{"id":368233,"date":"2025-12-24T21:33:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T21:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/368233\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T21:33:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T21:33:14","slug":"the-10-best-tv-shows-of-2025-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/368233\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 best TV shows of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEntertainment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tFrom “Andor” to “Adolescence,” these are the best TV shows of 2025.<\/p>\n

\"Best
\n\tBest TV shows of 2025: Tramell Tillman in “Severance,” Owen Cooper in “Adolescence,” and Diego Luna in “Andor.” Apple TV; Netflix; Lucasfilm\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Kevin Slane<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 24, 2025 | 1:50 PM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

6 minutes to read<\/p>\n

When taking stock of the past year of television, it\u2019s useful to take a step back and consider how this era of TV \u2013 and by extension, the best TV shows of 2025 \u2014 fits in the bigger picture of recent television history.<\/p>\n

In my year-end list in 2022<\/a>, I declared \u201cpeak TV\u201d to be over, and the numbers backed that up<\/a>. In 2025, the great shrinking continued, both in the number of original scripted shows<\/a> being greenlit and the creative liberties afforded to showrunners for the projects that did get produced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Streaming companies that were previously protective of their precious IP made deals left and right in order to make a profit. Warner Bros., in particular, was eager to share its toys, licensing some of its older HBO shows to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and bundling itself with Disney and Hulu. We also saw Sony, one of the few studios that lacks a dedicated streaming service, licensing \u201cJeopardy!\u201d to Hulu and Peacock, and flipping the phenomenally successful film \u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d to Netflix.<\/p>\n

In my estimation, all of this cost-cutting and consolidation means there were fewer TV shows in 2025 that will still be talked about decades later, a la \u201cThe Sopranos\u201d and \u201cBreaking Bad.\u201d But that doesn\u2019t mean 2025 was a total wash. Instead, I\u2019d classify this year\u2019s best as good but not great \u2013 or if you\u2019d prefer, great but not legendary.<\/p>\n

Here are my picks for the 10 best TV shows of 2025, plus ten honorable mentions at the bottom.<\/p>\n

