{"id":349709,"date":"2025-12-15T14:30:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/349709\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T14:30:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T14:30:11","slug":"the-top-ten-best-tv-shows-of-2025-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/349709\/","title":{"rendered":"The top ten best TV shows of 2025, ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

And Netflix put in a $72 billion bid to purchase Warner Bros Discovery<\/a>, sending waves of outrage from those in the movie industry who fear the streaming giant wants to take film away from theaters. Paramount has since made its own move for a hostile takeover. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there was a lot of TV to watch, too much for any one person (or critic) to get to. Dread and anxiety wafted through much of the year\u2019s lineup, as did crime and conspiracy<\/a>. Drawing connections between entertainment and the real world can be tricky and misguided, but sometimes it\u2019s unavoidable. Simply put, it\u2019s scary out there. <\/p>\n

We tried to narrow it all down to a manageable list. Be forewarned: Like that magical amp in \u201cThis Is Spinal Tap,\u201d this one goes to\u2026 <\/p>\n

11. \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d (FX; Hulu) <\/p>\n

Between this rollicking series and his turn as Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater\u2019s movie \u201cBlue Moon,\u201d it would appear that Ethan Hawke is living his best performative life. Here he sinks his teeth into the role of Lee Raybon, Tulsa \u201ctruthstorian\u201d journalist and rare books dealer, getting into trouble up to his neck. <\/p>\n

10. \u201cSouth Park\u201d (Comedy Central; Paramount+) <\/p>\n

After years of obliquely addressing the havoc wrought by President Trump and Co., the long-running animated show took off the gloves. There were scabrous depictions of ICE and anti-wokeness. Jesus himself was afraid to speak out. And yes, Satan found himself a new bedfellow. This was the year \u201cSouth Park\u201d dared to get dangerous again. <\/p>\n

9. \u201cThe Chair Company\u201d (HBO and HBO Max) <\/p>\n

Tim Robinson isn\u2019t for everybody, but I\u2019ve decided he is for me. This bent parody of the conspiracy thriller keeps you off balance throughout, mixing absurdist comedy with the anxiety of contemporary life. At the center is Robinson, flailing, dorky, and conveying an oddly relatable sense of being fed up with it all.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cDeath by Lightning\u201d<\/a> (Netflix) <\/p>\n

It only takes four episodes to weave the surprisingly irreverent if tragic tale of President James Garfield\u2019s assassination at the hands of the lost, spiteful Charles Guiteau, and the medical incompetence that sealed the president\u2019s fate. Michael Shannon, as Garfield, and especially Matthew Macfadyen, as Guiteau, are superb.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cDying for Sex<\/a>\u201d (FX; Hulu) <\/p>\n

Sex can still make for a potent dramatic theme, as this series, based on the podcast of the same name, fully understands. Michelle Williams stars as a young woman who embarks on carnal adventures after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Jenny Slate\u2019s BFF secondary character goes far beyond mere comic relief. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

6. \u201cThe American Revolution\u201d (PBS) <\/p>\n

Thankfully there\u2019s still room on the TV landscape for a deeply researched, 12-hour dive into how and why the country was founded. The Revolution was extremely complicated, and Ken Burns embraced the story\u2018s intricacies with verve and visual resourcefulness.<\/p>\n

5. \u201cThe Beast in Me\u201d<\/a> (Netflix) <\/p>\n

Watching Claire Danes and Mathew Rhys share the screen in this propulsive Netflix thriller provided a jolt of energy and awe. TV acting has never been as consistently strong as it is right now, and few of the masters are movie stars migrating to the small screen. These two are, for the most part, proud television natives.<\/p>\n

4. \u201cMussolini: Son of the Century\u201d (MUBI) <\/p>\n

Frenetic, imaginative, comical, and terrifying, this ambitious series charts the rise of Benito Mussolini from reactionary journalist to titan of fascism. In so doing, it also provides an object lesson in how totalitarian regimes take shape. Luca Marinelli is a magnetic Il Duce. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

3. \u201cAlien: Earth\u201d (FX; Hulu) <\/p>\n

Honey, we blew up the franchise. Noah Hawley extracted key elements from the \u201cAlien\u201d universe \u2014 AI dreams run amok, corporate greed \u2014 and created a gripping and terrifying new chapter that both honors the original movies and stands firmly as its own thing. Sydney Chandler is an instant star.<\/p>\n

2. \u201cLong Story Short\u201d<\/a> (Netflix) <\/p>\n

Along with \u201cSouth Park\u201d and various offerings from Adult Swim, including \u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d and \u201cHaha, You Clowns,\u201d this witty, emotionally resonant, chronologically scrambled series about an extended Jewish family highlighted a banner year for animation on TV. It\u2019s a prime example of the medium\u2019s capacity to bend time and space, thereby emphasizing the variety of humanity we ideally encounter every day. <\/p>\n

1. \u201cAdolescence\u201d (Netflix) <\/p>\n

The kids are not all right, and neither are the parents in this shattering British series about a boy who commits murder. The performances are devastating from top to bottom, and the single-take episodes create a feeling of realism and immediacy. Another reminder that it doesn\u2019t take more than four episodes to tell a great story.<\/p>\n

Chris Vognar can be reached at chris.vognar@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him on Instagram at @chrisvognar<\/a> and on Bluesky at chrisvognar.bsky.social.<\/p>\n