It be too early to call but… what the hell, we’ll do it anyway: 2025 Is The Year Of Great TV.
We’ve got returning Emmy winners cooking up their last supper, new adventures in space (and Westeros), rich people behaving badly on vacation, rich people behaving badly at home, murderbots and night agents, dystopian futures and brutal recreations of the past. And a dramedy series inspired by an Eli Manning prank starring Glen Powell and a ridiculously over-sized schnoz. There’s something for everyone on the small screen this year, but because there’s so much everywhere, we’ve done the leg work of rounding up the most promising watches of the year.
Here are our picks. Bookmark them now.
American Primeval (Netflix, Streaming Now)
If you got lost in the expanse of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, American Primeval is the perfect antidote. A six-episode miniseries that gets uncomfortably close to the brutality of the new American West. Betty Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch star as a mother stubbornly trying to cross through a heavily contested stretch of Utah territory and her weary guide in this Peter Berg-helmed project that also features standouts from Shea Whigham and Dane DeHaan. — Jason Tabrys
Severance (Apple TV+, January 17)
It’s been three years since Ben Stiller’s mindbending workplace thriller surprised everyone as one of the decade’s best new TV series. That’s long enough for pandemics and global lockdowns and multiple writers’ strikes and a contested election or two to murk up our memories of exactly what went down at Lumon Industries. There are plenty of online explainers to catch you up, and early reviews report that season two is worth the homework as Adam Scott’s Mark continues to question the consequences of severing his consciousness in the name of corporate productivity. While the innies launched a rebellion from their cubicles in season one, this next installment is taking the group out of the office, broadening its worker bees’ horizons as it deepens the mystery that’s spawned dozens of bad Reddit theories. — Jessica Toomer
The Night Agent (Netflix, January 23)
If you have an itch for thrilling government conspiracy theories, the inaugural season of The Night Agent was a satisfying scratch for that. Even without the desire to peek behind the curtain that shields government activities, The Night Agent kept you on the edge of your seat with a sweet blend of action, mystery, and just a bit of romance. Gabriel Basso takes the lead playing FBI agent Peter Sutherland and we follow him as he goes from occupying a seemingly meangingless desk job, to investigating and discovering a mole in close proximity to the President of The United States. Peter’s mission was successful in season one, but it’s just the beginning in what could be a long career for him as an official night agent. Where the next mission takes Peter remains to be seen, but you can be sure the same edge-of-your-seat thrill will keep your glued to the screen for season two. — Wongo Okon
Yellowjackets (Showtime/Paramount+, February 14)
The past is coming back to haunt hunt our favorite, fucked-up group of teen cannibals (and their grown-up counterparts) when season three of Showtime’s breakout, Yellowjackets, returns in February. After the — spoiler! — shocking death of Nat (Juliette Lewis) in the season two finale, and the destruction of the team’s cabin in the wilderness, all bets — and attempts at salvaging what remains of their humanity — are off. Rival factions are forming in the past while the survivors are stalked by new threats in the present. Citizen Detectives, we’re the ones feasting this time! — Jessica Toomer
The White Lotus (HBO, February 16)
The Mike White working vacation tour heads to Thailand for season 3 of The White Lotus. This time, Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Parker Posey, and Lisa from Blackpink (among many other familiar names and faces) comprise the cast for another examination of rich people behaving badly while a world away from their regular lives, absent good sense and self-awareness. — Jason Tabrys
Reacher (Amazon Prime Video, February 20)
Whomping season is upon us as Alan Ritchson returns to crack jaws, this time as an undercover asset for the DEA trying to bring down yet another rich and powerful crook. The daddiest of all the Dad TV staples, Reacher seemingly has a foolproof formula, but season two showed more ambition, unraveling a complex conspiracy while kicking all kinds of ass in all kinds of ways. Look for more of the same when the new episodes drop. — Jason Tabrys
A Thousand Blows (Hulu, February 21)
