TV We’re Thankful for in 2025: The Wheel of Time, Andor, The Pitt, and More

As we look back on another year of television, our team is once again celebrating the incredible shows that kept us glued to our screens.

From laugh-out-loud comedies to beloved long-running series, we’re excited to highlight the standout TV shows that brought us comfort, escape, and genuinely great entertainment in 2025.

1. Pluribus

I’m very thankful that we got Pluribus this year because I’ve been waiting for Vince Gilligan’s return to TV for some time.

Rhea Seehorn continues to be absolutely captivating as the haunted Carol in a world taken over by a weird plague. It speaks a lot about individualism and control with nuance and a perfect amount of Breaking Bad-inspired tension. I cannot wait to see how the rest of Season 1 plays out!

– Chris Gallardo

2. IT: Welcome to Derry

I am thankful for IT: Welcome to Derry gracing our screens this year. It might only just be getting started, but as a horror and Stephen King fan, this show has given me more of what I love.

It’s fun to see something original and new tackle the ways that all of Stephen King’s works are related in some way. While the town of Derry, ME, is featured most heavily in IT, there are elements of the surrounding areas that are a part of the wider SK universe. This show allows us to explore that with unique and fun new characters and a smattering of familiar faces.

– Mads Misasi

3. Loot

I’m thankful for Loot coming back for another season! With how stressful this time of the year can be, it’s so lovely to have a sitcom that’s the perfect comfort show.

The mix of ridiculous and hilarious moments, combined with more earnest storylines of growth and development, particularly for Nicholas and Molly, has been such a delight to watch. I hope this show gets another season, as we need sitcoms like this one more than ever.

– Sam Huang

4. Hazbin Hotel

I’m thankful for Hazbin Hotel returning for Season 2 this year. For starters, Vivienne Medrano’s vividly colorful, intricately constructed Hellaverse is such a fun world to explore.

Bolstered by toe-tapping tunes sung by Broadway’s best and brightest, Hazbin Hotel is perfect for theater kids and animation lovers alike. Its core messages of redemption and belonging are resonant, and its inherent hopefulness, much like Charlie Morningstar’s unwavering determination, is sorely needed now more than ever.

– Melody McCune

5. All Her Fault

This year, I am thankful for All Her Fault. After giving birth to my first child, I always looked for shows that portrayed different motherhood experiences, and this show does just that.

I loved getting to watch the challenges women face in their own journey. It was also amazing to see Sarah Snook back on our screens, reminding us why she’s one of the best of her generation.

– Lara Rosales

6. The Traitors

This year, I’m thankful for The Traitors in its many forms for continuously serving up a demure bloodbath of drama and deception. The show is a cut-throat celebration of social-based reality competitions that utilizes a haunting Scottish castle setting and mob mentality to orchestrate its whipsmart murder mystery game.

Whether civilian or celebrity, whether it’s host Alan Cumming with his delicious Scottish villainy or Claudia Winkleman’s intimidating rockstar presence, the concept’s ever-evolving game-play never tires. I thoroughly enjoy the performative elegance of this posh dinner-theater experiment and watching TV’s greatest strategists succumb to the petty blame game.

– Alicia Gilstorf

I am thankful for The Traitors. As a reality TV fan, especially of Big Brother and Survivor, it’s been nice finally bonding with those outside of those spaces and providing them with backstories to some of my favorite contestants.

The Traitors also has so many international versions that I am always finding new ones to watch. It’s the new IT Girl of reality TV, and I hope it stays that way.

– Jerrica Tisdale

7. Revival

I am thankful for Revival. First and foremost, I am always grateful to have Melanie Scrofano grace my screen. The chance to see her in a lead role, and playing a protective big sister? Even better.

I’m grateful for Revival for so much more than their stellar choice in leads, though. Revival is an intriguing murder mystery with a unique sci-fi twist, featuring a great ensemble cast in addition to Scrofano. Whether you are looking for sci-fi that explores real-world themes or just a fun ride that keeps you guessing week to week, Revival has you covered. It is precisely the kind of TV that summer 2025 called for.

– Sarah Fields

8. Chad Powers

This year, I am thankful for Chad Powers, a surprising sports comedy that was equal parts hilarious and moving. Glen Powell was born to play weird characters like this.

