While Apple TV Plus may lack the quantity of a Netflix or Prime Video, it certainly makes up for it in quality. Apple’s streaming service doesn’t have the vast catalog filled with licensed content that its rivals boast.
Yet, the best Apple TV Plus shows and the best Apple TV Plus movies original shows and movies are more than worth the $7/month subscription. You’ve probably seen Ted Lasso and our No. 1 TV show of 2022, Severance. But Apple TV Plus is constantly adding new shows to its library, so you may have missed a recent gem. One show on this list got a better score in its recently-debuted second season than its first.
Some titles are more along the lines of genre fare and crowd-pleasers. However, a handful of new Apple TV Plus shows have earned a 90% rating or above on Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews aggregator. That’s the equivalent of an A grade. Here are five that are top of the class.
Silo
This dystopia drama is set in the eponymous bunker, buried a mile deep into the ground, which houses the last 10,000 survivors of an apocalyptic event. The subterranean city, spanning 144 floors, is ruled by authorities who forbid any mention or memento of the past.
Nobody knows what happened, nor when or why the silo was built. Questions come with dire consequences. But when mechanic Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) is thrust into the role of sheriff, her curiosity cannot remain contained. She wants answers about why her predecessor (David Oyelowo) voluntarily chose to leave the silo. Juliette ends up discovering a conspiracy that stretches wider and deeper than she imagined.
Seasons: 1 (ongoing)
Genre: Dystopian thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
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Schmigadoon!
This delightful musical comedy is to Broadway shows as Only Murders in the Building is to true crime dramas — both a spoof and an excellent rendition of the genre. Schmigadoon! first takes on the bright colors and wholesome cheer of the Golden Age of musicals in the ‘40s and ‘50s.
A couple (Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) find themselves trapped in a parallel universe where the residents break out into song and dance. The only way to escape is to cross a bridge with one’s true love — except it doesn’t work for them.
In its recently-released second season, the show trades in the bucolic village setting for the gritty streets of Schmicago! The darker, sexier tone and risqué musical numbers reflect ‘70s era Broadway. And this time, finding a happy ending is a tougher task.
Seasons: 2
Genre: Musical comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (season 2: 97%, season 1: 89%)
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The Big Door Prize
What if you knew exactly who and what you should be? This surreal, Twilight Zone-lite show grapples with the idea of fate, destiny, or as it calls it, “true life potential.” A mysterious machine promises to reveal just that, after it suddenly and inexplicably arrives in a small town.
The residents react in different ways to the potential cards spit out by Morpho. History teacher Dusty Hubbard (Chris O’Dowd) was generally content with wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara). But in his case, knowledge of his destiny is deflating and demoralizing. For others, however, the newly-revealed fates serve as catalysts for change.
Seasons: 1 (ongoing)
Genre: Dramedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
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Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker
Tennis aficionados will appreciate this thorough, well-told portrait of German superstar Boris Becker. It chronicles the once-iconic player’s rise and fall, as clearly delineated by the fact that the two episodes are titled “Triumph” and “Disaster.”
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney explores how Becker went from a tennis prodigy who won Wimbledon at the age of 17 to a trainwreck with multiple divorces, a paternity scandal and financial offenses that land him in prison for multiple years. In fact, Gibney talks to Becker just days before his sentencing. His own interviews are supplemented by sit-downs with other tennis greats, including John McEnroe, Björn Borg and Novak Djokovic.
Seasons: 1
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
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Drops of God
Nothing gets the (grape) juices flowing like a competition with high stakes. In Drops of God, Camille (Fleur Geffrier) discovers her estranged father has left her a wine collection considered the greatest in the world. As the creator of the famous Léger Wine Guide, he was one of the foremost figures in oenology.
But in order to claim the inheritance, Camille must face off against the brilliant young oenologist Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita). It’s a showdown between a biological daughter and a spiritual son. They will endure three tests related to wine tasting, with the winner taking all. But Camille knows nothing about wine — she’s never even drunk a single drop!
Seasons: 1 (ongoing)
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
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