The Best TV Shows Of 2025

2025 got off to a rocking start with new TV shows that we couldn’t stop watching. “The Pitt,” HBO’s hit medical series starring Emmy winner Noah Wyle, premiered at the top of January to rave reviews. Just a few weeks later, Hulu’s political thriller “Paradise,” starring Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown, had us all talking.

By spring, Netflix’s limited series “Adolescence” debuted, and Owen Cooper blew us away with his performance; months later, the actor made history as the youngest male Emmy winner ever. Freshman comedy series “The Studio,” starring and created by Seth Rogen, dominated the comedy categories at that same ceremony.

And those are just the new television series. Beloved series such as “Hacks,” “The Gilded Age” and “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” returned for new seasons, delighting their biggest fans.

In this list, celebrity.land staff members look back at the best TV series of the year.

Arguably, “Adolescence” was one of the most talked about TV series this spring. Netflix’s limited series stars Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty and Christine Tremanco. In one of the most gripping performances of the year, Cooper portrays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy who is arrested for allegedly murdering his classmate. The limited series is impressive — each episode was shot in one continuous take with no cuts. Emmy Award voters were wowed, too: “Adolescence” took home the six statuettes for Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. The series is the kind of show that sticks with you after you turn it off — and though we may desperately crave a second season, director Philip Barantini recently told Deadline that there would not be a sequel. That’s probably for the best. Thankfully, he hopes to work with his “Adolescence” partners again to capture that magic. Here’s hoping. — Erin

There’s something about an utterly unhinged comedy that always seems to grab my attention. FX’s “Adults” did just that within the first five minutes of its premiere episode — while depicting one of my worst fears on a New York subway — and from then on, I knew this show was going to have me hooked. And it did. The kooky series brought back hangout television with a Gen Z twist, following a group of 20-something roommates in NYC as they navigate adulthood in the most chaotic ways imaginable. Every episode is even more hysterical than the last, but what makes the show really shine is its perfectly paired ensemble cast. Amita Rao, Jack Innanen, Owen Thiele, Malik Elassal and Lucy Freyer have the kind of chemistry that makes you think they’ve all been close friends for ages, which makes “Adults” a truly entertaining comedy even when its storylines get muddled. I can appreciate a series that takes big swings, and “Adults” definitely goes there. Good thing they make them worth it. — Njera

I didn’t start religiously watching daytime soap operas until “Beyond the Gates” came along, but I’m so glad this show was my formal introduction. The CBS series, which is the first daytime drama centered on a Black family in decades, follows the lives of the wealthy Dupree family behind their posh, gated community of Fairmont Crest. I started watching the show because I was interested in seeing how much mess this affluent family could stir up and, boy, did they blow me away. With over 150 episodes and counting, the show has thrown out every plot twist imaginable so far: murder, steamy affairs, long-lost relatives, a secret love child, breakups and makeups, and even a surprise Vegas wedding. You name it. Every single week keeps you guessing about what could possibly happen next, which makes this show that much more fun to watch.
— Njera

Netflix might be onto something with “Death by Lightning.” The four-part historical drama portrays the assassination of President James Garfield brilliantly. Somehow, the limited series, which stars Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as assassin Charles Guiteau, isn’t just a history lesson, it also manages to be hilarious, especially as Macfadyen adds his special brand of frenzied energy to his role. Betty Gilpin, who stars as Garfield’s wife, and Nick Offerman, who portrays Vice President Chester Arthur, also put up phenomenal performances. Netflix, perhaps it’s time to dramatize more moments from history in this format. — Erin

“Dying for Sex,” the comedy drama based on the podcast of the same name by Molly Kochan and Nikki Boyer, caught me by surprise. Starring Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Jay Duplass and Sissy Spacek, the series follows Molly (Williams) and her journey dealing with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. The series finds a way to be both endearing, funny, insightful and devastating at the same time. Throughout the eight-episode limited series, audiences see Molly on a journey of sexual exploration while she reconciles a traumatic past and present. “Dying for Sex” is also a refreshing portrait of the strength of female friendship and finding your own power within. — Erin