Yeah, I know. The Peaky Blinders movie cannot come soon enough, but while we wait, Steven Knight has a new gangster show coming to Hulu. This series will dive into the underground boxing in 1880s Victorian London, but equally important will be a showcase for another historically reigning gang, the Forty Elephants. This entirely female crime syndicate shoplifted, blackmailed, and seduced to gather loot, which they sold while amassing riches, and considering how Knight crafted the gloriously bonkers Tatiana, watching his take on an entire gang of crafty ladies should be quite a treat. Again, plenty of testosterone will also be on display, including a slight Peaky crossover with Hayden Stagg actor Steven Graham on hand as formidable fighter Sugar Goodson. Did Graham bulk up for the role? You’d better believe it, and one of the more promising aspects of Knight writing a historically-based series is that he will not sacrifice story for the sake of nitpicky accuracy. Because it was entertaining to kill Billy Kimber before his time, Knight damn well did it, and that same gleeful mayhem is guaranteed in this show, too. — Kimberly Ricci
Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+, March 4)
Netflix’s Daredevil was one of the first small-screen spin-offs to ride the wave of superhero mania when it carved its niche on streaming a decade ago. Its story of a morally-conflicted blind attorney who prowled the streets of Hell’s Kitchen equipped with a horned mask, enhanced abilities, and a nose for sniffing out the city’s worst criminals felt wholly different from the CGI-sheened action at the box office. Gritty, grimy, and bolstered by superb performances from Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, and Elden Henson, it made a strong case for taking the superhero fight to the streets before it became a casualty of the streaming wars. Now it’s back, with the same cast and a beefed-up storyline that claims it’s just as brutal and unforgiving as its predecessor, despite calling Disney+’s PG-friendly platform home. (Though Ridley Scott’s Alien series can also be found there now, so maybe blood, gore, and a chest-bursting or two is still possible.) But the appetite for violence isn’t the question we’re most concerned with, it’s the point. After breaking down Matt Murdock in season three, and building him back up to face some seemingly invincible foes, where does his story, and that of The Punisher, go? And is it really possible that Disney, of all streamers, can take it there? — Jessica Toomer
You (Netflix, March 6)
You’s fourth season went off the deep end in the best way possible, transplanting its bookish butcher to the cobblestoned upper-crust of London’s gentry. There, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) fell in love with yet another muse, a woman he ended up marrying, not murdering for once. He also reconciled with the fact that he is not, repeat NOT, a good guy with a deliciously camp identity crisis that had him fleeing back to his New York roots. The only thing left to do in the show’s fifth and final season is to serve Joe his comeuppance, hopefully in the form of a pair of cuffs and an indefinite stay in a heavily guarded psych ward. But first, he’ll likely stalk another poor, young upstart, destroy his fragile marriage, kill indiscriminately, and face a familiar foe from his past. This may not be the Prestige TV everyone claims has peaked, but that’s kind of its main draw. — Jessica Toomer
Dope Thief (Apple TV+, March 14)
Brian Tyree Henry got an Emmy nomination for his work on Atlanta and there’s Oscar chatter about his work as a boxing trainer in the recently released The Fire Inside. Could Dope Thief help take him to the next level, giving Apple TV+ a standout crime drama in the process? The ingredients seem to be there. Based on a Dennis Tafoya novel and produced by Ridley Scott, the show stars Henry and Wagner Moura as a couple of Philly crooks who unintentionally level up after discovering a drug ring while posing as DEA agents. — Jason Tabrys
The Studio (Apple TV+, March 26)
Most Hollywood satires are too smart for their own good, aimed at lampooning the larger industry with flat characters who occupy obvious archetypes and inspire no emotional connection. HBO’s The Franchise committed these sins and paid the price, going one-and-done. Will the Seth Rogen starring and co-created The Studio go the same way? One thing this show has going for it is Rogen, who is playing a new studio head who is quickly realizing his ideals may need to become uncomfortably flexible. The show also has Catherine O’Hara, Bryan Cranston, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and a bunch of big-name actors playing themselves and endlessly insulting Rogen’s character, who seems like someone we can both root for and laugh at. — Jason Tabrys
