Ranking the Best TV Shows of 2025
Mid-year rankings have been completed in time for your binge-able holiday weekend.
Best Shows of 2025 - through June
Top ranked shows:
[Apr entry] The Pitt - Max. This is a top contender for my favorite show of the year. It has been called a reboot of ER since Noah Wyle is in this new show, as well. He plays the head of an Pittsburgh hospital emergency room, and the 15 episodes each cover one hour in a single day’s shift. Very dense medical dialog with great individual patient plot lines that span the episodes. Gripping stuff with very solid human-interest storylines. We reviewed this on the pod.
[May] Andor (S2) - Disney+. It may not have topped the impeccable first season, but it got very close. You don’t have to be a Star Wars expert to enjoy this political/crime thriller, but I strongly recommend you watch 2017’s Rogue One before watching season 2. This season features fantastic stories, characters and stunning intergalactic sets. Pod review.
[Mar] Adolescence - Netlfix. Four episode British drama about a 13-year-old school boy gets arrested for the murder of a classmate. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot. I repeat… Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot. This is my jam. Pod review.
[Feb] Paradise - Hulu. This Dan Fogelman/Sterling K. Brown project (both from NBC’s “This Is Us” is a political thriller about a Secret Service agent’s complicated relationship with his job, family, superiors, and society. It feels like “24” meets “Lost”. But this show has already learned a lesson from “Lost” by making sure the flashbacks that give us additional character context and insights have some real meat versus just eye-candy filler. Episode 7 (of 8 total) is in the running for best TV episode of the year — I’m not sure how any other show can top this. Pod review.
[May] The Last of Us (S2) - Max. Big fan of the original video game, but don’t let that scare you away from one of the best apocalyptic character stories ever told.
[May] Étoile - Prime. Amy Sherman-Palladino’s new show snuck into rotation without much fanfare. I’m a big fan of ASP’s work (Gilmore Girls, Mrs Maisel, Bunheads), so it wasn’t hard to hook me. This one is a fun look at professional ballet as we profile both the NYC and Paris ballet companies that swap stars for one season. It’s great to see Luke Kirby (Lenny Bruce from Maisel) as the head of the NYC company. Great mix of snappy, dense dialog, over-the-top characters and some beautiful dancing.
[May] Black Mirror (S7) - Netflix. A bit of an uneven season but certainly more ups than downs. The highlight was episode 6 “USS Callister: Into Infinity” which is a direct sequel to season 4 episode 1 (over 7 years ago!) and brings back Cristin Milioti, Jesse Plemons, and Jimmi Simpson — watching those two episodes back-to-back is a perfect cinematic experience.
Since this is an anothology series you can watch season 7 in any order, so here’s my ranking for this season… Episode 6, 5, 1, 2, 4, 3.American Primeval - Netflix. Tim Riggins… er… Taylor Kitsch stars alongside Betty Gilpin (Neflix’s GLOW) as settlers trying to navigate a trek west in 1857. It’s relentless and unforgiving — don’t expect any feel-good breathers here.
The Agency - Showtime/Paramount+. As a massive fan of France’s “The Bureau” from 2015-20, this adaptation has a high bar to clear, but they’re hitting their marks so far. Incredible casting with Fassbender, Gere, Jeffrey Wright and Jodie Turner-Smith. We recorded the pod covering this show after I saw episode 7 — episodes 8-10 were bangers! Pod review.
[Jun] The Bear (S4) - Hulu. Really conflicted about this season. The writing relied on super-heavy emotional interactions that were way too prevalent. But I was captivated when the show focused on the chefs, their creations and key kitchen moments. Give me less brooding and more food with superb needle drops. Episode 5 has a moment with [spoiler character] showing up while [spoiler favorite musician] plays [spoiler song].
[May] North of North - Netflix. Charming Canadian comedy about an Inuk mother navigating motherhood and her career in a tiny Arctic village. Great characters and really funny writing. Pod review.
[May] The Narrow Road to the Great North - Prime. Oomph. This was tough to watch, but I’m glad I did. This graphic war epic in five episodes profiles an Australian medical officer that’s taken prisoner by the Japanese during WWII. We jump ahead in time to his life in 1989 as well as into the past, just before he deployed for the war. Our lead character, Dorrigo (played by an obscenely handsome Jacob Elordi), is a man of very questionable morals in his personal life, but as you experience the tragedies and horrors of war you begin to feel empathy for him and begin to excuse the decisions he made. Warning: this show depicts extreme violence perpetrated against the POWs.
[May] MobLand - Paramount+. Tom Hardy (!!!) stars as the Michael Clayton of organized crime. A bonkers season with many audible gasps by me of “Holy shit!” It certainly wasn’t the tightest of stories, but I could watch Tom Hardy intimidate his adversaries all day. Pod review.
[Jun] Dept. Q - Netflix. Matthew Goode stars in this Slow Horses-like cop drama of a rag tag team of interesting characters trying to solve a cold case. A little dark and a little disturbing but great pacing that successfully avoided the ‘filler episode’ trap that shows like this sometimes fall into. They left it open for a second season, and I really hope they get the opportunity. Good bones here.
[May] The Studio - Apple TV+. Seth Rogan stars as a bumbling studio executive trying to not step in shit as he green-lights terrible movies and passes on good ones. It mixes cringe-inducing plots of Curb Your Enthusiasm and political machinations of 1992’s The Studio. Stay alert for the multiple cameos in each episode. It’s super fun. And it has already been renewed for a second season.
