5 shows to binge this weekend while Apple TV+ is free

Apple TV+ is free this weekend, so if you’re accessing the acclaimed streaming service, the following are five shows to binge before the paywall returns.

In a world where Netflix delivers global hits like Stranger Things and Squid Game, Disney+ serves up Marvel and Star Wars, and Prime Video offers The Boys and Rings of Power, Apple frequently gets forgotten.

But Apple TV+ if filled with fine movies, from Wolfs and Blitz, to Coda and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Television is where the streamer really excels however, and with the service free this weekend, here’s what you should binge over the three-day period. There’s great stuff that hasn’t made this list, including Ted Lasso, Masters of the Air, Presumed Innocent, and For All Mankind. But the following are our five favourites, listed in alphabetical order.

Bad Sisters

Apple TV+

Cast: Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Eve Hewson, Fiona Shaw

What it’s about: After the premature deaths of their parents, the Garvey sisters find they are bound together by the promise they previously made to always protect each other. 

Why we like it: After Derry Girls finally came to an end, there’s been a gap in the market for Irish humor on screen. Enter Bad Sisters, pioneered by Motherland writer Sharon Horgan (Hygge Tygge, anyone?). Mix Horgan with black comedy and you get a show that not only dares to go where others won’t, but is genuinely genius. It’s incredibly refreshing to see an all-female ensemble too (despite a few husbands, but who cares about them?).

Words by Jasmine Valentine

Criminal Record

Apple TV+

Cast: Peter Capaldi, Cush Jumbo, Cathy Tyson, Zoë Wanamaker, Charlie Creed-Miles

What it’s about: Triggered by an anonymous phone call, Detective Superintendent June Lenker (Jumbo) investigates a murder case that was closed years previous, which puts her on a collision course with Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Capaldi), whose chequered past throws said conviction into doubt.

Why we like it: Actors Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo have been friends for years, and spent much of that time searching for a project to collaborate on. Criminal Record became the show they settled on, and it’s a perfect vehicle for their talents, with Jumbo’s Jenker a compelling combination of tough and vulnerable, and Capaldi’s Hegarty utterly terrifying. Is he a bad guy? The brilliance of Criminal Record is that it has you guessing until the very end.

Words by Chris Tilly

Disclaimer

Apple TV+

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen.

What it’s about: Based on Renée Knight’s 2015 novel of the same name, Disclaimer centers on documentarian Catherine Ravenscroft, whose world unravels when she discovers a mysterious novel that tells the story of a secret she’s worked hard to bury.

Why we like it: Annoying narrators aside, Disclaimer centers on an intriguing mystery that balances its two timelines (and varying perspectives) well. And, with Alfonso Cuarón at the helm, it’s simply beautiful to look at. Yes, the characters are a little irritating, but if you’re looking to scratch that Big Little Lies itch – i.e. diving into a world in which the uber-privileged’s picture-perfect exteriors hide dark, buried secrets – binge-watching all seven episodes is a great way to spend an afternoon. 

Words by Daisy Phillipson

Severance

Apple TV+

Cast: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette

What it’s about: Set in a not-too-distant future, Mark has a normal life: he wakes up, goes to work at his boring job, comes home, eats, sleeps, and repeats. There’s just one difference: he’s been “severed,” meaning his memories and day-to-day experience have been surgically split between his work and personal life.

Why we like it: This is the crème de la crème of Apple TV+. It’s not just the greatest thing the streaming platform has ever produced – it’s one of the best TV shows of the decade, and there’s only been one season! Severance has it all: the eerie dystopia of Black Mirror, the mundane hijinks of The Office, the jaw-dropping drama of Lost. And yet, it feels wholly and bracingly original. Also, Severance Season 2 is just around the corner – what are you waiting for?

Words by Cameron Frew

Slow Horses

Cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristen Scott-Thomas, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar.

What it’s about: Based on a series of books by Mick Heron, Slow Horses concerns a group of spooks whom MI5 have rejected, so they find themselves hidden away at a building called Slough House to focus on admin. But the so-called Slow Horses are smarter than they seem, and regularly put their former colleagues to shame.

Why we like it: Slow Horses is a cracking spy thriller with rich characters, complex plots, and nail-biting action. But what sets it apart from Bond and Bourne – as well as the work of John le Carré – is the wicked humor that underpins proceedings, with Jackson Lamb (Oldman) not only head of the Slow Horses, but also a brilliant comic creation who is fast becoming one of the best characters on TV.

Words by Chris Tilly

How to watch Apple TV+ for free

Apple TV+ will be lowering its paywall over the first weekend in January 2025, meaning the service is free from January 3-5 inclusive.

You can watch the streamer’s movies and shows on any device where Apple TV+ is available – you just need an Apple ID to access everything on offer.

For more recommendations, head here for our most anticipated TV shows of 2025, as well as a list of movies we can’t wait to watch this year.