In the everlasting fight for streaming supremacy, Apple TV Plus often goes under the radar when compared to the headline grabbing TV shows from the likes of Netflix (Stranger Things, Bridgerton, etc.), Disney Plus (The Mandalorian, Marvel shows), and Prime Video (Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
Ted Lasso has been one of the few shows that have reached similar status on Apple TV Plus. However, that doesn't mean that Apple TV Plus has been lacking for great TV shows. In fact, the streaming service arguably has as strong a TV show roster as any streaming platform, if not the same level of attention.
With that in mind, we’re previewing the Apple TV Plus shows premiering in 2023 (both new and returning) that we are most excited about. Here’s what you need to know about the shows.
Shrinking
Release date: January 27
Cast: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell
Plot: Shrinking follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives … including his own.
Why we're excited: Though best known for How I Met Your Mother and The Muppets, Jason Segel has had some fantastic performances where he's mixed comedy and drama, and this looks like another great instance of that. Plus him going head-to-head with the legend Harrison Ford should be a delight.
Dear Edward
Release date: February 3
Cast: Connie Britton, Taylor Schilling, Colin O'Brien, Amy Forsyth, Audrey Corsa
Plot: Dear Edward tells the story of Edward Adler, a 12-year-old boy who survives a devastating commercial plane crash that kills every other passenger on the flight, including his family. As Edward and a diverse ensemble of others affected by the tragedy try to make sense of life after the crash, unexpected friendships, romances and communities are formed. Based on the novel by Ann Napolitano.
Why we're excited: Now that This Is Us is gone, TV fans could be looking for their next good cry show, which by the sound of things looks like Dear Edward could be a contender for. Connie Britton is also an actress we're always up for watching.
Hello Tomorrow!
Release date: February 17
Cast: Billy Crudup, Haneefah Wood, Alison Pill, Hank Azaria, Jacki Weaver, Matthew Maher, Nicholas Podany, Dewshane Williams
Plot: Set in a retro-future world, Hello Tomorrow! centres around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares. Crudup stars as Jack, a salesman of great talent and ambition, whose unshakeable faith in a brighter tomorrow inspires his co-workers, revitalizes his desperate customers, but threatens to leave him dangerously lost in the very dream that sustains him.
Why we're excited: Billy Crudup is often cited as the best thing about his other Apple TV Plus original, The Morning Show, so giving him another show where he can shine sounds about right. The '60s-inspired setting and the scam that seems to be underneath it all should provide for some fun material for him and his co-stars to play with.
Liaison
Release date: February 24
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Eva Green, Peter Mullan, Gérard Lanvin, Daniel Francis, Bukky Bakray, Thierry Frémont
Plot: Liaison is a high-stakes, contemporary thriller exploring how the mistakes of our past have the potential to destroy our future, combining action with an unpredictable, multilayered plot where espionage and political intrigue play out against a story of passionate and enduring love.
Why we're excited: We love a thriller and with Vincent Cassel and Eva Green, two wonderful actors who wow us almost every time we see them, as the leads, the intrigue for this show is certainly high.
The Reluctant Traveler
Release date: February 24
Cast: Eugene Levy
Plot: The Reluctant Traveler follows Emmy Award-winning host Eugene Levy as he visits some of the world's most beautiful and intriguing destinations, experiencing thrilling local adventures with new friends, including immersing in a sound bath in the Maldives, ice floating in Finland, connecting with the Navajo Nation in Utah, captaining a sailboat in Lisbon, taking a bite out of the culinary culture of Tokyo and journeying into the Costa Rican jungle. Along the way, Levy also stays in remarkable hotels, including the historic Gritti Palace in Venice and a train hotel suspended above Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Self-confessedly not your typical travel show host — he's not usually adventurous or well-versed in exploring the world, Levy agrees the time is finally right for him to broaden his horizons. Levy packs his suitcase with some trepidation but hopes his experiences might lead to a whole new chapter in life, even if it means confronting some of his long-held fears. Join him as he buckles up for the ultimate eye-opening adventure!
Why we're excited: If you're missing Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy like we are, perhaps some treks around the world with Eugene Levy can help fill that gap.
Extrapolations
Release date: March 17
Cast: Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harrington, Daveed Diggs, Edward Norton, Diane Lane, Tahar Rahim, Yara Shahidi, Matthew Rhys, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer, Keri Russell, Marion Cotillard, Adarsh Gourav, Forest Whitaker, Eiza González, Murray Bartlett, Indira Varma, Tobey Maguire, MaameYaa Boafo, Heather Graham, Michael Gandolfini, Cherry Jones, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Harper, Judd Hirsch, Neska Rose.
Plot: Extrapolations is a bracing drama that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Eight interwoven stories about love, work, faith and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population. Every story is different, but the fight for our future is universal. And when the fate of humanity is up against a ticking clock, the battle between courage and complacency has never been more urgent. Are we brave enough to become the solution to our own undoing before it’s too late?
Why we're excited: I mean, look at that cast, it's fantastic. But if forced to list a few more reasons why, Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Report) is a fantastic writer who should bring some compelling stories together in this look at the impact of climate change.
Schmigadoon season 2
Release date: April 7
Cast: Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Ariana DeBose, Martin Short, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski, Aaron Tveit, Titus Burgess, Patrick Page
Plot: Having found true love in the town of Schmigadoon, season 2 of Schmigadoon! will find Josh and Melissa in Schmicago, the reimagined world of '60s and '70s musicals.
