is a lovely British show with some of the sweetness of "Ted Lasso," though it focuses on a different kind of family dynamic. Jason (Rafe Spall) and Nikki (Esther Smith) are a couple in their 30s hoping to have kids. When they discover that Nikki is unlikely to be able to conceive, they turn to adoption, which is more arduous than either of them could have imagined. The adoption process, which includes home visits from caseworker Penny (Imelda Staunton), causes them to reconsider their entire lives and every choice they've made in the past.

Though poking fun at the absurdity of the British adoption system, "Trying" is ultimately a kindhearted, empathetic show that highlights human beings' ability to maintain their inherent goodness amidst difficult circumstances. The struggles of infertility, and in later seasons, the reality of parenting, are explored with candor and honesty, but the show never forgets it's a comedy, either. "Trying" expands beyond its initial adoption process premise over five seasons, and the chemistry between Spall and Smith only gets better over time.

The first K-drama produced by Apple TV, "Dr. Brain" is a trippy series based on a Korean webtoon. Lee Sun-kyun plays Sewon Koh, a scientist who discovers how to "sync" living brains with those of the deceased. He uses this new technology to look into the deaths of his wife and son, delving into their memories to try and piece together what really happened. His investigation reveals a dangerous conspiracy, and also warps his sense of reality, as his own memories and the memories of the dead start to blur together.

The series emphasizes the disorientation Sewon feels by creating a surreal tone that draws us deeper into the central mystery. "Dr. Brain" plays with genre, combining elements of horror, melodrama, and procedural, helmed by the stylish hand of acclaimed Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-woon. Kim uses visuals to great effect, changing the saturation to illustrate distinctions in mental state and using unusual camera angles to create an off-kilter look. Lee, who is best-known to American audiences for his work in "Parasite," died in 2023, precluding any possibility of a second season.

Like "Succession" before it, "Drops of God" centers on the question of who will take over a corporate empire once its leader steps away, though the former show has been seen by many more eyeballs. Based on a manga so popular it drove up wine sales in East Asia, "Drops of God" begins with the death of wealthy wine lover Alexandre Léger (Stanley Weber). Manipulative in both life and death, Alexandre creates a wine-tasting test to determine who his massive wine collection will go to. It's between his estranged French daughter, Camille (Fleur Geffrier), and his Japanese protege, Issei (Tomohisa Yamashita).

As the competition sets off, Camille and Issei both contemplate their relationship to wine and to the mercurial Alexandre. One of the reasons the manga inspired so much wine consumption was its immersive, educational wine-tasting scenes, and the series adapts these sequences beautifully for the screen. Moments where Issei and Camille taste (or smell, in Camille's case, because she doesn't drink wine) are accompanied by visceral flashbacks and dreamy hallucinations that indicate each character's reaction to the drink. The show's mixing of French and Japanese style and language creates a unique tone not found in other series, and its artistic, fantastical elements make for a riveting watch.

Like the more recent drama "East of Eden," Apple TV's "Pachinko" is a brilliant series based on a historical novel. Adapted from the 2017 book of the same name by Min Jin Lee, the series begins in the early 20th century, following Kim Sunja (Kim Min-ha), who immigrates to Osaka during the brutal Japanese occupation of Korea. In a parallel timeline, we meet an elderly Sunja (Youn Yuh-jung), whose hardships during the war have trickled down to the younger generations. In the 1980s, her grandson, Baek Solomon (Jin Ha), returns to Japan for a business opportunity and learns more about his family's past.

This spellbinding series is one of the best on Apple TV, and despite critical acclaim, it never became a big hit. "Pachinko" features stunning cinematography and a tear-jerking storyline about generational trauma. It's fascinating to watch how Sunja's experiences in the 1930s and 1940s continue to affect her family decades down the line, and witness the many changes that have occurred during her lifetime. It's a poignant story about survival and the power of love to get us through the hard times.

"Servant" was one of the first shows Apple TV released following its launch in 2019, and it remains one of the platform's best. The four-season slow-burn from director M. Night Shyamalan is a horror series without a bad season, and it even received a seal of approval from horror legend Stephen King. Lauren Ambrose and Toby Kebbell play Dorothy and Sean, a couple reeling from the loss of their infant son, Jericho. Following the advice of a therapist, they bring a lifelike baby doll into the home to cope with the grief. Dorothy comes to believe the doll is real, and even hires a nanny, Leanne (Nell Tiger Free), to care for him. Dorothy's delusion is eerie enough, but with Leanne's arrival, things get even stranger.

"Servant" keeps its secrets close to the chest, and much of the series traffics in psychological horror and a subtle distortion of reality. This tone effectively builds tension, and the spooky atmosphere is palpable. As the series progresses, the terrors these characters face become more corporeal in nature, upping the fear factor to a thrilling degree. With only a few characters carrying the series, the acting is impeccable, and it also includes the talents of the underrated Rupert Grint, who plays Dorothy's younger brother.

Though it probably won't appeal to everyone, "Schmigadoon!" is a tart treat for musical junkies. The meta comedy follows Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong), an unhappy couple who go on a camping trip to try and revive their relationship. What they find instead is Schmigadoon, a town where everyone behaves like they're in a 1940s musical, complete with singing, dancing, and not-so-progressive politics. In the second season, which is at least as good as the first, Josh and Melissa try to return to the town only to find it's now Schmicago, and is modeled after 1970s musicals instead.

"Schmigadoon!" is both a brilliant send-up of movie musicals and a loving homage to the art form. The self-aware nature of the show allows the characters (particularly Melissa) to explicitly comment on musical tropes, and the songs themselves sound Broadway-ready. The incredible supporting cast includes Aaron Tveit, Ariana DeBose, and Kristin Chenoweth, and we only wish we got more of them. The show's central tension, of two characters who find themselves in a musical they never signed up for, is played for great effect, and it's a shame we didn't get to see it unfurl for longer than two seasons.

Though it shares a resort setting with "The White Lotus," "Acapulco" is a feel-good comedy without the darkly cynical bent of that HBO hit. The series follows two timelines. In the present day, Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) is a wealthy businessman living in Malibu. He recounts the story of his younger years to his nephew, Hugo (Raphael Alejandro), beginning in 1984, when Maximo (played in this timeline by Enrique Arrizon) worked at a fancy resort in Acapulco, Mexico.

The series is self-consciously nostalgia-tinged, and it's clear that Maximo is not quite a reliable narrator, adding a few hyperbolic flourishes to keep Hugo engaged. But he doesn't need to invent much, because Maximo's story is an entertaining one. Though the 1980s characters seem archetypal at first (Maximo's workplace crush and his intimidating boss, for example), the stories quickly begin bursting with color, literally and figuratively, and the clever writing gives us a chance to get to know everyone in Maximo's orbit. "Acapulco" is steeped in sentimentality, though it never turns saccharine thanks to its silly, lighthearted sense of humor. Still, the show doesn't sacrifice humor for depth, making keen observations about class and the circumstances that divide the resort's guests from its staff.