You know that one friend who doesn’t post much on Instagram, but when they do, it’s annoyingly perfect? That’s Apple TV+. While everyone else in streaming is screaming for your attention with true-crime reenactments, dating shows set in pods, and content drops that feel like homework, Apple’s streaming platform has been quietly building something else entirely: a collection of sci-fi shows that are clever, cinematic, deeply weird, and—surprise—actually good.
With season two of Severance picking up 27 nominations at the Emmys and Foundation season three releasing last week, it’s a great time to finally acknowledge what I believe has been hiding in plain sight. Don’t agree? Here’s one critic who calls the platform’s shows “the best science fiction” and another who applauds it for its good sci-fi programming. Because, while most streamers are chasing the next big viral moment, Apple TV+ is out here playing 3D chess in space.
Foundation, if you’re new, is based on Isaac Asimov’s “unfilmable” sci-fi epic. It’s a sprawling galaxy of cloned emperors, space math, time jumps, and collapsing empires. Think Game of Thrones meets quantum physics. It’s bold, ambitious, and stunning to look at. Season two scored a perfect 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. And with season three, the series is only getting more confident in its chaos.
When Apple TV+ launched in 2019, its debut lineup comprised only three shows. Everyone remembers The Morning Show for its star power. But the other two? Sci-fi. See, a Jason Momoa-led series about a post-apocalyptic world where no one can see, and For All Mankind, a beautifully brainy alternative history where the Soviets beat the Americans to the moon. From day one, Apple TV+ made it clear—sci-fi wasn’t going to be a one-off genre experiment. It was going to be part of its foundation. As one Redditor put it, “They just found their niche. Sci-fi has always been lacking on current networks, and it’s nice to see a service invest in it.”
The best part? The streaming platform doesn’t treat sci-fi like a one-size-fits-all genre. Instead of forcing everyone into one sleek spaceship, it’s built a whole fleet of shows for every type of viewer. You want something clever but breezy? Murderbot sounds right up your alley. It features Alexander Skarsgård playing a rogue robot who gains free will but would rather binge soap operas than protect anyone. More in the mood for spooky serial-killer stuff? Try Shining Girls, where Elisabeth Moss chases a time-travelling murderer through parallel timelines. It’s creepy, complex, and somehow still more emotionally grounded than most podcast-adapted thrillers.
There’s also Sunny, a show so low-key and lovely it feels like a soft sci-fi hug. Rashida Jones plays a grieving woman in Kyoto who is forced to team up with her late husband’s snarky domestic robot to uncover what really happened to him. It’s part tech mystery, part odd-couple dramedy, and all vibes. If you liked Her but wished it had a bit more murder-mystery and Japanese architecture, this one’s for you.
Still not convinced? Maybe Dark Matter is more your speed. It’s about a physicist pulled into an alternative version of his life, racing to stop another version of himself from taking over his family. Or you could try Dr. Brain, a Korean thriller where a neuroscientist hacks into the memories of the dead to fathom a personal tragedy. Yes, that’s the actual plot. Yes, it absolutely rules.
And then there’s Severance, the cult hit that made everyone finally say, “Wait, Apple TV+ is doing what now?” With its sterile office aesthetic and terrifyingly simple premise—what if you could split your brain into ‘Work You’ and ‘Home You’?—naturally, it became an instant classic. Equal parts workplace satire and existential horror, it dethroned Ted Lasso to become Apple TV+’s most-watched series, and proved that smart, high-concept storytelling didn’t need to scream to be heard.
While Apple’s spokespeople were unavailable to comment despite multiple attempts, it is apparent that the platform with the smallest watch list doesn’t just greenlight original shows but allows its creators time to build a world, a tone, and a loyal audience. All three of its most talked-about sci-fi shows—Severance, Invasion, and Silo—share a kind of intricacy that requires patience. These are not the “scroll while watching” series. And it’s hard to imagine them being made, let alone renewed, on platforms obsessed with instant hits. That’s because Apple TV+ isn’t playing the quantity game. Most of its sci-fi shows are limited series or short, tightly written seasons. Less filler, more focus. And since Apple doesn’t rely on TV for profit (let’s face it—they’re making their money on iPhones), they have the luxury to experiment. The pressure to churn out mega-hits week after week just isn’t there. In fact, a recent report claims that the streaming platform loses over $1 billion each year. But with Apple generating $391 in revenue and $93.7 billion in profit last year, that loss almost seems like a blip.
It helps that the platform is attracting top-tier talent across the board. Invasion comes from X-Men veteran Simon Kinberg. Constellation is helmed by Breaking Bad director Michelle MacLaren. Shows like Silo, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Constellation feature everyone from Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins to Noomi Rapace, David Oyelowo, and Kurt Russell. So, Apple TV+ isn’t just picking buzzy IPs, it’s pairing them with creators and performers who understand the art of slow-burn storytelling.
For a company that made aluminium feel aspirational and turned rectangles with rounded edges into status symbols, it seems like a full circle for Apple to lean into sci-fi. These shows somehow echo their philosophy and fit into their universe: they are sleek, composed, and obsessively designed. And the subsequent seasons? They follow suit—deliberately paced and visually immaculate.
It’s fitting then, that in a world where everyone’s attention is fragmented, where shows compete with TikToks and group chats and emails and snack breaks, Apple is doing something wildly untrendy: it’s asking you to focus. You can’t half-watch Foundation while checking Instagram. You can’t “sort of” follow Severance. The brand isn’t trying to win the streaming wars with noise. It’s carving out a sci-fi niche that is sleek, strange, and smart as hell. And in doing so, it’s proving that in the age of distraction, slow-burn science fiction may just be the future.
