15 Best TV Dramas of 2025: The Pitt, High Potential, Matlock, and More

Murder mysteries, procedurals, and hospital dramas kept us glued to our seats in 2025. New favorites like The Pitt had everyone talking, and limited series like All Her Fault left us completely stunned.

Then, there were detective shows like Dept. Q and Watson, which proved everyone still loves a good mystery, while Matlock and High Potential reminded us how great network TV can be. 

Below are the best TV dramas and limited series of 2025, based on our critics’ individual choices for the year’s best TV shows — plus one standout recent premiere.

(Note that this list doesn’t include sci-fi/fantasy TV series! We have a separate list dedicated to the best sci-fi/fantasy TV series of 2025 shows right here.)

1. The Pitt

Is there really a list of the best TV shows of the year if it doesn’t include The Pitt?

This show has become appointment and watercooler TV in a time when such shows rarely exist in the same capacity and frequency that they once did.

The medical drama, which comes from the dream team of creator R. Scott Gemmill, producer John Wells, and executive producer, director, and star Noah Wyle, has become one of the biggest shows of 2025 since its debut in January.

The Pitt follows a shift in a Pittsburgh ER in one-hour increments across 15 episodes. It takes a realistic approach to emergency medicine and everything that exists alongside it — exhaustion, grief, love, mental health, trauma. It’s compelling and current, intelligent and immersive. The Pitt is unforgettable TV.

2. High Potential

There’s something to be said about a good, old-fashioned procedural with a brewing romance between the two leads. You know what you’re in for as you hit play on episode one, and if you’re lucky, the show will surprise you. High Potential surprised us in the very best way.

While the case of the week should hold some intrigue, the real reason we tune in week after week is for the characters, and High Potential managed to get me invested in basically everyone almost immediately. That’s not an easy feat. 

3. Matlock

Matlock is the twisty-turny story of Madeline Kingston’s undercover mission at the law firm Jacobson Moore.

In Season 1, viewers were introduced to Madeline Kingston. Matty poses as the folksy and charming Madeline Matlock to gain access to the firm and expose the people who covered up information that might have taken the drugs that killed her daughter off the streets sooner.

It was a fun ride watching Matty stay one step ahead of everyone. Until the end of the season, anyway, when her boss, Olympia, discovers her secret.

Season 2 has so far been every bit as fun as Season 1, with the new dynamic between Olympia and Matty keeping their relationship, which is the heart of the show, fresh and engaging.

Elevated by the tremendous chemistry between Skye P. Marshall and Kathy Bates, Matlock has easily managed to avoid any sophomore slump and, in fact, has only gotten better. 

4. 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!

5. Dexter: Resurrection

Dexter Morgan returned this year on Dexter: Resurrection, proving that nothing can keep our favorite serial killer down. The new spinoff series brought back several fan-favorite characters as Dexter recovered from the gunshot wound everyone thought had killed him. 

Along the way, Dexter: Resurrection pushed his character into new territory and deepened his complicated relationship with Harrison, all while bringing major pieces of his past full circle. This made for an incredibly satisfying season, which also included plenty of suspense.

6. 9-1-1

Now, in the year 2025, 9-1-1 might be a bold choice for one of the top TV shows of the year. That said, despite the utterly devastating loss of Captain Bobby Nash back in May, RIP, the writing for Season 9 has never been stronger.

This show has been through so many highs and lows across its eight and change seasons on our TV screens. Even with the move to ABC, this show doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, we could argue that 2025 has been its most outrageously entertaining year yet.

With a story about grief that manifests during an emergency in space (yes, you read that right), the show shifted its focus this season to be a bit more serious than it is known for. While some fans aren’t happy with this shift, we believe it was necessary to keep the show fresh and new.

7. We Were Liars

If you know nothing about We Were Liars, you get to enjoy the show even more. This is the kind of series you want to go into with no clue of what’s coming or what to expect because it will absolutely surprise you.

Up until the very end, this Prime Video series will keep you guessing and making up theories in your mind that will 99.99% be incorrect. But that is the beauty of this show. With characters that are very unlikeable in the beginning, the twists and turns will make you fond of them despite your better judgment.

While you will likely end the series in tears, it is worth the ride. Every episode is an experience in its own, making it the kind of show you want to binge-watch because you won’t want to wait until the following week to find out what truly happened on that island.

8. All Her Fault

Peacock is at the top of its game with All Her Fault. The show not only delivers one of the most intense, gut-wrenching storylines of the year, but also features some of the best performances we have seen on this platform (or any other). Sarah Snook’s work continues to be as magnificent as it was on Succession.

