Best TV Shows of 2025: Our Fan-Friendly Picks Might Surprise You

New prestige TV reigns, long-time favs make comebacks during Trump 2.0

End-of-year TV best-of lists are rolling across the internet like an avalanche this holiday season, with the critical darlings (i.e., Emmy nominees and winners) burning the brightest.

Here at CableTV.com, we’re not above agreeing with popular TV critics, but we often feel more affinity for what the fans are saying, so we thought we’d jump into the fray with some fan-friendly favs.

Based on our staff recommendations, prestige TV is still king, with HBO Max leading the way with eight staff recs, and Apple TV and FX/Hulu pulling some major kudos.

Most of these chart-topping shows, like The Last of Us and The White Lotus, won’t be new to TV aficionados like yourself, but they are worth checking out if you skipped them out of pride or spite (hey, we’re not above it).

Besides the high-falutin’ HBO and Apple original series of the world, our TV critics did surprise me with a handful of their picks: a newscast that has been airing for 50 years, some based reality TV that beats the basic junk-TV rap, and an international import that snuck across the streaming border undetected.

What I’m getting at is, you may sing praises for The Righeous Gemstones (Season 4 is on here, too), but our TV critics have plucked a handful of hidden gems from critical obscurity that just might move you with surprised delight.

Adolescence

Every now and then, a TV show comes along that reminds us why this era of television is so great. Adolescence is one of those.

The four-episode miniseries on Netflix follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate. He’s arrested in Episode 1 in dramatic fashion, and the series goes from there, trying to figure out what exactly happened and why. Each episode is about an hour long and shot in one take. As a cinephile who loves expert camerawork, Adolescence is pure visual bliss.

What I love most about the show is how current it is. It explores themes of toxic masculinity and how teenage boys all over the world are basically being radicalized by the “masonsphere.” It’s about how challenging parenting can be in the age of social media and the internet.

It’s also a really effective family drama that examines how a tragedy like this can pull you apart—and bring you together. And, it’s a police procedural that takes a hard look at the criminal justice system.

All the performances are top-notch in Adolescence, and it’s beautiful from a production value standpoint. If you haven’t watched it yet, I suggest you take a weekend and do so. You won’t be disappointed. —Alex Vejar, Junior Sports Writer

Where to stream Adolescence

You can watch Adolescence on Netflix.

Alien: Earth

A lot of fans have been dogging on Alien: Earth (AE), but I’m here to tell you to ignore the haters. To start with, featuring an expanded hive of alien lifeforms, AE doesn’t skimp on the gross-out monster moments. (That goat still haunts my dreams.) But what I love most about this iteration of the Alien franchise is how the series moves within our current AI bubble without being too pedantic and, in the process, delivering a punch of humanity. Ultimately, I think sci-fi fans and tech skeptics alike will enjoy AE—hardcore Alien fans be damned. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor

Where to stream Alien: Earth

You can watch Alien: Earth on Hulu and Disney+.

Bachelor in Paradise, Season 10

When it comes to trashy TV, The Bachelor franchise really takes the cake. Nothing will make you feel better about yourself than watching a large group of petty people “find love” in front of millions of viewers. It’s a chaotic mix of people backstabbing, lying, and getting very drunk that somehow still ends with a proposal.

Bachelor in Paradise takes the best—aka most dramatic—contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, puts them on an island, and essentially makes them couple off in order to stay on the island. But the show’s format constantly brings new men and women into the fold, testing the established couples and heightening the drama.

Season 10 of Paradise has been awesome for a few key reasons. It’s added contestants from The Golden Bachelor, introduced relationship challenges and a $500,000 cash prize, and developed a self-aware tone that I find both charming and hilarious. —Alex Vejar, Junior Sports Writer

Where to stream Bachelor in Paradise

You can watch Bachelor in Paradise on Hulu and Disney+.

The Bear, Season 4

Season 3 of FX’s hit show The Bear ended with a cliffhanger: Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) absorbing the make-it-or-break-it review of his new upscale Chicago restaurant, The Bear. (Yes, Carmy was swearing while he read it, but he swears all the time, so was the review really that bad?)

Season 4 picks up where we left off last year, with Carmy and co. dealing with the repercussions of the review and its impact on the team, including Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The result is a literal ticking clock set up in their kitchen, upping the ante on the already high tension the show is known for.

