What are the Best Apple TV Shows?

It’s been almost a year since its launch, and the streaming wars we were expecting are yet to get brutal. After years of market dominance, Amazon and Netflix are still looking superior despite the new Apple TV+ launch almost a year ago. For cash-strapped viewers, the mere thought of shelling out some extra dollars a month to add to an insurmountable bunch of unwatched content is not entirely encouraging.

So, what exactly is the problem? Why are people choosing Netflix continuously over Apple TV shows? Poorly done shows? Poor marketing? Or could it be that Apple simply doesn’t want to share its numbers? From what we know and expect, Apple TV+ was going to blow the world of watching with super quality TV shows and movies at a relatively low price of $5. So what are the best Apple TV shows?

Contents

• 1 Why are people not watching Apple TV+?
• 2 Are the numbers really that low?
• 3 Apple TV+ Content Is Good!
• 4 Best Apple TV Shows:
• 5 Apple TV Shows:
• 6 Movies
• 7 Why is no one watching Apple TV+ but everyone will watch Netflix?

Why are people not watching Apple TV+?

Despite being a giant competitor, the service continues to underperform even with the pandemic forcing everyone to spend most of their time on the big screen. What hurts, even more, is the fact that Apple used 6 billion dollars purely on streaming. This is more than a significant effort considering its place in the industry.

Of course, Apple is an established company with hundreds of millions of potential customers, so we’d expect Apple to shine. The whole world is stuck at home with very little to do but watch. The service has also invested in bringing high-profile names like Jason Momoa, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Aniston and debuted several series starring Chris Evans. Many signs from the start of it indicated a slow start for the service. Well, that is to be expected as this is an entirely new service trying to compete with giants such as Amazon and Netflix who have been in the industry for years, while still trying to build its own library of movies and shows.

Other signs indicate an even worse performance in the coming months when the free subscriptions run out. The interest in Apple TV shows has significantly decreased with very few visits. Google trends data between the time the service started and now shows very few upticks on search interest and a fading engagement.

Are the numbers really that low?

Best Apple TV Shows

We are not sure how many people are using Apple TV+ as Apple executives haven’t doled out the subscriber numbers. However, they claim that they are pleased with the results so far, but being pleased doesn’t equate to having a figure worth bragging about. For instance, Disney launched Disney+ streaming services two weeks after Apple TV Plus and boasted more than 55 million subscribers.

On the other hand, Apple is known to be a silent and smooth operator. They don’t release their numbers until an outstanding opportunity shows up. The company just doesn’t work with numbers. If you are keen enough, you may have noticed that the company stopped releasing the number of tablets and phones it was selling a few years ago, when critics noted a slip in iPhone sales. Something worth noting is that most companies, unlike Apple, tend to share something worth bragging about. Disney shared its first day numbers after hitting 10 million and then made the next announcement when it hit 50 million.

Without numbers, we can’t really tell what is cooking in the service’s pot. We can only rely on rumors, leaks, and third-party data. Some analysis points out that Apple has approximately 33 million Apple TV Plus subscribers. Other parties claim that the number is closer to 10 million. To make things clear, Hulu has over 32 million subscribers, while HBO has slightly below 10 million subscribers; both of these are available exclusively in America. Apple TV Plus is available in more than 100 countries.

If we can dig further into that comparison, Apple TV+ numbers are not abysmal. However, they come with a huge caveat, which means most people are not paying. They are simply offering a free service to anyone who purchases a new Apple product. We are talking about thousands of potential customers. Despite the vast numbers, many subscribers are on trial mode, meaning that we cannot actually come up with real figures that can separate real subscribers from trial subscribers. Apple’s dilemma is only a month away when the one-year subscription service will run out. Only then will we tell how Apple TV Plus service is doing.

The challenge will be made worse by the fact that there will be a lot of black Friday deals for viewers, and Apple may be forced to go back to the drawing board. If you have a good memory, maybe you should recall when Hulu was starting, it gave a one-dollar Black Friday offer to its subscribers, but when the period was over, more than 50 percent of the viewers canceled their service. So, what will be the magic behind moving $0 to $ 4.99 per month?

Apple TV+ Content Is Good!

It all boils down to what will capture the viewers by that time: The Morning show, Dickinson, Ted Lasso, Truth Be Told, or Defending Jacob. The truth is Apple TV has some great content worth watching and enough to keep people coming back every day.

While every streaming service has seen massive growth over the past couple of months, Apple TV+ is the only service that marked a substantially low percentage of sign-ups since April compared to Amazon, Disney+, and Netflix. Clearly, there hasn’t been much to get people coming back; viewers get pretty bored with similar content, especially those that don’t provoke any conversation.

However, we won’t be fair comparing Apple TV Plus slimmer offerings to big players such as Netflix. It took years for these services to become the powerhouses they are today. That means a lot of patience and persistence are needed by the Apple TV+ teams. We can all agree that there is a good start, and the service may actually do well if they could incorporate other ideas such as bringing in old movies and TV shows to capture their audience. Viewers want to scroll up and down to find something to watch, not get forced to watch what you want them to watch. With that said, Apple TV shows are underrated. Many people just don’t want to watch or accept that they are missing some great entertainment pieces.

Best Apple TV Shows:

Ready to watch Apple TV+

The first batch of TV shows was released in November 2019 to get the service started. Since then, Apple has consistently worked on its content library. Most of the shows were updated for the second season before they even premiered. So far, the service has renewed Dickinson, Home Before Dark, Central Park, See, Mythic Quest. Truth Be Told, The Morning Show, Trying, and Ted Lasso.

