Now that we're just about halfway through 2025 (can you believe it?!), it's the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on the shows released so far. There have been so many huge releases on streaming services already this year, and there are still so many more to come. Obviously, Stranger Things season 5 will be the focus-pulling release that ends the year in style.
But even among the high-profile shows like Squid Game and The Last of Us and The White Lotus, Apple TV+ has managed to put up a good fight this year with great series that got everyone talking. Severance season 2 made its long-awaited premiere and kept our attention for 10 weeks. This fall, The Morning Show returns from its hiatus and will surely do the same.
Apple TV+ not only delivers the established hit shows that we want to watch, but the streamer also debuted some of the most high quality, star-studded new series of the year. We're talking inventive comedies, crime dramas with a soapy twist, and action-packed sci-fi thrillers that'll make you laugh. These are the five best new Apple TV+ shows of 2025... so far!
The Studio
Without question, the best new Apple TV+ show of the year hands down is The Studio. The series might even be the best comedy of the year. Seth Rogen co-created, co-directed, and stars in the cringe-comedy Hollywood satire that follows the bumbling new head of a struggling film studio. Every decision he makes in his attempt to prove he's fit for the job tends to go comedically wrong.
Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, and Chase Sui Wonders also star in the ensemble cast, along with even more stars in guest and recurring roles. Expect to see The Studio showered with Emmy Award nominations and possible wins ahead of season 2!
Your Friends and Neighbors
For me, Your Friends and Neighbors has been one of the biggest surprises of the year. I decided to give the show a chance and was pleasantly surprised week after week. The series hooked me with the two-episode premiere and never let me go. Jon Hamm stars as a wealthy businessman who loses everything and turns to robbing homes in his luxury neighborhood to make a quick buck.
Before long, he's wrapped up in a secret world of crime and accused of a murder he didn't commit. Beyond the crime and mystery of it all, there's also plenty of soapy rich-people drama that's easy to escape into. It might not be a future award winner, but it's a must-watch going into season 2!
Prime Target
Full disclosure, I struggled with whether to include Prime Target on this list over the potentially stronger Smoke, but as of this writing, Smoke hasn't even released half of its first season. We need to see more material before we can accurately call it one of Apple TV+'s "best" of the year (though it very well could be). Being so, Prime Target just made the cut.
The academia thriller showed a lot of promise in its premise. A mathematics graduate student, played by The White Lotus and One Day star Leo Woodall, finds himself chased down when his research becomes an important piece of a global conspiracy. Woodall's great in the leading role, and the ending provides a shocking plot twist you won't see coming.
Murderbot
Based on the novella All Systems Red by Martha Wells and created by Paul and Chris Weitz, Murderbot stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular Murderbot. Its a private security cyborg with a newfound of free-thinking autonomy, which must not be revealed to humans while taking on dangerous missions. That's not as easy as you'd think, seeing as it's often appalled by humans.
Murderbot quickly earned rave reviews from critics, most of which praise Skarsgård's performance in the leading role. The sci-fi series is just another indication of Apple TV+'s impressive range of genres, something that also never wavers in quality. Another win for the streamer in the first half of 2025!
Stick
Last but not least, we can't forget the dark horse comedy series that nobody seems to be talking about. Owen Wilson stars in Stick as Pryce Cahill, a former pro golfer who's life and career have fallen to, well, rock bottom. He finds an out when he discovers the raw talent of Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager), a prodigy in the making. Lilli Kay, Mariana Treviño, Marc Maron, and Judy Greer also star.
Stick isn't the kind of comedy series that will have you laughing out loud at every line, and it also isn't the kind of comedy series that blows you away from the very beginning. It's the kind of show that's better lived-in. It's subtle and cozy and a great new show with a lot of potential.
More Apple TV+ stories from Show Snob: