Apple TV+has stood out for itssci-fiTV shows, and while many are still going, others are ready to be binge-watched. The battle between streaming platforms got more heated and interesting when they began producing their own content. However, one platform that has stood out for having mostly original content, rather than licensed titles, is Apple TV+.
Since its launch in 2019, Apple TV+ has mostly focused on original content, adding licensed content from time to time. Although this was a strange move at the beginning, Apple TV+ has found great success with its original movies and TV shows, though mostly the latter. Apple TV+ has TV shows from different genres, but it has excelled in one.
Apple TV+ has stood out for its sci-fi TV shows, which have been praised for their writing, concepts, high production quality, blend of genres, performances, and the platform’s focus on quality. While shows likeSeveranceandFoundationcontinue, there are other great sci-fi shows on Apple TV+ that are already finished.
5Hello Tomorrow!
One Season
In February 2023, Apple TV+ releasedHello Tomorrow!, a sci-fi comedy drama created by Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen. Set in a retrofuturistic world,Hello Tomorrow!follows Jack Billings (Billy Crudup), a lunar-timeshare salesman and con man who runs his own business. Jack goes from town to town scamming people, delaying the delivery of a fictional rocket launch.
On one of those work trips, Jack meets his son, Joey (Nicholas Podany), an upstart salesman who becomes Jack’s protégé, but has no idea he’s actually his father. Jack stays in town to help Joey and find a way to tell him he’s his son without scaring him away, while also keeping his fraudulent business afloat.
WhileHello Tomorrow!hasn’t been officially canceled, it hasn’t been renewed for a second season, and it seems like it will stay that way – however, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth checking out. The biggest criticismsHello Tomorrow!has received are about its pacing, lack of depth, and its prioritization of style over substance.
Still,Hello Tomorrow!has its strengths, such as its unique retrofuturistic setting, its visual style, Crudup’s performance, its humor, and its potential, though the latter might be frustrating to some due to the show not being renewed.
4See
Three Seasons
One of Apple TV+’s most notable TV shows, not just in the sci-fi genre but in general, isSee. Created by Steven Knight,Seeis a sci-fi drama starring Jason Momoa.Seeis set in a world where, in the 21st century, a virus wiped out most of the world’s population, with fewer than two million people surviving.
However, the descendants of the survivors have lost their sense of sight. Now, centuries later, society has found a way to survive, interact, build, and hunt under these circumstances, turning into a medieval type of society with hunters and more. The past has become distorted or lost, materials like metal and plastic are believed to have been created by gods, and vision is a myth.
Seeintroduces two rival settings: the Payan Kingdom and the Trivantian Republic. Now, the events ofSeekick off when Maghra (Hera Hilmar), a pregnant woman, seeks shelter with the Alkenny tribe, led by Baba Voss (Momoa).
Voss, who is unable to have children, marries Maghra and adopts her children. However, the kids’ biological father, Jerlamarel, is wanted by the Queen of the Payan Kingdom as he’s “sighted”, so he’s wanted for heresy. On top of that, his and Maghra’s children, Kofun and Haniwa, are also sighted, and so those in power are also going after them.
It’s up to Baba Voss to protect his family, as best as he can, given the circumstances.Seewas quite divisive, with many praising its creative premise and others finding it too strange or not living up to its potential.
See’s biggest strength is Momoa’s performance, as well as its incredible visual quality.Seedoes have its flaws and is inconsistent at times, but its premise is intriguing enough to deserve a chance.
3Amazing Stories
Apple TV+’sAmazing Storiesis a revival of the 1985 TV series of the same name, created by Steven Spielberg. As such, it follows the same format and premise as Spielberg’s original show, with the legendary filmmaker now serving as an executive producer.
Amazing Storiesis an anthology series, with its episodes being a mix of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and drama. Unfortunately, the 2020 reboot ofAmazing Storiesonly stuck around for one very short season with five episodes, with talents like Susanna Fogel and Mark Mylod among its team of directors.
However, unlike the original show, Apple TV+’sAmazing Storiesreboot is less dark and has even been labeled as “family-friendly.” This also led to criticism of the lack of depth and originality of some episodes, as well as the show’s lighter tone not quite fitting that of the original show.
Still,Amazing Storiesoffers interesting sci-fi episodes with different tones and styles that will appeal to different audiences. A huge advantage of the revival ofAmazing Storiesis that it’s only five episodes long, so it’s easy to binge-watch it.
2Constellation
Constellationis a sci-fi psychological thriller created by Peter Harness and based on a concept by Sean Jablonski.Constellationdebuted on Apple TV+ in February 2024 and ran for just eight episodes. As the name suggests,Constellationis a space sci-fi story, and it all begins when an unidentified object collides with the International Space Station.
Unfortunately, the collision leads to the death of one of the astronauts on board and most of the onboard systems not working anymore, along with one of the Soyuz descent modules. Out of the four surviving astronauts, three make an emergency evacuation in the functional Soyuz module, with one crew member, Johanna Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) staying to repair the other Soyuz.
Johanna eventually makes it back to Earth, but to her surprise, parts of her life are either missing or are very different from how she remembers them.Constellationcurrently holds a 72% critics' score onRotten Tomatoes, but even though its critical reception was mostly positive, the show was canceled after just one season due to low viewership numbers.
Constellation’s strengths are its concept, visuals, the performances of its main cast (particularly Rapace’s), its creepy atmosphere, and its exploration of themes like identity, reality, and family. It’s worth noting thatConstellationhas been criticized for its pace, so it might not be for everyone.
1Sunny
For those looking forsci-fiand black comedy,Sunnyis the bestApple TV+show. Created by Katie Robbis and based on Colin O’Sullivan’s 2018 novelThe Dark Manual,Sunnypremiered on the platform in July 2024.Sunnytakes the audience to Kyoto to meet Suzie Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), who is coping with the loss of her family.
Suzie’s husband and their son die in a mysterious plane crash, after which Suzie receives a domestic robot named Sunny. The man who delivers it says Sunny was created by Suzie’s husband, which doesn’t match what Suzie knew about him and his job.
Suzie begins to question her husband’s past and whether he and their son are truly gone, and with the help of Sunny, she begins to uncover some dark secrets.Sunnyholds a 90% critics’ score onRotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Jones’ performance and comedic timing, the show’s concept, and its tone. Unfortunately, despite all this,Sunnywas canceled.
Sunnyhas strong performances, stunning visuals, and an entertaining blend of sci-fi and comedy, with a dose of drama in its exploration of topics like grief and technology. AlthoughSunnyends on a cliffhanger, it’s still worth watching.