The jokes are endlessly quotable, and it was my favorite comedy this year despite the finale making me cry a ton. It sends an important message about forgiving yourself and about seeing that people are more than their biggest mistake.

– Breeze Riley

9. Overcompensating

I am thankful for Overcompensating, a show I wish I had when I was in college, figuring myself out. The way it navigates the coming out experience with a remarkable balance of earnestness and absurdity is refreshing and distinct.

Its tone is elevated by the detailed ensemble, full of familiar faces who have yet to helm a major project like this. Benito Skinner crafts a vivid time capsule that will make you yearn for that time and also cringe in your seat.

– Adam Patla

10. Big Boys

I’m thankful for Channel 4’s Big Boys, which was created & narrated by Jack Rooke and wrapped up with its third season earlier this year. For some, it may warrant a content warning search before watching.

The piercing comedy is gripping, hilarious, and has some of the very best cameos. Big Boys’ final six episodes – impeccably performed by its cast, including Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing as the titular characters – make my cheeks hurt from laughing and my shoulders shake from sobbing. Big Boys has become a show I recommend to everyone.

– Shelby Elpers

11. The Pitt

I’m thankful for HBO Max’s The Pitt, a great show to kick off the year with. The Pitt revolutionized medical TV by using real time as a narrative frame, with each episode equivalent to one hour during a sixteen-hour shift.

This show highlights several issues pressing the medical industry today, from nurse shortages to overcrowded emergency rooms to racist bias in medicine. The Pitt Season 2 will premiere on January 8, 2026, and I imagine it will be just as transformative as the first season.

– Sarah Novack

12. The Wheel of Time

While sadly Prime Video made the egregious error to cancel The Wheel of Time, I am thankful for the time we spent in this world with these wonderful characters. Season 3 was arguably the show’s strongest yet with The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 4, “The Road to the Spear,” taking the title of my favorite episode the show has ever done (and one of my favorites of the year overall).

At least there’s the comfort of knowing that there’s an entire series we can dive into to learn what became of these characters.

– Allison Nichols

13. Andor

I’m thankful for Andor Season 2 because no TV series in recent memory has spoken truth to power like this one. The series’ main ensemble is absolutely phenomenal, and I’m grateful for it introducing me to the talent of actors like Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Elizabeth Dulau.

I love how it’s the year’s most mature political drama and gripping spy thriller, yet for all its truth-telling it’s still fantastical. The quality of storytelling and acting in the show is a reminder that the world of Star Wars is wide open with possibility.

– Devin Meenan

14. Paradise

As welcome as it is to escape into comfort shows and comedy in these dark times, there are some dramas that deserve recognition because they are so intense and often difficult to watch. Hulu’s Paradise is one. With near-flawless writing and stellar performances from Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, and the entire cast, it’s a harrowing and often heartbreaking ride.

From a pilot with a twist that changes the very premise of the series and knocks you off your feet — even if you see it coming — to a penultimate episode that is one of the most distressing hours of television I’ve ever seen, Paradise never misses a beat. We’re left with an ending that is somehow hopeful despite everything that comes before, and it leaves us both anxious and eager to see what could come next.

– Caitlin Wyneken

15. Bob’s Burgers

I’m thankful for Bob’s Burgers. I may be biased since I’m reviewing the current season, but Bob’s Burgers has always been a source of joy for my family and me. It’s one of my favorite adult cartoons currently airing, and I’m relieved it hasn’t really lost quality over the years.

– Olivia Thomas

16. Dexter: Resurrection

This year, I’m thankful that we’ve had the chance to see Dexter Morgan’s story continue with Dexter: Resurrection — and for it to continue so perfectly. Not only did the new spinoff include some fantastic guest stars and bring back some fan-favorite characters (did anyone else clap when Doakes appeared?!), but it also included some brilliant full-circle moments thanks to a character who has an obsession with serial killers.

Add to that, Dexter: Resurrection allowed Dexter to develop further as a character in ways we haven’t seen before, and his relationship with Harrison also saw further development thanks to the new series.

– Ashley Bissette Sumerel

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What TV are you thankful for this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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