The 6 Best TV Shows of 2025

 

The small screen ran the gamut of genres and settings in 2025. From real-world past wars to future encounters with aliens, there was a little something for everyone on streaming and broadcast. Here are the best:  

6. Fallout (Season 2)

Lucy MacLean (not the one from Die Hard) continues her search for her father through the wastelands, alongside the Ghoul in the latest chapter of the popular video game adaptation. While not quite as good as the inaugural season, Fallout still sits among the best dramas inspired by video games.

5. Task

An FBI pencil-pusher is ordered back into the field to lead a team sent to catch a crew of armed robbers who've been targeting a Philly biker gang's trap-houses.

4. The American Revolution

The War for Independence gets the Ken Burns treatment in this expansive docuseries that chronicles the efforts of General George Washington himself to unsung heroes such as the former enslaved Americans who joined the fight.

3. Slow Horses (Season 5)

Following Louisa's exit for mental health reasons, the remaining members of Slough House find themselves embroiled in a mass-shooting linked to Roddy Ho's unbelievably (especially for him) gorgeous new (first) girlfriend and an old MI5 destabilization strategy. Though placed under watch themselves, the Badnews Bears of British Intelligence can't help but to accept their latest impossible mission.

2. Alien: Earth

Against all odds, the Alien franchise has redeemed itself on, of all places, the small screen. As the title suggests, this time around the xenomorphs are brought to the Big Blue Marble and, shockingly enough, the new venue works. Cyborgs, androids and even other extra-terrestrial creatures are thrown into the mix as the Weyland-Yutani corporation once again vies to control the aggressive title-beasties.

1. Paradise

The second of two post-apocalyptic tales to appear on this list features Secret Service agent --- as he unravels the machinations of billionaires and covert operatives living in a high-tech bunker deep underground in Colorado. 

The 22 Best TV Shows of 2024

 

There's nothing like a great theatrical experience. But some stories are only available on the small screen(s). And I'm not talking about streaming-exclusive movies. Though some previously strong shows had disappointing follow-up seasons (The Bear, Halo, The Rings of Power, Slow Horses), we've gotten some pretty decent television moments in 2024. Here are the 22 best series released this year:

22. The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping

Former "students" of the Academy at Ivy Ridge reveal the appalling mistreatment they experienced while incarcerated at the behavior modification facility.

21. Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office: The Real Story

It's odd that this documentary was preceded by a scripted miniseries about the same events but it works as the perfect companion piece to said show depicting the fight against widespread corruption within England's postal system.

Dinner with the Parents

20. Unlocked: A Jail Experiment

This docuseries makes Oz a reality -- minus the rape and musical numbers. Pulaski County, Arkansas' sheriff Eric Higgins conducts an experiment in one of his jail's units wherein the inmates are not only allowed to freely roam their pod without locked doors or guards for six weeks but they're also provided free telephone calls. 

19. Iwaju

This Nigeria-set streaming series is a showcase of Afrofuturism reminiscent of Wakanda Forever. Co-produced by Kugali Media, a British-based studio founded by African artists, Iwaju is Walt Disney Animation Studios' first original animated series. 

18. The Vince Staples Show

The eponymous rapper's dramedy series is often described as Long Beach's version of Donald "Childish Gambino" Glover's Atlanta. But that reductive characterization is an insult to this much better show.

17. Dynasty: New England Patriots

This docuseries chronicles the rise and fall of the winningest NFL team of the 21st century, while exposing the head coach and members' cheating scandals, criminal behavior and unsavory political stances.

16. Murder Is Easy

I love that this 1954-set mystery adapts the racist Agatha Christie and not only touches on race and colonialism but also features a Black lead. The Rings of Power's Morfydd Clark co-stars in this, her first period (but non-magical) drama of the year.  

15. Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office

After a glitch caused by accounting software leads to his being falsely accused of embezzlement, British sub-postmaster Alan Bates wages a near 20-year campaign to clear his name and to obtain justice for hundreds of his fellow sub-postmasters victimized by a national cover-up led by Post Office Limited CEO Paula Vennells.

14. Masters of the Universe: Revolution

Greatly improving upon the incarnations that came before (especially its immediate predecessor), this season of an animated series focusing on a beloved Mattel toy explores Skeletor's origin as well as the clash between sorcerers and technology practitioners. 

13. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Fourteen years after a disastrous movie release, Nickelodeon's famed animated series has a live-action adaptation that does the source material justice. Not only were the characters appropriately cast with minority actors, but the production values are sky-high and theater-worthy. 

Aang, Sokka and Kitara face off against Ozai and his firebenders for the fate of the world.

12. Criminal Record

This British series examines racism and police corruption and the effects they have on the community.

11. Parish

Reformed criminal Gray Parish makes one of the oldest underworld mistakes: he agrees to help his crimey with a last-minute, "easy" score. Of course, the "piece-of-cake" safe heist goes sideways and before long, the retired car thief and wheelman is neck-deep in human traffickers and hit squads.   

