Apple TV's 36-Episode Thriller Series Shows Every Other Streaming Service How It's Done

Oct 25, 2026 - 01:04

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Apple TV's 36-Episode Thriller Series Shows Every Other Streaming Service How It's Done

Published Oct 24, 2026, 5:16 PM EDT

Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.

Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.

Ever since streaming began dominating the TV landscape, there have been some unwelcome changes to how shows are produced, but one Apple TV series is doing it right. Apple TV may have joined the streaming game a little behind some of the leaders, but when it comes to producing original content, it has delivered some excellent new shows.

From thrilling sci-fi stories like Severance and For All Mankind, to emotionally gripping narrative plots as seen in shows like Shrinking and Ted Lasso, Apple TV is proving that it deserves its spot in the top tier of streaming platforms. But more than simply putting out great content in a landscape that is rapidly filling up with more shows than any individual person could consume, they have also brought back one of the best parts of traditional TV with Slow Horses.

Slow Horses is a captivating spy series about a group of underdog spies who have been pushed out of the central offices at MI5. Despite the exile, the so-called "Slow Horses" working at Slough House all have incredible skills, and when trouble comes their way, it's often down to this team to find a way to push through to the other side.

Slow Horses Defies Modern Streaming Release Schedules

Lamb and Taverner at a funeral in Slow Horses

But even more than the captivating contents of the show itself, one of the most impressive aspects of Slow Horses is its release schedule. In an era when most shows on streaming platforms often take well over 12 months to deliver a new season, Slow Horses has managed to consistently put out a season a year since its debut in 2022, with the first year also ringing in the release of season 2.

Since the double bill in its premiere year, Slow Horses has continued to deliver a new season every year, while shows like Stranger Things, Euphoria, Wednesday, The Boys, and so many more, have all seen waits of two years or more between seasons. But the frustrating thing about that is this isn't how TV shows used to operate.

Before the rise of streaming, TV shows were expected to deliver a new season within a 12-month window. And not only that, but these shows would often see each season climb into the double figures in terms of episodes. Today, most shows don't manage to do either, but Slow Horses has at least led the way back to annual releases in a big way.

Streaming Is Struggling To Keep Shows Alive Beyond A Few Seasons

Saskia Reeves & Rosalind Eleazer in Slow Horses season 6

One of the major downsides to how many great TV shows are coming from streamers is how frequently high-quality and highly praised shows end up being canceled. In an age of optimization, and with streamers having complete control over the stats about how their shows and their sites perform, it's never been more challenging for TV shows to secure renewals for future seasons.

In days gone by, and still for some network shows, a series would be given the greenlight by a studio and executives, and depending on how much faith they had in the show to perform, it was not uncommon to greenlight a few seasons ahead at a time. This provided the show with some important leeway to plan ahead, and provided a degree of certainty for audiences tuning in that the story would continue for some time.

With Slow Horses, this same trust has been reinstilled because the creatives behind the show have been in the habit of shooting a season ahead. So, when one season ends, they tack on a trailer for the next season, and they can gauge the response to inform a future season, while Apple TV weighs up whether it's worthwhile to greenlight another future season.

Honestly, more shows and streamers should start bringing back this type of relationship. It gives the people making the shows more space to tell their story and feel secure, the platform knows what's coming and when, and it ensures the talent involved on screen don't need to go out in search of more work while they wait to hear news. All around, Slow Horses and Apple TV are showing streamers what needs to be done to succeed.