AppleTV - what’s worth watching?

[BSR]

I got 3 free months of AppleTV for buying an iPad but gotta say, I wasn’t thrilled by the offerings.  All the stuff I wanted to watch, you had to rent/buy or sign up with another streaming service.  Come on, surely there must be some free movies/series worth watching.  So please, give your recommendations.  A few words about why you liked it would be appreciated.

[+ ApexNomad]

3 hours ago, BSR said:

I got 3 free months of AppleTV for buying an iPad but gotta say, I wasn’t thrilled by the offerings.  All the stuff I wanted to watch, you had to rent/buy or sign up with another streaming service.  Come on, surely there must be some free movies/series worth watching.  So please, give your recommendations.  A few words about why you liked it would be appreciated.

Surface:

If you love mysteries that keep you guessing, Surface is for you. It’s a sleek psychological thriller that dives into themes of identity, memory, and trust. You’re constantly questioning what’s real and who’s lying, which makes it completely binge-worthy. Great, understated performances.

Ted Lasso:

If you haven’t watched Ted Lasso yet, you’re missing out on one of the most heartwarming, feel-good shows ever. It’s funny, uplifting, and surprisingly deep.

Silo:

Silo is one of the best new sci-fi shows out there—it’s a slow-burn mystery that’s both thought-provoking and thrilling. Set in a massive underground silo where society’s been living for generations, the story follows people questioning why they’re there and what’s really outside. The production design is stunning, the performances (led by the amazing Rebecca Ferguson) are incredible, and every episode leaves you wanting more. If you love shows like The Expanse or Westworld, you’ll be obsessed with this.

[+ Cash4Trash]

They filmed the original Broadway Cast of Come From Away and it's on their site.  1) Slow Horses 2) Ted Lasso 3) Severance

[Bokomaru]

Ted Lasso is as good as TV gets.
 

My number 2 pick would be Foundation.  It’s not uniformly perfect but the scale of the story is grand. It’s deeply philosophical in some parts. 
 

… only for those into sci-fi though. 

[ManTouch]

In addition to the shows above, Shrinking and For All Mankind are probably my favorites.  The Morning Show, Bad Monkey and Presumed Innocent are also above average.

[+ poolboy48220]

For All Mankind, a re-envisioning of the space race where the USSR beats the US to the first moon landing, is good.

I've been interested in Shrinking, but a friend told me he got tired of it after a few episodes. Too many stereotypical characters, he said. 

[+ sf westcoaster]

Ted Lasso is a must view and the dark comedy Bad Sisters is also.

[BSR]

Thank you for all the suggestions.  I have Ted Lasso next in my watch queue.  Since I wasn’t quite ready to break my Spanish-language viewing habits, I started with You Would Do It Too, a series about 3 people who try to rob passengers on a bus but are killed when 1 of the passengers goes vigilante.  At first it looks like the passengers are covering for the vigilante, but of course, things are not as they appear.  Some crazy twists and turns caught me by surprise, made the limited series (8 30-min episodes) a lot of fun.  Great cast and production values.  Available with English dubbing and subtitles.  I highly recommend.

[+ EVdude]

Have watched the first two episodes of Prime Target with Leo Woodall (White Lotus, One Day). He plays a closeted, brilliant mathematician. No skin scenes of him yet but the bartender (Fra Fee) he picks up in the first episode is super hot. Jury is still out for me on the series itself. Episodes released on Thursdays. 

[liubit]

I strongly recommend Disclaimer. The story is in itself quite simple, but the enticing  back-and-forth time management and the plot twists keep you hooked. Some twink eye candy as well. 

[+ EVdude]

14 hours ago, liubit said:

I strongly recommend Disclaimer.

Indeed! First few episodes didn’t grab me. But so glad I stuck with it. And had no idea until afterwards that was Kevin Klein playing Jonathan’s father! Great ending. 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

These are my favorite.  Apple is making shows most people have never watched, but they're fantastic.

The Morning Show

Severance

Ted Lasso

Slow Horses

Disclaimer

Presumed Innocent

Shrinking

[MikeThomas]

2 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

These are my favorite.  Apple is making shows most people have never watched, but they're fantastic.

The Morning Show

Severance

Ted Lasso

Slow Horses

Disclaimer

Presumed Innocent

Shrinking

My two cents.

I like your list...

I am going to start over with Severance.  Complicated show.  Will watch one show per day when S2 ends and pay attention.

Bad Sisters is fantastic.  

Silo was hard to follow... I gave up.

Prime Target is fun and Leo Woodall is hot!

Shrinking... you could have a drinking game... a shot every time a character says penis.  Saying penis on television is in vogue.  But in real life do people use that word or slang versions.

Bad Monkey was good

I thought Dark Matter was very good.

I recommend Masters of the Air

 

 

[+ EVdude]

5 hours ago, MikeThomas said:

Bad Sisters is fantastic.  

Silo was hard to follow... I gave up.

+1 on Bad Sisters!

Interesting comment on Silo. Haven’t gotten to it yet. Some trepidation cuz the books were so great.

[+ EVdude]

On 12/17/2024 at 8:15 AM, ApexNomad said:

Surface:

If you love mysteries that keep you guessing, Surface is for you. It’s a sleek psychological thriller that dives into themes of identity, memory, and trust. You’re constantly questioning what’s real and who’s lying, which makes it completely binge-worthy. Great, understated performances.

Hadn’t been aware of Surface. Half way through… enjoying it.

[+ ApexNomad]

3 hours ago, EVdude said:

Hadn’t been aware of Surface. Half way through… enjoying it.

I hope you continue to enjoy. Let me know what you think of the finale. (A season 2 is on its way.)

[fancyboot]

Shrinking has a good cast but the friendships between the characters are not genuine. And three of the characters are shrinks and their relationships with their patients are not believable.  I really wanted to like this show. But I don’t. 

[+ poolboy48220]

I'm about to finish Shrinking. I like it. It strikes me as something that *wants* to be Ted Lasso, and comes a bit short in just about every way. I've had several laugh-out-loud moments at some of the dialog, but the relationships between some (most?) of the characters is a bit too strained to believe. 

[SirBillybob]

On 1/26/2025 at 4:15 PM, MikeThomas said:

My two cents.

I like your list...

I am going to start over with Severance.  Complicated show.  Will watch one show per day when …

At least we now know why Sandra Bernhard has been trapped for decades in a white lab coat. 

Edited March 4 by SirBillybob

[bichiguy]

On 2/21/2025 at 7:03 AM, poolboy48220 said:

I'm about to finish Shrinking. I like it. It strikes me as something that *wants* to be Ted Lasso, and comes a bit short in just about every way. I've had several laugh-out-loud moments at some of the dialog, but the relationships between some (most?) of the characters is a bit too strained to believe. 

Aw I loveeeee Shrinking ...second season better than the first