I thought this season was an improvement over Season 3, which, with a looser plot and an increase in experimentation, lost its way a bit. Season 4 feels like a return to the form that made the show so beloved: a fine balance between hair-raising kitchen scenes and quietly emotional glimpses into the characters’ lives. —Logan Jones, Staff Writer

Where to stream The Bear

You can watch The Bear on Hulu and Disney+.

The Chair Company

Love the workplace paranoia of Severance, but want to cringe the entire time you’re watching it? Man, have I got the show for you.

Fresh off the success of Friendship, Tim Robinson is back with an equally hilarious offering, this time in the form of a quasi-conspiracy workplace thriller-comedy-farce-IDEK hybrid.

It’s hard to fully explain what The Chair Company is about, but TL;DR: After a mortifying workplace accident with a faulty chair leaves Ron Trosper (Robinson) injured, he’s sent down a conspiracy-laden rabbit hole involving the company that made the chair. Genuinely, that’s the plot, and it somehow gets even more absurd as the season progresses.

I’ll admit, I don’t think I’ve ever cringed so hard while watching something, but it was like a train wreck—it kinda hurt to watch, but I couldn’t look away.

Where to stream The Chair Company

You can watch The Chair Company on HBO Max.

Dexter: Resurrection

For those discerning Dexter fans who couldn’t stomach Dexter: New Blood (I liked it, but hey, to each their own), I present for your consideration Dexter: Resurrection—a beefed-up homage to the OG series set in NYC, baby!

Resurrection has a stronger sense of (Dark Passenger) self and surer legs than the other two recent reboots, and the cast is stellar, featuring Uma Thurman, Peter Dinklage, and David Dastmalchian, among others. (Also, everyone’s favorite fedored dick Ángel is back!)

It appears that Michael C. Hall and the iconic franchise have finally been resurrected successfully. I, for one, look forward to seeing just how many serial killers Dex bags by the end of this fête of a series (IYKYK). —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor

Where to stream Dexter: Resurrection

You can watch Dexter: Resurrection on Paramount+.

Fisk, Season 3

It’s a beautiful thing when a show comes from out of nowhere to charm yer pants off. The Australian comedy Fisk (now on its third season) is the latest series to rob me of my trousers.

Creator/producer/writer Kitty Flanagan plays the titular character, a socially awkward attorney who’s both down on her luck and experiencing the consequences of her own actions. Her ostensibly thoughtless and unkind demeanor got her fired from her last job, and she’s at her wits’ end until a probate law firm snatches her up purely because her father is a judge.

Crammed with quirky (mostly) likeable characters and heart, Fisk is a show you’ll binge and re-binge. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream Fisk

You can watch Fisk on Netflix.

IT: Welcome to Derry

Although Bill Skarsgård’s iconic Pennywise the Dancing Clown doesn’t show up for nearly half the season, this TV adaptation/prequel is f-f-freaky from the get-go—and it doesn’t let up. The series is also a crowd-pleaser, with fan-service nods to the original IT novel and even borrowing characters from other Stephen King books (see Dick Halloran, from The Shining). And Pennywise’s origin story is creepy AF. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream IT: Welcome to Derry

You can watch IT: Welcome to Derry on HBO Max.

King of the Hill, Season 14

When the reboot for King of the Hill was announced, plenty of folks were concerned that the new season wouldn’t hold up to the beloved OG run, which lasted from 1997 to 2010. Luckily, basically everyone’s concerns were quelled the second that Season 14 dropped on Hulu in early August.

ICYMI: In the new season, Hank and Peggy Hill are back in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, after living in Saudi Arabia for a number of years, while their now 20-something son Bobby is off in Dallas chasing his dream of being a chef. Although a lot’s different in Arlen since the Hills left, the town (and the show) has retained its heart, handling Hank’s adjustment to an increasingly changed world with both grace and hilarity—and lots of Alamo beer. —Logan Jones, Staff Writer

Where to stream King of the Hill

You can watch King of the Hill on Hulu and Disney+.

The Last of Us, Season 2

HBO loves to make us wait, and the multi-year gap between seasons felt especially risky for a show like The Last of Us. I was worried the momentum was gone, but it took all of five minutes for Season 2 to pull me right back in.

You can see every dollar of the budget on screen; the show is both epic in scope and devastatingly intimate. Bella Ramsey is the undeniable star, carrying the emotional weight of the story, while Kaitlyn Dever delivers a chilling performance.