The hopeless romantic in me fell head over heels for “Forever” just like the smitten teens whose epic love story had audiences swooning this year. Adapted from Judy Blume’s famous novel by Mara Brock Akil, the Netflix series follows Keisha and Justin (wonderfully played by Lovie Simone and newcomer Michael Cooper Jr., respectively), two high schoolers who fall in love while navigating their futures and the growing pains of being a teenager. Critical acclaim aside, the show won my heart for a myriad of reasons, not only with its rich characters that offer nuanced portrayals of Black families and parenthood — something severely lacking in our current TV landscape — but also with its honest, angsty approach to teenage romance that made us look at love through a new lens. I laughed, I cried, and definitely had a flashback or two to my own high school romance, so clearly the show did its job. The fact that I’ve now binged it numerous times (I stopped counting after six) is a testament to how truly captivating the adaptation is, although Brock Akil remarkably transformed the source material into something that feels almost entirely original. “Forever” made waves because there’s nothing else on TV like it. I can’t wait to see how it outdoes itself in Season 2. — Njera

Look, I’m usually uber-skeptical about reboots, remakes and reimaginings of art. But “The Four Seasons,” Netflix’s TV series based on Alan Alda’s 1981 film of the same name, exceeded my expectations. Starring Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Toby Huss and Kerri Kenney-Silver, the hilarious series follows a group of couples who link up every season for a vacation. Domingo, known for hard-hitting roles in TV shows and films like “Sing Sing,” “Rustin” and “Euphoria,” is a delight to watch as the quippy Danny in this fun romp. Kenney-Silver also gives one of the best performances in the cast as the frenzied and quirky Anne. Lucky for us, there’s a Season 2 of the series on the way, and I’m expecting it to bring a lot more of the funny this go ’round.
— Erin

Thankfully, “The Gilded Age” upped the stakes and the storylines in Season 3 of the HBO series for an incredibly juicy return. Perhaps it was just my social media algorithm, but it seemed like more people had been tapped into this season than ever — and for good reason. Bertha (Carrie Coon) forces her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) to marry the Duke of Buckingham (Ben Lamb). Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) has a new love interest. And Ada Forte (Cynthia Nixon), still mourning the death of her late husband, is now the head of household since her nephew Oscar (Blake Ritson) squandered all of his mother Agnes’ (Christine Baranski) money. Meanwhile, Jack (Ben Ahlers), the van Rhijn-Brook household’s footman, comes into money as his timely new invention becomes a hot commodity. This season also included new guest stars, including Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Andrea Martin. The season finale left us a lot to chew on — with the Russells going head to head over Bertha’s ambition pushing the limits of her marriage to George (Morgan Spector) and their relationships with their kids. It is juicy, messy and downright addictive. Season 4 has already been confirmed, so there’s plenty of time to catch up before the HBO series returns. — Erin

Season 4 of “Hacks” could not have been more prescient. This season gets at this question: Is late night talk dead? Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) finally nabs her dream job. She’s the host of a late night talk show. Unfortunately, she is in quite the pickle; she basically must save the genre by hosting and producing the top show on late night. Her boss Winnie (Helen Hunt) pushes her to create the next “Carpool Karaoke,” basically as a way to reel in viewers with viral moments. Meanwhile, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) is navigating her broken working relationship with Deborah. Everything reaches peak mess by the final two episodes when Deborah defies Ava by inviting a movie star who had multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic violence against him as a guest on the show. Then, Deborah’s opening monologue in Episode 9 blows everything up in such a satisfying way. This season included some great cameos from comedy legends, including Rosie O’Donnell and Carol Burnett. The series has been renewed for a fifth and final season. Though it’s sad to see the show have its final curtain call, it’s also nice for a series to keep its quality throughout and end on a high note. — Erin

Superhero shows are usually not my cup of tea. However, “Ironheart” is a series that you don’t need too much background knowledge of to follow its coming-of-age story full of personal stakes, emotional heft and a genius heroine (the wonderful Dominique Thorne) who just wants to make her mark on the world. Set after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the Marvel series follows Thorne’s Riri Williams as she returns to her hometown of Chicago to build an iron suit that can rival that of Tony Stark’s. Although the show hints at these connections to Iron Man, I most enjoyed that it allowed us viewers to get to know Riri’s world, from her close-knit tribe to the grief she’s still grappling with after the loss of her stepdad and best friend (played by a dynamic Lyric Ross). My only gripe is that the series’ first season had a short six-episode order, but after that shocking finale, I hope we get to see more of what “Ironheart” has to offer. — Njera

