There’s a particular kind of magic that only comes with a first watch of a TV series — the sort of thing that makes you gasp at a twist you didn’t see coming, get emotionally invested in a story and its characters, and whisks you away someplace else thanks to the visual magic of the medium. I’ve actually thought about this a lot while watching Apple TV+. It’s no secret that Apple doesn’t release as much content as most of the other streamers, but whenever Apple does get it right the result is often unforgettable.
On that score, I’ve rounded up six Apple TV+ series below that are honestly so good, I wish I could erase them from memory just so I could experience them again for the first time. They range from heartwarming comedy to spy adventures and prestige drama that’s as good as anything Hollywood has done in years.
Acapulco
Bright, joyful, and full of heart, Acapulco has loads of How I Met Your Mother/The Wonder Years energy, thanks to narration by an older version of the show’s main character — Maximo Gallardo, who as a young man in 1984 lands his dream job at the Las Colinas beach resort in Acapulco. The coming-of-age story unfolds with such a deft balance of charm and depth that by the end of each episode, you’re either grinning or teary-eyed — and many times, both.
The pastel-colored aesthetic and overall wholesome introduction to Mexico’s culture certainly made me want to dig out my passport for that first visit to Mexico I keep planning.
Drops of God
It somehow feels like underselling this next Apple TV+ standout by describing it as a mere TV show. Drops of God is a feast for the senses disguised as a family drama — sort of like a wine industry version of Succession. At the center of it all is a globe-spanning narrative stemming from the death of a wine expert who sets up a series of tests in order to determine who will inherit his estate: Will it be his estranged daughter, or his prized pupil?
The series is tense, beautiful, and quietly devastating. And befitting its subject, the cinematography here is as intoxicating as an aged Bourdeaux.
Pachinko
This dreamy adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s award-winning novel is, without question, one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen on television.
It begins in Japanese-occupied Korea and follows Sunja, a young woman whose decisions echo across generations, as her family migrates to Japan and struggles to carve out a life amid war, discrimination, and dislocation. The title refers to the Japanese gambling game — one the family eventually turns into a livelihood — but it’s also a haunting metaphor for the randomness of life, the slim odds of success, and the quiet resilience of those determined to endure.
Here again, this is an Apple TV+ show that’s on par with cinema. The visuals, the acting, and the storytelling in Pachinko are each breathtaking in their own right. Watching the show, dare I say, might even change you, not unlike the way traveling outside one’s home country for the first time makes a profound impression on you.
Severance
This next one broke the internet just a few months ago, with its jaw-dropping and supremely addictive second season.
The premise behind Severance sounds simple: What if you could split your work and personal memories into two separate lives? The execution ended up being a masterclass in slow-burn tension, eerie world-building, and existential dread. Severance is actually so good, it’s now the most-watched Apple TV+ series of all time, according to the streamer, and I envy anyone discovering this puzzle box for the very first time.
Slow Horses
It’s rare for a spy thriller to be both razor-sharp and grimy, but Slow Horses pulls off that quirky balancing act thanks in large part to Gary Oldman’s glorious mess of a lead performance. The show also pulls off a neat trick — it turns the espionage genre on its head by focusing on a team of MI5 outcasts rather than more competent secret agents with movie star good looks. The resulting story somehow makes these characters’ loser status feel both hilarious and heroic. This is basically espionage with a hangover. It’s messy and unpredictable.
In a genre obsessed with perfection, Slow Horses makes failure look like a superpower.
Tehran
From its opening moments, Tehran grabs you and doesn’t let go. This tightly-wound espionage thriller follows Tamar, a Mossad hacker sent undercover in Iran’s capital, where one wrong move could mean the end — not just for her mission, but for her life. What makes the show stand out isn’t just the cat-and-mouse plotting, but the emotional depth running beneath every decision Tamar makes. It’s a story about identity, loyalty, and the psychological cost of living a lie.
The upcoming third season has me especially excited — not just because Tehran raised its game significantly in Season 2, but also thanks to the arrival of Hugh Laurie, who joins the cast as a nuclear plant supervisor. When spy thrillers are done right, avoiding tired tropes and leaning into sharp writing and believable tradecraft, they’re among my favorite kinds of shows to stream. And Tehran delivers so strongly, fans of The Bureau and The Americans will feel right at home here. With a lead actress who commands every scene and a constant undercurrent of tension, double-crosses, and moral ambiguity, Tehran stays a step ahead at every turn.
