One Of Apple TV+'s Most Underrated Shows Is A Spin-Off Of A Canceled Comedy

Apple TV+ has some of the best TV series around, even if seemingly no one is watching them. Most notably, the streamer is home to a myriad of incredible sci-fi shows, all of which are given the time (and budget!) to tell stories both epic and intimate in scope, transporting us to incredible and fully-realized worlds along the way. But that is not all; Apple TV+ has also produced new movies by some of our most celebrated auteur directors, including Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese.

Now that the streamer has been around for several years, it's begun to develop its own franchises as well. (Such is the way in Hollywood.) "For All Mankind," for example, is getting a spin-off series centered on Roscosmos, the Russian space agency featured in the acclaimed sci-fi show. Meanwhile, the now-canceled "Mythic Quest" has already given rise to one of the platform's most underrated shows.

"Mythic Quest" was an office comedy series set in the world of video games and followed the employees of a fictional gaming studio working on a hit game titled, well, "Mythic Quest." Whether it was exploring problems with game publishers, the evils of monetization, or interpersonal drama involving things like the struggle to maintain a healthy work/life balance, romance, jealousy and more, "Mythic Quest" was an often hilarious, always heartfelt story that shined a light on arguably the biggest entertainment industry.

What made the show so special, however, was its willingness to experiment. Creators Megan Ganz, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day moved away from the main characters once each season to shine a light on a variety of stories related to how video games can impact lives (whether it's a couple whose relationship is tested when they create a successful game, forcing them to deal with the sacrifices of turning art into commerce, or just the life of a video game streamer that makes irreversible mistakes online). From "Mythic Quest" came "Side Quest," a phenomenal four-episode spin-off that expands the flagship show's idea of exploring how games affect people in different ways.

Though "Mythic Quest" was canceled by Apple in early 2025, fans still got more of this universe thanks to "Side Quest," an anthology show telling different stories about the intersection of video games and fandom. One episode is about the art director of the "Mythic Quest" game being unable to go on vacation without his boss constantly pestering him, while another one is about a group of friends who regularly play games together online realizing their lives are changing and they won't be able to do that anymore.

What makes the show special is the care and heart that's put in every detail of its episodes. "Side Quest" could have easily fallen into mocking territory, whether by making fun of nerds for being so obsessed with video games or just by focusing on the negative aspects of the gaming industry and community (e.g. the vitriol and bigotry online, crunch culture, and so forth).

Take the third episode, titled "Fugue," which follows Annamarie Kasper as Sylvie, an aspiring cellist whose dream is to play the score of her favorite games in a touring video game orchestra. However, after she achieves her dreams, she must come to terms with turning her passion into an obligation and how to deal with creative burnout. The result is a story that resembles nothing less than the masterpiece that is "Kiki's Delivery Service."

Overall, "Side Quest" makes for a fantastic continuation of the themes of community of "Mythic Quest" in the way that it explores how we form communities through art (and the importance of boundaries therein). The second episode, titled "Pull List," isn't even about video games (technically); rather, it centers on a comic tie-in of the "Mythic Quest" MMORPG that several people in a comic book store are desperate to get their hands on. That episode explores the often silly arguments that some people engage in to "prove" their fandom, as well as how the fear of rejection turns into gatekeeping.

Even if we don't get more stories with the primary characters from "Mythic Quest," the show's spirit lives on in its excellent spin-off series.