“It: Welcome To Derry” was the most terrifying and gruesome show on TV this year — but that should not scare you off. The HBO series is a riveting drama, featuring Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise in the prequel series to the “It” films. Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige star as the Hanlons, who move to Derry, Maine, just as Pennywise begins to wreak havoc on the town. Their son, Will (Blake Cameron James) culls a ragtag group of friends Ronnie (Amanda Christine), Lilly (Clara Stack), Rich (Arian S. Cartaya) and Marge (Matilda Lawler) to figure out why kids keep going missing Derry. Chris Chalk gives a phenomenal performance as Dick Hallorann, a military private who has telepathic powers — yes, the same Halorann from “The Shining”; Skarsgård is also great, as the both scary and somehow goofy killer clown. But the horrors of the show are not confined to the scenes with Pennywise. Racism looms in Derry; the Hanlons along with Ronnie and her father Hank (Stephen Rider) deal with it head on, especially in Episodes 6 and 7. The series, which aired its season finale earlier this month, sets itself up for a Season 2, so we’re hoping the HBO gods see fit to bring us a few more scares some time soon. — Erin

I spent a good chunk of the year watching episodes of “Love Island USA.” The Peacock reality series dominated the social media conversation over the summer to the point where it seemed nearly impossible to escape the discourse. Though the seventh season of the series was riddled with controversy — racial slurs, online harassment and other bad behavior — audiences fell in love with so many of the castmates and their couplings. Amaya Espinal and Olandria Carthen became runaway favorites, while Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe became our favorite couple to root for. This show seems like it’s gonna keep getting bigger and bigger with all its drama, and as a reality TV obsessive, I’ll be glad to have something hot and steamy to catch up on during the dog days of summer. Let’s just leave the racism behind. — Erin

Ethan Hawke turns in a career-best performance as Lee Raybon, a self-styled “truthstorian” citizen journalist, investigating the death of an Oklahoma politician’s brother in “The Lowdown.” The story starts off as a fairly conventional whodunit, but as the mystery deepens and evolves over eight pacy episodes, the show examines how the racist treatment of Oklahoma’s Indigenous communities at the start of the 20th century echo loudly into the modern day. At times, Raybon skirts the line between hero and antihero. To put it mildly, journalistic ethics aren’t the guy’s strong suit. Despite his self-avowed love of the truth, it’s clear that his reporting is also motivated by awards, recognition and cash. While some reviewers have criticized Raybon’s slight white savior vibes, that’s kind of the point. Among the superb supporting cast, Tim Blake Nelson stands out as the bookish, closeted Dale Washberg, whose death kicks off the season. Washberg’s ruminations on what it means to be “sensitive” are some of the most powerful writing you’ll see on TV this year. Anyone who saw creator Sterlin Harjo’s previous show “Reservation Dogs” will recognize his ability to deftly switch between screwball comedy, punchy drama and touching, human moments. There’s no word yet if FX will renew “The Lowdown” for a Season 2. I really hope it does. In any case, the show cements Harjo as a creator of must-see television. — Will

Let’s hear it for Kathy Bates, the new Matlock we never knew we needed. The Emmy-nominated series has become hugely popular for CBS. Bates stars as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a former lawyer who returns to work to get justice for the death of her daughter. Bates stars opposite Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter, Leah Lewis, Sam Anderson and Beau Bridges. The drama is set as a case-of-the-week TV series, but it’s Matty’s quest to uncover corruption at the law firm Jacobson Moore that will really get you hooked to the series. Now in its second season, Matty is closer than ever to finding out who hid the documents that could have saved her daughter’s life. But I’m hoping we at least get another season or two of this compelling whodunnit. — Erin

