After a splashy premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, John Travolta's directorial debut — Propeller One-Way Night Coach — was released on Apple TV on May 29. It's an unusual movie, primarily because it barely qualifies as a feature. Propeller One-Way Night Coach comes in at a lean 61 minutes and unfolds largely during a cross-country flight to Los Angeles aboard a Lockheed plane in the 1960s. Travolta plays the supporting role of the plane's pilot, while the child protagonist is played by Clark Shotwell. Propeller One-Way Night Coach took the number one spot on the global Apple TV rankings upon debut. However, its reign was short-lived.

Apple TV is quietly having one of the biggest years in the streamer’s history, with new projects across the board in various genres taking the world by storm. The most popular show on Apple TV at the time of writing is Your Friends & Neighbors, which stars Jon Hamm. Apple TV has already picked up the series for Season 3, and it’s all but guaranteed that it will be back for more episodes sometime next year. The biggest movie on Apple TV right now is F1, the Brad Pitt-led racing blockbuster that’s now spent nearly six months at the top of streaming charts. Apple TV has become known for its dedicated work in the sci-fi genre with shows like Severance and Pluribus, but the streaming service has expanded enough to have hits sure to please fans of all preferences.

Some Apple TV series work better than others, but nearly all of them are promoted with the same low-intensity approach that might give the streamer's competitors false hope. However, even without globe-spanning marketing, many of Apple's shows often find an audience during their run and receive tremendous reviews. It also helps that Apple releases new episodes weekly, unlike most major titles on Prime Video and Netflix. This gives the Apple shows time to grow, and their success isn't limited to how well they perform in the first week. This strategy has paid off handsomely this year with arguably the most acclaimed new show of 2026, which is saying something. Apple is on a hot streak thanks to the critically acclaimed Margo's Got Money Troubles and Star City.

Few movie stars have had as successful of a career as Tom Hanks, and although he’s now almost 70 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Hanks can be seen narrating the new WWII series, World War II with Tom Hanks, which is blowing up on streaming around the world after a successful premiere. Hanks also executive produces the show, which he also did for the Apple TV World War II series, Masters of the Air (co-starring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan). Hanks has plenty of experience with the World War II genre, and not just with the obvious Steven Spielberg collaboration, Saving Private Ryan. Back in 2020, Hanks headlined one of the biggest Apple TV movies of all time in Greyhound, which was such a success that the studio is hard at work on a sequel.

In the last few years, Apple TV has done more than enough to establish itself as one of the premiere homes for original sci-fi programming. Many fans first flocked to the platform for more wholesome hits like Ted Lasso (starring Jason Sudeikis), but it was more dystopian thrillers like Severance (starring Adam Scott) that got subscribers to re-up their deal and hang around for the long haul. Severance was the most-watched Apple TV show in platform history until last year brought on the arrival of Pluribus, which was written and created for TV by Breaking Bad scribe Vince Gilligan. Both Severance and Pluribus have been renewed for new seasons, but neither will return before the end of this year. There is another Apple TV sci-fi show you may have forgotten about that’s set to return for a new season sooner than you realize.

One of the most defining shows on Apple TV this year has just come to an explosive second-season end. Season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors has been a mainstay atop the U.S. streaming charts since its April 3, 2026, debut, as viewers in their millions indulged in the many twists and turns of Jonathan Tropper's crime drama. A strong April was followed by an even better May, with viewership jumping by 19.5% week-over-week, helping the show become the seventh-most-streamed across all services.

Apple TV is entering a new phase — one marked by its continued production of high-quality shows that have attracted acclaim and awards. But this new phase leans into what is currently sustaining many streaming services and networks: franchises. The streamer has expressed interest in expanding the universes of some of its biggest shows, with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Severance, and Ted Lasso in consideration. However, one of the earliest contenders for a spin-off is the streamer's oldest sci-fi series, and that plan recently materialized.

Steven Spielberg doesn't just make sci-fi; he makes sci-fi in a way only he can. His stories feature a human element amid the alien and supernatural occurrences, which makes his work resonate with many audiences. Recent shows like The Boroughs have been lauded for their magical, Spielbergian feeling. And while Spielberg is known for movies, he has occasionally dipped his toes into television, bringing his grand visions to the small screen.