\tAramide Tinubu\u2019s Top 10<\/p>\n
\t10. \u201cMurdaugh: Death in the Family\u201d (Hulu)<\/p>\n
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There have been few recent true crime stories more captivating than the Murdaugh family murders. With its fictionalized miniseries, \u201cMurdaugh: Death in the Family,\u201d Hulu offers an engaging portrait of greed, cruelty and arrogance that begins well before Maggie Murdaugh (Patricia Arquette) and her son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) were found slaughtered on their family property. Dialing back several years before the 2021 deaths, and peeking into the Murdaughs\u2019 from generations past, \u201cMurdaugh: Death in the Family\u201d highlights a privileged family rife with addiction, intense coddling and complete dysfunction. Arquette and Jason Clarke, who portrays patriarch Alex Murdaugh, anchor the series that unpacks a group of people so deeply indoctrinated in their own lore that they engulf themselves in it<\/p>\n
\t9. \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d (HBO)<\/p>\n
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\n\tCreated by Julian Fellowes, HBO\u2019s \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d has been transporting viewers to the high society of late-19th-century New York for years. However, Season 3 delivered a fresh, sharp perspective that had been missing. The power dynamic between sisters Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada (Cynthia Nixon) shifted drastically after Agnes lost her fortune and Ada came into her own amid her late husband\u2019s passing. Across 61st Street, the Russells are also a tipping point, with Gladys\u2019 (Taissa Farmiga) marriage to the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb) and the resulting fracture in George (Morgan Spector) and Bertha\u2019s (Carrie Coon) marriage, which will likely shift the landscape of high society forever. The third season also offered much richer storytelling for the series\u2019 Black characters, introducing Phylicia Rashad as Peggy\u2019s (Den\u00e9e Benton) potential new mother-in-law, and highlighting the nuances of Northern Black life, including education and colorism.<\/p>\n
\t8. \u201cUntamed\u201d (Netflix)<\/p>\n
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\n\tWritten by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, Netflix\u2019s mystery-thriller \u201cUntamed\u201d is an absorbing ride of secrets and long-festering wounds. Set in Yosemite National Park (though filmed in British Columbia), the stunningly shot series follows Kyle Turner (an exceptional Eric Bana), a special agent for the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB). When a body is discovered in the park, Kyle comes in to investigate. However, as he tries to solve the crime, his personal traumas begin to surface, continually clouding his judgment and putting him on edge. Crafting a unique investigative drama in an over-littered landscape is challenging, but \u201cUntamed\u201d proves that by showing complex human relationships and being unafraid to highlight our worst impulses, it can be done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t7. \u201cA Thousand Blows\u201d (Hulu)<\/p>\n
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\n\tFrom \u201cPeaky Blinders\u201d creator Steven Knight, \u201cA Thousand Blows\u201d is a thrilling story about a group of outsiders determined to make their mark on an unforgiving world. Set in East London in 1880, the show features Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall), who arrive in London from Jamaica in search of new opportunities. What they find instead is unrelenting racism and the city\u2019s seedy underbelly of criminality. With boxing as his only source of income, Hezekiah finds himself the subject of desire for female gangster Mary Carr (Erin Doherty, who won an Emmy for \u201cAdolescence\u201d), which earns him ire from Sugar Goodson (\u201cAdolescence\u201d star and co-creator Stephen Graham), the vicious gangster who runs the East End. A gripping, engrossing tale of sexism, racism, loyalty and revenge, the brutal crime drama is one of the year\u2019s best.<\/p>\n
\t6. \u201cOutlander: Blood of My Blood\u201d (Starz)<\/p>\n
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\n\tExpanding the beloved \u201cOutlander\u201d franchise, Starz\u2019s new prequel series \u201cOutlander: Blood of My Blood\u201d follows two new love stories, one which starts on the battlefields of the Western Front during World War I and the other in the meadows of Scotland in the early 18th century. Showcasing the romances between Claire Randall (Caitr\u00edona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser\u2019s (Sam Heughan) parents, \u201cBlood of My Blood\u201d opens in Scotland in 1714, and follows the forbidden romance between Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), who are Jamie\u2019s parents. Centuries away amid the horrors of the First World War, Lt. Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield), Claire\u2019s parents, begin corresponding via mail. As with the original series, the timelines shockingly fold into one another. So often, prequels and sequels are poorly written and unnecessary. However, \u201cBlood of My Blood\u201d stands on its own as a rare, endearing and addictive gem.<\/p>\n
\t5. \u201cIt: Welcome to Derry\u201d (HBO)<\/p>\n
