Sarah Fields’ Top 10 TV Shows of 2025

It’s that time again. With 2025 coming to a close, it’s time to look back on another year of TV and pick out the best.

This year was a year where returning shows shone the brightest. Many of our favorite shows returned with fantastic new seasons. That’s not to say there were no outstanding new shows, though. 

Peppered in there with the returners were a few new entries that stood out from the pack. Shows that gave us new worlds to explore, relationships to root for, and mysteries to unravel.

Whether they were new shows or eagerly anticipated returning shows, these are the stories that captured our imaginations and hearts in 2025.

Here, in no particular order, are my Top 10 TV Shows of 2025.

1. 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. 

2. Acapulco

Acapulco wrapped up its four-season run in 2025. The series ended its story the way it began, as a sweet, nostalgic romance.

Maximo’s journey back to Julia and Las Colinas was a long one, as the characters who listened to him tell his story can attest. But all the trials and tribulations only made the series’ final scene all the more satisfying. 

Acapulco has always been more than just Maximo and Julia’s story, though. The supporting characters of Acapulco are those viewers have invested in and rooted for over four seasons.

The series didn’t disappoint on that front either, as one of the season’s highlights was getting closure on their stories, too. It is clear that the creators of this show really love these characters.

It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye to characters we care about, but it’s a little easier when a show sticks the landing as well as Acapulco did.

3. Castlevania: Nocturne

The world of Castlevania continued to expand in 2025 with the second season of the follow-up series Castlevania: Nocturne. 

Continuing from the events of Season 1, Season 2 saw the gang finally defeat Erzabet and Drolta. The season took the characters to new worlds, both worldly and otherworldly, as they raced to find Sekhmet’s missing mummy to stop Erzabet’s plan to become the vampire messiah. 

In addition to the high-stakes action of the season, there was also plenty of character development in Season 2. We saw Maria struggle with her rage and grief after her mother was turned into a vampire. Edouard’s journey to regain his consciousness and maintain his humanity continued in some really beautiful ways as well.

We even got to see Richter and Anntoinette’s ship set sail, giving the season a nice bit of angsty romance to boot.

All in all, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 built on everything that made Season 1 such a success. The epic world-building, fantastic animation, and intriguing characters all make this series one of the best animated shows of the year. 

4. Hacks

Hacks remains one of the best-written, best-acted series on TV. It is an example of what is possible when characters and relationships have the chance to grow and change over multiple seasons.

After three seasons of reinventing herself and a season actively campaigning for an open late-night gig, Deborah finally got her second chance to sit behind the desk. Falling into old patterns and at odds with Ava to start the season, it was pretty thrilling to watch her eventually sacrifice her dream and choose Ava over her career.

It was also something Season 1 Deborah would never have been capable of, or even considered. It was a moment that was earned and felt all the more triumphant because of it. 

Hacks has always been an absolute masterclass in character-driven storytelling, and Season 4 was no exception.

5. Long Story Short

The creators of Bojack Horseman were back at Netflix with a new animated series, Long Story Short, in 2025. While Long Story Short is very different from Bojack Horseman, it is still a worthy successor.

Long Story Short follows a Jewish American family through the decades. It chronicles the ups and downs of the family as they deal with topics such as grief, identity, generational trauma, and what it means to be a family.  

What makes Long Story Short particularly unique is that the story is told non-linearly. The show often reveals future events before depicting past ones, adding weight and meaning to those past events when we do ultimately see them.

The non-linear style allows the series to juxtapose events in ways linear storytelling can’t always do, amplifying the emotional potency of otherwise subtle or even mundane moments. 

Long Story Short is an emotional gut punch that finds universal connection in one Jewish family’s very specific story.

6. Peacemaker

2025 saw the premiere of Peacemaker Season 2. From its perfect opening credits to its irreverent humor, Peacemaker remains an absolute delight.

Season 2 expanded the DC universe by introducing alternate realities. We also saw Rick Flag Sr. taking over the role of Argus antagonist from Amanda Waller and the rocky launch of a romantic relationship between Chris and Harcourt. 

