Can you believe we’ve made it to the end of another year in television? It feels like we actually watched some of the below recommendations last year, that’s how long 2025 has felt.
It’s left us feeling tired and a little square-eyed, like Mum threatened we would be if we kept sitting so close to the idiot box.
But those hours in front of TV won’t be in vain: Just in time for the summer break, we’re here to help you catch up on the year on the small screen — with a little help from our friends across the ABC.
We’re diving into our favourite new shows of the year, so sadly, that means leaving out return seasons (you’ll see how many of us wanted to wax lyrical about the West Wing fan service in The Diplomat in our honourable mentions).Â
We’ve landed on a mix of shows from Australia, the UK and the US, mostly narrative, with one special reality show we couldn’t resist including.
Let’s make haste. There’s TV to watch:Â
Adolescence (Netflix)
Created by Jack Thorne (Toxic Town) and actor Stephen Graham (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere), Adolescence is the most chilling piece of television you’ve probably watched already.
In September, Adolescence star Owen Cooper, aged 15, became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy for his performance in Adolescence. (Supplied: Netflix)
The series caused a media storm when it premiered in March, as it tackles one of the hot-button subjects of this decade: toxic masculinity and its impacts on boys.
Adolescence is a delicate examination of how perverse ideas around gender, entitlement and desire — fuelled by social media — coalesce into horrific violence.
Its star is newcomer Owen Cooper as 13-year-old Jamie, who, in episode one, is arrested for the murder of his classmate, Katie.
Online misogyny in Netflix’s Adolescence
Each episode is shot in one take, heightening the sense of tension. We witness the police raid on Jamie’s humble Doncaster home, his fear, and that of his family; before we’re taken into his schoolyard to meet his peers; to his interview with a forensic psychologist; and finally a glimpse of how the crime has shaped the lives of his family a year later.
The scenes that stick with me are between Cooper and Erin Doherty as the psychologist. The way Cooper spins between malice and raw vulnerability — he is just a 13-year-old boy — makes his one of the best performances of the year.
Honourable mentions: Mix Tape (Binge); The Chair Company (HBO Max); The Beast in Me (Netflix); The Death of Bunny Munro (Binge); Black Snow S2 (Stan).
— Hannah Story
Dying for Sex (Disney+)
In Dying for Sex, Molly (Michelle Williams) has a terminal cancer diagnosis and has never had an orgasm with another person. The latter problem is what she’d rather focus on, and leads her to set off on a journey of sexual discovery — with the help of her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate; It Ends With Us) and without the hindrance of her soon-to-be ex-husband Steve (Jay Duplass; Industry).
Dying for Sex is not for the faint of heart, with episodes exploring pup play, penis-kicking and butt plugs. (Supplied: Disney+)
This miniseries is based on the true story of the late Molly Kochan and her podcast, Dying for Sex. That’s probably why the show feels quite raw and truthful as it explores everything from kink and desire to childhood sexual trauma and what actually happens when a body is dying. Taken together, it feels quite radical, and somehow pulls off moments that are extremely funny, extremely sensual and ultimately extremely devastating.
Yes, it’s about dying and sex, but it’s also about the power of women’s friendships, and Williams and Slate are both sublime (robbed at the Emmys imho). But let us not forget Rob Delaney (Catastrophe) as Molly’s schlubby yet somehow sexy neighbour, Esco Jouléy as her social worker Sonya and my new favourite comedian Robby Hoffman (Hacks) as her domination mentor.
Honourable mentions: Long Story Short (Netflix); Pluribus (Apple); Alien: Earth (Disney+).
— Hannah Reich
The Four Seasons (Netflix)
There’s no shortage of shows about rich people behaving weirdly, but few are as sharp or entertaining as The Four Seasons, the latest project from Tina Fey (30 Rock).
The Four Seasons, starring Will Forte and Tina Fey as a dysfunctional married couple, has been renewed for a second season. (Supplied: Netflix)
Borrowing its structure from Alan Alda’s 1981 film of the same name, the series uses seasonal getaways as a clever frame for friendships under pressure, midlife crises and the messy ways people cope.
Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte and Kerri Kenney-Silver are deft at finding the awkward humour and fragile egos in their characters, who are both ridiculous and relatable. It’s not as rapid-fire funny as 30 Rock, but its comedy cuts deeper, exposing insecurities that may feel disturbingly familiar.
The Four Seasons won’t change your life, but it’s a smart, funny watch that captures the chaos of aging friendships with uncomfortable accuracy.
Honourable mentions: Any season of Taskmaster (Binge); Sam Pang Tonight (when it’s good it’s good, when it’s bad, I’m still glad it exists; Network Ten); Offsiders (Abbey Gelmi fills big shoes brilliantly; ABC TV).