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\n\tA truly terrifying Pennywise (portrayed by Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd, as in the movies) origin story, \u201cIt: Welcome to Derry\u201d is deeply complex and emotional. Set in Derry, Maine, in 1962, the series begins with the shocking disappearance of a young boy. From there, the audience is introduced to several students at the boys\u2019 school, determined to find out what exactly happened to him (the original Loser\u2019s Club). However, this is much more than just a surface-level horror story. \u201cIt: Welcome to Derry\u201d ties in the paranoia of the Cold War, the horrors of racism, abuse and psychological trauma, all with a taut ribbon of fear laced throughout the entire series. More than a horror drama about the terrifying clown, the show turns a lens on how cruel we can be.<\/p>\n
\t4. \u201cParadise\u201d (Hulu)<\/p>\n
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\n\tA twisted political thriller, \u201cParadise\u201d creator Dan Fogelman proves after \u201cThis Is Us\u201d how agile he is in bending time, space and secrets into scripts. The series follows Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), a Secret Service agent who finds himself in the middle of a horrifying conspiracy when President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) is killed on his watch. But \u201cParadise\u201d is much more than an assassination at the White House; this entire world is unlike anything we\u2019ve ever experienced, adding another haunting layer to an already tantalizing murder mystery. Episode 7 is the true standout here, allowing Brown and Marsden to shine while offering a world of treachery that may not be too far off from our own.<\/p>\n
\t3. \u201cForever\u201d (Netflix)<\/p>\n
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\n\tInspired by Judy Blume\u2019s groundbreaking novel, Mara Brock Akil\u2019s spectacular teen love story is a series for the ages. Set in Los Angeles in 2018, the Netflix series follows Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), a track star and basketball player from opposite worlds. The series chronicles their burgeoning romance as they navigate their intense feelings for one another and their final years of high school and adolescence. Immensely touching and nuanced, Brock Akil offers a glorious tapestry of young Black love never seen on television. Magical and majestic, the series tenderly holds viewers\u2019 hands through euphoric love, gutting pain, and all those vulnerable, glittering first times.<\/p>\n
\t2. \u201cThe Pitt\u201d (HBO Max)<\/p>\n
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\n\tThere is no shortage of hospital dramas on television, but there is nothing quite like HBO Max\u2019s Emmy-winning freshman series, \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d Set in modern-day Pittsburgh, the 15-episode first season follows the overworked emergency staff at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Over the course of one 15-hour shift, the show introduces the traumatized yet highly talented attending physician, Dr. Michael \u201cRobby\u201d Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), and his team as they navigate bloody, grueling cases that put everyone on edge. Removing all of the glitz, glam and unrealistic plot points that have bogged down other medical dramas, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d highlights the horrors and hope of America\u2019s broken healthcare system.<\/p>\n
\t1. \u201cAdolescence\u201d(Netflix)<\/p>\n
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Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, Netflix\u2019s limited series \u201cAdolescence\u201d\u00a0is my top pick of 2025, not simply because of the subject matter \u2014 which highlights present-day incel culture, and the pitfalls of social media and connectivity \u2014 but because of its groundbreaking format. Set in an unnamed English town, the four-episode series begins with the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper), who is accused of murdering his female classmate. From there, through the lens of director Philip Barantini\u2019s signature one-shot style, the audience follows Jamie\u2019s arrest, the evidence against him and the fallout which ripples through his classmates, friends and family members. In Episode 3, viewers see Jamie in a session with his court-appointed child therapist (Erin Doherty), which reveals an aspect of the young teen\u2019s psyche that hadn\u2019t been seen before. Haunting and horrific, \u201cAdolescence\u201d reveals how grotesque we\u2019ve become as a society, how violent redpill culture is and what we can expect if we don\u2019t begin to eradicate it.<\/p>\n
\n\tHonorable mentions:\u00a0\u201cBoots\u201d; \u201cBallard\u201d; \u201cPower Book III: Raising Kanan\u201d; \u201cYour Friends & Neighbors\u201d; \u201cLong Bright River\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAlison Herman\u2019s Top 10<\/p>\n
\t10. \u201cThe Studio\u201d (Apple TV)<\/p>\n
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\n\tLots of Hollywood satires are vicious. Few lead with the palpable affection for movies and mythmaking that \u201cThe Studio\u201d wears on its sleeve \u2014 which only makes the many ways Seth Rogen\u2019s hapless executive mangles and mishandles his film slate all the more cutting. Continental Studios head Matt Remick could only dream of the creative freedom Rogen, his longtime creative partner Evan Goldberg and their collaborators seemingly enjoyed in crafting their star-studded, long-take-driven spoof, which tempers deep cuts like a character based on ousted Sony chief Amy Pascal with more accessible gags like pratfalls. But it\u2019s the deep sincerity of this Emmy favorite that really undergirds \u201cThe Studio,\u201d and explains its popularity with its targets. We already know that a career in show business eats away at the soul. \u201cThe Studio\u201d brings the original dream, and all the ways it\u2019s tarnished by tech intruders and IP fever, back to the center.<\/p>\n
