Adam Patla’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2025

This proved to be another stellar year for television with triumphant returns of massive hits and exciting debuts that freshen up familiar formats.

Every year, I try to watch as much as I can across a myriad of genres; these TV picks reflect that. On my list, you’ll find shows that had me gripping my armrests for dear life, crying from laughing too hard, and trying to pick my jaw off the floor. 

Here are my top ten picks for the best shows of 2025:

1. The Pitt

The Pitt felt like the little show that could this year.

With each new episode, the audience for this nail-biting medical drama grew and grew, culminating in a bona fide hit for HBO Max.

Anchored by the riveting performances from its expansive ensemble, The Pitt reinvents the medical procedural with its real-time structure. It tells a story that is both topical and entertaining, proudly spotlighting the struggle of modern healthcare workers in a post-COVID world.

2. The Studio

A loving lampoon of the Hollywood system, The Studio takes no prisoners with whom and what it satirizes.

Seth Rogen and company tackle everything from diversity in casting to acceptance speeches to AI usage, all under the oppressive hold that capitalism has on the industry.

There’s a constant push and pull of wanting to make art but also needing to make profitable decisions that the show explores insightfully. Deep down, though, as ridiculous as the hijinks are, The Studio gets to the heart of why movies matter.

3. Abbott Elementary

Somehow, Abbott Elementary gets better each year, and the hit comedy’s fourth season is undeniable proof of that. 

Quinta Brunson and company take these characters we know and love and challenge them this season in the most hilarious of ways. It also gives characters who were supporting players in initial seasons (like Jacob and Melissa) more time to shine and deepen their development.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 reaches for the comedy moon and comes pretty close to landing there.

4. Hacks

Hacks Season 4 drops its audience into troubled waters, effectively resetting the central dynamic of the show. This time, however, the stakes are higher than ever. 

The show’s entrance into the world of late-night television creates a wide-open space for its signature industry-laden comedy to thrive and advance.

Meanwhile, the show places Deborah and Ava in this interesting territory of navigating the aftermath of achieving their lifelong dreams. 

5. Severance

Severance Season 2 takes its already ambitious concept and deepens it tenfold, weaving in even more sinister layers to the mysterious Lumon Industries.

The world expands to intricate heights as the audience finally starts to get some answers (that ultimately lead to even more questions). After a season laden with dazzling visuals and impeccable performances, let’s hope it doesn’t take nearly as long to get Season 3.

6. Overcompensating

Overcompensating walks the finest line between cringe comedy and earnest exploration of identity.

The journey of its colorful cast of characters is never overshadowed by the heightened reality they occupy, embracing both absurdity and honesty with wide open arms. 

Yates University is filled with slightly familiar faces who have never gotten to helm a major project like this before, and every moment feels like an arrival for these performers. Not only do they build their reputations as budding comedians, but they showcase their range as performers as well.

7. Dying for Sex

Few shows nowadays can say they are as thematically ambitious as Dying for Sex. 

The series tackles sexual liberation, dying, grief, friendship, and love through a darkly comedic voice. It does so seamlessly and head-on. Thanks largely to the intricate performances of Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, and Rob Delaney, this series grabs you by the heartstrings with a gentle hand.

Dying for Sex may be the most life-affirming show of the year.

8. Mo

Mo Season 2 feels like one of the most essential pieces of TV this year.

Mo Amer unabashedly showcases the hardships of Palestinian people in America and the fractured systems granting people asylum and citizenship. It’s an honest and painful presentation.  

But the beauty of Mo is the way it does not reduce Palestinian people to only their pain; Amer carves space for their joy as well. Throughout the eight-episode run, there are moments that elicit emphatic belly laughter and the widest smile possible. 

9. The Traitors

The third installation of Peacock’s hit reality show delivered the most dramatic, most thrilling season yet.

The Traitors assembles a dynamic cast filled with winning personalities and riveting “villains,” from Dylan Efron to Gabby Windey to Danielle Reyes to Tom Sandoval. All while finding its footing with gameplay twists and bonuses (the shields are kept to a minimum, thankfully). 

Season 3 delivers plenty of drama (Carolyn vs. Danielle is a rivalry for the ages) and an equal amount of meme-able moments (Sandoval singing in reverse will live in our heads rent-free). In short, The Traitors Season 3 is everything reality TV should be.

10. Deli Boys

Deli Boys is a brilliant melting pot of genres that culminates in an explosive TV experience.

Part odd-couple comedy, part mob drama, the freshman comedy refreshes both genres it operates within while adding a Pakistani lens that’s gone largely ignored in the TV landscape.

Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh finally take the lead as the titular Deli Boys, shining with comedic precision and unwavering confidence. At the same time, Poorna Jagannathan rounds out the main trio with her dry deliveries and towering presence. 

This is the kind of series that has a little bit for everyone to enjoy. 

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What are your top TV shows of 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

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