Welcome to our guide of the Best TV Shows of 2025, featuring every Certified Fresh series as they come in week by week! (If you were looking for the previous edition to this list featuring the best of 2024, see its new home as every 2024 Certified Fresh series.)
Critics Consensus: Blessed to have the late Paul Reubens feature in candid conversation, Pee-wee as Himself is a revelatory glimpse at the complicated man behind a beloved comic creation.
Critics Consensus: Tim Robinson's volcanic comedic ethos finds an ideal outlet in The Chair Company, a descent into paranoia that finds huge laughs in deeply uncomfortable places.
Critics Consensus: A difficult watch made riveting by director Justin Kurzel and star Jacob Elordi's sterling work, The Narrow Road to the Deep North chronicles the inhumanity of war with fierce intelligence.
Critics Consensus: Tackling emotionally mature themes with an ingeniously zany sense of humor, Raphael Bob-Waksberg's Long Story Short welcomes viewers into a highly specific -- and extremely relatable -- family unit.
Critics Consensus:Wolf Hall returns after a decade away without missing a beat, retaining its razor-sharp intelligence along with the irresistible alchemy of Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis' performances.
Critics Consensus:Platonic is easy to love in a sophomore season that continues to expertly leverage Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen's explosively charming chemistry.
Critics Consensus: An addictive mix of expressive animation, heady concepts, and an offbeat sense of humor, Common Side Effects is a must-have prescription.
Critics Consensus: Rose Ayling-Ellis is terrific in Code of Silence, a sharp crime drama given an compelling wrinkle by its credible depiction of the deaf perspective.
Critics Consensus: A crisp procedural with a magnetic lead in Maggie Q, Ballard is a worthy sibling series to Bosch that comes with its own unique strengths.
Critics Consensus: Warm as a winter coat and full of lovable characters from an interesting milieu, North of North is a sweet example of a show that doesn't need high drama to be addictive.
Critics Consensus: Layering cultural specificity over its gripping mystery, Get Millie Black is an addictive procedural with a breakout performance by Tamara Lawrance as its center.
Critics Consensus:The Mighty Nein is a terrific continuation of Critical Role with a highly engaging and expansive franchise that gives D&D fans rich characters to root for.
Critics Consensus:The Righteous Gemstones takes a bow with plenty of heavenly inspiration left in the tank, delivering a riotous final season that goes out on a holy high note.
Critics Consensus: A richly realized period piece guided along by writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda's characteristic empathy, Asura mines terrific drama from the joy and strife of family ties.
Critics Consensus: Expertly paced and given a rich emotional core by its outstanding ensemble, Toxic Town dramatizes an inspiring true story with compelling conviction.
Critics Consensus: Genuinely original science-fiction fare from television veteran Vince Gilligan, Pluribus leads Rhea Seehorn through a brave new world with plentiful returns.
Critics Consensus: Jaunty and sweet but never flippant, Dying for Sex leverages wonderful performances from Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate to present a bittersweet ode to living life to its fullest.
Critics Consensus: By being just as interested in Martin Scorsese the man as it is in Martin Scorsese the director, Rebecca Miller's rollicking documentary provides as revelatory a portrait of the master filmmaker as admirers could've ever hoped for.
Critics Consensus: Dang it Bobby! King of the Hill is back and still as flavorful as barbecue grilled with propane in a revival season that deftly brings these characters into the modern era.
Critics Consensus: Brightening up its mysteries with a hometown affection for Tulsa and hanging its hat on Ethan Hawke's hangdog charisma, The Lowdown reaches impressive highs as pulpy entertainment.
Critics Consensus: Jack Reacher finally picks a fight with someone his own size in this crunchy third season, reliably doling out justice to foes and satisfaction to viewers.
Critics Consensus: Never fear, Nathan Fielder is here to solve air travel safety and further his frustrated quest for human connection in a second Rehearsal that's just as audacious, cringey, and uproariously funny as the first.
