Apple TV+ heats up this summer with the true-crime drama Smoke season 1 igniting small screens everywhere Friday, with investigators on the trail of two serial arsonists. The streamer recently revealed a first look and a trailer, below, for the nine-episode series, starring and executive produced by Taron Egerton. And now you can watch the show on Apple TV+.
Inspired by the popular podcast Firebug, Smoke reunites the creative team behind Apple’s critically acclaimed limited psycho-drama Black Bird. It should appeal to fans of crime dramas, psychological thrillers and the previous Dennis Lehane-Egerton collaboration on Black Bird. Smoke looks like a must-watch addition to the Apple TV+ lineup.
Update 2: Smoke streams as of Friday, June 27, on Apple TV+. Reviews so far are mixed but leaning positive. The Boston Globe said the show “stretches too much story over too many episodes.” But The Guardian said “no TV show has ever been worth sticking with more,” adding the “smart, mesmerizing and hugely entertaining” series more than pays off after the first two somewhat shaky episodes.
Update 1: Apple TV+ just released a new trailer for upcoming drama series Smoke. Clocking in at just over 2 minutes, the tense trailer pits two would-be allies — the Fire Dept. arson investigator played by Egerton and the Police crime scene expert played by Jurnee Smollett — against each other in a psychological game with a timer on it. When will the arsonists, whoever they are, kill again? And at least one of them might be Egerton’s character.
Photos and trailer: Taron Egerton chases arsonists in Smoke season 1 on Apple TV+
Smoke tells the story of a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game inspired by true events, Apple TV+ said. Egerton (Black Bird, Tetris) stars as Dave Gudsen, an arson investigator who partners with determined police detective Michelle Calderone, played by Emmy Award-nominee Smollett (The Order, Lovecraft Country). They track the destructive paths of two serial arsonists. The series promises to deliver the same psychological depth and suspenseful storytelling that made Black Bird popular and acclaimed on the platform.
Watch the trailer for Smoke season 1 on Apple TV+
Smoke: First-look photos
Photo: Apple TV+
The star-studded cast features an impressive lineup of talent, including Rafe Spall, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Emmy Award nominee Anna Chlumsky, Adina Porter, Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Greg Kinnear and Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo.
Based on podcast, created and written by novelist
Photo: Apple TV+
Created by Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone), who also serves as writer and executive producer, Smoke draws inspiration from the popular Firebug podcast on Apple Podcasts. The fictional adaptation brings new depth to the chilling subject matter while maintaining the podcast’s compelling narrative approach, Apple TV+ said.
Photo: Apple TV+
The series features an impressive creative team behind the scenes. Egerton pulls double duty as both star and executive producer, working alongside Richard Plepler for EDEN Productions, Bradley Thomas and Dan Friedkin through Imperative Entertainment, and directors Kari Skogland, Joe Chappelle and Jane Bartelme.
With Smoke, Apple TV+ continues its strategy of attracting top-tier talent both in front of and behind the camera as it continues building a reputation for quality programming.
Photo: Apple TV+
Watch dramas on Apple TV+
Smoke premieres with its first two episodes on Friday, June 27, followed by new episodes every Friday through August 8. With other dramas awaiting you in the meantime, Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
Photo: Apple TV+
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
Apple TV+ is home to more than 200 exclusive movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso). The service also offers documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
Source: Apple TV+
This post first published on April 15, 2025. We republished it to add the first trailer for Smoke on May 29, 2025 and again when streaming started on June 27, 2025.
