‘Margo’ is the best comedy on Apple TV you’re (probably) not watching
‘Margo’ is the best comedy on Apple TV you’re (probably) not watching
With great reviews and multiple Emmy nominations, ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ still feels like one of Apple TV’s most overlooked shows.
Apple TV is having a great year. Between new seasons of “Silo” and “Ted Lasso,” along with the breakout hit “Widow’s Bay” and the anxiety-inducing “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” it’s probably the most-watched streamer in our house this year. It’s stacked. But there’s one comedy show on the platform that I think deserves a little more love. And that’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles.” It’s funny, warm, original, with excellent performances, and tackles subject matter you don’t often see in TV. Here’s why I think it’s the most underrated comedy streaming on Apple TV.
Best under-the-radar comedy TV show on Apple TV
Why ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ is the most underrated comedy series on Apple TV
I went into this show knowing pretty much nothing about it. Tara had read the book it’s based on, so she kind of knew what to expect. Here’s the basic premise: Margo (Elle Fanning), a young aspiring writer and new single mom, is broke, overwhelmed, and trying to figure out how to support herself and her baby. So, she starts an OnlyFans account and, with help from her estranged former pro-wrestler dad (Nick Offerman), figures out how to make a living online.
Now, if that sounds a little too risqué, what’s interesting about the show is that it never gets “dirty.” It’s really about art — in all forms. And for me, that debate around what art is and what it can be is one of the most interesting parts of the show. Because it forces you to consider your own judgments and prejudices and hold them up against what you see on screen. And what’s on screen is beautiful. It’s funny, and weird (Margo has some epic costumes), and creative and daring, and just different from anything else I’ve watched. There’s also an interesting parallel between her dad’s career as a pro wrestler and what Margo starts doing online… and how maybe they aren’t so different.
Like all great comedies, it will make you laugh one second and tear up the next. Margo’s relationship with her dad really got me. He’s a recovering drug addict, and watching them reconcile their past while he commits to helping her raise her son hit me right in the gut. But overall the show is just really funny — at least the first three quarters. It gets a little darker towards the end of the season, so prepare yourself.
Finally, the performances are stacked. Fanning is incredible here. She’s fierce and determined, yet vulnerable. And it’s a difficult dance she does, because Margo makes questionable decision after questionable decision. It would be very easy to judge her if Fanning didn’t make her so damn likable. Offerman is the one who breaks me, though, as an imperfect dad trying to do his best for his daughter. And then Michelle Pfeiffer plays Margo’s mother, full of the same fierceness as her daughter, but wary with a lot more life experience and a desperate wish for Margo to turn her life into something more than she could.
This show just works. And despite sky-high reviews, multiple performance Emmy nominations, and a stacked cast, I still don’t think enough people watch and talk about this show. No, it’s not the prestige offering, high-budget world-building, massive-scale storytelling found elsewhere in Apple TV’s small but great library. It’s a more grounded show. But there’s nothing small about it.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
The daughter of a former Hooter’s waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo is a recent college dropout and aspiring writer. Faced with a new baby, mounting pile of bills, and dwindling number of ways to pay them, Margo must find a way forward.
What is ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ about?
“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” starts with Margo getting pregnant by her college professor and deciding to keep the baby, which pretty quickly turns her life into a money problem. She drops out, the bills start piling up, the professor isn’t exactly riding in to save the day, and then her estranged dad Jinx shows up. He used to be a professional wrestler, and now he wants to be a good dad. Margo eventually starts an OnlyFans account to make money, and Jinx begins helping her use old wrestling tricks to build a character people will actually want to follow. That’s where the show gets really strange and funny because Margo isn’t just posting stuff online; she’s basically inventing this whole other version of herself while also trying to raise a baby and keep her actual life from collapsing.
Other underappreciated comedy TV shows on Apple TV
I’ve got a few comedy shows I love on Apple TV that you should watch. First, start with “The Afterparty” — which is basically a murder mystery that switches genres each episode (but is always funny).
“Platonic” is another one that’s not joke joke joke but instead leans into the messiness of two longtime friends (Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen) trying to figure out their lives.
Finally, watch “Ted Lasso” because, well, it’s still incredible even with a Season 4 none of us knew if we needed.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.