Critics Consensus: Pitting Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder's dynamic duo against each other on the mountaintop of success, Hacks finds fresh ways to mine comedic gold from one of television's most compelling relationships.
Critics Consensus: Investing startling conviction and gravity into the Star Wars sandbox, Andor's superb second season lights a fire of rebellion that heats up the screen.
Critics Consensus: Stylistically bold and beautifully acted from top to bottom, Adolescence is a masterclass in televisual storytelling and a searing viewing experience that scars.
Critics Consensus: Embracing the wholesome aesthetics of the webslinger's original comic run while adding some fresh plot wrinkles, this family-friendly Spider-Man is a lovable incarnation of the Marvel superhero.
Critics Consensus: A thoroughly modern adaptation of Judy Blume's novel that retains its insight into young love, Forever is an effervescent romance that'll put an everlasting smile on viewers' faces.
Critics Consensus: Cleverly plotted and a wonderful showcase for star David Mitchell's brainy charm, Ludwig is a thoroughly pleasant mystery series that stays light on its feet.
Critics Consensus: Elevating both the geopolitical and personal stakes while remembering to have fun, The Diplomat goes from strength to strength throughout its dishy third season.
Critics Consensus: Growing more confident in its execution while putting its best elements front and center, The Wheel of Time's third season is its best yet.
Critics Consensus: Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey are superb in Task, a culturally-specific crime story that's unrelentingly bleak but equally riveting.
Critics Consensus: Instead of reshuffling its winning formula, Poker Face's second season doubles down on the winning virtues of its predecessor and scores a jackpot.
Critics Consensus:Slow Horses loosens the reins in a more lighthearted season that doesn't quite measure up to the series' high bar, but it still excels as one of the most compulsively watchable offerings on television.
Critics Consensus: With the ineffable Kaitlin Olson on hand to inject some spiky personality into a familiar formula, High Potential is a solid procedural with plenty of upside.
Critics Consensus: Packed with keen insights into the Arab American experience and even more off-color jokes, #1 Happy Family USA is a riotously funny animated comedy that might not be fit for the whole family but is a worthwhile tribute to it.
Critics Consensus: A tasty crime caper where the laughs come first, Deli Boys busts a gut with Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh's bumbling chemistry and Poorna Jagannathan's scene-stealing turn.
Critics Consensus:Mo is still full of mirth even as world events weigh heavily on its shoulders in this second and final season, carrying the load with characteristic grace.
Critics Consensus: Alexander Skarsgård's superbly dry wit brings a lot of heart to Murderbot, making for a refreshingly jaunty sci-fi saga about finally coming out of one's shell.
Critics Consensus: Setting the trials and tribulations of hospital life on a timer, The Pitt combines multiple tried-and-true formulas to create a bracingly fresh medical drama.
Critics Consensus:Dexter brushes off a minor case of death and multiple false endings to reemerge as vital as ever in a knowingly absurd continuation that rediscovers the thrill of the hunt.
Critics Consensus: Providing its gleaming ensemble with some of their juiciest material yet, The Gilded Age's tongue is still firmly in cheek but finds itself with plenty new to say.
Critics Consensus:Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy offers a compassionate, morally clear reexamination of the infamous killer's crimes that honors victims and finds fresh purpose in retelling their stories.
Critics Consensus: Savory as a well-judged soufflé, Carême is a twisty confection that makes 19th-century spycraft a rousing and seductive viewing experience.
Critics Consensus: Stylistically bold and scary as hell, Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth transplants the Xenomorph mythos into the television medium with its cinematic grandeur intact while staking out a unique identity of its own.
Critics Consensus:Peacemaker's second season goes multidimensional while still maintaining a singular focus on emotional stakes, seamlessly transporting this outrageous antihero into a fresh cinematic universe.
