Apple TV+ has quietly launched one of the most ambitious limited series of 2026 with American Classic, an eight-episode drama that premiered on January 24, 2026. Created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, 1883) and directed by Taylor Sheridan himself for the first four episodes (with additional direction by Charlotte Brändström and John Cassar), the series stars an ensemble cast led by Jon Hamm, Amy Adams, and a breakout performance by rising star Austin Butler. Marketed as a “modern American epic,” American Classic explores the collapse of a legendary Hollywood family dynasty while dissecting the myth of the American Dream in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The story centers on the Whitaker family, whose patriarch, Jack Whitaker (Jon Hamm), built a media empire in the 1970s and 1980s through a string of blockbuster films, television hits, and tabloid-fueled stardom. Jack is the quintessential American success story—charismatic, ruthless, and larger-than-life—but his empire is crumbling. His daughter Eleanor Whitaker (Amy Adams), once a celebrated actress, now runs the family production company while battling addiction and a toxic relationship with her own fame. His grandson Caleb (Austin Butler), a Gen-Z actor trying to escape the shadow of the family name, becomes the reluctant heir apparent when Jack suffers a massive stroke that leaves him incapacitated.
The series unfolds across three timelines: the golden era of the 1980s (where Jack’s ambition knows no bounds), the 2000s (when the family’s cracks begin to show), and the present day (where the empire faces extinction). Each era is rendered with meticulous period detail—neon-soaked 1980s sets, flip phones and early internet in the 2000s, and the cold, corporate sheen of today’s streaming wars. The writing is sharp and unsparing, exposing the human cost of fame: broken marriages, estranged children, substance abuse, and the relentless pressure to remain relevant.
Jon Hamm delivers what many critics are calling his best performance since Mad Men. His Jack Whitaker is magnetic, monstrous, and heartbreaking—a man who built an empire but lost everything that mattered. Amy Adams, in a role that feels like a spiritual successor to her work in The Master and Arrival, brings quiet devastation to Eleanor, a woman who spent her life trying to earn her father’s approval only to realize it was never possible. Austin Butler, fresh off Elvis and Dune: Part Two, proves he can carry dramatic weight as Caleb, a young man torn between rejecting the family legacy and being seduced by its power.
The supporting cast is equally strong. Walton Goggins plays Jack’s longtime business partner and moral counterpoint, while Julianne Nicholson appears as Jack’s first wife and Eleanor’s mother, a woman who escaped the spotlight but never escaped its damage. The series also features standout guest turns from Pedro Pascal as a rival studio head and Zendaya as a rising actress who becomes Caleb’s love interest—and moral compass.
Visually, American Classic is lush and cinematic. Cinematographer Ben Richardson (The Old Man, Shrinking) uses sweeping landscapes, intimate close-ups, and a rich color palette that shifts with each timeline. The score, composed by Brian Tyler, blends orchestral grandeur with electronic pulses, mirroring the clash between old Hollywood glamour and modern digital reality.
Critically, the series has been hailed as one of Apple TV+’s strongest originals. The Hollywood Reporter called it “a brutal, beautiful autopsy of the American Dream,” while Variety praised its “refusal to let anyone off the hook.” Viewers have responded with equal fervor—social media is filled with posts about the show’s emotional gut-punches and the performances that linger long after the credits roll.
American Classic doesn’t just tell a family story; it tells the story of America itself—ambition, excess, reinvention, and the price paid by those who chase the spotlight. With its powerhouse cast, unflinching script, and Sheridan’s unmistakable voice, it’s not just a series—it’s a cultural event. And with the finale still ahead, the conversation is only beginning.
