A doctor, a soldier and a gay hockey player walk into a bar…
It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s also the state of TV in 2025.
This year’s best and buzziest shows had characters who were corporate employees, medical staffers, soldiers and even a president. Quite a combo.
Several series returned after long breaks (“Severance”), while other shows came out of nowhere to take the world by storm (“The Pitt,” “Heated Rivalry”).
Plenty of quality offerings were dished up, ranging from comedies to dramas to genre-bending oddities. 2025’s TV stars hailed from all corners, including old-timers making comebacks (Noah Wyle), award show darlings (Sarah Snook), movie stars (Seth Rogen) and newcomers (Connor Storrie).
Honorable mentions go to Apple’s acclaimed sci-fi show “Pluribus,” helmed by “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, and HBO’s thriller “Task” starring Mark Ruffalo.
The list is subjective, as there are a lot of shows out there, but these are the 10 series that stood out.
“Severance” (AppleTV+)
The work is mysterious and important. After a long absence — as the genre-bending AppleTV+ thriller first premiered in 2022 — “Severance” returned for its sophomore season with aplomb. As the story continued, following employees at a cult-like biotech company, the show rose to meet the audience’s high expectations. It knocked it out of the park, deftly balancing its mystery box plot with heart, emotion and plenty of human drama. It’s easy for sci-fi shows to feel chilly and cold, but “Severance” avoids it. Performances from cast members such as Adam Scott, Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower rightfully got awards buzz. In a world where some shows and movies feel “made by committee” — or worse, written by ChatGPT — this show feels like the work of a singular, human, wildly creative mind.
“The Chair Company” (HBO)
Comedian Tim Robinson — an “SNL” alum whose style was too weird and niche for the variety show — is known for delivering comedy in smaller doses (in his sketch show “I Think You Should Leave” and in the movie “Friendship”). His first stab at a serialized TV show could have gone awry. Instead, the HBO comedy was an off-the wall gonzo ride. The story centered on a family man in a corporate job who became obsessed with the idea that there was a conspiracy involving a company that made…chairs. Robinson’s brand of humor isn’t for everyone; the show is utterly bizarre. But this amusing take on the conspiracy thriller genre stands out as unique and distinctive. It’s certainly not a conventional or forgettable comedy.
“The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (Prime Video)
When the 2026 Golden Globe nominations were announced, giving Jacob Elordi not one but two nods, everyone’s reaction was, “What did he do aside from ‘Frankenstein’ — is he that big of an ‘it boy’ that they’re just giving him bonus nominations, now?” It turns out, his more obscure project is worth watching. This underrated Australian miniseries was helmed by stylish director Justin Kurzel and adapted from an award-winning novel. It’s an epic period piece (spanning from the 1940s through the ‘80s) about a World War II soldier (Elordi as a young man; Ciarán Hinds older). The story centers on his time as a prisoner of war — and the lasting impact of the trauma — as well as his affair with his uncle’s wife. It’s intense, brutal and not for the faint of heart, but it’s a powerful historical drama with excellent performances.
“Heated Rivalry” (HBO Max / Crave)
Like “Schitt’s Creek” before it, this show rose from being an obscure Canadian series to capturing the zeitgeist on a global scale (as HBO Max picked it up). Based on a novel, it’s a gay romance following two pro hockey players on different teams as they navigate a secret relationship that spans years. It went viral for its steam factor — and it’s true, it’s not a show to watch on your phone on the subway. But, it still deserves its place on the list for having a surprising level of nuance, for delivering a refreshing take on a romance that’s not just ballgowns or teen drama — no offense to “Bridgerton” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” — and for its star-making performances, especially from Connor Storrie. “Heated Rivalry” also warrants recognition for bringing sexy back, amid reports that Gen-Z doesn’t want sex in TV and movies anymore. Perhaps the eulogies for the lost art of the TV sex scene were premature.
“The Studio” (AppleTV+)
Seth Rogen departed from his familiar brand of stoner-bro comedy for a sharp satire of the entertainment industry. Hollywood loves a story about itself, so it’s no surprise that this AppleTV+ comedy got showered in Emmys and Golden Globes — but, it’s also really got the goods. The story follows a studio exec (Rogen) who tries to balance his sincere desire to make art with the commercial demands of his job, often to hilarious results. It’s packed with scene-stealing cameos (Martin Scorsese playing himself is especially notable). And, although it’s got a lot of inside baseball references, it’s still accessible and amusing to regular audiences who aren’t plugged into the biz of Tinseltown.
“The Pitt” (HBO Max)
Network style procedurals are back. Former “ER” star Noah Wyle made his big TV comeback in another medical drama (that ended up embroiled in high-profile legal drama with the “ER” creator’s estate). Wyle earned an Emmy for his role as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch. Notably, the show didn’t dive into soapy plots about the characters’ personal lives or affairs, a la “Grey’s Anatomy.” Gritty, grounded and justifiably lauded for its realism, “The Pitt” took place over the course of one 15-hour shift, following competent medical staffers at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital.
“The Paper” (Peacock / NBC)
It seemed like a bad idea to make a spinoff to “The Office.” TV doesn’t have a good track record with follow-ups to beloved shows (see the ill-fated “Friends” spinoff, “Joey”). But the Peacock mockumentary was a surprisingly strong comedy, set in “The Office” world. Although it didn’t reach the heights of the former show, it also didn’t try to. Original series creator Greg Daniels returned, and successfully enabled “The Paper” to stand on its own. Rather than following employees at a paper company like the original series, this was set at a newspaper. Take it from one real newspaper employee, they nailed the satire of the job. “The Paper” wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was a competent comedy that had some laugh-out-loud moments, and surpassed expectations.
“Adolescence” (Netflix)
A sleeper hit that came out of nowhere, this powerful Netflix miniseries made history, as star Owen Cooper was the youngest male Emmy winner at just 15. Star and co-creator Steven Graham also got awards love. The acclaim was deserved. Intense and harrowing, this psychological thriller was about a timely topic — the radicalization of teen boys online. The story centered on a 13-year-old boy who got arrested on suspicion of murdering a female classmate who rejected him. It’s not just prescient, the series also had artistic merit, as each episode was one continuous take.
“Paradise” (Hulu)
Starring the powerhouse duo of Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden, this genre-bending thriller was filled with twists and turns. For starters, it pulled the rug out from under the viewer immediately, as it waited to reveal that it was set in an underground bunker, after a doomsday event. Part murder mystery, part political thriller — as Marsden played a slain president — and part dystopian drama, the show kept viewers on their toes for an addictive genre-mash up. Since it was helmed by “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman, it also had plenty of emotion and family drama, amid its plot twists.
“All Her Fault” (Peacock)
This thriller starring Sarah Snook and Jake Lacy was the definition of “all gas, no brakes.” The show hit the ground running, as it wasted no time before diving into its plot, following a couple frantically searching for their missing son. The strong supporting cast was rounded out by Abby Elliott, Dakota Fanning and Michael Pena. The mystery was filled with shocks and unexpected reveals, making it a buzzy hit, and it had underlying social commentary about the expectation placed on working mothers versus fathers. It all led to an explosive, unpredictable conclusion.
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