Best TV shows of 202510. \u201cThe Righteous Gemstones\u201d\"EdiEdi Patterson, left, Danny McBride, center, and Adam Devine in a scene from \u201cThe Righteous Gemstones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danny McBride pulled out all the stops in this swan song for his family of brash evangelical preachers, kicking off the season with a centuries-old origin story starring Bradley Cooper and ending the series with a bloody reckoning that was shocking in its primacy. It was the moments in between, however, that will live on, whether it was Calvin Gemstone (Adam Devine) vying for Top Christ Following Man of the Year or Uncle Baby Billy (Walton Goggins) starring in the doomed production of Teen Jesus (\u201cTeenjus\u201d).<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cThe Righteous Gemstones\u201d is streaming on HBO Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. \u201cTaskmaster\u201d\"FatihaFatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Mathew Baynton, Rosie Ramsey, and Stevie Martin on \u201cTaskmaster.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 5+ years since we were forced indoors by the pandemic, there\u2019s no show I\u2019ve spent more time with than \u201cTaskmaster,\u201d the British panel show available for free on YouTube. An elegant blend of \u201cWhose Line Is It Anyway?,\u201d a late-night talk show, and an escape room, the show forces five comedians to complete a series of absurd, often frustrating tasks devised by the show\u2019s creator and co-host, Alex Horne. Season 19 was one of the show\u2019s best, thanks largely to Nahant native Jason Mantzoukas<\/a>, who brought a brash, unpredictable American energy to the very English series.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cTaskmaster\u201d Season 19 is streaming on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cDying for Sex\u201d\"\"Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate in \u201cDying for Sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Molly (Michelle Williams) is told she has Stage 4 cancer, she takes the news as an opportunity to break free from her controlling husband (Jay Duplass), move in with her best friend (Milton native Jenny Slate) and figure out what she really wants in life. Mostly, she wants to have a lot of sex. An authentic exploration of grief\u2019s many forms, \u201cDying for Sex\u201d<\/a> also offers wish fulfillment for anyone who has ever wondered what a sub-dom relationship with Marblehead native Rob Delaney (\u201cCatastrophe\u201d) would look like.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cDying for Sex\u201d is streaming on Hulu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cThe Rehearsal\u201d\"NathanNathan Fielder in \u201cThe Rehearsal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan Fielder remained one of the strangest, most original comic minds in the second season of his HBO show, this time using his \u201crehearsal as a means of preparation\u201d approach to focus on a single, very timely, issue: Airline safety. Watching Fielder, dressed as heroic pilot Captain \u201cSully\u201d Sullenberger while pumping himself up to Evanescence, is one of the most indelible moments of TV of this year \u2013 or any year.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cThe Rehearsal\u201d is streaming on HBO Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cPluribus\u201d\"FromFrom left, Sharon Gee, Darinka Arones, Rhea Seehorn, Amarburen Sanjid and Menik Gooneratne in \u201cPluribus.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the success of \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d and \u201cBetter Call Saul,\u201d showrunner Vince Gilligan could make whatever passion project he wanted. This freedom brought him back to his \u201cX-Files\u201d roots with the high-concept story of Carol (Rhea Seehorn), one of 13 people in the world who has not been infected by an alien virus that turns humanity into a surprisingly benevolent hivemind. The core conceit of \u201cPluribus,\u201d and the mysteries yet to be fully revealed, are reason enough to tune in. But the headier themes that Gilligan explores \u2013 especially at a time when tech titans are attempting to synthesize centuries of human thought to create an AI singularity \u2013 are what could make \u201cPluribus\u201d an all-timer by the time it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cPluribus\u201d is streaming on Apple TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d\"EthanEthan Hawke as Lee Raybon and Kaniehtiio Horn as Samantha in \u201cThe Lowdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan Hawke, who stars in one of the best movies of 2025<\/a> as well, is a joy to watch as Lee Raybon, a crusty used bookstore owner in Tulsa who moonlights as an independent reporter (or \u201ctruthstorian\u201d) and finds himself tied up in a grisly mystery that spans centuries. Showrunner Sterlin Harjo (\u201cReservation Dogs\u201d) creates a darkly comic tapestry with echoes of FX\u2019s \u201cFargo,\u201d filled with memorable supporting turns from the likes of Tim Blake Nelson, Kyle MacLachlan, Keith David, and Peter Dinklage. But the show is anchored by Hawke, who vacillates between Philip Marlowe and Jeffrey Lebowski in the lead role.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cThe Lowdown\u201d is streaming on Hulu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. \u201cThe Pitt\u201d\"NoahNoah Wyle in a scene from \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the future of streaming in the era of studio consolidation means more down-the-middle dramas with broad appeal, then \u201cThe Pitt\u201d is the platonic ideal. A grittier medical drama from the showrunner (John Wells), producer (R. Scott Gemmill), and star (Noah Wyle) of \u201cER,\u201d \u201cThe Pitt\u201d takes place during a single 15-hour ER shift, following Dr. Robby (Wyle) as he navigates an underfunded, fundamentally broken healthcare system. Despite the very modern problems faced by the staff of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center \u2014 from overdoses to mass shootings \u2014 the show is a throwback to a bygone era of television.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cThe Pitt\u201d is streaming on HBO Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cSeverance\u201d\"TramellTramell Tillman in \u201cSeverance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Season 2 of this dystopian drama delved deeper into the mysterious history and machinations of megacorporation Lumon, whose experiments on its \u201csevered\u201d workers continued to delight and perplex. But \u201cSeverance\u201d also made sure to foreground its central, universal premise: Work sucks. While the staff are given hollow apologies and new \u201cperks\u201d straight out of an HR director\u2019s playbook for their prior treatment, harried middle manager Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) is urged by Lumon overlords to push his staff harder than ever. That\u2019s capitalism, folks!<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cSeverance\u201d is streaming on Apple TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. \u201cAdolescence\u201d\"OwenOwen Cooper in a scene from \u201cAdolescence.\u201d <\/p>\n

No series stuck in my brain more persistently (and at times, unpleasantly) than \u201cAdolescence<\/a>,\u201d a four-part limited series imported from the U.K. about a 13-year-old (Owen Cooper) accused of murder. Each episode\u2019s immersive, no-cuts filmmaking style makes it impossible to look away, as audiences are given a crash course in cyberbullying and the mind-altering power of the manosphere. In a world where online radicalization has made previously unimaginable tragedies into weekly occurrences, \u201cAdolescence\u201d forces us to confront reality, unpleasant as it may be.<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cAdolescence\u201d is streaming on Netflix<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. \u201cAndor\u201d\"CassianCassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm\u2019s ANDOR Season 2.<\/p>\n

Tony Gilroy\u2019s \u201cAndor\u201d is nothing short of a miracle: A streaming-exclusive show that is a prequel to a prequel to a decades-old trilogy that is also essential viewing. It\u2019s also the first Lucasfilm project that is squarely aimed at adults, a taut political thriller anchored by mercenary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) that examines all stages and perspectives of a revolution. The series is neither rushed nor indulgent, and when the plot takes slight detours \u2014 a flashback here, a royal wedding there \u2014 they are thematically significant. When all is said and done, \u201cAndor\u201d is the best piece of \u201cStar Wars\u201d entertainment since \u201cThe Empire Strikes Back.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to watch: \u201cAndor\u201d is streaming on Disney+<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Honorable mentions: \u201cAlien: Earth,\u201d \u201cA Man on the Inside,\u201d \u201cThe Chair Company,\u201d \u201cDeath By Lightning,\u201d \u201cThe Gilded Age,\u201d \u201cHacks,\u201d \u201cLong Story Short,\u201d \u201cParadise,\u201d \u201cThe Studio,\u201d \u201cTask\u201d<\/p>\n

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