\t9. \u201cPluribus\u201d (Apple TV)<\/p>\n
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\n\tAfter creating two all-time classics back-to-back \u2014 \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d and \u201cBetter Call Saul,\u201d which you may or may not consider one unified masterwork \u2014 Vince Gilligan could\u2019ve done whatever he wanted for his next project. \u201cPluribus\u201d is both a great departure for the showrunner and, in a strange way, completely in line with his prior CV. Gilligan is still based in Albuquerque, taking advantage of the American Southwest\u2019s dramatic scenescapes and wide-open skies; he\u2019s still working with muse Rhea Seehorn, the moral center and steadfast heroine of \u201cBetter Call Saul.\u201d But instead of watching Seehorn\u2019s character untangle a legal conundrum, we\u2019re now watching her apply the same dogged commitment to saving the world. Or at least that\u2019s what author Carol Sturka thinks she\u2019s doing when the rest of humanity is suddenly transformed into one singular hive mind. But what if the world is better off this way, and it\u2019s Carol who\u2019s the problem? That\u2019s the provocative question asked by a deliberately paced season balancing a globe-spanning premise with an intense focus on one individual. There\u2019s nothing else like \u201cPluribus,\u201d even as it bears the unmistakable mark of a Gilligan project.<\/p>\n
\t8. \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d (HBO)<\/p>\n
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\n\tYear-end lists like the one you\u2019re reading tend to reward the novelty of new series or the closure of final seasons. (Guilty!) Let us correct that impulse, then, to honor an established show like \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d hitting its stride a full three seasons into its run on HBO. Julian Fellowes and co-writer Sonja Warfield\u2019s period drama still has all the surface-level pleasures of its first two iterations: gorgeous scenery, soothingly low stakes and more Tony awards per capita than seems possible for a single cast. But Season 3 recalibrated to make \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d more substantial, consistent and resonant. Peggy (Den\u00e9e Benton), a young Black journalist previously siloed into eat-your-vegetables subplots about social progress, got to fall in love and dress up just like her more privileged peers; Gladys (Taissa Farmiga), the daughter of two social climbers previously unified in their ambition, married an English duke and placed a strain on her parents\u2019 union. \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d still keeps it light, yet Season 3 seemed to hone in on the best possible version of a show about excess and inequality that still deeply loves its characters.<\/p>\n
\t7. \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d (FX)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\u201cThe Lowdown\u201d has the same indelible sense of place as \u201cReservation Dogs,\u201d the coming-of-age comedy that marked creator Sterlin Harjo\u2019s first collaboration with FX. But with this quasi-detective mystery, the place in question is not a Native community in rural Oklahoma \u2014 it\u2019s the urban tapestry of Tulsa. Ethan Hawke\u2019s \u201ctruthstorian\u201d Lee Raybon is our Virgil through the city\u2019s dense patchwork, encompassing Black strip club owners, white supremacists, illicit caviar farms and long-form magazines. By investigating the apparent suicide of Dale Washburn (Tim Blake Nelson), the black sheep of a local land-owning dynasty, Lee seeks to right historical wrongs even as present predicaments, like his relationship with his tweenage daughter Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), require more attention. \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d captures the feeling of paging through one of the hard-boiled paperbacks at the bookstore Lee operates as one of his many hustles, with Hawke leading a stellar cast of singular characters.<\/p>\n
\t6. \u201cEverybody\u2019s Live with John Mulaney\u201d (Netflix)<\/p>\n
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\n\tIt\u2019s disappointing that Netflix has yet to confirm any additional episodes of this fever dream of a talk-show-shaped carnival, but also apt. \u201cEverybody\u2019s Live,\u201d an evolution of Mulaney\u2019s six-episode \u201cEverybody\u2019s in L.A.\u201d concept that had aired the previous spring, felt destined from the start to be a cult classic \u2014\u00a0and cult classics, by definition, don\u2019t earn the instant mass appeal that guarantees a quick renewal. Veteran stand-up Mulaney cast himself as a modern Dick Cavett, convening celebrities and expert guests for anarchic, often awkward panels that anchored episodes filled out with musical performances, oddball sketches and call-in segments. Character actor Richard Kind has never been better used than as Mulaney\u2019s voluble sidekick, but \u201cEverybody\u2019s Live\u201d was unabashedly the expression of its host\u2019s wide-ranging, vintage-skewing interests. If all we get of \u201cEverybody\u2019s Live\u201d is 12 episodes of \u201cHellraiser\u201d gags, fighting 14-year-olds and Natasha Lyonne complaining about bike lanes, then dayenu.<\/p>\n
\t5. \u201cThe Righteous Gemstones\u201d (HBO)<\/p>\n
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