Maryam Ahmad’s Top TV Shows of 2025

2025 marked the debut of the groundbreaking The Pitt, and the return of beloved shows like Andor and The Wheel of Time. It was a great year for genre television in the science fiction and fantasy genres, as well as for some great entries into the political thriller and crime genres.

Narrowing it down is difficult, of course, but here are my personal favorites from this year.

1. The Pitt

The Pitt managed to make the perfect mix of well-written dialogue and a riveting plot, and was especially wonderful for enabling the return of the great Noah Wyle to his native genre — the medical drama. The show managed to explore a wide variety of issues and character-driven plots in an incredibly fast-paced 15-hour season.

Each member of the cast adds to a rich tapestry of plots, humanizing the otherwise very significant issues The Pitt tackles in a personal way. Hopes are high for Season 2, but it is almost entirely likely that The Pitt will continue to deliver.

2. Andor

No one watching previous Star Wars projects would have expected something so profound as Andor, which made its second and final season all the more special.

The best Star Wars films and shows continue to be the ones that provide a different view into the galaxy far, far away, and Andor did it best with its portrayal of the human cost to the resistance that we see break through the Empire’s tyranny in films.

The Death Star would never have been destroyed if not for Cassian and his allies, and all their sacrifices, and the value of those sacrifices is driven home by the performances of Diego Luna and Genevieve O’Reilly. 

3. The Wheel of Time (RIP!)

One of the most tragic losses this year for television was the cancellation of The Wheel of Time. The third season brought some of the most anticipated scenes (like The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 4’s exploration of the mysterious Rhuidean) and stories from the books to life in beautiful visuals and a truly engrossing exploration of Rand’s journey to accepting his role as The Dragon.

Both leads, Josha Stradowski and Rosamund Pike, delivered incredible performances, as did new addition Shohreh Aghdashloo. Gone too soon, The Wheel of Time stands as a top-tier fantasy adaptation that went far beyond what anyone could have expected.

Just when the show was reaching its potential, it got cut off, and fans will absolutely mourn the wonderfully diverse and inventive adaptation.

4. Mo Season 2

With its second and final season, Mo delivered a powerful message of the importance of resistance to oppression in the smallest of actions and in, of course, laughter. Despite Mo’s many flaws, he is a very easy character to root for, and the journey he makes with his family to Palestine and their ancestral homeland is one of the most moving and timely parts of the series.

This season also included an outstanding performance from Farah Bseiso as Yusra, the matriarch of the family, who stayed strong for all the people who relied on her and was the beating heart of the series. For its pitch-perfect combination of humor and heart, Mo is without a doubt one of the best shows of 2025.

5. Deli Boys

Deli Boys was one of the funniest new shows of 2025, bringing together a superb cast and subverting crime comedy tropes with flair. Leads Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh play their fish-out-of-water roles as unknowing heirs to a crime dynasty very well, and make for a hilarious duo.

The show brings a whole new cultural layer to the crime comedy genre, and Poorna Jagannathan gives a career highlight of a performance as the ruthless and effortlessly cool Lucky Aunty.

6. Dept. Q

Dept. Q was one of the best entries in the crime genre this year, without question. The twisting mystery and its parallel stories between DCI Morck (a delightfully grouchy Matthew Goode) and Merritt Lingard, slowly moving closer and closer, made for a captivating series.

Despite following the classic and occasionally overdone trope of the jaded detective becoming too invested in a cold case, the show manages to deliver a charismatic cast, especially Alexej Manvelov as the mysterious and utterly reliable Akram, and a satisfying conclusion to the central mystery. Hopefully, Season 2 allows all the members of Dept. Q to shine once again!

7. Paradise

Paradise‘s slow-drip of weekly releases that brought jaw-dropping reveals each episode was a rollercoaster ride. The show manages to mix elements of science fiction, political drama, and mystery to make a truly unique addition to 2025’s new releases.

Sterling K. Brown is the perfect, measured lead, and the characters around him are almost just as interesting as he is, especially James Marsden as the well-meaning but flawed President Bradford and Julianne Nicholson as the cutthroat Sinatra. Paradise also asks important questions about who the powers that be decide are worth saving or protecting, and what that means for a world like the one in Paradise that is almost post-apocalyptic. 

8. High Potential

As with many of the best shows in 2025, the weekly releases of High Potential Seasons 1 and 2 made watching the show all the more enjoyable. The people yearn for a light-hearted procedural with a protagonist that you can’t help but root for, and High Potential definitely scratches that itch. Somehow, a crime procedural is a very fun show, with an absolutely charming lead in Kaitlin Olson and a classically stoic Daniel Sunjata as her partner.

Season 2 managed to hit the rhythm of Season 1 and build on the relationship between Morgan and Karadec, and on the mysterious disappearance of Morgan’s husband. 

9. Panchayat

Panchayat remains one of the highlights of Indian streaming shows, as Season 4 is still just as funny as the prior seasons, while elaborating on the thorny politics that run the small town of Phulera.

Protagonist Abhishek Tripathi’s utter exasperation at the pettiness of small-town politics is extraordinarily entertaining, and election season was especially intense. With a cast full of TV veterans and charming newcomers, Panchayat continues to be a riveting watch, even as the drama reaches a height over a beloved horse. 

10. The Residence

2025 was a good year for crime and detective genre shows (as evidenced by several entries on this list), and The Residence was one of the most entertaining.

Uzo Aduba as the eclectic Cordelia Cupp is extremely entertaining to watch, and Giancarlo Esposito plays the extremely serious A. B. Wynter with flair. Each of the characters in the Clue-style mystery plays their roles wonderfully, and the final reveal, although long, is also very satisfying. 

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What were your favorite TV shows this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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