Why we're excited: We loved the wacky, toe-tapping Schmigadoon! season 1, so a chance to return to that world but with musical numbers inspired by shows like Chicago and others sounds like something you don't want to miss.
The Last Thing He Told Me
Release date: April 14
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice, Aisha Tyler, Augusto Aguilera, Geoff Stults, John Harlan Kim
Plot: Follows Hannah, a woman who must forge a relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter Bailey in order to find the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared. Based on Laura Dave's New York Times bestseller
Why we're excited: Apple TV Plus is making a lot of book adaptations a part of its 2023 TV show lineup, with one of the big highlights being this adaptation starring Garner, Game of Thrones' Coster-Waldau and Spider-Man: No Way Home's Angourie Rice.
The Afterparty season 2
Release date: April 28
Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, Anna Konkle, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, John Cho, Ken Jeong
Plot: A wedding is ruined when the groom is murdered and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner returns to help Aniq and Zoë solve whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers and business partners, and hearing each suspect's retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style.
Why we're excited: Apple TV Plus has its own version of the very popular mystery/comedy show in the critically acclaimed The Afterparty. With season 1 headliners Haddish, Richardson and Chao returning, along with a fun lineup of new cast members, we're excited to see the different ways each character remembers the events leading up to a murder and figuring out who was behind it.
The Big Door Prize
Release date: Spring 2023
Cast: Chris O'Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra, Damon Gupton, Crystal Fox, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara
Plot: The Big Door Prize tells the story of a small town that is forever changed when a mysterious machine appears in the general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential. Based on the novel by M.O. Walsh.
Why we're excited: Fun premise and Chris O'Dowd is an underrated actor that is constantly reliable (watch him and Rosamund Pike in State of the Union if you haven't).
Ted Lasso season 3
Release date: Spring 2023
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles
Plot: There is no official plot synopsis for Ted Lasso season 3 just yet. But based on what happened in season 2, we can expect the rivalry between Ted and Nate (at least in Nate's mind) to be at the forefront.
Why we're excited: Because we, like just about everyone who has seen the show, "Believe" in the power of Ted Lasso. We can't wait to root for AFC Richmond again.
Swagger season 2
Release date: June 2023
Cast: O'shea Jackson Jr. Isaiah Hill, Shielle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Jason Rivera, Christina Jackson and Sean Baker, Orlando Jones, Sharon Brown.
Plot: Inspired by NBA superstar Durant’s experiences in youth basketball, Swagger explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches, and "the game within the game." Off the court, the show reveals what it's like to grow up in America.
Why we're excited: Swagger is a must-watch not only because the series is based on the NBA superstar Kevin Durant's days playing youth basketball on the AAU circuit, but it also provides what the Chicago Suns-Times calls a "captivating and authentic dramatic ride." Plus, the series has some sports drama pedigree, as it is from a producer who brought the world the Emmy-winning series Friday Night Lights. (Terrell Smith)
Slow Horses season 3
Release date: TBD
Cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimme-Ffion Edwards, Kadiff Kirwan, Kristin Scott Thomas, Freddie Fox, Chris Reilly, Samuel West, Jonathan Pryce, Sope Dirisu
Plot: When one of their own is kidnapped and held for ransom, the agents of Slough House must defeat the odds, overturning all expectations of their competence, to breach the top-notch security of MI5's intelligence headquarters, Regent’s Park, and steal valuable intel in exchange for their comrade’s safety. The kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg, however — the agents uncover a larger web of intrigue that involves not only a group of private mercenaries but the highest authorities in the Secret Service. After years spent as the lowest on the totem pole, the Slow Horses suddenly find themselves caught in the midst of a conspiracy that threatens not only the future of Slough House, but of MI5 itself.
Why we're excited: This group of B-team spies (C or D-team may be more accurate) have won us over with their first two seasons, both debuting in 2022. The banter between Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb and his team is fantastic, but it also proves it knows how to execute the classic espionage drama you'd want in any spy series.
Masters of the Air
Release date: TBD
Cast: Austin Butler, Anthony Boyle, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, Raff Law, Josh Bolt, Tommy Jessop, Nate Mann, Louis Greatorex, Freddy Carter, Sam Gittins, Nikolai Kinski, Mikey Collins, Luke Baker, James Murray
Plot: Tells the story of the actions of the US Army's elite Eighth Air Force of the United States Army, who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep by bombing Berlin, Hanover, Liepzig and Dresden, destroying enemy targets like rail facilities and oil refineries, while also being expected to engage in air-to-air fighter combat at 25,000 feet. Based on Donald L. Miller's book.
Why we're excited: Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, this is the latest entry in the pairs World War II miniseries, following Band of Brothers and The Pacific. With a cast of incredible young actors, including Elvis' Austin Butler and The Banshees of Inisherin's Barry Keoghan, it'll be fascinating to see a WWII story like we have so rarely before, from the air.
Lessons in Chemistry
Release date: TBD
Cast: Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker, Thomas Mann, Kevin Sussman, Beau Bridges
Plotline: Set in the early 1950s, Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott, whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a society deeming that women belong in the domestic sphere, not the professional one. When Elizabeth finds herself pregnant, alone and fired from her lab, she musters the ingenuity only a single mother has. She accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives – and the men who are suddenly listening — a lot more than recipes … all the while craving a return to her true love: science.
Why we're excited: Big Brie Larson fans here. Add in that Lessons in Chemistry is a recent best-seller with Emmy-nominee Lee Eisenberg (WeCrashed, Little America) as the showrunner, there's a strong promise to this one.
