These are the upcoming Apple TV Plus shows everyone will be talking about

Apple passed the one-year mark for its streaming service back in the fall, capping a jam-packed first year with some wildly popular Apple TV Plus shows like Ted Lasso. Plus sleeper hits like For All Mankind, which I’ve come to find has a kind of cult-like following. Bottom line, though, the service has certainly proved itself and then some, settling the question some people had at the outset of whether Apple was biting off more than it could chew by entering this space so late. And a space that’s also outside its core competencies, focused on hardware and software creation.

For my money — I’m always up for a solid spy thriller — the Apple TV Plus series Tehran from last year, which is currently filming its second season, is the best thing on the streamer. Homeland-level good, without the parts of Homeland that dragged it down. Definitely check it out if you haven’t yet. Below, meanwhile, you’ll find a list of some of the upcoming Apple shows to keep an eye on. Because these, for one reason or another, will have everyone talking. And some of them may even keep the service’s hit parade going.

Apple TV Plus shows coming soon

Two of the shows below don’t have official release dates that have been confirmed yet. Nevertheless, they’re all coming soon and should definitely be part of your list of shows to check out. Without further ado:

The Morning Show (September 17)

#TheMorningShow will be back on air September 17 only on Apple TV+. Things have definitely changed since the last time you tuned in, and you won’t want to miss it. #AppleOriginals https://t.co/87VSBbv0RA pic.twitter.com/6BF7lOkstA

— The Morning Show (@TheMorningShow) June 14, 2021

The linchpin show of the Apple TV Plus launch slate will be back in less than a month for its sophomore season. I’m including it on this list, because irrespective of the quality and the degree to which people like it or not — I suspect that, like the headline notes, everyone will nevertheless be talking about this one. That was certainly the case with Season 1. Apple TV Plus was still finding its feet when everyone gravitated to this star-packed show.

From Apple: “The Morning Show explores the cutthroat world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the minefield of high-octane jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, The Morning Show is an unapologetically candid drama that looks at the power dynamics between women and men, and women and women, in the workplace.”

Foundation (September 24)

Shorten the darkness and save the galaxy. #Foundation premieres September 24, only on Apple TV+ #AppleOriginals pic.twitter.com/hzvqyDf2AO

— Foundation (@Foundation_) August 19, 2021

Sci-fi fans are salivating over this one. Isaac Asimov’s work, coming to the streamer? Plus Jared Harris? Lee Pace? This one has the makings of a winner. And Apple just this week released a trailer to get you excited ahead of the Season 1 launch next month.

From Apple: “Featuring an international cast led by Emmy Award nominees Jared Harris and Lee Pace, alongside rising stars Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey, the monumental adaptation chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.”

The Problem With Jon Stewart (September)

Sorry for the aborted launch!!! I’m a bad twitterer.
Enjoy this small step for man! pic.twitter.com/6gBHHJLByQ

— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) July 20, 2021

Ex-Daily Show host Jon Stewart has been away from our TVs, and from a truly insane news cycle over the past few years, for way too long. He’s rectifying that come September, with the launch of his new show for Apple TV Plus.

From Apple: “The Problem with Jon Stewart is a multiple season, one-hour, single-issue series which will explore topics that are currently part of the national conversation and his advocacy work. Each season of the series will be further explored in a companion podcast to continue the discussion.”

Five Days at Memorial (TBA)

Last but not least, I have high hopes for this one partly because of the team involved. Five Days At Memorial is a limited series from John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, American Crime) and Carlton Cuse (Locke & Key, Jack Ryan, Lost). Ridley and Cuse will both serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers on the project.

The series is based on a book of the same name, tracking events at a New Orleans hospital during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. For that reason, I also think this one will be incredibly timely, because of the coronavirus pandemic we’re still living through.

From Apple: “Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sheri Fink, Five Days At Memorial chronicles the first five days in a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. When the floodwaters rose, the power failed and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers were forced to make life-and-death decisions that haunted them for years to come.”