Few shows today have been brave enough to address the war between Israel and Gaza, and the humanity of the Palestinian people. That’s what makes “Mo” one of the most important shows of the year. The heartfelt Netflix comedy centers on Mo Najjar’s (played by comedian Mo Amer) experience as a Palestinian refugee in Houston, Texas, straddling two cultures and awaiting an asylum request alongside his family. Season 2 doubles down on this narrative after Mo gets stranded across the U.S.-Mexico border, but eventually finds a way to get back to his homeland. Even without mentioning the events of Oct. 7, I was pleasantly surprised to see such sharp political framing about Palestine from a show like “Mo.” It was refreshing to see the semi-autobiographical series find a smart and authentic way into the conversation, especially when it added levity. To be both moving and funny while sorting through such heavy subject matter is no easy feat, but “Mo” pulled it off seamlessly. It’s just a shame that after its second and final season, we won’t get more of this groundbreaking storytelling about Palestine at a time when the world so obviously needs it.
— Njera

Any show starring Sterling K. Brown has my immediate attention these days. But in the case of “Paradise,” there’s so much more to it that kept me tuning in week after week (and not just to avoid social media spoilers). First, there’s the reunion of Brown and his “This Is Us” collaborator, creator Dan Fogelman, on another mind-blowing drama, this time set in a post-apocalyptic world where a former president’s murder unravels a stunning conspiracy behind a secret underground town. Brown impresses as the Secret Service agent who relentlessly investigates said conspiracy and the person he suspects is responsible (played menacingly by Julianne Nicholson). At a time when the binge-watch model has dominated the streaming era, it’s refreshing that a Hulu series not only had a weekly release schedule but also proved successful. Every episode of “Paradise” gave me a reason to want more and more. Between the real-life parallels and a mystery that’s only just scratched the surface, it’s safe to say I’m hooked. — Njera

The main reason I was hesitant to tune into “The Pitt” is perhaps the biggest driver behind the medical drama’s breakout success. It was hard to imagine how a show centered on a single 15-hour shift at a trauma center ER (with each episode covering one hour of said shift) would amount to an entertaining watch. However, the HBO Max series pulled off something miraculous thanks to its superb ensemble cast — led by Emmy winner Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch — and a boatload of true-to-life storylines that accurately depict life inside American hospitals. Most scripted medical shows today invest more time in the drama between hospital staff, but “The Pitt” is just as interested in dropping viewers right in the middle of what’s happening with its many patients, too. It’s what makes the show both intriguing and endearing. I’ll take 20 more seasons, please. — Njera

Every season, I look forward to the hijinks and drama of the ladies of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.” The snowflakes are downright messy and somehow delightful. This season, Meredith Marks totally loses it over Britani Bateman’s “relationship” with Jared Osmond; Bronwyn Newport navigates her bitterly mean mother; Mary Cosby finds ways to make us keep laughing about farts; and Angie Katsanevas, the Greek goddess of Salt Lake City, finally takes us to Santorini. They all even find a way to make a tea-spilling event dressed as America’s founding fathers feel like must-see TV. While the season finishes out, we’re waiting with baited breath to see if the infamous first-class fight footage ever gets released. Andy Cohen, for all that’s still good in the world, release the tapes! — Erin

“The Studio” read the Hollywood machine for filth in the most hilarious way possible this year. The unfiltered satire follows the wacky hijinks of an embattled studio exec (a hysterical Seth Rogen) who constantly struggles to balance giving in to corporate demands with satisfying his own nerdy cinephile tastes. The show holds a mirror up to the film industry while playfully jabbing at its obsession with franchise IP and blockbuster cinema with insidery jokes and screwball antics. Much of that credit goes to the excellent ensemble cast — led by Rogen, along with Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Bryan Cranston — and the dozens of riotous celebrity cameos who take the humor one step further (the best of which might be a tie between Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard). How Rogen and team managed to get all these stars to shamelessly mock a version of themselves and stick the landing is still beyond me. But what’s certain is that the show is hands-down one of, if not the funniest, comedies of the year. I can’t wait to see how the Emmy-winning series outdoes itself when it returns for Season 2. — Njera

Apple TV has a hit on its hands with Jon Hamm’s “Your Friends & Neighbors.” The series lets us see Hamm at his best: He’s a recently divorced and fired hedge fund manager who resorts to stealing from his rich neighbors to keep up with the Joneses. While he’s nabbing big, expensive pieces of art and lavish jewelry, Coop is also trying to navigate his ex-wife Mel (Amanda Peet), her new beau Nick (Mark Tallman) and their two kids. The dark comedy thrives during Hamm’s heists and when Munn’s character arc reaches a diabolic peak. Catch up on Season 1, before Season 2 premieres in April 2026. — Erin