Television in 2025 proved, once again, that the medium is firmly in a creative golden age. Across drama, comedy, documentary, and reality TV, storytellers pushed boundaries, took real risks, and delivered series that sparked conversation far beyond the screen. From intimate character studies to ambitious genre experiments, the best TV shows of 2025 reflected the anxieties, humor, and contradictions of modern life in ways that felt both wildly entertaining and deeply human.
What made this year especially memorable, however, was the range. Some of the best TV shows of 2025 were laugh-out-loud funny, others were emotionally devastating, and a select few managed to be both at once. Below, we rank the 15 standout series of the year, counting down from number 15 to the undisputed number one. Each show earned its place through cultural impact, storytelling ambition, and sheer watchability.
Here are the best tv shows of 2025, ranked from good to best…
#15. Platonic (Season 2)
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne returned for a second season that doubled down on chaos while quietly adding emotional depth. Meanwhile, Platonic remained riotously funny, delivering absurd set pieces while evolving into one of television’s most honest depictions of midlife friendship and working motherhood. Byrne, in particular, was a revelation, balancing manic comedy with grounded vulnerability.
#14. Big Boys
Jack Rooke’s autobiographical university comedy ended on a note that was as funny as it was heartbreaking. Over its run, Big Boys tackled grief, sexuality, and friendship without ever losing its mischievous charm. By the time it reached its emotional finale, it had quietly cemented itself as one of the most meaningful comedies among the best TV shows of 2025.
#13. Such Brave Girls
Dark, biting, and ferociously honest, Such Brave Girls followed three deeply flawed women spiraling through debt, mental health crises, and disastrous relationships. The humor was sharp enough to sting, but the performances made it impossible to look away. It was uncomfortable television in the best possible way.
#12. Pluribus
Vince Gilligan’s post–Better Call Saul project was one of the boldest swings of the year. Anchored by Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus blended sci-fi, psychological thriller, and social satire into something genuinely original. Its unsettling premise lingered long after each episode ended, making it one of the most thought-provoking TV shows of 2025.
#11. The White Lotus (Season 3)
Set in Thailand, the third season of The White Lotus leaned further into excess, discomfort, and dark comedy. While not the series’s strongest outing overall, it delivered viral moments, career-high performances, and enough twisted intrigue to remind audiences why Mike White’s show remains a true television event.
#10. Louis Theroux: The Settlers
This documentary marked a turning point in Louis Theroux’s career. Returning to the West Bank, he abandoned much of his trademark detachment in favor of direct, often uncomfortable questioning. The result was tense, alarming, and essential viewing that stood out as one of the best TV shows and most urgent television experiences of 2025.
#9. Severance (Season 2)
Following an almost impossible-to-top first season, Severance deepened its emotional core while expanding its unsettling corporate nightmare. Love stories, moral dilemmas, and genuinely terrifying imagery made this season richer, stranger, and more haunting than before.
#8. How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)
Steve Coogan’s iconic character continued his fly-on-the-wall comeback with unstoppable momentum. The series skewered modern media, wellness culture, and Partridge himself, proving that even decades on, Alan Partridge remains one of television’s sharpest and funniest creations.
#7. The Rehearsal (Season 2)
Nathan Fielder once again delivered a show that defied easy explanation. Ostensibly about aviation safety, The Rehearsal slowly transformed into a surreal meditation on control, authenticity, and human behavior. No other series this year was as baffling—or as brilliant.
#6. Alien: Earth
Turning a legendary film franchise into a TV series was a gamble, but Noah Hawley made it pay off. Alien: Earth expanded the mythology while delivering slow-burning dread, unforgettable imagery, and a constant sense of impending doom. It was prestige sci-fi done right.
#5. Blue Lights (Season 2)
Set in Belfast, Blue Lights continued to redefine the modern police drama. Its second season was darker, more intense, and emotionally exhausting, yet it never lost sight of its humanity. Few shows in 2025 were as gripping or as authentic.
#4. The Studio
Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire emerged as both a critical and comedic triumph. Packed with razor-sharp writing, fearless performances, and absurd set pieces, The Studio skewered the film industry while clearly loving it. It was easily one of the best and funniest TV shows of 2025.
#3. The Celebrity Traitors
Reality TV reached new heights with this celebrity spin on The Traitors. Familiar faces, heightened drama, and an amazing finale made it utterly compulsive viewing. It didn’t just match the original; it may have surpassed it.
#2. Dying for Sex
Michelle Williams delivered one of the most vulnerable performances of her career in this life-affirming drama. Funny, heartbreaking, and fearless, Dying for Sex explored mortality and desire with extraordinary warmth and emotional honesty.
#1. Adolescence
There was never any real doubt. Adolescence stood head and shoulders above everything else in 2025. This harrowing drama about online radicalization, guilt, and growing up was technically astonishing, emotionally devastating, and culturally unavoidable. With flawless performances and ambitious single-shot episodes, it wasn’t just the best series of the year. It may be one of the defining television achievements of the decade.
Featured image: Apple TV Press
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