My only real complaint? The whole thing feels like a “Part 1.” Just as the story really gets going, it ends. It’s a cruel move, considering Season 3 isn’t arriving anytime soon. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor

Where to stream The Last of Us

You can watch The Last of Us on HBO Max.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Season 10

Late-night TV is dying, so now’s the perfect time to tune in and watch its final hurrah. CBS made the news earlier this year when it decided to cancel the long-running Late Show just two days after Stephen Colbert criticized the current U.S. president and his deal with CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global.

Other late-night hosts (except Taylor Tomlinson, whose canary-in-the-coal-mine show was already cancelled) flocked to The Late Show’s studio to show their support. The South Park crew even made an episode criticizing CBS’s decision, banking on their high value to keep them from getting the axe as well.

Are other late-night shows next? I’m not sure, but I’m going to be keeping an eye on them. Now that his show’s cancelled, Colbert doesn’t have to worry about ruffling any feathers, and I’m eager to see what he does with his final season. —Olivia Bono, Staff Writer

Where to stream The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

You can watch Late Night with Stephen Colbert on Paramount+.

Love Island USA, Season 7

For the uninitiated, Love Island USA follows a rotating cast of sizzling singles thrown into a dreamy villa with one mission: find love—or at least someone to couple up with to avoid elimination. There’s sun, scandal, and plenty of grafting. As the days heat up, so do the romances and the drama. Expect flirty challenges, surprise recouplings, and jaw-dropping twists. Think: reality TV meets a social experiment, with a side of slow-mo pool shots.

For me, the latest season brings a sharper mix of chaos and chemistry that makes every episode unmissable. —Sophie Hastings, Contributing Writer

Where to stream Love Island USA

You can watch Love Island USA on Peacock.

Murderbot

Inspired by the cult classic sci-fi novels, The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, Apple TV+’s Murderbot adaptation is a weird comedy about an anxious robot who discovers free will. After hacking the governor module that keeps it from turning on humans, Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård) could do anything. But it really just wants to watch its favorite soap opera, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.

Luckily, its current mission is on an alien planet with a colony of space hippies who are eager to let it discover its own personhood. Unluckily, they aren’t the only ones exploring the planet, and the universe is driven by greed. —Olivia Bono, Staff Writer

Where to stream Murderbot

You can watch Murderbot on Apple TV.

Overcompensating

Don’t let the fratty exterior fool you. Benito Skinner’s college comedy has a serious heart. Starring Skinner as a closeted jock fumbling through his freshman year, Overcompensating balances raunchy humor with a tender look at identity and self-discovery.

The chemistry between Skinner and co-stars Wally Baram and Mary Beth Barone is the show’s secret weapon. Those three anchor the chaos even when the plot beats get a little repetitive near the end of Season 1.

Energetic, fast-paced, and surprisingly moving, Overcompensating was easily my favorite binge of 2025. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor

Where to stream Overcompensating

You can watch Overcompensating on Amazon Prime Video.

Peacemaker, Season 2

A lot has changed since Peacemaker‘s first season debuted in 2022. Showrunner James Gunn took over DC Studios, rebooted the universe with Creature Commandos and Superman, and somehow kept Peacemaker along for the ride.

How does a show rooted in the dead DCEU exist in the new timeline? Let’s just call it “storytelling magic.” Season 2 acts as a soft reboot, tweaking history just enough to slot in after the events of Superman.

This time, our titular anti-hero grapples with his past wrongs while stumbling into an alternate universe where everything feels suspiciously perfect. It remains hilariously edgy for adults who love morally questionable characters. And I’m happy to report that Freddie Stroma continues to be an absolute scene-stealer as the always unhinged Vigilante. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor

Where to stream Peacemaker

You can watch Peacemaker on HBO Max.

PBS NewsHour

Pluribus

At first, this show’s New Mexico setting appears to be the only similarity to creator Vince Gilligan’s hit shows Breaking Bad (BB) and Better Call Saul (BCS). Whereas Gilligan’s TV classics dealt in nail-biting suspense and dark humor, Pluribus is a gripping bummer of a show that forces us to think troubling thoughts about issues like AI, morality, mortality, and societal division. As the season progresses, you realize the series has more in common with its sibling shows than you thought—it’s just a different shade of dark, and it’s as addictive as BB and BCS. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream Pluribus

You can watch Pluribus on Apple TV.

The Pitt

I’m not usually a medical procedural kinda guy. Enter The Pitt, a gnarly mash of medical jargon, melodrama, dark humor, and vérité body horror.