What is not certain is when we will get to watch the new episodes. Most TV production projects have been put on hold until the pandemic is over. The Morning Show was more than 60% done filming season 2 when it went on hold; For All Mankind has only one month left of filming, while Servant was filming episode 4 of ten of its second season. Dickinson went well as they had completed filming last year and is currently under post-production.

These shows intended to release their second seasons about one year after the first season, typically between October, November, and December. This release date seems likely, but it is also possible that Apple could split the seasons to give viewers something to watch this year.

While Apple TV Plus doesn’t have the highest amount of movies and shows like its competitors, the service invested heavily in a decent selection of original shows for the platform. Most of them have not managed to capture the eyes and hearts of the general public, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good.

Some of the best Apple TV shows include:

Apple TV Shows:

The Morning Show

A drama centering on the behind the scenes antics at a national morning news tv show. The Morning Show stars Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell as some of their main characters. The show was nominated for 4 Emmy Awards in 2020, Billy Crudup won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

See

See is an epic sci-fi drama set on earth centuries after a worldwide cataclysm renders all humans blind and the quest to find the few who can now ‘see’. The show stars Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard.

Truth Be Told

A real crime series that stars Aaron Paul and Octavia Spencer. Spencer plays a former New York Times writer whose articles helped commit a young teenager for murder. Now, as a real crime podcaster, she is going back over the case and is starting to second guess the ‘truth’.

For all Mankind

A sci-fi series created on an alternate timeline where the Soviet Union took a man to the moon before the US. How will the US react, and can they stay in the space race?

Defending Jacob

A son whose father is a lawyer is arrested for murder. The star in this show is Chris Evans, who stars as the defense attorney in town and shows what can happen to the family when their teenage son is put on trial.

Dickinson

A comedy centering on a fictional version of the poet Hailee Steinfeld plays, which she stars as Emily Dickinson.

Central Park

A new animated series by one of the creators of Bob’s Burgers and Josh Gad, this musical comedy is about a family of caretakers who live in Central Park who is trying to protect it. Featuring the voices of Titus Burgess, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, and many more.

Mythic Quest

From two creators of Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney team up once again to come up with this comedy series about a video game development studio and the team behind creating the next big game!

Home Before Dark

A mystery drama series that is inspired by the true life of Hilde Lysiakan 11-year-old who investigated a cold case murder for her neighborhood newspaper with the help of her journalist dad, and some helpful townspeople.

Ted Lasso

Based on an NBC Sports commercial for the Premier League staring Jason Sudeikis from 2013. Ted Lasso is a show about an American Football coach who signs on to be the head coach for a Premier League soccer team in London. It is heartwarming, funny, and has everyone cheering for the Richmond Soccer Club by the end. In my personal opinion, this is the best Apple TV Show or possibly the best show on any streaming service at the moment.

Movies

Greyhound

A World War 2 drama that was written and stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as a navy captain who leads several ships across the U-boat infested waters in his first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. This 90-minute film is action-packed, historically accurate, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Banker

An excellent drama inspired by actual life events about two black business people in the 1950s who seek creative ways of combating racism in pursuit of the American dream. It stars the famous Samuel L Jackson and Anthony Mackie.

Hala

Executive produced by Jada Pinket-Smith, Hala is a drama about an American-Pakistani teenager struggling to balance her religious and cultural heritage with her American friends as she desires to fit in. Executive produced by Jada Pinket-Smith.

Why is no one watching Apple TV+ but everyone will watch Netflix?

So Why is no one watching Apple TV but everyone will watch Netflix? Netflix is way more expensive as its lowest price is typically double what Apple costs. So, it is not the price chasing viewers away. Our next consideration may be the devices used to stream.

Are Apple devices expensive? Yes. So, we have a culprit. Apple TV is majorly available in Mac devices, iOS, and Apple TV boxes. It is also available in Samsung smart TVs, Roku devices, and people who use the Chrome browser, Firefox, or Safari can access the Apple TV. Other available devices include some Sony smart TVs with the Apple TV app and android TV. Apple TV also expanded access to Vizio and LG smart TVs. While this was expected, we don’t expect any plans to launch Apple TV for Android Tablets and smartphones.

In terms of availability, Netflix and other big streaming services have a broader field to play as they support almost any devices the market could offer. Apple TV is quite limited which makes it possible to lag behind. Viewers want a reliable means of streaming they can depend on wherever they are. We use our smartphones and carry them almost everywhere. For this reason, we are more prompted to catch up with the latest series through our phones than the big screens. If Apple TV is not available on Android smartphones, then it is a loss to the service because we have more Android smartphone users than iPhone users.

Apple TV is only available in 100 countries. This is just half of the number of countries Netflix reaches. Well, Apple TV+ does not include any older content for obvious reasons such as getting rights, which can be pretty tough in different territories. This is another reason why Apple TV is not being watched.

When it comes to shows and movies, Apple TV has very little to display as most of the new projects have been put on hold. The service has released several amazing shows, but it is almost impossible to compare between what Apple TV has vs. Netflix. While we should expect a wide range of great upcoming original shows, they still have not captured the public’s attention.

If you are a movie fanatic, you want to make sure that you search through the layers of movies to get something decent to watch. Apple TV+ doesn’t offer you this privilege, and perhaps that is why it is cheaper. However, we should sit back and watch how more content will change the entire streaming industry.