Apple has released an initial look at Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, a dark comedy thriller series led by Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson, and confirmed a global premiere on Apple TV set for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The 10-episode season is structured as half-hour installments, positioning the show within the platform’s growing interest in genre blends that lean on character-driven tension rather than high-concept spectacle.
Created by showrunner David J. Rosen, the series centers on Paula, portrayed by Maslany, a recently divorced mother dealing with a custody dispute and a broader sense of personal dislocation. Her routine life shifts when she becomes convinced she has witnessed a crime. What follows is not a conventional procedural but a spiral into suspicion and self-directed investigation, where blackmail, murder, and the unexpected politics of youth soccer overlap. The premise suggests a story more interested in how paranoia and pressure reshape everyday behavior than in delivering tidy answers.
Jake Johnson co-stars in a role that has not yet been fully detailed, though early material indicates he serves as a key counterbalance to Paula’s increasingly unstable perspective. The supporting cast includes Brandon Flynn, Murray Bartlett, Jessy Hodges, Jon Michael Hill, Charlie Hall, Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg, Nola Wallace, and Dolly De Leon, signaling an ensemble approach rather than a strictly two-hander. The variety of performers hints at intersecting subplots that extend beyond Paula’s immediate family crisis.
The series is produced by Apple Studios and directed by David Gordon Green, who also serves as an executive producer. Rosen shares executive producing duties with Simon Kinberg, Audrey Chon, and Bard Dorros. For Rosen, the project follows his work on the Apple TV detective drama Sugar, which is slated to return for a second season in June, suggesting a continuing relationship with the platform built around off-kilter mystery storytelling.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed arrives as part of a dense release calendar. Apple TV, which simplified its branding late last year, has committed to rolling out new original programming at a steady pace throughout 2026. In this case, the release strategy follows a familiar pattern: the first two episodes will be available at launch, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly through July 15. That approach favors sustained attention over binge viewing, giving the show time to build word of mouth if the tonal mix lands with audiences.
Rather than positioning itself as a marquee event, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed appears designed as a mid-budget, character-focused series that tests how far dark comedy can stretch into thriller territory without losing emotional grounding. Its success will likely depend less on spectacle and more on whether its central performance and layered premise can sustain tension across a full season.
