Top Ten Shows of 2025

I won't make a Worst Of list for TV shows but I did see two shows that deserve to be on one, Daredevil: Born Again and Alien: Earth. Which of the two was worst? Alien: Earth certainly. I can't remember seeing another TV series that was so badly written and conceived. It was a combination of half-baked political ideas, poorly understood concepts borrowed from other shows or movies, and tedious caricatures presented as characters. Daredevil, at least, had stretches of good quality, mostly involving Wilson Fisk, and it suffered from being retooled after half of it was already shot.

I didn't see ten shows I hated, though. Who has time to watch that much television? I never understand how people have time to binge watch so often but, then again, I do play a lot of Skyrim.

Anyway, the criterion for inclusion in my top ten is that the season must have concluded within the year. 2025 must have been the year in which it aired its final episode, only then does it become a full work.

That's why my number 10 is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Wikipedia entry). Here's a show that really didn't stick the landing, which had a plot that didn't make sense. Or the beginning, which looked too much like real world suburbia. But Jude Law's take on Long John Silver was fun and some of it really did capture the charm of kids on a pirate adventure, even if those kids were terribly written. Especially compared to the ones on . . .

. . . my number 9 pick, which is Stranger Things: Season Five (Wikipedia entry). This season was dominated by plot business, getting the characters from point A to point B, but the writers still found time to write Derek and Holly and even Dustin like real children. I loved the scene of Derek meeting Holly and Max in the woods and immediately bragging that he's friends with Mike and all the cool kids now.

At number 8, I have Star Wars: Visions, Volume 3 (Wikipedia entry). Thankfully, the producers decided to return to the first season format of episodes produced entirely by Japanese anime studios. It's a mixed bag, but the episodes made by Production I.G. and Studio Trigger are great and an episode by Ohira Shinya is a bold change of pace.

At number 7 is Only Murders in the Building, Season Five (Wikipedia entry). This seemed like the most comedic season with very little pathos, except a bit between Martin Short and Meryl Streep. But it worked, it was very funny. The season may have my favourite group of guest stars. Renee Zellweger is surprisingly well cast as a villain.

Number 6 is Doctor Who, Series Fifteen (Wikipedia entry). Yes, it's convoluted, yes, Russell T. Davies seems completely out of touch, but occasionally the madness was fun and, even if it seems Gatwa is ultimately not especially fond of the show, he was still a pretty good Fifteenth Doctor.

Number 5 is Etoile (Wikipedia entry). While it may have lost its way in the second half, this one just has too much going for it to go any lower on the list. Amy-Sherman Palladino's crackling dialogue with the beauty of ballet and the interesting opportunity it affords for political and cultural commentary made the show really captivating. After the success of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, I'm not sure why Amazon buried this one.

Number 4 is The Sandman, Season Two (Wikipedia entry). Despite the ambiguous controversy that has somehow disappeared Neil Gaiman, or perhaps because of it, the show did fairly well on Netflix. Despite the decision to jettison much of the source material in the second half leading to a lot of boring filler, there's enough left over from the legendary comic series to make this a rewarding viewing experience.

Number 3 is Wednesday, Season Two (Wikipedia entry). Better written than, but somehow inferior to, the first season, this one's a bit like Skeleton Crew in that its beginning and ending are the weakest parts. But I loved that asylum escape episode in the middle and Fred Armison and Joanna Lumley are terrific additions to the cast. Hopefully next season the writers will be allowed to make Wednesday vulnerable again.

Number 2 is Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, Season Two (Wikipedia entry). The surprise return of one of the most transgressive Japanese anime series of all time wasn't quite the revelation of the original but it was a welcome reminder of the early 2000s when Japanese animation studios were trying some really exciting things.

And number 1, of course, is Andor, Season Two (Wikipedia entry). It's still hard for most people to believe that Disney allowed Star Wars content this good to be released under their stewardship. It's been a while since popular science fiction has been this thought-provoking, this full of engrossing moral conflict played out between intriguing characters. It somehow fits perfectly within the Star Wars universe and seems to harmonise with the increasingly violent and strange political circumstances of our real world. This thing is a hell of an accomplishment and I don't expect to see a show as good for a long time. But we'll always have Andor.