— Dan Condon
The Golden Bachelor (Nine Network)
It was a shock when, in 2023, Network Ten cancelled The Bachelor Australia after 11 seasons, citing low ratings and high production costs. Thankfully for us rose-loving suckers, Channel Nine decided to have a crack at one of the franchise’s many spin-offs: The Golden Bachelor.
We won’t spoil the finale of The Golden Bachelor, but we enjoyed every moment of watching this love story blossom. (Supplied: Nine Network)
The show pairs one eligible bachelor with 20 women over the age of 50 (interestingly, the contestants must be 65 and older in the US version). This year the lucky fella is a 61-year-old Canadian with very nice arms and an impressively thick head of hair named “Bear”, who raised three sons in Sydney after his wife died in 2014.
This version of The Bachelor actually makes sense. While it’s hard to cop a 22-year-old influencer weeping about the vagaries of finding love, it seems legitimately difficult to enter the dating game later in life, particularly after a previous marriage, children or grief.
It’s almost disturbingly refreshing to see age-appropriate pairings on commercial television, and Bear should be so lucky to go home with any of these smart, funny, interesting women who’ve lived entire lives.
This season hurtled a bit too quickly to its shock ending (in South Africa for some reason?), but I was hooked until that final kiss.
Honourable mentions: Overcompensating (Prime Video); Sirens (Netflix); Dope Girls (Stan).
— Katherine Smyrk
The Lowdown (Disney+)
This charmingly chaotic modern noir by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs) stars Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a self-described “truthstorian”. Hawke is perfectly cast as the run-down journalist, bookseller and dad, still clinging to his belief the world can be a better place — even as he’s oblivious to the damage he inflicts on other people as he tries to make that ideal come true.
Harjo has said that The Lowdown takes place in the same universe as Reservation Dogs. (Supplied: Disney+)
After an apparent suicide in a powerful family, Raybon begins an investigation that leads to dodgy land deals, white nationalism, more than a few murders and Raybon frequently ending up on the wrong end of an angry fist.
Harjo has created a world that feels lived in, where the characters continue to exist long after the camera has left the scene, and the supporting cast turn in uniformly excellent performances, with Keith David and Peter Dinklage, in particular, stealing their scenes.
The series manages a delicate balance between suspense and humour, grand conspiracy and family drama, cynicism and hope. Plus, for those frustrated by the number of shows that peter out or get cancelled, this has the bonus of wrapping everything up in a single season — although I’d happily head back to follow Raybon on another adventure.
Honourable mentions: Andor S2 (Disney+); Severance S2 (Apple TV); Last Samurai Standing (Netflix); episode 7 of Paradise (Disney+).
— Sky Kirkham
Optics (ABC TV)
In Optics (co-created by Jenna Owen, Vic Zerbst and Charles Firth), Zerbst plays Greta Goldman and Owen the “unfortunately named” Nicole Kidman, best friends and co-workers at crisis PR firm Fritz & Randell.
Greta and Nicole can pull off a reverse frame like an Olympic diver executing a reverse 4.5 somersault in the pike position. (Supplied: ABC TV)
When the elderly Frank Fritz (Peter Carroll) expires, the Machiavellian chair of the board, Bobby Bahl (Claude Jabbour), makes the surprise move of installing the relatively junior Greta and Nicole as joint CEOs, much to the chagrin of Fritz’s assumed successor Ian Randell (Firth).
It’s a classic glass cliff scenario: “The girls” are there to take the fall when the world learns of the skeletons in Fritz’s closet. No one expects them to succeed — it’s all for “optics”.
Profile: Comedic duo Freudian Nip
But it turns out Greta and Nicole possess an affinity for manipulating the news cycle that comes from being deeply embedded in online culture, and the six-episode series sends up some of the most memorable PR disasters of recent times, from misbehaving footballers to widespread network outages.
Optics is chaotic, irreverent and sweary fun, with whip-smart writing and a crackling energy between Owen and Zerbst.
It’s a cynical and at times absurd skewering of the public relations landscape and, given the cliffhanger conclusion, it’s a shame ABC TV chose not to renew it for a second season.
Honourable mentions: The Diplomat S3 (Netflix); Platonic S2 (Apple); Nobody Wants This S2 (Netflix).
— Nicola Heath
The Pitt (HBO Max)
This is a medical procedural souped up for the 2020s, with fan fiction-level casting that re-imagines Noah Wyle (ER’s baby-faced Dr John Carter) in a grizzled second act. Wyle is Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavitch — senior attending physician and tormented do-gooder afflicted with COVID-era PTSD but blessed with the knowledge of intubating patients in countless impressive ways.
Did somebody say intubate? We love a tired, sexy man trying to do good in the world and Noah Wyle as Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in The Pitt is definitely that guy. (Supplied: HBO Max/Warrick Page)
Millions of viewers have already wallowed in the televisual glory of The Pitt, and with the second season dropping in January, now is the perfect time to muck in.
