Editor’s note: Caution: While we’ve tried to steer clear of major plot reveals, this roundup does contain a few specific mentions of some of the listed series that certain readers might view as spoilers.
This was a strong year for television, with long-running favorites sitting alongside several compelling newcomers. Streaming services were the big winners, led by Netflix and Apple TV, which contribute seven and five entries to our list respectively. Genre-wise there’s plenty of variety: period dramas (The Gilded Age, Outrageous), superheroes (Daredevil: Born Again), mysteries (Ludwig, Poker Face, Dept. Q), political thrillers (The Diplomats, Slow Horses), science fiction (Andor, Severance, Alien: Earth), broody fantasy (The Sandman), and even an offbeat nature documentary (Underdogs).
As before, our list is unranked except for a single “year’s best” pick at the very end, so scan the range of genres and options — you might find some unexpected additions for your watchlist. Feel free to visit the comments and share your favorite TV shows released in 2025.
Underdogs (National Geographic/Disney+)
Credit:
National Geographic/Doug Parker
Most people have watched a nature documentary or two over the years, so the form is familiar: sweeping, majestic footage of impressive animals paired with solemn, high-toned narration (often in a crisp British accent). Underdogs takes a markedly different tack. Narrated with comic irreverence by Ryan Reynolds, the five-part series spotlights nature’s less glamorous inhabitants—the outcasts and benchwarmers better known for “unconventional hygiene choices” and “unsavory courtship rituals.” (It’s rated PG-13 for a bit of scatalogical humor and some explicit Nature Sexy Time scenes.)
Each episode adopts a distinct genre framework. “Superheroes” showcases the surprising powers of the honey badger, the pistol shrimp, and the transparent glass frog, among others, augmented with comic-book graphics; “Sexy Beasts” examines odd mating rituals through the conceit of a romantic advice column; “Terrible Parents” catalogs nature’s worst parenting moves in the style of a parenting guide; “Total Grossout” delivers exactly what its title promises; and “The Unusual Suspects” plays out as a heist story, following a macaque’s attempt to assemble the perfect team of deception specialists (an inside man, a decoy, a fall guy, etc.). Green Day even wrote and recorded a special theme song for the opening credits.