10. Clipped

Chronicling the racism scandal that hit the Los Angeles Clippers a decade ago, this miniseries gives LA's other NBA team one up on the Lakers and their inferior streaming show "Winning Time". The downfall of the team's former owner, Donald Sterling, is seen through the eyes of head coach Doc Rivers, Sterling's sugar baby, V. Stiviano, and a handful of starters. 

9. How Music Got Free

Music executives, rappers and computer whizzes chronicle the music industry's spectacular crash due to the rise and normalization of digital file-sharing in the early 2000s. Bigwigs such as Steve Stout and Jimmy Iovine provide their accounts while Method Man narrates.  

8. Teacup

With its cast of rounded characters trapped in one location together and faced with unexplained mysteries, Teacup is a worthy successor to Lost. Having said that, it's probably best that you know nothing when you sit down to watch.

7. Dune: Prophecy

While the first two entries in the Dune cinematic trilogy are critically-acclaimed, this prequel series has them both beat. And the production values are shockingly high (This thing must've cost a fortune). Set more than 10,000 years prior to the events of the films, the latest small screen adaptation focuses on the early days of the Bene Gesserit order and the beginnings of the group's sinister machinations and its influence on the galaxy as the Harkonnen and Atreides clans clash yet again.

6. Ice Age

The seventh episode of the television adaptation of Time Bandits stands head and shoulders above all of the rest -- which is probably why the series has been cancelled.

5. Unprisoned (Season 2)

All three generations of the Alexander family (and Nadine) begin overdue group therapy, which is ironic, and a bit humiliating for Paige, given her status as a well-known psychiatrist herself -- especially since their chosen analyst is a famous therapist who showed her up on camera during a talk show appearance together. Meanwhile, Mal has moved on to a new relationship and Finn seeks one with the dad that he's never met. In that same vein, Esti yearns to learn more about her Korean heritage.

4. Fallout

The best live-action series adapted from a video game to date, Fallout follows the quest to retrieve a cold fusion device, specifically focusing on three very different survivors of a nuclear holocaust in the distant future. The showrunners of HBO's Westworld have upped their sci-fi game considerably. Hopefully, this series doesn't fall apart after the first season the way that one did. And it would behoove them to steer clear of further bestiality references in upcoming seasons.   

3. Shogun

This adaptation of the classic 1975 book overwhelmingly eclipses the 1980 miniseries while proving that prestige TV is alive and well with its silver screen-worthy production values, cinematography and overall craftsmanship.

2. We Were the Lucky Ones

Following Shogun, Little Fires Everywhere and The Sister, Hulu continues their streak of  prestige miniseries with this true tale of one Polish family's experiences during WWII. The Kurc clan face stunning antisemitism, imprisonment and brutality in this chronicle of their wartime ordeals, separately and together, from Poland to Siberia to Brazil to the Italian Alps.

1. The Gentlemen

Contrary to Quentin Tarantino's belief, some directors improve drastically with time. And surprisingly enough, one such auteur happens to be Guy Ritchie (along with Martin Scorcese, for his stupendous Killers of the Flower Moon). The small screen adaptation of his 2019 film of the same name is a massive improvement on its disappointing namesake. It's also leaps and bounds better than his past stories centered around modern British crime organizations.  

"A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" Review

 

by John Zenoni

What a great murder mystery series! The latest Netflix entry, ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’, delivers on so many levels, most importantly the storyline and performances. I have never read the books on which this series is based but this adaptation is so good that I'm going to have to read them and I do hope they will continue making new episodes!

The main character, Pip, played by Emma Myers, keeps you so engaged with her brilliance and intuition that you can’t wait to see what she's going to uncover next. In this series, Pip lives in an area where young schoolgirl Andie Bell was supposedly killed by her lover, Sal Singh, five years prior, who is said to have killed himself after leaving a confession. Pip teams up with Sal’s brother, Ravi, to dig further into the crime to see if all this is actually true and once the digging starts they uncover things that don’t add up. This series definitely pulls you in and keeps you guessing! Highly recommend!

"Chernobyl" Review

 

by Robert Zenoni

I’m a little late to the party but… FANTASTIC! FANTASTIC! FANTASTIC! Like all tragedy, disaster, destruction and death, we as humans don’t read into more than what we feel comfortable doing, especially when we were not born at the time it happened. So all my life I was like, “Wow, Chernobyl that’s terrible…. anyways...” But now I do have an interest in this subject matter because it’s just so important to remember history. 

Chernobyl is a great series that tells its audience what the social, economic, political and literal fallout was when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant reactor core number four exploded and is known as the worst nuclear disaster in history. This shows tells you how the Soviet Union tried to cover up the disaster and how nuclear physicist Valery Legasov was boots on the ground and helped save millions of lives. Along with telling you about all that, it shows you what happened to the men who were at the reactor; first with all the radiation they absorbed along with all the people of Pripiyat, the city closest to the power plant. 

