Let’s get real—2025 has been dishing up some amazingly great TV. From jaw-dropping dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies and a couple of shows that defy categorization altogether, there’s been no lack of excuses to lose all sense of time (and possibly your bedtime). Whether you binge-watch entire seasons in one go or indulge in episodes week by week, this year’s offering has something to hook you.
So grab the snacks, mute those notifications, and let’s make our way through the 16 greatest shows of 2025—beginning with the latest binge-worthy winner and working our way back through the year’s greatest standouts.
16. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (PBS)
Mark Rylance reprises the role of Thomas Cromwell in this rewarding, high-wire sequel to Wolf Hall. Spanning the cutthroat court of Henry VIII, Cromwell navigates a political tightrope as he strives to hold his head above water. With Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, and Harriet Walter on board, performances are as incisive as the stakes are high. Rylance’s understated glances and soft sighs are eloquent—rerun material, no question.
15. The White Lotus (HBO)
Mike White relocates the hit anthology to Thailand, where money, secrets, and a too-perfect resort meet. Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, and Patrick Schwarzenegger lead a cast of charming dysfunction. It develops at a glacial pace, but when drama explodes, it’s pure high-end chaos.
14. Severance (Apple TV+)
It’s back at last, and as odd and chic as before. Adam Scott’s Mark S. is piecing together his fragmented life within Lumon Industries, and each reply just gives rise to further enigma. With Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken giving their best performances ever, this one gets an A+ in the “creepy corporate masterpiece” department.
13. RuPaul’s Drag Race (Paramount+)
Season 10 shakes things up with a bracket-style format, and it’s addictively so. Fierce glares, messier-than-ever drama, and queens who can own a runway—it’s evidence this show still has lots of sparkle left.
12. The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)
Think Succession, but replace corporate boardrooms with pulpit politics. The televangelist empire of the Gemstone family is beset with new troubles in its ridiculous and sentimental last season. John Goodman, Danny McBride, and Adam DeVine provide laughs, tears, and, yes, some childish humor that still works.
11. The Rehearsal (HBO)
Nathan Fieldfield keeps creating TV that is akin to a fever dream you’re unable to tear your eyes away from. This time, he goes after aviation—constructing a life-size airport set, recreating Sully Sullenberger’s life, and creating moments that are part genius and part uncomfortably ridiculous.
10. The Pitt (Max)
Noah Wyle stars in a tense, hour-by-hour medical drama that takes place over one grueling 15-hour shift. It’s not about saving lives—it’s about the personal cost it exacts on the ones who do. The mass-shooting arc is heartbreaking, and the action never slows.
9. Outrageous (BritBox)
The Mitford sisters, glamorous but troubled, are the focus of this frenetic 1930s-set drama. Bessie Carter excels as Nancy Mitford, dealing with a maelstrom of scandal, politics, and family rows.
8. Mo (Netflix)
Mo Amer’s tender dramedy ends on a second season with equal measures of laughter and tears. Based on a Palestinian man trying to find his way through America’s immigration maze, it’s a personal tale with a finale that lingers.
7. Dept. Q (Netflix)
If Slow Horses had a Scottish cousin who was moody, this would be it. Matthew Goode stars as this gruff detective and his team of misfits as they work their way through cold cases. Look for brooding landscapes, dark humor, and surprises you won’t see.
6. Dark Winds (AMC+)
Against the Navajo Nation backdrop, three officers deal with crime on their native land and demons in their pasts in this slow-burning crime drama. Zahn McClarnon provides a memorable performance, bringing the show’s tension back to earth in quiet intensity.
5. Common Side Effects (Adult Swim)
A magic mushroom cure for all illness sets off a wild conspiracy with the FBI, Big Pharma, and the ugly business of healthcare. Hilarious, sharp, and unexpectedly poignant—it’s a rare show as witty as it is ridiculous.
4. Andor (Disney+)
Season two leans in on the political ugliness of Star Wars. Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor must contend with the rise of a ruthless regime, and the parallels to historical struggles make it all the more compelling. The Ghorman storyline? Chilling and unforgettable.
3. Adolescence (Netflix)
Told in unbroken, hour-long shots, this four-part drama draws you into the world of a 13-year-old boy who’s charged with murder. Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper give powerhouse performances in a style that is raw and up-close.
2. The Chi (Paramount+)
Season 7 continues to keep its eyes on the street life of Chicago’s South Side—lots of love, ambition, danger, and grit. Jacob Latimore heads an ensemble that gets to the heart and grit of the neighborhood.
1. S.W.A.T. (CBS)
Shemar Moore’s Hondo returns to lead his elite unit through the streets of LA while navigating the demands of fatherhood. It’s action-packed, emotionally grounded, and still finds room for moments of warmth and camaraderie.
From political thrillers to gut-busting comedies, 2025 has already delivered an impressive TV lineup—and we’re only partway through the year. Clear your queue, because there’s no shortage of great viewing ahead.