Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried star in this psychological thriller about a young man arrested after a shocking incident in 1979 New York. Despite its intriguing premise and strong cast, The Crowded Room was criticized for its sluggish pacing, overly drawn-out story, and repetitive sequences. Holland and Seyfried deliver some solid performances, but they're not enough to save this show. | © Apple Studios
Extrapolations is a bold fiction anthology series that explores how climate change could affect humanity through several interconnected stories. The storyline jumps across different years, with each episode venturing further into the future and its consequences. The cast is impressive, with Meryl Streep and Edward Norton involved. Despite all that, the show isn't exactly an enjoyable watch. Its subject matter, as heavy as it is, comes across as a heavy-handed lecture instead of something compelling. The series also feels draining and slightly preachy. | © Wandering Jew Productions/Media Res
Based on Stephen King's 2006 novel and starring Julianne Moore, Lisey's Story had plenty going for it. However, the psychological miniseries' deliberately strange storytelling and slow pace made it a challenging watch for many viewers. Many viewers claimed the show failed to translate horror elements from King's book to the TV series. | © Bad Robot Productions/Warner Bros. Television
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as a woman who loses her memory after apparently surviving a suicide attempt. The mystery in Surface starts incredibly strong, but its twists and turns can feel too messy as the story progresses. It also suffers from generic amnesia tropes, which make the show feel somewhat unoriginal and shallow. | © West Picture Co./Hello Sunshine
In Prime Target, Leo Woodall stars as a brilliant mathematician who discovers a pattern that could give him access to every computer in the world. It's a promising setup for a conspiracy thriller, but the series' predictable twists, uneven pacing, and weak story execution make it less exciting than its premise suggests. In fact, the show came across as quite absurd and dull. | © New Regency/Scott Free Productions
In Truth Be Told, Octavia Spencer stars as a true-crime podcaster who investigates controversial criminal cases. While the crime drama series has some compelling ideas, its cluttered storyline, unrealistic dialogue, and melodramatic tone often undermine its strongest moments. | © Hello Sunshine/Chernin Entertainment
Based on Garth Risk Hallberg's 2015 novel, City on Fire is a crime drama series that follows a mysterious shooting that connects a group of characters in New York. The series has an interesting premise, but its messy narrative, weak writing, and overwhelming number of clichés result in a show that's unbearable to watch at times. | © Apple Studios
An alien invasion sounds like it would be the perfect premise for a TV show. Unfortunately, Invasion spends an enormous amount of time focusing on its characters instead of the extraterrestrial threat. Its slow pace and lack of focus on sci-fi elements are some of the biggest complaints surrounding the series. | © Apple Studios
Vincent Cassel and Eva Green lead this thriller series, where the story features cyberattacks, espionage, and a terribly complicated romance. Liaison has plenty of ambition, but it suffers from a rather confusing plot, uneven pacing, and an unrealistic take on the world of espionage. | © Ringside Studios/Léonis Productions
Jason Clarke leads this thriller about a U.S. Marshal investigating a mysterious plane crash in Fairbanks, Alaska. The remote Alaskan wilderness should be the perfect setting for The Last Frontier's conspiracy-driven premise to blossom. Well, it didn't. Often at times, the series's story feels shallow, overly familiar, and struggles to make its twists surprising. The dialogue is also slightly cheesy at times. | © Apple Studios
Jennifer Garner and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau headline this thriller about a woman trying to discover why her husband suddenly disappeared. Despite The Last Thing He Told Me having a truly promising setup and talented cast, the series received criticism for its slow pacing and underwhelming mystery. Many fans also claimed the series did not do Laura Dave's 2021 novel, which it is based on, justice, given how little it respects the source material. | © 20th Television
It's a shame that Suspicion is on this list because it really has an interesting premise that involves the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman's son and four seemingly innocent suspects. Unfortunately, the mystery isn't nearly as compelling as it should be. It has slow, convoluted storytelling and an underused set of characters that are difficult to care about. | © Keshet UK
Imperfect Women is a psychological thriller that follows three longtime friends whose lives are disrupted by a mysterious murder. This unfortunate event unravels a web of secrets that leads to betrayals and uncomfortable truths. The premise certainly has plenty of potential, but the slow pacing, poor writing, and predictable plot prevent this miniseries from reaching the heights it promises. Sadly, the show also wasn't able to make use of its talented cast, which includes Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara. | © 20th Television/Apple Studios
Based on the classic anthology series from Steven Spielberg, Amazing Stories was supposed to bring the show back to life. Unfortunately, the revival struggled to capture the charm and more wondrous elements of the original. On top of that, the episodes feel wildly inconsistent, with some feeling more forgettable than magical. | © ABC Studios/Universal Television
Billy Crystal takes on a surprisingly dark role in this psychological thriller about a recently widowed child psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with a mysterious young boy named Noah. Before's eerie premise is fascinating, but the series is quite disappointing, sadly. It struggles to maintain its mystery, and its story feels repetitive and sluggish, for the most part. The CGI elements also look slightly cheap, with certain effects feeling unconvincing. | © Paramount Television Studios
Apple TV has built a reputation for producing some genuinely excellent television, but not every series has been a winner. For every Ted Lasso or Severance, there are shows that struggled with weak writing, pacing, or failed to meet expectations. That said, here are 15 of the worst Apple TV shows you can watch right now. For some of these shows, it's best you skip them entirely.