I know this is more of a praising session than a review but it's a fantastic and brutal series. So prepare yourself if you haven’t seen it but it truly is fantastic. Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård are great and the shows poses the question, "What is the cost of lies?" In this instance, anywhere from 4,000-93,000. That is the cost of lies. Enjoy the show! 

The 19 Best TV Shows of 2023

 

We've gotten some pretty decent television moments in 2023. Here are the 19 best series released this year:

Bonus:

Cam'ron Addresses Melyssa Ford, Queenz Flip, Joe Budden (Washed) & Talks Empowering A Black Woman

19. Love & Death

Though this is the second miniseries about Texas middle-school teacher Betty Gore's grisly axe-murder at the hands of her frenemy, Candy Montgomery, in as many years, it's still worth watching (However, Love & Death's glacial pace in the introductory episodes helps to give 2022's Candy the edge.).

18. How to Create a Sex Scandal

There's more than what initially meets the eye in a Texas calamity that underscores the importance of thorough investigations in this docuseries that explores a particularly shameful situation. 

17. Wolf

When DI Jack Caffery moves back home to London in order to investigate his dead brother's 10-year-old abduction, he becomes embroiled in the double-murder that may have been closed prematurely. 

Far from the copaganda with which we've been inundated for decades, the corruption of one of Caffery's colleagues (including building her career off of a high-profile frame-up) is on full display. With a mere six episodes, Caffery has already solidified his place next to Sherlock Holmes and John Luther as immensely watchable British detectives.

16. Dark Winds (Season 2)

15. The Castaways

After Lori Holme's flight goes missing, her obnoxious little sister Erin burns bridges and alienates everyone she knows in her quest to learn the truth of what happened. Meanwhile, Lori and the other survivors of her downed flight fight to navigate life on an uncharted Pacific island. The titular castaways include a combat vet, the captain, a very pregnant woman, a retired doctor and a millionaire. And one of them is a murderer.

14. The Dreamer

Superstar comic Dave Chappelle closed the year with this incendiary stand-up special that takes aim at a vast array of comedic targets during his DC homecoming.

13. Kennedy

The 35th president's career is chronicled in this eight-part series that covers his life from birth to his assassination in Dallas.

12. The Bear

11. Lawmen: Bass Reeves

The legendary deputy marshal gets his due in this series boasting top-notch production values and cinematography. Reeve's life spanning from slavery to free family man through his first few years as a renowned lawman is explored with care and meticulous attention to detail. 

10. What If...Iron Man Crashed Into the                      Grandmaster?

Far and away the best episode (by a long shot) of the second season of the MCU's flagship animated series shows us how things would've played out had Tony Stark allied himself with Gamora, Valkyrie and Korg and led a coup on Sakaar. 

9. Slow Horses (Season 3)

8. Beckham

Football legend David Beckham opens up about his childhood, his career, his Spice Girl and his life in the spotlight.

7. Skull Island

This "cartoon's" gorgeous animation, live-action series approach to comedy and compelling new characters all make for a vastly superior product than the mega-budget movie that inspired it.

6. Rabbit Hole

Corporate spy, John Weir, is drawn into a world of intrigue, kidnapping and murder when his latest assignment involves high-profile corporate and political figures. 

5. UnPrisoned

Following his release from federal prison upon completion of a 17-year sentence, Paige Alexander finds herself living with her father, Edwin, for the first time since childhood. Unfortunately, even her experience as a family therapist hasn't prepared her for the sudden reemergence of emotional issues and complexes that confront her when Edwin -- and his ex-girlfriend (Paige's surrogate mother for 10 years) -- moves in.  

4. Dreaming Whilst Black

Jamaican-British aspiring filmmaker Kwabena suffers through the racism that comes with pursuing goals -- and simply existing -- as a Black man living in a major caucasian city.

3. Average Joe

BET+ enters the prestige television ranks with this series about a Pittsburgh contractor who finds himself hunted by a Russian organized crime group while simultaneously -- and desperately -- attempting to stay one step ahead of the state police detective assigned to investigate the ever-growing number of homicides. 

Comedian Deon Cole finally takes his rightful place as a small-screen lead in this impressive drama. One headscratcher, though, is the filmmakers' decision to provide an accomplished assassin with an unearned happy ending. 

2. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

The production values in this streaming series about a government agency dedicated to researching kaiju surpass some of the feature films (namely, Skull Island and King Kong vs. G*dzilla) in the franchise to which it belongs. At times a prequel to the last two Hollywood G*dzilla movies and sometimes a prequel to the entire series, Monarch explores the eponymous organization's inception and previously unknown history with MUTOs.

1. The Artful Dodger

This period series gives a Charles Dickens classic the Cobra Kai treatment. Set over a decade after his dealings with the most famous orphan of all time, the title character has created a new life for himself in Australia.