Your Friends and Neighbors (Apple TV+, April 11)
Over the last couple of years, Jon Hamm has seemingly returned home, playing TV characters who, like Mad Men’s Don Draper, simply will not be denied. That’s the crux of his Elon-esque character in The Morning Show, the MAGA-mainlining sheriff in Fargo, and his oil tycoon in Landman. With Your Friends & Neighbors, Hamm’s character simply won’t be denied the life he has become accustomed to, no matter the fact that he’s been fired from his high-power high-finance job. What comes next sounds a bit Breaking Bad-esque, with Hamm’s character turning to crime and robbing members of his upper-crust community. Will he get in over his head? The show has already been renewed for a second season, so we’re going to get a good amount of time to find out. — Jason Tabrys
Andor (Disney+, April 22)
Despite lacking any characters named “Skywalker” and centering a hero whose tragic fate is known to most, Andor quickly became one of the best Star Wars spinoffs on Disney+ when it premiered in 2022. The first installment followed Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), criminal-turned-reluctant-spy as the bones of the Rebel Alliance began to take shape. The show’s second, and final, season will take place over four years, broken into three episode that cover a few days in each successive year. The goal is to lead audiences directly into the beginnings of Rogue One, complete with an appearance by Ben Mendelsohn in his villainous return as Doctor Krennic. — Jessica Toomer
The Last of Us (HBO, April TBD)
Season one of The Last Of Us ended with a choice, a massacre, and a lie that will surely come out at some point. But will that happen in season two? The new season is set to cover only a portion of the second Last Of Us game, meaning some major developments may be slower to visit the show than first assumed. That’s fine by us (iykyk). As for the cast, season 2 is adding Jeffrey Wright, Kaityn Deever, Isabella Merced, and Catherine O’Hara beside Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. — Jason Tabrys
Chad Powers (Hulu, TBD)
Glen Powell doesn’t let himself get comfortable, and we are here for that drive. As we wrote about his Hit Man performance, the man has endless permutations to offer, and that has led him to escape the Tom Cruise comparisons and glide through romcom king land (Anyone But You) and tornado wrangling territory (Twisters) into the most unlikely of vehicles: a Hulu sports comedy with a Ted Lasso-like origin story. For his latest trick, Powell will mimic Eli Manning’s undercover trip onto Penn State’s football team for an oddball series, which came together in a reportedly quick and dirty fashion under the guidance of Rick and Morty producer Michael Waldron. Not only will Steve Zahn will put on his best panic face as a struggling head coach for this show, but Powell will do his best to channel an anti-leading man vibe. You can bet that he will fail at failing, and we already know that his charisma cannot be deterred by bad wigs, so bring it on. — Kimberly Ricci
Black Mirror (Netflix, TBD)
With the world resembling one never-ending Black Mirror episode at the moment, it rings odd to feel excited about the return of Charlie Brooker’s disturbed, dystopian imaginings of the future. Life plus art meet reflective surface and all that. But we’ve been promised a sequel to the season four premiere, USS Callister, which means we might get more Cristin Milioti and more Cristin Milioti is always a good thing. Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, and Peter Capaldi are jumping onboard the horror show this season too as Brooker promises a return to basics that will test the nerve – and stomachs – of longtime fans. — Jessica Toomer
The Chair Company (HBO, TBD)
A new show from the team behind I Think You Should Leave? Gimme dat. Created by writing partners Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, The Chair Company follows William Ronald Trosper (played by Robinson) who finds himself investigating a far-reaching conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work. The cast also includes Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, Joseph Tudisco, and, hopefully, a cameo from Biff Wiff. — Josh Kurp
The Paper (Peacock, TBD)