While the kidnapping of Milo is only the tip of the iceberg, every revelation we get on every episode is a mind-blowing piece of the puzzle that makes this show so memorable. Even though it seems we won’t be rooting for any of the characters because they are all flawed, Marissa’s turn into a murderer becomes exactly what viewers wanted, making her a fan favorite.

All Her Fault is the kind of show that will make you think you know exactly what’s coming to later surprise you with a twist that throws every theory out the window.

9. Yellowjackets

The return of Yellowjackets for its third season was hotly anticipated at the start of this year. After two seasons of mysteries piling up, the marketing promised that this season, “Secrets will be spilled.” The season delivered on that.

The season especially goes into overdrive during its second half: Yellowjackets Season 3 Episode 6, “Thanksgiving (Canada),” remains one of the strongest episodes of the year. It made inevitable conclusions feel like swerves and gave a show that risked dragging a shot in the arm. 

Among the cast, Sophie Nélisse as young Shauna and Steven Krueger as the doomed Coach Scott were the definite standouts. The final scene of the season, anchored by actress Sophie Thatcher and an Aerosmith needle-drop, is cheer-worthy like few other TV moments this year.

10. Slow Horses

It’s Roddy Ho’s world — we’re all just living in it. Slow Horses Season 5 shines the spotlight on Slough House’s cocksure tech genius with its trademark dark wit and high-stakes action. We also see Shirley evolve into the badass she’s meant to be, even taking on the role of the show’s resident runner (sorry, River). 

Spearheaded by the legendary Gary Oldman as the unkempt Jackson Lamb, Season 5 reminds us why this particular cast gels together so well (despite potentially losing Louisa).

While Slough House ultimately saves the day (and ensures the ousting of Whelan), moments like Coe accidentally killing someone with a paint can prove why this bunch belongs where they do. We love our endearing crew of misfits. 

11. Chief of War

Jason Momoa leads a stellar cast of native Hawaiians as they recreate the history of their ancestors before the white man colonized the islands. It’s a history that we aren’t likely to have learned in school, but should be known by everyone.

Chief of War focuses on a time when the islands of Hawaii were all different kingdoms, and none of these tribes really banded together or got along. That is, until one tribal leader starts fighting the other tribes, all the while ignoring the very real threat of the white man.

It’s an emotional limited series that will both rip your heart out and give you hope for the continued preservation of the Hawaiian way of life and culture. Momoa took extreme care when creating this show to ensure it stayed true to their traditions and beliefs while also remaining respectful of the land itself.

With the majority of the show spoken in native tongue, this is a history you don’t want to miss.

12. Found

A unique take on the procedural drama, the second and final season of Found held nothing back. The new season raised the stakes with Sir on the loose and Gabi’s secrets coming to light. The second season also expanded on other characters and included a few new twists, with quick pacing and plenty of intrigue.

Meanwhile, each week brought a new case with important stories as the team at Mosely and Associates continued to look for missing people who might otherwise be overlooked. Unfortunately, the series has been canceled, and the second and final season ended on one heck of a cliffhanger. 

13. Your Friends and Neighbors

Starring Jon Hamm, Your Friends and Neighbors was a surprisingly fun drama series this year. Hamm plays Cooper, a successful hedge fund manager whose perfect life begins to fall apart after one bad decision.

Desperate to set things right, he ends up doing things he never thought he’d consider, which then kicks off a full-on comedy of errors. It’s suspenseful and dramatic, but also funny, and it features some uniquely well-rounded characters. 

14. Watson

It can be hard to keep track of all the adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon that have been made over the years. Watson isn’t the first to modernize it, tell it from the perspective of Holmes’s best friend, or even to place it in a medical setting, but it still manages to stand on its own.

From the unique takes on classic characters to patients we genuinely care for to characters who are nearly as good detectives as they are doctors, every episode gives us something to root for. These are also very imperfect people, and both the secrets we know about and those that have just been hinted promise plenty of drama episodes to come.

15. Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry took the world by storm after dropping its first two episodes on November 28th. While there might be a rivalry on the ice between Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, it’s nothing but connection and chemistry off the ice.

This little Canadian show about hockey, heat, and queerness gives a level of representation that the TV landscape has sorely been lacking.

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What were your favorite TV dramas of 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

Contributions by: Maryam Ahmad, Shelby Elpers, Sarah Fields, Melody McCune, Devin Meenan, Mads Misasi, Allison Nichols, Lara Rosales, Ashley Bissette Sumerel, and Caitlin Wyneken.

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