And there’s so much to wallow in — thanks to its deep ensemble cast, including Australian up-and-comer Shabana Azeez, who play beautifully together across 15 episodes tracking a single day shift in the maxed-out ER of Pittsburgh Medical Trauma Centre.
My emergency doctor friend watched The Pitt and said it could be set in Australia
Storylines plucked from the culture wars about gender, incels and anti-vaxxers weave through the season as fast-paced action and kinetic camera work build to the relentlessly devastating (in the best way) multi-part finale.
The Pitt scooped up five Emmys earlier this year — including for Outstanding Drama Series, Best Lead Actor for Wyle, and Best Supporting Actress for Katherine LaNasa, whose charge nurse Dana Evans is The Pitt’s emotional heart.
Honourable mentions: The Diplomat S3 (Netflix); The Rehearsal S2 (HBO Max); Adolescence (Netflix); Dying for Sex (Disney+); Physical: Asia (Netflix); Spy x Family S3 (Crunchyroll).
— Beverly Wang
The Residence (Netflix)
When a body is found in the White House during a state dinner for the Australian prime minister, an eccentric detective (Uzo Aduba; Orange Is the New Black) is called in to investigate in The Residence.
The Residence, starring Uzo Aduba and Randall Park, took some inspiration from Kate Andersen Brower’s book about the lives of White House staff, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House. (Supplied: Netflix)
Aduba as the detective and avid birdwatcher Cordelia Cupp brings sophistication to the series, finding a great balance between crime-solving and comedic idiosyncrasies as she navigates the egos of White House staffers and (fictional) transnational politics.
Adding zest to some of the sillier parodies of Australian culture are guest appearances from the late Julian McMahon, in his final performance, as Prime Minister Stephen Roos, and Kylie Minogue (as herself) stuck in an endless performance to distract the dignitaries from the whodunnit right under their noses.
Also, who could have predicted that a locked-door mystery would so perfectly prime me for the biggest renovation story of 2025?
Honourable mentions: The Summer I Turned Pretty S3 (Prime Video); Heated Rivalry (HBO Max).
— Rudi Bremer
The Studio (Apple TV)
Dave Franco as a bloodied, coked-up card shark; Zoe Kravitz tripping on mushroom-infused chocolate; Ron Howard getting into fisticuffs over a movie’s ending: watching The Studio is like stepping into a funhouse mirror of DeuxMoi submissions.
In The Studio, Seth Rogen stars as the new head of a Hollywood studio, alongside Ike Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders as executives and Kathryn Hahn as head of marketing. (Supplied: Apple TV)
Production powerhouses Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg glued together every juicy detail from their 20-plus years in Hollywood to create this delectable Tinseltown satire. Rogen plays Matt Remick, a starry-eyed cinephile who has finally ascended to his dream position, head of legacy production house Continental Studios. Surrounded by a sycophantic team of varying usefulness (Kathryn Hahn kills as Continental’s hilariously blunt marketing manager), Matt quickly realises that modern Hollywood is less about making timeless classics and more about latching onto profitable IP (Kool-Aid movie, anyone?).
Beyond its hilarious, surreal stories and plentiful celebrity cameos, The Studio is a visual marvel, using “oners” (single unbroken shots) to heighten the action as the camera breathlessly careens around Matt’s barely contained chaos.
There’s a reason The Studio’s superb first season won 13 Emmys this year. Get on board before season two arrives!
Honourable mentions: The Rehearsal S2 (HBO Max); Long Story Short (Netflix); The Righteous Gemstones S4 (HBO Max).
— Velvet Winter
Wayward (Netflix)
Canadian comedian Mae Martin’s abrupt swerve from dramedy (Feel Good) into horror with Wayward is such a thrill for me.
Their lanky, mumbling leading man Alex, a young police officer, is in a battle against the anodyne, smiling dread of his wife’s hometown (Tall Pines, which may as well be called Pin Tweaks) at the same time as a corrective school for “wayward teens” reveals its dark secrets.
Mae Martin made their name with the dramedy Feel Good, a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy about a comedian and former drug addict. (Supplied: Netflix)
Sarah Gadon as his wife Laura and our own Toni Collette as the school’s head teacher Evelyn give great scream-queen performances, each of them capable of widening their eyes in such a way as to make the bottom of your stomach drop out.
The hazy 2003 setting gives you just enough distance to drop into its universe, while never letting you forget the slightly-less-eldritch version of its setting is real for marginalised teenagers all over the world.
Throughout the series, the central mystery ebbs as the existential unease grows, so it’s worth sticking with through its more conventional middle before the finale gives you a whole new chill.
Honourable mentions: Elsbeth S3 (a new take on an old-school American procedural that is warming up beautifully).
— Ce Benedict