Apple TV originals

Apple came late to original television. Tim Cook said in October 2016 that the company had begun focusing on original content, and in June 2017 it hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg from Sony Pictures Television to run its worldwide video programming. After two years of signing producers and stars, Apple TV+ was unveiled at a press event on 25 March 2019 and went live on 1 November 2019 in about 100 countries. Unlike its rivals, it set out to rely entirely on original material; The Morning Show, with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, premiered on launch day alongside Dickinson and For All Mankind.

A slow start, then awards

Early reviews of the slate were mixed to poor and subscriber growth was weak, propped up by a free year given away with new Apple devices. From mid-2020 Apple began licensing older films and series to fill the shelves. The turning point was comedy: Ted Lasso arrived on 14 August 2020 and won the Emmy for outstanding comedy series in 2021, and in March 2022 the film CODA made Apple the first streaming service to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Dramas such as Severance, Pachinko and Silo followed.

A British streak

A noticeable share of the catalogue is British-made or British-set. Trying, a co-production with the BBC, began in May 2020; Ted Lasso is set at a fictional English football club; and Slow Horses, adapted from Mick Herron's Slough House novels, started on 1 April 2022 and reached its sixth series in September 2026.

In October 2025, timed to the streaming release of the film F1, Apple dropped the plus sign and renamed the service Apple TV — a name it already shared with Apple's set-top box and app.

Key dates

1. 25 March 2019

   Apple TV+ unveiled

   Apple announces its original-programming service at a press event with stars on stage.

   Source: Wikipedia: Apple TV (streaming service)

2. 1 November 2019

   Apple TV+ launches

   The service goes live in about 100 countries, with The Morning Show among its first series.

   Source: Wikipedia: Apple TV (streaming service)

3. 14 August 2020

   Ted Lasso premieres

   The comedy about an American coach at an English club premieres; it goes on to win the Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

   Source: Wikipedia: Ted Lasso

4. 1 April 2022

   Slow Horses begins

   The adaptation of Mick Herron's spy novels starring Gary Oldman premieres.

   Source: Wikipedia: Slow Horses

5. October 2025

   Renamed Apple TV

   Apple drops the plus sign from the service's name.

   Source: Wikipedia: Apple TV (streaming service)