How do you make an Office spin-off stand out without any original character carryover and only a tenuous connection to the original Scranton-set series? That’s the question facing US Office co-creator Greg Daniels and Nathan For You co-creator Michael Koman as they ready this show that will see the documentary crew from the original shift their focus to the day-to-day of a struggling midwestern newspaper. Getting Domhall Gleeson (Run, The Patient) to front the show is a start, but surrounding him with a deep ensemble is going to be key. You don’t need Phylis, Stanley, Kevin, Angela, and Oscar, but you do need a new band of quirky, easily recognizable character types to fill cubicles. — Jason Tabrys
MurderBot (Apple TV+, TBD)
Apple TV+’s sci-fi track record is unmatched – see Silo, Severance, and Foundation for proof. It’s good news then that the streamer is adapting Martha Wells’ best-selling space opera, The Murderbot Diaries. (If anyone can pull off futuristic colonies and wormhole theory, it’s the team that saw the unlimited potential in casting 6’5” thirst-trap Lee Pace as a petulant Galactic Emperor in a pseudo-incestous relationship with his mombot who likes to fight off rebels in the nude.) For this interstellar adventure, Apple TV+ is recruiting another Tall King, Alexander Skarsgard, to play a security cyborg named, you guessed it, Murderbot. In the books, Skarsgard’s character has found a way to override his programming, becoming completely autonomous and obsessed with watching human soap operas. A premise sufficiently weird enough for an actor, whose recent credits include a Werner Herzog parody and a Cronenberg body-horror entry, to get his small-screen freak on to. Here’s hoping the show doesn’t skimp on the strange. — Jessica Toomer
The Bear (FX/Hulu, TBD)
Will The Bear follow the new tradition of standout shows ending after four seasons (Succession, Barry)? Will it rebound from a middlingly received third season? This show has always done its best work amidst the chaos and last season absolutely sets things up for more of that with a fork in the road presented to Carmy (Jeremy Allen White). Will he double down on the endeavor that seems to be breaking his brain or recalibrate and try a new recipe for success and a life outside the kitchen? Will Sidney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss Bachrach), and company stick with him or will they all rip each other apart in the process? — Jason Tabrys
The Beast In Me (Netflix, TBD)
Bad neighbors make for a nightmare in real life, but on TV, they’re the perfect antagonist on which to hang a show’s central murder mystery. And when they’re played by Matthew Rhys – famed actor, wine enthusiast, and charter boat captain – they’re the only hook you need to tune into yet another Netflix’s limited series. Which means The Beast In Me is truly suffering an embarrassment of riches because this show also sports Claire Danes, Brittany Snow, Jonathan Banks, and Natalie Morales amongst its cast who hope to tell the tale of a grieving author (Danes) and her dangerous fixation on the man who just moved in next door. A mogul of real estate who might be involved in the disappearance of his wife. Rhys you naughty boy! — Jessica Toomer
Alien: Earth (FX, TBD)
Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) hopes to, if not reinvent, at least reinvigorate, the Alien franchise for TV with a prequel to Ridley Scott’s original blockbuster. This time, the xenomorphs crash land on a futuristic Earth, threatening humanity’s way of life on its own home turf. Hawley’s got a great track record for paying homage to beloved IP, crafting stories within established universes that feel fresh and uniquely their own. Here’s hoping he can do it again. — Jessica Toomer
Stranger Things (Netflix, TBD)
We’ve all seen the jokes about the kids from Stranger Things all being in their 30s now, but while the show’s popularity has cooled some owing to delays and some of the story choices that split the gang up, there’s bound to be a lot of feels as the show winds down. A nostalgia fest that traded on the coming-of-age and genre films of the ‘80s, Stranger Things has become an icon in its own right, powering the debate on binge vs. weekly rollouts, and launching careers, endless merch lines, a devoted fan community, and, eventually, spinoffs. The tearful goodbyes and possible Vecna flaying happen soon. — Jason Tabrys
Lions (HBO, TBD)
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, whether intentional or not, is carving a small-screen niche for himself, one that digs into the stereotypes of toxic masculinity in surprisingly sensitive ways. His Netflix debut questioned our concept of victimhood, showing how easily men can be preyed upon and how difficult it is for them to speak up. His character there was nuanced, devastatingly flawed, and yet still, owed justice. With this HBO venture, Gadd is turning the lens on himself once again, telling the story of two brothers and their contentious relationship. Spanning forty years, the show begs the question, “What does it mean to be a man?” Gadd likely won’t have a clear-cut answer, but he’ll enjoy making us squirm in our seats as he dismantles any preconceived notions we have on the subject. — Jessica Toomer