A lot of ink has been spilled on lead actor and producer Noah Wyle, which is totally deserved BTW. But The Pitt also features an IMDb Easter egg hunt of character actors from decidedly non-prestige series like Chucky (Fiona Dourif) and Goosebumps (Isa Briones), who carve up the screen with confidence like seasoned Emmy veterans.

These “Wait, what else is she in?” moments function as the sugar that helps the medicine of The Pitt’s anxiety-pumping pacing go down. Truly, there’s nothing like The Pitt on TV. So, if you’re like me, shake off your preconceived notions about genre staples like ER and House and start bingeing it sooner rather than later. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor

Where to stream The Pitt

You can watch The Pitt on HBO Max.

Real Housewives of Miami, Season 7

Your Bravo Boi is back with a gentle reminder that RHOM is (still) the strongest Real Housewives installment. So far, Season 7 has packed a messy wallop, with Guerdy leaking some petty bs at her cancer-free coming-out party (hilarious, IMO) and the new chica del barrio, Stephanie, locking horns with pretty much every OG cast member, to name just a few of the new ingredients in RHOM’s usual “cocky” of drama-spiked plotlines. If you fell off on RHOM, climb back on; you’re in for a wild ride (on some PJs and Sprinter vans). —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor

Where to stream Real Housewives of Miami

You can watch RHOM on Peacock.

The Rehearsal, Season 2

The Rehearsal’s second season, like the first, is still totally unhinged, but in the best way. Nathan Fielder continues to play puppet master, blurring the lines between reality, performance, and whatever lies in between. The show somehow manages to be both hilariously deadpan and existentially crushing, kinda like if Kafka directed an episode of Curb.

This season feels even tighter and more confident than the first, too. Fielder’s insane attention to detail is still on full display as he tries to get to the bottom of, of all things, air disasters. That said, Season 2 displays a deeper emotional undercurrent that sometimes snuck up on me—The Rehearsal’s not just a social experiment anymore, but something that’s both weirder yet even more human. —Logan Jones, Staff Writer

Where to stream The Rehearsal

You can watch The Rehearsal on HBO Max.

The Righteous Gemstones, Season 4

2025 was the year of Walton Goggins. But if we had our way, we would’ve directed more attention towards his turn on Danny McBride’s filthy-yet-brilliant HBO show, which wrapped a four-season run this year.

Like McBride’s past shows, The Righteous Gemstones deftly balanced heart and stupid (complementary) comedy as the Gemstones gradually made up for their past (ample) sins. Edi Patterson deserves her own show ASAP, John Goodman’s never been better, and while Goggins rightfully earned an Emmy nod for The White Lotus, his work as Uncle Baby Billy deserved one too. —Eric Chiu, Internet Editor

Where to stream The Righteous Gemstones

You can watch The Righteous Gemstones on HBO Max.

Selling the OC, Season 3

From the creators of Selling Sunset, this spin-off takes you to Orange County’s ultra-luxe coast, where young, sharp real estate agents at The Oppenheim Group hustle million-dollar listings and stir up serious office drama. It’s fast deals, faster gossip, and high fashion against a backdrop of oceanfront mansions. Basically: glam meets cutthroat in stilettos. —Sophie Hastings, Contributing Writer

Where to stream Selling the OC

You can watch Selling the OC on Netflix.

Severance, Season 2

Severance’s first season debuted all the way back in 2022, so fans had plenty of time to get excited for the second season’s 2025 premiere. And by get excited, of course I mean rewatching every episode dozens of times, formulating theories, and creating video essays about what on earth those goats are all about.

I got into Severance just days before the second season’s first episode, so I didn’t have to experience the excruciating wait like everyone else. What kind of punishments—or rewards?—would await the innies inside Lumon HQ? It was barely a mystery to me. I already had the Season 2 trailer queued up on my phone as soon as Season 1 ended.

Fortunately, Season 2 lived up to the hype, but now I have to experience the same wait as everyone else for Season 3. I wish I could make someone else experience the wait for me and skip over the monotonous life stuff, but there’s an entire show about why that’s a bad idea. —Olivia Bono, Staff Writer

Where to stream Severance

You can watch Severance on Apple TV.

SNL 50

The SNL Industrial Complex can be exhausting—no one needs another podcast about how they write the show in one week—but we’ll give Lorne Michaels some credit. SNL’s 50th anniversary specials were a fitting way to celebrate the show’s legacy for young and old fans alike.

