The Studio deserved its Emmy win, but Apple TV has plenty more brilliant shows to sink your teeth into

Apple TV launched in 2019, and sits quietly confident in the background, largely eclipsed by the larger, juggernaut streamers like Netflix and Disney+.

I was one of the early adopters of the service, sceptical that a brand I mainly associated with the phone I used every day, not the TV I consume rabidly of an evening, would come up with the goods.

I was right - it has been a slow burn. But, little by little, Apple TV has built up a catalogue of absolute gems. The one that probably piqued a lot of interest for the streamer is the Seth Rogen-led MASTERPIECE, The Studio.

I was totally unsurprised and delighted for everyone involved, that The Studio made history both as a show and for Apple TV, by winning the most-ever Creative Arts Emmy Award wins for a comedy, at the ceremony on September 14.

Overall, the streamer took home 15 Emmys altogether, and over the years has scooped 612 wins and earned 2799 award nominations across the big hitting awards nights - it's come from behind to become a service you really need in your life.

To save you searching, here are the best shows Apple TV has to offer - get them on your watch list, pronto.

The Studio

I couldn't not big it up in the introduction and not put it first on the list, could I? Anyway, it's definitely a brilliant starting off point for those new to Apple TV.

Before you watch, I have a few pointers: Don't eat or drink while tuning in, and maybe surround yourself with soft things. This is because I laughed so hard during one scene, I spat out my drink, choked on the remainder in my mouth, and fell off the sofa in the ensuing chaos. Yes, it's that funny.

This brilliantly observed satirical take on Hollywood begins with the chair of Continental Studios, (played by Bryan Cranston as you've never seen him before,) fire long-running studio head, Patty Leigh (Catherine O’Hara) and promoting a bewildered Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) in her place.

Tasked with making a smash hit film about Kool-Aid with the belief that if a movie about Barbie can make billions, one about Kool-Aid will be a shoo-in, Matt has a lot to contend with. During the emerging farce that follows throughout the 10 episodes, you'll lose count of epic celebrity cameos and by the end, will want it to be over purely to stop laughter-related internal haemorrhaging.

Platonic

More Seth Rogen! More chaos! Seth has a creative partnership with Apple TV, meaning as well as being treated to The Studio, we also get Platonic.

Paired with Rose Byrne as the female lead, Seth and Rose have perfect chemistry and make for fabulous easy viewing in this friendship comedy.

Their characters, Sylvia and Will, met and became best friends in college - Will had even been the 'maid' of honour at Sylvia's wedding.

Sylvia became a lawyer, married one, and eventually gave up her career to be a stay-at-home mother to three children - and she's bored.

Will struggles to stay settled down and runs a hipster bar. He and Sylvia fell out five years before the action in the show kicks off, and the first episode sees them reunited and their friendship pick up exactly where it left off before the big falling out.

With her children less dependent on her, Sylvia can finally have more fun. Will being recently divorced is well placed to help her find it, and their comic misadventures in the name of injecting a bit of life into Rose's stagnant world are a joy to watch.

And the title really does say it all - the pair absolutely do have a purely platonic love for each other, and there's never any undertones of will they/won't they sexual chemistry.

The show has a lot to say about meaningful friendships, and a fair amount about everything women are expected to give up in the name of marriage and motherhood, even if this isn't overtly the message it implies it's giving.

Ted Lasso

The first show to really put Apple TV on the map, Ted Lasso is also one of the most perfect it has to offer. If you aren't a fan of football (I'm not,) don't be put off, because there's far more taking centre stage in the three seasons (now to be four following a surprise renewal!) on offer.

In my mind, Ted Lasso is the Adolescence antithesis. While the Netflix hit explores toxic masculinity, and isolated young men who can't, or won't, voice or explore their difficult feelings and the catastrophic consequences of this, just think of Ted Lasso as the total opposite of that.

Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American whose marriage has ended, and is unsure of his next move. An American college football coach, he's brought to the UK to manage a struggling English team despite not understanding how football works.

If you're wondering why such a strange decision would be made, it turns out the club's new manager Rebecca (an absolutely divine Hannah Waddingham), wants to see the club fail to annoy her philandering husband who was very fond of it.

The fish out of water plot is just a kicking off point for a stunning portrayal of just how male friendships should be done properly, and a solid reinforcement that men can be vulnerable and they can, and should, seek help when they need it.