Peacemaker (Max, TBD)
Anyone worried that the well-received Peacemaker might become collateral damage in the transition between the old DCU and the new can rest easy. John Cena’s supersized superassassin is set to return late this summer, pushed back to account for its place within series creator James Gunn’s larger capes and cowls universe following Superman: Legacy, which will reportedly influence the story of Peacemaker season two. Naturally, that means we don’t know a lot about what’s to come, but at this stage, we just need assurances that we’re going to get more Eagly and an opening credit dance sequence. — Jason Tabrys
First Day on Earth (HBO, TBD)
HBO has sprinkled just enough crumbs to have our mouths watering over their planned drama series First Day on Earth. The crumbs: Written by and starring I May Destroy You breakout Michaela Coel. Produced by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. Backed by A24. The actual story here sounds even more appetizing: A down-on-her-luck writer joins a film production in Ghana to reconnect with her homeland and her estranged father. Naturally, things take an unexpected turn, forcing its heroine to reexamine some long-held beliefs about family, legacy, and the state of belonging. — Jessica Toomer
Poker Face (Peacock, TBD)
Poker Face hit big by blending nostalgia for wandering case-of-the-week shows and a Natasha Lyonne performance that seemed to channel TV detectives of the past while, at the same time, turning into something all her own. Also, guest stars. Each episode brought out a familiar face for Lyonne’s human lie detector character to either help out or thwart. On the docket for season 2? More on-the-road adventures and a massive haul when it comes to guest stars with everyone from John Mulaney to Kumail Nanjiani, Katie Holmes, Cynthia Erivo, Method Man, Awkwafina… we could go on and on. — Jessica Toomer
IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO, TBD)
On the Mount Rushmore of Stephen King Movie Villains, it’s Jack Torrance, Annie Wilkes, Cujo, and Pennywise. Now, the creepy murder clown is taking his talents to the small screen. Bill Skarsgård is reprising his role as Pennywise in HBO’s It: Welcome To Derry. The prequel takes place years before the events of the It films, with each planned season set in a different decade. But no matter whether it’s the 1960s, 1930s, or 1900s, this face will always be terrifying. — Josh Kurp
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO, TBD)
HBO is once again mining the shelves of George R.R. Martin’s literary universe, pulling from the pages of a series of novellas the author wrote that give fans a wholly different perspective on Westeros and the game of thrones being played there. Instead of fire-breathing beasts and political coups and familial civil wars, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows the hedge knight, Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, an orphan from the slums of Flea Bottom whose name popped up a handful of times in the network’s original GoT adaptation. Along with his young squire, a boy of mysterious origins named Egg, Dunk goes on a series of adventures – including competing in an infamous tourney GoT fans might recall – that test his mettle and cement his legendary bravery. It’s a fine enough concept – though one not likely to entice OG fans who are burnt out on all things dragon – but the real test comes in how HBO handles its source material. Issue of pacing and story changes have plagued House of the Dragon to the point that even Martin has distanced himself from the on-screen happenings. If Dunk and Egg don’t rival the cultural cachet of, say, a certain Mandalorian duo, this might just be our last trip through The Seven Kingdoms. — Jessica Toomer
Wednesday (Netflix, TBD)
Save your snaps. Wednesday isn’t here yet – and news of a concrete release date is something we can only dream (err, have nightmares?) about at the moment. But production on season two was laid to rest late last year which means we’ll probably be returning to Nevermore sometime in the fall, that time of year when the sun seems to die a little earlier each day and the trees surrender to their inevitable decay. We’d guess it’s the most wonderful time of year for Jenna Ortega’s morose Goth detective. A new mystery, a host of guest stars – Lady Gaga chief among them – and a storyline that’s been teased as darker, deadlier, and altogether horrifying. We can’t wait. — Jessica Toomer
