What are the best miniseries on Apple TV right now?

In the United States, as of November 11, 2026: Defending Jacob (2020), rated 8.2 out of 10 on TMDB, then Black Bird and Masters of the Air.

How is this list made?

Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.

Can it pick something for me?

Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

What to watch

The best miniseries on Apple TV

Right now the best miniseries on Apple TV in the United States are Defending Jacob (2020), Black Bird (2022) and Masters of the Air (2024). This is the top 25 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Limited series with a beginning, a middle and an end: one season and done, a weekend or a week of evenings.

Updated November 11, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for me

1. Defending Jacob2020
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Mystery, Crime★ 8.2
A family's lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.
Stream onApple TV
2. Black Bird2022
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 8.1
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.
Stream onApple TV
3. Masters of the Air2024
Series · 1 seasonDrama, War & Politics★ 7.8
During World War II, airmen risk their lives with the 100th Bomb Group, a brotherhood forged by courage, loss, and triumph.
Stream onApple TV
4. Lessons in Chemistry2023
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 8.2
In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott's dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere.
Stream onApple TV
5. Lucky2026
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 7.3
When a multi-million-dollar heist goes sideways, con artist Lucky is forced to go on the run. Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss, Lucky must fight for her life—and a way out.
Stream onApple TV
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6. Cape Fear2026
Series · 1 seasonCrime, Drama★ 7.1
When convicted murderer Max Cady is released from prison, he begins infiltrating the family of the married attorneys who helped put him behind bars.
Stream onApple TV
7. The Crowded Room2023
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime, Mystery★ 7.7
In 1979 Manhattan, a young man is arrested for a shocking crime — and an unlikely investigator must solve the mystery behind it.
Stream onApple TV
8. Disclaimer2024
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Mystery★ 7.5
When an intriguing novel appears at the bedside of a journalist whose career has been built on revealing transgressions, she is horrified to realize she's a key character in a long-buried story—one that exposes her darkest secret.
Stream onApple TV
9. Chief of War2025
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.4
With Hawaii's four kingdoms divided by war, the ferocious warrior Kaʻiana embarks on an epic mission to unite his people—as an existential threat approaches their shores.
Stream onApple TV
10. Five Days at Memorial2022
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.5
When the floodwaters rose, power failed, and heat soared, exhausted caregivers at a New Orleans hospital were forced to make profound, heart-wrenching decisions.
Stream onApple TV
11. WeCrashed2022
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.4
Inspired by actual events—and the love story at the center of it all. WeWork grew from a single coworking space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its valuation dropped $40 billion.
Stream onApple TV
12. Franklin2024
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.5
In December 1776, Benjamin Franklin is world-famous for his electrical experiments. But his passion and power are put to the test when he embarks on a secret mission to France—with the fate of American independence hanging in the balance.
Stream onApple TV
13. Manhunt2024
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 6.9
A conspiracy thriller about one of the best known but least understood crimes in history. This is the astonishing story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination—as the fate of the country hangs…
Stream onApple TV
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey2022
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.6
Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker, Ptolemy Grey is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn. When they learn about a treatment that will restore Ptolemy’s dementia-addled memories, it begins a journey toward shocking…
Stream onApple TV
15. Calls2021
Series · 1 seasonMystery, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy★ 7.1
Interconnected phone conversations chronicle the mysterious story of a group of strangers whose lives are thrown into disarray in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event.
Stream onApple TV
16. Prime Target2025
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Action & Adventure★ 6.7
A brilliant math student is on the verge of a major breakthrough when a shadowy enemy tries to stop him. Fighting for answers—and his life—he teams up with a government agent to unravel a high-stakes conspiracy.
Stream onApple TV
17. Lady in the Lake2024
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 6.6
When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women, Maddie Schwartz and Cleo Sherwood, converge on a fatal collision course.
Stream onApple TV
18. Dope Thief2025
Series · 1 seasonCrime, Drama★ 6.6
Two lifelong friends in Philadelphia pose as DEA agents to rob small-time drug dealers. It's a perfect grift—until they choose the wrong mark and become targets of a massive narcotics enterprise.
Stream onApple TV
19. Smoke2025
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Crime★ 6.1
When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions.
Stream onApple TV
20. The Shrink Next Door2021
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 6.8
Inspired by the true story of Marty and the therapist who turned his life around...then took it over. When he first meets Dr. Ike, Marty just wants to get better at boundaries.
Stream onApple TV
21. The Essex Serpent2022
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 6.5
London widow Cora Seaborne moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms a surprising bond of science and skepticism with the local vicar—but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.
Stream onApple TV
22. Extrapolations2023
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy★ 6.1
Eight interconnected stories told over 33 years explore how our planet’s changing climate will affect family, work, faith—and survival.
Stream onApple TV
23. Lisey's Story2021
Series · 1 seasonMystery, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy★ 6.1
This terrifying thriller follows widow Lisey Landon as a series of disturbing events revives memories of her marriage to author Scott Landon and the darkness that plagued him.
Stream onApple TV
24. You Would Do It Too2023
Series · 1 seasonCrime, Mystery★ 7.4
A bus is hijacked by three robbers—who end up dead before they can get away. Every passenger's story is the same: A hooded man saved the day. As the case unfolds, the line between hero and criminal begins to blur.
Stream onApple TV
25. Liaison2023
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Action & Adventure★ 6.3
Two agents—and former lovers—must work together to combat international cyberattacks threatening the UK while also confronting the buried secrets of their destructive relationship.
Stream onApple TV

Questions

What are the best miniseries on Apple TV right now?: In the United States, as of November 11, 2026: Defending Jacob (2020), rated 8.2 out of 10 on TMDB, then Black Bird and Masters of the Air.
How is this list made?: Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?: Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

The best miniseries on Apple TV

1. Defending Jacob2020

2. Black Bird2022

3. Masters of the Air2024

4. Lessons in Chemistry2023

5. Lucky2026

6. Cape Fear2026

7. The Crowded Room2023

8. Disclaimer2024

9. Chief of War2025

10. Five Days at Memorial2022

11. WeCrashed2022

12. Franklin2024

13. Manhunt2024

14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey2022

15. Calls2021

16. Prime Target2025

17. Lady in the Lake2024

18. Dope Thief2025

19. Smoke2025

20. The Shrink Next Door2021

21. The Essex Serpent2022

22. Extrapolations2023

23. Lisey's Story2021

24. You Would Do It Too2023

25. Liaison2023

Questions

More to choose from