Critics Consensus: As ribald as any self-respecting campus comedy but with a disarmingly sweet core, Overcompensating has nothing to make up for as it proves creator-star Benito Skinner to be the real deal.
Critics Consensus: Making great use of Josh Holloway's rugged charm and a retro aesthetic that recalls 1970s television, Duster slaps a fresh coat of paint on a vintage vehicle.
Critics Consensus: Naturalistic and peppered with relatable insight, Hal & Harper is a moving family dramedy enlivened by superb performances across the board.
Critics Consensus: Savvy enough to impress even the most studious of film buffs, The Studio fights the good fight for a better Hollywood while eliciting huge laughs at its expense.
Critics Consensus: Grabbing onto thorny moral questions with its bare hands, The Last of Us' second season is a challenging expansion that retains its predecessor's superb performances and verisimilitude.
Critics Consensus: Starring Jason Momoa at his ferocious best, Chief of War is a brutal epic that recreates Native Hawaiian history with commendable authenticity.
Critics Consensus: Fleshing out the iconic MCU kingdom with concise stories and an attractive visual texture, Eyes of Wakanda is an accomplished animated addition to Black Panther lore.
Critics Consensus: Blessed with a terrific ensemble, Miss Austen does right by the celebrated author even as it lives in the shadow of her most accomplished works.
Critics Consensus: Ncuti Gatwa's sly Time Lord has an excellent new foil in Varada Sethu, helping steer this latest slate of Doctor Who adventures on a starry path.
Critics Consensus:Stranger Things plays its cards just right in Season 5, solidifying its pop culture classic status with genuinely captivating genre fare.
Critics Consensus: Tastefully navigating the tragic loss of Chance Pedromo while getting a big boost from Hamish Linklater's villainous turn, Gen V's sophomore season gets high marks as a spinoff that feels essential.
Critics Consensus: By eschewing traditional hagiography to instead delve deep into Billy Joel's tumultuous life with disarming candor, And So It Goes weaves a touching story fit for one of the Piano Man's ballads.
Critics Consensus:Foundation's narratively knotty third season doesn't quite measure up to its superb predecessor, but this sci-fi epic endures as a faithful and well-acted adaptation of Isaac Asimov's masterpiece.
Critics Consensus: Led by producer Michael Schur's assured hand and the always entertaining Ted Danson,A Man on the Inside maintains its groove in this second season.
Critics Consensus: Handsomely mounted and electrified by Matthew Macfadyen's masterclass in slimy desperation, Death by Lightning concisely dramatizes a fork in history while wistfully hinting at what could've been.
Critics Consensus: Overflowing with dynastic intrigue and the rough-hewn grit that distinguished creator Steven Knight's previous historical dramas, House of Guinness goes down smooth like a silky pint.
Critics Consensus: Putting the very fate of the Arconia on the line, Only Murders in the Building's fifth season goes back to the series' fundamentals — its core trio — and reaffirms that their charm hasn't waned one bit.
Critics Consensus: Miles Heizer's terrific performance has the right stuff in Boots, a likable dramedy that explores masculinity and queerness to powerful effect.
Critics Consensus:Revival capitalizes on its crackerjack concept with an entertaining tonal variety, bolstered by Melanie Scrofano's captivating lead performance.
Critics Consensus: In a sea of generic crime dramas, Dept. Q stakes it's claim amongst the thrilling, enthralling, and sublime thanks to a winning cast and veteran creative Scott Frank.
Critics Consensus: Punching up an intriguing era of British history with creator Steven Knight's flare for genre grit, A Thousand Blows is riveting entertainment that leaves a bruise.
Critics Consensus: Harkening back to the classic sitcom formula while unafraid to have a contemporary, risqué sense of humor, Mid-Century Modern is endearingly old-fashioned.
Critics Consensus: Dramatizing one of Britain's most controversial families with slick presentation and superb acting, Outrageous is an engaging glimpse into the corrosive lure of fascism.