When I really love a show, I put off watching the last episode or series. I put off watching the Ted Lasso finale for quite some time, and cried through the entire thing because I didn't want it to end.

Muderbot

A very new addition to the Apple catalogue, I'd suggest not looking at what the critics thought of Murderbot before tuning in - I would've dismissed it outright if I had.

It's a very slow burn - please stick with it, and it's also VERY sci-fi, two things that would also usually put me off. But I'm so glad I persevered, because by episode 3, I was fully hooked and immersed in the Murderbot universe.

Based on The Murderbot Diaries by author Martha Wells, Alexander Skarsgård is wonderfully nuanced as the titular robot. Set in a a world where many planets exists and robots are a thing, Skarsgård is a government owned Security Unit, or 'SecUnit' designed to protect humans on their intergallactic missions.

However, when he becomes sentient, you'd think the thus far poorly treated SecUnit would do what any rogue robot would do - go on a big killing mission and cause mass destruction.

Except, SecUnit in its own words, is "anxious and chronically depressed" and simply cannot be arsed with taking down the humans. It downloads and watches hours of its favourite soap-style TV show and uses this as a distraction from the boredom of existence and the scathing way it feels about humans, despite feeling compelled to protect them despite his feelings.

Apart from feeling I had a huge amount in common with SecUnit, I also found the show deeply amusing and equally as profound. The final episode gives a lot of food for thought, so be prepared for some existential deep diving once you've seen it.

Smoke

THIS. SERIES. IS BRILLIANT. I'll say it louder for the people at the back, THIS. SERIES. IS. BRILLIANT.

Taron Egerton is creepy AF in a possibly career best performance as Dave Gudsen, a former firefighter turned arson investigator. Not getting far with tracking down the two serial arsonists tearing apart where he lives, Michelle Calderon (Jurnee Smollett) is brought in from another area to help - and Dave is annoyed.

You know from the start there's something not quite right about Dave Gudsen, and the unease Taron Egerton brings to every scene is skin pricklingly good.

The series, which you'd never believe was based on real events if it wasn't actually based on real events, will blow your mind - I lost hours of my life to a police-level investigation into the inspiration behind it, and it's an absolute head wreck.

Taron's performance is matched, or surpassed, by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as a desperately lonely, mentally unwell man playing a central part in arson investigation.

I also did a deep dive on him, wondering why I'd never seen him on my TV screen before and why, only to find he's currently also starring in Dexter: Resurrection. So excellent was his performance, I didn't realise I was simultaneously watching him two different shows because the characters he plays are just so blindingly different - what a talent.

Trying

Ah, Trying - just the name warms my cynical heart. I love this show so much, I'll never get bored of telling people to just go and watch it already.

The bonus with Trying is, that BBC One have acquired the rights to it, and you can find it on iPlayer if you aren't yet sure about getting trying out Apple TV (but you really should be, I think I've been more than persuasive.)

Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) are one of the most adorable couples in TV history, and would make the best parents. Except, they're unable to conceive a baby and IVF has failed.

As this show so clearly yells from the rooftops, there's more than one way to become parents, and Nikki and Jason explore adoption - with both hilarious and heartbreaking consequences.

Take my word for it, this glorious little piece of television and its ramshackle plethora of supporting characters, will live rent free in your head and you won't want them to leave.

The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy

I'm not really a fan of travel shows, as I generally find them just a bit meh and samey. But I'll always make an exception for The Reluctant Traveler.

As the name implies, host Eugene Levy is not keen on leaving his homeland. Therefore, what could be better than a travel show fronted by a man who hates traveling? I can tell you: Basically nothing.

Eugene Levy is just as charming and affable in real life as his Schitts Creek character, Johnny Rose. And who better to take you around the world on a journey of genuine self-discovery?

One of the best things about The Reluctant Traveler is the destinations really are off the beaten track. Most of them I wasn't aware of, and they induced a great deal of Googling as I was desperate to know more about them and whether I could afford to go myself.

While Eugene is reluctant and that's a touching part of the show's premise, his slowly growing love for the people he meets and places he goes, is wonderfully genuine. Seeing his defences come down along with quite a few laughs along the way means this gem of a series is another perfect, easy comfort watch.

You can enjoy a one month free trial of Apple TV before the price becomes £9.99 per month. On occasions, when you purchase an Apple device, you can get 3 months free if you redeem the offer within 90 days - check the website for eligibility.