[May] Your Friends & Neighbors - Apple TV+. This Jon Hamm-led show took a tumble in the middle of the season into a Desperate Housewives-like rut of “why should I care” plot points, but it pulled itself out nicely in the last third of the season. It was a very strong season finale except for the last 30 seconds — wrong choice, Coop.
[May] The Handmaid’s Tale (S6) - Hulu. After a few flat years, the show delivered a solid season in its last one. Good drama and wartime strategies that kept the focus on the divergent goals of our lead actors. Long live the handmaid resistance!
[Mar] Common Side Effects - Max. Animated show from the creators of Survivors Reign. Really smart, prestige-level dialog and story about Big Pharma trying to stifle/squash/steal a revolutionary drug. Pod review.
Lower ranked shows:
[Feb update] Apple Cider Vinegar - Netflix. Kaitlyn Dever starts her 2025 villain-only streak (also see “The Last of Us, season 2 starting in April) by playing an Australian influencer that commits fraud by pretending to have cancer to promote alternative medicine. The six episodes take you through constant time jumps and “The Big Short”-style editing and exposition to explain this based-on-a-true-story saga from the 2010’s. I can’t say it’s definitely worth your time, but if you’ve run out of anything else to watch, then give it a shot.
[Apr] 1923 (S2) - Paramount+. Corny. But l love this Taylor Sheridan shlock.
[Feb] On Call - Prime. Dick Wolf dipping his toe in the 30 min streaming cop drama. Nothing extraordinary here, but there are worse ways to spend a half hour.
Landman - Paramount+. Very unique characters immersed in the oil business. I didn’t need to know that much about mineral rights, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing but Taylor Sheridan made it pretty entertaining. It started so strong, but the last third of the season flamed out for me. I’m sure it’ll be back for S2, and I hope he dives deeper into big oil board rooms and land leases and stays away from 11am retirement home field drips to strip clubs (yes, that was a major plot point).
[Jun] Adults. The first two episodes were rough, but it founds its footing. A modern day “Friends”.
The Breakthrough - Netflix. The Swedish Broadchurch. A tight four episodes that follows an obsessed detective who won’t give up on a double murder case that has plagued his entire career.
The Sex Lives of College Girls (S3) - Max. Still funny.
Squid Game (S2) - Netflix. Nice twists to keep it intriguing. And S3 is supposed to come out in June, so we won’t have to hang out on that cliffhanger too long.
Get Millie Black - Max. Compelling Jamaican detective show.
Bad Sisters (S2) - Apple TV+. A small step back from S1, but I really enjoyed watching the Garvey sisters hi-jinx again.
Nobody Wants This - Netflix (full season aired). Finally finished this 2024 show. Cute. It’s cute. That’s all.
[May] The White Lotus (S3) - Max. Succession vibes. Watching shitty people be shitty.
[May] Hacks (S4) - Max. I was so disappointed with this season. It seemed like the only sustained plot point this season was the on again / off again feud between Deborah and Ava. The constant back and forth on this eventually wore me down to the point where I just didn’t care anymore. And that rushed finale felt like a hail mary pass that simply fell untouched. It was renewed for a final fifth season, but I think I’m out on this show.
Dune Prophecy - Max. Expensive af and nice to look at, but the mythology of the extended Dune universe isn’t grabbing me.
[Mar] Severance (S2) - Apple TV+. The critics seem to love this season. I think I’m in the minority in saying that it’s just okay.
[Apr] Dope Thief - Apple TV+. Two lifelong friends from Philadelphia pose as DEA agents to rob a country house, but the small-scale grift quickly becomes a matter of life and death. Starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. It started so strong, and I love Brian Tyree Henry, but man did it fizzle into a disappointing mess. I would have loved the last 25 minutes of the finale to be extended into two or three episodes because the back third of the season was a slog.
Other shows in progress:
Stick - Apple TV+. Owen Wilson plays an aging golfer that mentors (exploits?) a young phenom through an amateur tournament. Supporting cast includes a scene-stealing Marc Maron. I’m really liking this show.
Murderbot - Apple TV+. Terrible name, good show.
The Gilded Age (S3) - HBO Max. My guilty pleasure. I love this world and these characters.
Squid Game (S3) - Netflix.
Smoke - Apple TV+. Ex-firefighter is now an arson investigator. Looks/feels like a network show but still giving it a shot.
Upcoming shows to look out for:
Alien: Earth (August) - FX.
Peacemaker (S2) (August) - HBO.
Slow Horses (S5) (September) - Apple TV+.
Gave these shows a shot this year, but nah:
[Feb] The Night Agent (S2) - Netflix. I hear it’s not great. Probably won’t start watching it.
[Jun] Mythic Quest (S4) - Apple TV+. It has been canceled, and I can’t seem to find enough here to finish it. Maybe there’s a connection there.
How to track TV shows
It can be overwhelming to figure out when your shows are airing and what’s available for you to watch on any given day. I found that the app TV Time does the job here.
It will take you a good hour or so to search/enter all the shows you’re currently watching, but the payoff is significant… you wake up each morning with a list of what’s waiting for you and where it’s streaming. It stays on your watchlist until you check it off. New episodes will then appear when they’re available. You can remove a tracked show by hitting “watch later” or “remove show”. Really nice app. Apple App Store link. (It’s also available on the Google Play store.)
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