You’d be mistaken if you think Severance is the only must-watch sci-fi TV show on Apple TV Plus. Apple’s original entertainment platform has steadily churned out top-notch genre titles for years. Finally, audiences are discovering what you and I have known for a while.
The problem with Apple TV Plus is that its library is packed with high-quality programs, and it can be confusing to determine which one to click play on first. But that won’t discourage you. How do I know? You could’ve gone to Netflix or Prime Video — each streamer is chock-full of sci-fi goodies — but your preferences led you here. I compiled a list of worthy shows to dig into below.
Outside the box and creative in their storytelling, each science fiction program I put on the list below stays true to Apple’s stylish branding. As the company’s classic ad campaign states, it “thinks different.” Sci-fi shows such as For All Mankind, Foundation and Dark Matter are clear standouts on my list. Newcomers like Murderbot are keeping Apple TV Plus a must-have streamer. And, yes, there’s always Severance.
Below, you’ll find CNET’s guide to the best genre shows to watch on Apple TV Plus right now. You could be in the mood for a neo-noir mystery, an epic monster battle or something with a scientific 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
The adaptation of Martha Wells’ bestselling book series, Murderbot Diaries, has already carved a unique niche in Apple TV Plus’s sci-fi library. Starring Alexander Skarsgård (who delivers in everything he’s in) as the murder-y bot in question, the program follows the exploits of a security bot who protects his human clients while secretly watching hours upon hours of TV. If you want action, comedy and science fiction, Murderbot delivers all three.
All six episodes of Dr. Brain were directed by Kim Jee-woon (the director behind I Saw the Devil), which pretty much tells you that this show will be a dark and twisted ride. The series follows a brain scientist named Sewon Koh, who’s found a way to hack into the memories of dead people. This is a medical breakthrough, to be sure, but Sewon is more focused on using this experimental technique to solve the mystery behind a family tragedy.
Rashida Jones stars as Suzie in Sunny, a series Apple TV Plus describes as a dark comedy. After Suzie’s husband and child mysteriously disappear, she is given a robot to help her grieve. 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, near-future lens, Sunny feels very Black Mirror-y, which is 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 streamer devoted 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 its employees’ work-life balance. Ben Stiller executive produces and directs most of the first season’s episodes, proving once again he’s a stellar talent behind the camera.
Hello Tomorrow! takes place in a retro-future where door-to-door salesmen sell real estate on the moon. The world-building is one of the biggest draws of the series, which unfortunately didn’t get a season 2 renewal. Billy Crudup, Allison Pill, Dawshane Williams, Hank Azaria and Susan Heyward make up the show’s strong cast.
What would life be like if the space race never stopped? That’s the big question For All Mankind answers. The prestige sci-fi drama occurs in an alternate reality where America and the Soviets compete for outer-space dominance. Thanks to the always creative vision of show creator Ronald D. Moore and the committed performances of its epic ensemble cast, this is probably the best science fiction series you’re not watching.
What if we did things differently? We’ve all asked ourselves that question at least once throughout our lives. That question comes to life in Dark Matter, a high-concept twisted series based on Blake Crouch’s book. The series stars Joel Edgerton as Jason, a college professor who suffers a strange assault that alters his life and reality. Jennifer Connelly, Jimmi Simpson and Alice Braga co-star alongside him in a show that’ll keep you guessing until the season’s finale.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
The Godzilla universe finally came to TV in this Apple TV Plus series. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters seeks to reveal the organization’s secrets as they connect to the monsters who leveled San Francisco. Kurt Russell stars in his first role in a TV series in nearly five decades. Here, he and his son Wyatt play Army officer Lee Shaw in the 1950s and present day. The monsters and Russell’s star power alone are reasons enough to tune in.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Samuel L. Jackson pivots away from the superhero genre to bring topics of age and dementia to the forefront. Here, he plays Ptolemy Grey, an aging man with Alzheimer’s. Thanks to the support of an orphaned teen and the progressive research of an extraordinary doctor, Ptolemy can regain his wits to get closure in his own life while also looking for answers to his nephew’s sudden death.
Using Hugh Howey’s book trilogy as inspiration, Silo explores a dystopian future world where humanity’s survivors live in an underground structure. Varied classist drama permeates the underground city. Population control, a murder mystery and the potentially lethal world outside keep the show humming. Rebecca Ferguson, Common and Tim Robbins lead the ensemble cast.
Apple TV Plus did the unthinkable in adapting Isaac Asimov’s epic sci-fi book series. But the streamer pulled it off. Jared Harris plays Hari Seldon, an exiled math professor, for predicting the fall of the Galactic Empire. Lee Pace delivers a formidable 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 program, created by Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight, explores a dystopian future where humanity has lost the ability to see. The loss of sight doesn’t slow down people’s ability to battle, and it surely is a spectacle to see blind warriors wield weapons for war. Momoa’s charisma and passion shine through, which makes the show enjoyable, even if it is a hard-to-believe concept.
Mark Protosevich, the writer responsible for movies like Thor, I Am Legend and The Cell, created Sugar — a series that wears its love for the film noir genre on its sleeve. Visually, Sugar is a delight. Add Colin Farrell’s soft-spoken, empathetic private investigator to the mix, and you have a stylish murder mystery with patience and compassion. An unexpected twist flips the show on its head later in the series, transforming the story into something else entirely.