Questlove’s Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music was a highlight among SNL 50’s batch of from-left-field documentaries; SNL50: The Homecoming Concert pulled out an impressive musical lineup from the show’s run; and the 50th Anniversary Special was filled with an all-star cast. Our next question: Who’ll start planning for SNL 75? —Eric Chiu, Internet Editor

Where to stream SNL 50

You can watch SNL on Peacock.

South Park, Season 27

Have you ever given up on a series not because it’s bad, but because it’s so ubiquitous that you’ve seen scores of episodes and you’re just ready for something new? That’s where I was with South Park before creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to go scorched-earth during the latest iteration of the Trump era.

“Sermon on the Mount,” the premiere episode of the show’s 27th season, demonstrates that the series is more relevant—and funny—than ever (waves with pinky finger). And then they followed it up with the Kristi Noem- and ICE-skewering “Got a Nut.” I’m back, South Park. And thank you for your service. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream South Park

You can watch South Park on Paramount+.

The Studio

A riotous, laser-accurate Hollywood satire composed of long takes that features 30+ celebrity cameos, The Studio is a lot like Robert Altman’s 1992 film The Player. That is, minus the murder mystery and with a horse-dose of cringe humor—much of it at the expense of its main character, newly minted studio honcho Matt Remick (Seth Rogen, the show’s co-creator). Rogen’s Remick is a likeable lead, a decent and well-intentioned guy who just wants to make great movies but makes gaffe after gaffe while navigating creative, financial, and political situations in a wicked town.

It’s tremendously fun watching Remick and his coworkers/friends (Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, and Chase Sui Wonders) deal with wacky complications like accidentally feeding outgoing big boss man (Bryan Cranston) a heroic dose of magic mushrooms before a crucially important industry event. The second season can’t come fast enough. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream The Studio

You can watch The Studio on Apple TV.

TO BE HERO X

So you’ve already watched My Hero Academia, The Boys, and/or Invincible. You’re tired. You think you know what to expect from a superhero story. Snore.

If you only watch one more superhero show, make it this one. In a world where superpowers are based on popularity, public perception is king. How you’re perceived is what you become, so all of the most powerful people on the planet are influencers. And the world’s top talent agencies are fighting to control them.

The gorgeously crafted donghua TO BE HERO X mixes different animation styles to tell the stories of ten different heroes whose lives intersect in complicated ways. Just trust me; you won’t want to miss this one.

Where to stream TO BE HERO X

You can watch TO BE HERO X on Crunchyroll.

The White Lotus, Season 3

After a 26-month wait, we finally checked back into The White Lotus, this time in the alluring but tense backdrop of Thailand. While Season 3’s expanded eight-episode run made it feel a bit drawn out, creator Mike White still delivered his signature blend of biting social satire and existential dread.

Sure, I saw some of the finale’s big twists coming from a mile away, but did I look away? Absolutely not. For my money, the real magic of this season is its cultural footprint, from the endless memes to Parker Posey’s internet renaissance. Season 2 still holds the top spot in my heart, but this was another memorable, messy, and quintessentially White Lotus vacation. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor

Where to stream The White Lotus

You can watch The White Lotus on HBO Max.

Wayward

Toni Collette (Hereditary) plays the quirky, cult leader-like head of the Tall Pines Academy for troubled teens in this unsettling thriller created by Mae Martin (Feel Good, The Flight Attendant), who also stars as police officer Alex Dempsey. ‘Nuff said? ‘Cause the combination of a cult, a small town, and a school for wayward teens is already properly intriguing. Add murder, and Wayward becomes a must-see. —Randy Harward, Senior Staff Writer

Where to stream Wayward

You can watch Wayward on Netflix.

The shortlist: More staff recs for the curious TV fan.

Since we’re professional TV watchers, the CableTV.com team has a ton of other favorites that didn’t make the list (yet). Some series, like Stranger Things Season 5, are still too fresh to fully tell if they got what it takes, while other shows, like Dan Da Dan, felt a little too genre-specific. (Stay tuned, we’ll probably change our minds about both those shows as the year closes out.) Either way, our TV critics felt these other series are also worth your precious TV time and attention.

• American Primeval
• Andor, Season 2
• The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2
• Black Mirror, Season 7
• Chief of War
• Common Side Effects
• Dan Da Dan
• Poker Face, Season 2
• Shoresy
• Stick
• Stranger Things, Season 5