Critics Consensus: Still a bright beacon in the Star Trek universe, Strange New Worlds' third season makes up for its lack of narrative ambition with gleaming execution.
Critics Consensus: Resurrecting Charlie Cox's Daredevil with his virtues intact -- namely Vincent D'Onofrio as his terrifying adversary -- Born Again is an ambitious and at times ungainly crime saga that marks a mature tonal shift for the MCU.
Critics Consensus:Wednesday's second season smartly opens up to include more of the whole Addams clan, backing up Jenna Ortega's lovably heartless teenager with an ookier and spookier ensemble.
Critics Consensus: Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura might be punching below their weight with Dope Thief's derivative story, but that doesn't stop them from making this thriller a riveting ride.
Critics Consensus: Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke are terrific at behaving badly in The Girlfriend, a twisty thriller that strains credulity with so much aplomb that audiences won't mind.
Critics Consensus: Setting its characters on a collision course with their own personal reckonings amid a desperate push against fascism, The Handmaid's Tale concludes on a high note.
Critics Consensus: Like the sitcoms of yore, this new age Norman Lear production boasts an uplifting, heart-filled world in tune with the stylish workings of the one and only, Laverne Cox.
Critics Consensus: Tapping into a rich vein of romance and swashbuckling adventure, Blood of My Blood is a swoon-worthy spinoff that exemplifies the original Outlander's best qualities.
Critics Consensus: Darker and more patient with its storytelling than previous seasons while brandishing a superb new ensemble full of acidic performances, The White Lotus' third season offers a spiritual respite that shivs the soul.
Critics Consensus: Teeming with heady concepts and themes, Paradise is an overstuffed but addictively ambitious reunion of Sterling K. Brown and creator Dan Fogelman.
Critics Consensus: An affectionate ode to the beauty of ballet and the difficult personalities behind it, Étoile isn't as tonally nimble as previous Sherman-Palladino series but packs plenty of the same charms.
Critics Consensus:The Paper still has edits to be made but gets off to a promising start, establishing amusing dynamics and a genuine conviction for journalism that make for a potentially worthy successor to The Office.
Critics Consensus: An irreverent and self-referential comedy speaking to Gen Z existentialism, I Love LA is equal parts funny and cringe thanks to creator Rachel Sennott's absurdist sensibility.
Critics Consensus: After simmering for too long, The Bear's fourth season finally turns the heat back up with a renewed sense of urgency, serving a rich meal despite tiresome wait times between courses.
Critics Consensus:The Residence situates itself in the White House for a lighthearted murder mystery that won't tax the brain, but Uzo Aduba's eccentric sleuth brings a welcome level of sophistication to proceedings.
Critics Consensus: Responding to a world that's become just as technologically anxious as one of its speculative horror stories, Black Mirror refreshingly tacks toward more humanistic and hopeful tales in a superb return to form.
Critics Consensus: Coating its tart tale in a sugary veneer, Apple Cider Vinegar's indictment of snake oil influencers finds a memorable avatar in Kaitlyn Dever's crisp performance.
Critics Consensus: A cut above the usual murder mystery, The Beast in Me stages a psychological duel that crackles with tension thanks to Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys' superb performances.
Critics Consensus: Gruesome enough to induce giggles and riding on Kevin Bacon's devilish charm, The Bondsman tracks down the horror comedy goods in scruffy style.
Critics Consensus: Wrangled by Eric Bana's steady star power, Untamed's solid murder mystery is elevated by the visually sumptuous backdrop of its Yosemite National Park milieu.
Critics Consensus: An adventure yarn bolstered by weighty themes, Washington Black brings Esi Edugyan's acclaimed novel to life with a terrific ensemble and striking production design.
Critics Consensus: Carried along by Owen Wilson's laconic charm, Stick is a sports comedy that putts predictably but accomplishes its aim of gentle entertainment commendably under par.
