Apple TV has taken to its social media accounts to announce that Pluribus, the highly anticipated new drama hailing from writer and director Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and co-creator of Better Call Saul, is now the most-watched show in Apple TV history.
The record was previously held by Severance season 2.
In 2022, Apple emerged victorious from an intense bidding war for Pluribus, outpacing (i.e., outspending) major rivals such as HBO, Amazon, and Netflix.
According to reports, Apple was able to seal the deal by committing to a very rare straight-to-series two-season order, along with a substantial budget of roughly $15 million per episode.
As for the creative motivation behind the series, Gilligan has previously explained that after years of crafting morally corrupt characters, he wanted to change direction, saying he “was tired of writing bad guys, so I created Pluribus.”
Gillian also stated that he didn't want to do another spin-off or reboot, explaining, "We live in a world of IP, where the safest thing to do is reboot something that has an audience. I wanted to prove to myself I wasn't a one-trick pony... Every generation deserves its own stories, instead of just the stories of their grandparents."
The show stars Rhea Seehorn, who earned two Emmy nominations for her acclaimed performance in Better Call Saul.
The nine-episode drama series made its global debut on Apple TV, with a 2-episode premiere on Friday, November 7, 2025. New episodes are released weekly, on Friday, through December 26.
Picked up in a two-season order, “Pluribus” is a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.
Despite its recent debut, the show has already picked up several high-profile awards nominations including Best Television Series – Drama and Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama from the upcoming 83rd Golden Globe Awards and similarily, Best Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series from the impending Critics' Choice Television Awards.
In addition to Seehorn, the series stars Karolina Wydra (“Sneaky Pete”) and Carlos-Manuel Vesga (“The Hijacking of Flight 601”), and guest stars Miriam Shor (“American Fiction”) and Samba Schutte (“Our Flag Means Death”).
“Pluribus” is produced by Sony Pictures Television and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Gilligan alongside WGA Award winner Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, Allyce Ozarski and Jeff Frost. Jenn Carroll and Trina Siopy serve as co-executive producers.