What sets Peacemaker apart, though, is its cast. Peacemaker has a fantastic ensemble cast with great on-screen chemistry. Who knew John Cena could make you feel so many feels? And frankly, Danielle Brooks is a national treasure, full stop.

Peacemaker is a James Gunn superhero production at its best, right down to that distinctive Peacemaker soundtrack. Silly and brash with just enough sincerity to keep it grounded. 

7. Revival

Earpers (fans of the show Wynonna Earp) everywhere rejoiced when they learned that Melanie Scrofano would be back on Syfy, leading the network’s newest comic book adaptation, Revival. When the show finally arrived, it did not disappoint. 

At its core, Revival is a murder mystery with plenty of jaw-dropping surprises, heart stopping turns, and some clever misdirects for good measure. There is, of course, a sci-fi twist too.

The murder victim at the center of the mystery is alive. She was brought back to life during a mysterious event called Revival Day, when everyone in a specific geographic area who died in the weeks before came back to life. Not as Zombies, but as themselves, albeit with a new supernatural ability. 

Between the exciting sci-fi action and some truly excellent end-of-episode cliffhangers, the show manages to tackle relevant political themes and tell complex character stories.

It’s a gem of a show that we are still hoping gets a second season. 

8. Severance

After a LONG wait, Severance finally returned with its second season in 2025. Despite its delayed return, Severance didn’t miss a step in Season 2. 

Picking up months after the events of the Severance season 1 finale, but only minutes later for our quartet of macrodata refiners, Season 2 expanded the world of Lumen Industries. It introduced new players, new departments, and even some surprising new locations.

In addition to the world-building in Season 2, viewers also got a season with more emotional depth. New layers were revealed as characters struggled to navigate the repercussions of everything that happened in season 1. Relationships evolved and became more complicated.

We even got some backstory for the show’s most enigmatic characters, changing the lens through which we saw them.

Still, for all we learn in Season 2 about the characters and Lumen, the series remains the wonderfully weird mind trip we loved in Season 1. Skewering corporate culture one minute and randomly inserting baby goats the next, there is nothing on TV quite like Severance.

9. Taurasi

The WNBA has been growing rapidly in recent years. With new expansion teams, high-profile rookies entering the league, and fresh media deals giving more people access to game broadcasts, the league has gained a ton of new fans. 

But the league’s growth and its current success are built on the careers of the greats that came before. One of those greats is Diana Taurasi. Taurasi defined an era of the WNBA and helped shape what the league is today. It is fitting, then, that Prime would give us a docuseries about such a legend.

Taurasi is a three-part docuseries that follows Taurasi’s life and career. Starting in her years growing up in Chino, California, it follows her life through to her retirement in 2024. Viewers get a peek inside her college career, her time playing internationally, and her personal life today.

They get to know this charismatic giant of women’s basketball through interviews with family, friends, former coaches, teammates, and Tarausi herself. At the same time, they get a front row seat to the evolution of the WNBA through the lens of Taurasi’s career. 

With all eyes on the WNBA’s future, Taurasi is a perfectly timed look back, whether you are a long-time fan of the WNBA or just discovering it. Even if you are not a sports fan at all, Taurasi is still a captivating human story very much worth your time.

10. Hazbin Hotel

Who would have guessed that one of the most heartfelt, feel-good shows of 2025 would be a show about a hotel in Hell? But that was indeed the case as Hazbin Hotel returned for its second season. 

With its raunchy humor, vibrant animation, and exuberant musical numbers, the series at first seems like a breezy animated lark. To be sure, Hazbin Hotel is really fun. There are plenty of cheeky jokes and a healthy dose of playful satire. 

But along with all that, Hazbin Hotel is a show with a big heart that tackles themes like redemption, identity, morality, and family with optimism and sincerity. 

Despite its setting, Hazbin Hotel is one of the most idealistic shows on TV. It is a much-needed counter to the cynicism that surrounds us every day. 

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What shows made your top 10 list for the year? Let us know in the comments below! 

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