Critics Consensus: While scattered plotting occasionally drains the fear from its chilling premise, IT: Welcome to Derry compellingly deepens the myth of Pennywise through sharp social commentary, a dreadful atmosphere, and committed performances.
Critics Consensus: A winning showcase for Megan Stalter, Too Much's approach to modern love is coolly detached but creator Lena Dunham's sharp sense of humor remains just right.
Critics Consensus: A twisty mystery that grows more addictive as it unfolds, Down Cemetery Road is tonally imbalanced but has a steadfast center of gravity in Emma Thompson's flinty star turn.
Critics Consensus: Kate Hudson continuously makes three-pointer shots with her dynamite charisma in Running Point, carrying this amusing series while it straightens out its game strategy.
Critics Consensus: In its second outing, Nobody Wants This' sharp humor and warmly chaotic ensemble keep it an engaging and emotionally observant rom-com that still charms even as it stumbles.
Critics Consensus:You wisely wraps things up just before Joe Goldberg's murderous machinations become stale, delivering a final season that ought to satisfy most viewers' morbid curiosity.
Critics Consensus: Anchored by Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy's authoritative performances, Hostage careens from one shocking twist to another while holding viewers' attention captive.
Critics Consensus: A twisty thriller that underscores the societal pressures placed on working mothers, All Her Fault is an addicting watch thanks largely to Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning's emotionally grounded performances.
Critics Consensus: Often as maddening as the true story it dramatizes, Lockerbie's labyrinthine journey through complicated history is given a compelling center by Colin Firth.
Critics Consensus: The games reach a grim crescendo in this climactic third season, repeating familiar beats but with a ruthlessness that drives creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's themes home.
Critics Consensus: Welcoming as a lakeside vista and occasionally just as placid, The Four Seasons isn't as breezily funny as creator Tina Fey's best work but often just as witty and wise.
Critics Consensus: An acidly witty riff on breaking bad, Your Friends & Neighbors' class commentary occasionally stumbles but has an endlessly watchable avatar in star Jon Hamm.
Critics Consensus: An eerie mystery that eschews easy answers, Wayward can occasionally feel as listless as its title, but surprising twists and Toni Collette's committed performance keep this thriller intriguing.
Critics Consensus: While this satire's scattershot aim at thorny topics doesn't hit every target, Hugh Bonneville's expertly hapless performance makes it a squirmy pleasure to watch.
Critics Consensus: Dominique Thorne ignites the MCU skies with charisma and confidence to boot, making Ironheart a worthy watch despite its conventional genre armor.
Critics Consensus: Further refining its brutish elements into addictive drama, Landman's second season makes minor improvements in its treatment of female characters while continuing to benefit from Billy Bob Thornton's hangdog swagger.
Critics Consensus: Tom Hardy's gruff charisma is put to good use in MobLand, a gangster saga that hardly reinvents the genre but nails its conventions with crunchy style and memorable performances.
Critics Consensus: Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman are diabolically fun to watch in The Hunting Wives, a risqué soap that turns bad behavior into highly bingeable fun.
Critics Consensus: Leaning into its soapier elements while bolstering an already star-studded cast with some welcome additions, The Morning Show upgrades from a shaky prestige program into an addictive guilty pleasure.
Critics Consensus: Naughty and not so nice with its salacious tour through the suburbs, Grosse Pointe Garden Society's twists aren't the sharpest shears in the shed but a game cast keeps the series watchable.
Critics Consensus:The Sandman's second season occasionally meanders like a half-remembered dream, but Tom Sturridge's ethereal performance continues to give this fantasy heft.
Critics Consensus: Every generation deserves its own sitcom of likable screwups, and Adults more or less delivers one for Gen-Z with its ensemble of funny and maddening strivers.
Critics Consensus: Harkening back to classic sitcoms and carried by Leanne Morgan's sheer likability, Leanne is as comfy to watch as hanging out on the couch.
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