Apple users have certain expectations when it comes to using the company’s product line. The same can be said for Apple TV Plus subscribers. The platform – which has been going strong for five years – is packed full of sci-fi offerings that are engaging, provocative and sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.
Apple’s TV streaming service has flown under the radar since its launch in 2019, but thanks to the Ted Lasso effect, its record 72 Emmy nominations and the move to feature Apple TV Plus as an add-on to Prime Video, the broadcaster’s status has been growing.
Apple TV Plus may be considered a newcomer among big-name broadcasters like Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu, but the quality content the service has offered its viewers so far has put it at the top of our list for entertainment valid science fiction. Almost everything listed below is a must-see.
Highly conceptual and original in their storytelling, each genre show I’m highlighting below stays true to Apple’s sleek, “think different” brand. On the other hand, sci-fi shows like Severance, Foundation, and Dark Matter stand out from the crowded pack.
Below, you’ll find CNET’s guide to the best genre shows to watch on Apple TV Plus right now. You might be in the mood for a neo-noir mystery, an epic monster battle, a true fairy tale, or something with a sci-fi flair. There are choices, choices, choices. So settle in and click play.
Read more: Apple TV Plus review: Small library, but the quality is top notch
Rashida Jones stars as Suzie in Sunny, a series that Apple TV Plus describes as a dark comedy. After Suzie’s husband and child mysteriously disappear, she is gifted a robot to help her grieve. However, as the show unfolds, Suzie begins to learn her husband’s secrets, leading the program to take a darkly dramatic turn. Presented in a sleek, futuristic lens, Sunny feels very Black Mirror-y. And that’s a good thing.
If Ted Lasso set the stage for quirky comedies on the platform, Severance has to be the title that cemented Apple TV Plus as a broadcaster dedicated to high-concept genre programming. The series follows Mark (Adam Scott), who works for Lumon Industries, a biotech firm that has a unique (albeit terrifying) system to maintain the work-life balance of its employees. Ben Stiller executive produces and directs most episodes of the first season, proving once again that he is a stellar talent behind the camera.
What would life be like if the space race never stopped? This is the great question that answers For All Mankind. The prestigious sci-fi drama takes place in an alternate reality where America and the Soviets compete for dominance of outer space. Thanks to the ever-creative vision of show creator Ronald D. Moore and the committed performances of his epic cast, this is possibly the best sci-fi series you’re not watching.
Elisabeth Moss has typically chosen complex characters to sink her teeth into, and that trend continues in Shining Girls. The series, which takes inspiration from the book by Lauren Beukes, follows Kirby (Moss), a troubled woman who believes a recent murder is connected to a crime from her past. The mystery reveals a series of twists and turns as she teams up with a downtrodden investigative reporter (played by Wagner Moura) to find answers. This unpredictable thriller should have received more attention when it premiered in 2022.
What if we did things differently? All of us have asked ourselves this question at least once in our lives. That question comes to life in Dark Matter, a high-concept twisted series based on the book by Blake Crouch. The series stars Joel Edgerton as Jason, a college professor who suffers a strange attack that changes his life and reality. Jennifer Connelly, Jimmi Simpson and Alice Braga star alongside him in a show that will keep you guessing until the end of the season.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
The Godzilla universe finally came to TV in this Apple TV Plus series. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters seeks to uncover the organization’s secrets as they connect with the monsters that ravaged San Francisco. Kurt Russell stars in his first TV series role in nearly five decades. Here, he and his son Wyatt play Army officer Lee Shaw in the 1950s and today. The monsters and Russell’s star power alone are reason enough to tune in.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Samuel L. Jackson breaks away from the superhero genre to bring the themes of age and dementia to the fore. Here, he plays Ptolemy Grey, an elderly man with Alzheimer’s. Thanks to the support of an orphaned teenager and the progressive search of an extraordinary doctor, Ptolemy is able to regain his wits to close in on his life, while also seeking answers to the sudden death of his nephew.
Using Hugh Howey’s book trilogy as inspiration, Silo explores a dystopian future world where the survivors of humanity live in an underground facility. The diverse classist drama traverses the underground city. Population control, a murder mystery, and the potentially deadly world outside keep the show buzzing. Rebecca Ferguson, Common and Tim Robbins lead the ensemble cast.
Apple TV Plus did the unthinkable in adapting Isaac Asimov’s epic science fiction book series. But the broadcaster pulled it back. Jared Harris plays Hari Seldon, a math professor in exile, for predicting the fall of the Galactic Empire. Lee Pace gives an outstanding performance as Brother Day. The space drama follows Seldon and his followers as they fight to save humanity.
Jason Momoa flexes his acting chops in See. The show, created by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, explores a dystopian future where humanity has lost the ability to see. Loss of sight does not slow people’s ability to fight, however, and it is certainly a sight to see blind warriors wielding weapons for battle. Momoa’s charisma and passion shine through, which makes the show enjoyable, even if the concept is hard to believe.
Mark Protosevich, the writer responsible for films like Thor, I Am Legend and The Cell, created Sugar — a series that wears his love of the film noir genre on his sleeve. Visually, Sugar is a delight. Add Colin Farrell’s soft-spoken and empathetic private investigator to the mix and you have a murder-mystery with patience and compassion. An unexpected twist turns the show on its head later in the series, transforming the story into something else entirely.