The problem I had last year didn’t show up in 2025. In fact, there were way too many good shows. I even had to cut down my honorable mentions (coming soon). But before we get to that, here are my top 10 shows of the year:
10. King of the Hill (Hulu)
Aging up Hank, Peggy, and especially Bobby could have gone wrong in so many ways. But the writing staff, which included younger people who grew up on the show, found the perfect balance for making the Hills face modern issues – like cultural appropriation, open relationships, and toxic masculinity – without betraying any of the characters’ personalities.
Standout episodes: “Chore Money, Chore Problems,” “Kahn-scious Uncoupling,” “No Hank Left Behind”
9. The Chair Company (HBO)
Some shows take a while to get used to their storytelling rhythms or performance styles. And then there’s The Chair Company, which never gives its audience any sense of direction. Every time the show seems to be heading for an obvious or mundane explanation, it takes one crazy-ass detour after another. Did the mystery resolve in any way? Not really. Will I still be watching Tim Robinson continue after everything has told him to stop? Absolutely.
Standout episodes: “Life goes by too fucking fast, it really does.” “@BrownDerbyHistoricVids Little bit of Hollywood? Okayyy.” “Minnie Mouse coming back wasn’t on my bingo card.”
8. The Studio (AppleTV)
This show was seemingly made for me in a lab, yet it’s only No. 8 on this list. That’s how much good TV there was this year. Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg’s relentless Hollywood satire didn’t pull any punches and had style to spare. Even the celebrity cameos had their own flavor, a key difference from a lot of streaming sitcoms of recent years.
Standout episodes: “The Oner,” “The Missing Reel,” “The War”
7. Severance (AppleTV)
An occasionally messy season still had higher highs than a lot shows, thanks to outstanding direction and cinematography, and of course the incredibly locked-in performances of its cast. Even though it frustratingly takes three years between seasons, every penny of its massive budget is apparent onscreen, creating a show that looks like nothing else on TV.
Standout episodes: “Woe’s Hollow,” “Chikhai Bardo,” “Cold Harbor”
6. The Lowdown (Hulu)
As someone who loved all three seasons of Sterlin Harjo’s previous show (Reservation Dogs) and loves just about everything about Ethan Hawke, I was immediately in the tank for this show. They delivered an outstanding pilot, then kept delivering on all its potential, exploring the white supremacist history of Tulsa and how that reverberates to this day. That the show managed to be this thrilling, thoughtful, and funny week-to-week made me believe there’s still at least some space in the modern TV landscape for people who love film noir and paperback crime novels.
Standout episodes: “Short on Cowboys,” “This Land?,” “Old Indian Trick”
5. Adolescence (Netflix)
The long takes could have been a gimmick to hide weak writing or performances. But they only enhanced this riveting crime drama, in which a 13-year-old boy (Owen Cooper) is accused of killing his classmate. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of the investigation, giving us new insight into what first seems like an impossible nightmare. Taken as a whole, it’s not just good TV. It’s essential viewing for anyone trying to raise kids in this horrifying day and age.
4. The Pitt (HBO Max)
“Another medical procedural? *yawn*”
That was my response at first, as someone who never really got into ER or Grey’s Anatomy. But every week someone I knew would text me about how great it was. Eventually I took the leap after the entire first season aired and got hooked almost immediately. This show is a balm in troubling times, featuring people of different backgrounds working competently together for a common goal. That it also has opportunities to be both funny and genuinely moving makes this more than just a throwback.
Standout episodes: “10:00 A.M.,” “3:00 P.M.,” “6:00 P.M.
3. The Rehearsal (HBO)
Nathan Fielder is an absolute mad man, and I can’t believe HBO keeps giving him money to do these insane things. This season is even more daring, surprising, and revealing than ever. No one’s brain works like Fielder’s. Whether that makes him suited for anything other than brilliant TV remains unclear.
Standout episodes: “Star Potential,” “Pilot’s Code,” “My Controls”
2. Task (HBO)
An intense crime thriller that has much more on its mind than drug deals and double-crosses. This is a show that’s far more interested in exploring themes of forgiveness, parenting, and responsibility than shootouts. But it has plenty of those, too! Mark Ruffalo brought weariness to his role as a stubborn, semi-retired agent called in to manage a task force investigating a string of stash house robberies. His band of misfits (none of whom are actually from the U.S. but nailed their Philly accents) all brought their own strengths and weaknesses to a seemingly doomed mission. But it was Tom Pelphrey, who livened up Ozark‘s third season, who was the heart and soul of the show.
Standout episodes: “Crossings,” “Nobody’s Stronger Than Forgiveness,” “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a river.”
1. Andor (Disney+)
I went back and forth all of December and most of January on what should be my No. 1. Task was riveting from beginning to end, and brought me to tears. Andor had some slow episodes and a structure that sometimes made the season feel a bit rushed. But then reality kept rearing its ugly head, and I kept coming back to it. This is a show that makes the toll and purpose of rebellion crystal clear, explaining the mechanics of both oppression and resistance. Some viewers can’t see it’s the exact same playbook this administration (and many others around the globe) have been using for decades. That all of this happened in a very expensive Star Wars show is easily the most remarkable thing to happen in the streaming era.
Standout episodes: “Harvest,” “What a Festive Evening,” “Who Are You?”
VICTIMS OF PEAK TV
Black Mirror – Season 6
Reacher – Season 3
The Sandman – Season 2
The White Lotus – Season 3
DIDN’T WATCH BUT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOVED
America’s Team (Netflix)
The American Revolution (PBS)
Adults (Hulu)
The Beast in Me (Netflix)
Blossoms Shanghai (Criterion)
Death by Lightning (Netflix)
Deli Boys (Hulu)
Dept. Q (Netflix)
Devil in Disguise (Peacock)
Dying for Sex (Hulu)
The Eastern Gate (HBO Max)
The Eternaut (Netflix)
Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney (Netflix)
Families Like Ours (Netflix)
The Four Seasons (Netflix)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Prime Video)
Pluribus (AppleTV)
Too Much (Netflix)
Women Wearing Shoulder Pads (Adult Swim)
The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO)