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Apple TV has built its reputation on a handful of prestige tentpoles: Severance, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show. However, its most consistent performer has always Trying, the British comedy that has been doing something extraordinarily different since 2020. It gets better with every season, which is a rarity today as streaming platforms tend to axe shows before they get a chance to do well, and they rarely live up to stellar first seasons.
Trying has an extraordinary critical record, featuring a 97% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics across 5 seasons and a 91% rating from the audience. Season 1 debuted with a Certified Fresh 88% score, which is actually the lowest of all five seasons, and it has just returned for Season 5, which boasts a perfect 100% score.
It is currently also charting on Apple TV's Top 10 TV Shows across 38 territories globally and landed in 10th place, per FlixPatrol, even if it dropped from the U.S. charts.
What Is Trying About?
Trying was created by Andy Wolten and produced by BBC Studios for Apple TV, premiering on May 1, 2020. The series follows London-based couple Nikki and Jason on their journey through infertility, foster care, and adoption as they try to get pregnant. Esther Smith plays Nikki, and Rafe Spall plays Jason, and the show's entire emotional arc rests on their chemistry. These are two people who are deeply imperfect, occasionally selfish, and completely devoted to each other and to the children they are trying to give a home.
The moving and funny drama delves into the complexities of the adoption process and the highs and lows of parenthood. The supporting cast, anchored by Imelda Staunton and Darren Boyd as Nikki's parents, gives the show a warmth and texture that is hard to come by.
Season 5 premiered on July 8 and is releasing weekly through Aug. 26, raising the emotional stakes considerably — the new season finds Nikki and Jason dealing with the arrival of Kat, the biological mother of their children, setting the stage for a season filled with growth, chaos, and heartfelt moments.
The Rotten Tomatoes Record Tells The Right Story
Trying is a gentle, 27-minute British comedy, and the record it sets is remarkable. However, regular viewers would not be surprised by it. Each successive season since Season 1 has held a flawless 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and Season 5 has continued that trend with its own perfect rating. That trajectory, which is a show that gets better as it goes and earns higher marks with every season rather than declining, is so rare that it is almost an impossibility for a comedy in its fifth year.
Trying has been widely called Apple TV's best sitcom of all time — it's the best-acted, best-written, and most emotionally rewarding comedy on TV. It is the perfect feel-good comedy to watch in 2026, when times feel more stressful than they feel easy.
Trying is streaming on Apple TV.
