Surfing the streamers? Try these Apple TV+ binge-ables
As all TV viewers know, the programming landscape is crowded. There are a bunch of streaming services, a bunch of cable channels, and, of course, a bunch of broadcast networks, all of which are releasing new shows almost weekly. Rather than get overwhelmed, you should try dipping into each pay service for a month or two or three, watching its best shows, then move on to another outlet for a few months. Yes, that sounds familiar because I say it a lot in this column!
Right now, a few people I know have started up their annual threemonth subscription to Apple TV+ in order to watch the new season of “Ted Lasso” as it is released weekly. They’ll pay $6.99 a month, and that is, to my mind, a very cheap price for what they’ll have access to — it’s less than what you pay for half a month of ad-free Netflix. No, Apple TV+ doesn’t have an extensive library of old stuff like Netflix and some of the others, but, of all the TV outlets (except, perhaps, HBO Max), it features the strongest lineup of originals.
Here are some of the shows a temporary subscriber to Apple TV+ can catch up with:
■ “For All Mankind” A slowstarting but compelling alternative history in which the Soviets beat the United States to the moon.
■ “The Shrink Next Door” In this miniseries, Paul Rudd shines — creepily — as an exploitive therapist, with Will Ferrell as his mark.
■ “Severance” One of the best series of 2022 has workers splitting their consciousnesses into work and home selves.
■ “Slow Horses” Gary Oldman is at his best in this semi-comic MI5 drama involving misfit agents.
■ “Black Bird” Dennis Lehane’s chilling miniseries about a serial killer and the prisoner tasked with getting a confession from him.
■ “Bad Sisters” Who killed the toxic John Paul? The Garvey sisters all have reasons to have done it in this excellent comic drama.
■ “Schmigadoon!” If you like Broadway musicals, this clever spoof starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key will give you a kick.
■ “The Afterparty” A formally inventive comedy about a murder at a class reunion, with one suspect giving his or her version of the night of the murder in each episode.
■ “Loot” Paging all Maya Rudolph fans. She’s the spark at the center of this ensemble comedy about wealth and good works.
■ “Shrinking” From some of the “Ted Lasso” folks, this therapy comedy features a sharp ensemble that includes a classic Harrison Ford performance.
Also of note: “Defending Jacob,” “Pachinko,” “Dear Edward,” “Hello Tomorrow!,” “Tehran,” “Dickinson,” “Little America,” and “Mythic Quest”