It’s the battle of streaming versus weekly drops in 2025. Television has never felt so chaotic and varied, yet much of the same as well. But 2025 still managed to surprise with new additions like The Pitt, a medical drama that walks the edge between prestige television and classic network television. Severance finally returned to throw a little love into the sci-fi world, while Daredevil was born again onto Disney+, with mixed results.
No matter what you found yourself watching this year, there certainly was a variety to choose from. From comforting crime procedurals to the thrilling world of sci-fi, television in 2025 covered a lot of ground. The staff at InBetweenDrafts loved so many genres of it, and came together to celebrate the very best of the year.
13. Dying for Sex
Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate star in the life-affirming, sex-positive story about one woman’s journey with a terminal illness in Dying For Sex. Loosely based on a true story and written by Liz Meriwether and Kim Rosenstock, the series finds the right balance of emotional complexities and broad comedy.
Wickedly, laugh-out-loud funny and just as capable as rendering us into ugly crying piles of mush, the series understands the fundamentals of life – it’s messy, no matter what end of it you’re on. A heart-aching, tender, and compassionate look at the chaotic depth of life, death, and orgasms, the series delivers tremendous performances and a heartfelt ode to our best, most authentic selves. —Allyson Johnson
12. High Potential
After a highly entertaining first season, High Potential returned for a second season just as quirky and heartwarming as ever. Kaitlin Olsen embodies Morgan Gillory with a lot of confidence and ease. While Morgan’s ability to solve crimes is amazing, it’s her love for her family and her compassion that elevates each episode.
The season-long mysteries aren’t quite as interesting as the emotional stakes that come with each case. High Potential‘s look and feel calls back to shows like Psych and Burn Notice, and other shows during that blue sky era of USA Network, even though High Potential is on ABC. There’s a lightness to High Potential, one that seeps the show in nostalgia, but the show always feels fresh. —Katey Stoetzel
11. It: Welcome to Derry
Pennywise the Dancing Clown had the last laugh. HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry was a creepy and bloody good time that made us scream with glee. This prequel series to the It movies felt like a faithful connection to the story, one that built upon the tale and expanded the world of Derry, Maine.
If you want a series with plenty of heart, the Losers Club captured the innocence of friendship and banding together. Their bonds became one of the strongest parts of It: Welcome to Derry, forming a tight group that charged the evil head-on. But if you’re also looking for an eerie and creepy show, the town of Derry isn’t shy to share its dark side. Just ask Pennywise, he’s got a trick or two up his sleeve. –Justin Carreiro
11. The Chair Company
If you’ve ever gone on the search for the perfect meme to send someone, odds are you’ve seen a lot of Tim Robinson’s work. Whether it’s his brief run on Saturday Night Live, or the now cult-classic Netflix series I Think You Should Leave, Tim Robinson has worked his way into the hearts and memes of fans around the world. His latest project is the HBO Max series The Chair Company, which he co-created and stars in.
The show takes his signature brand of cringe humor and gives it a plot that, while it may look serious and dark, is full of the moments that fans have come to expect from him. Alongside his I Think You Should Leave co-creator Zach Kanin, Tim weaves a tale that surprises in the silliest of ways. —Tyler Carlsen
11. The Girlfriend
The Girlfriend may only be six episodes, but those six episodes send you on a twisty tale of mystery and psychological warfare between Olivia Cooke’s Cherry and Robin Wright’s Laura. The two meet because Cherry’s dating Laura’s son Daniel. Laura’s the overbearing mother, but her love for her son means she’s keenly aware of the holes in Cherry’s past, and dead set on making sure no one takes advantage of her son.
The show’s framework allows for both Laura and Cherry to tell their side of their story, complicating the storytelling in fascinatingly subtle ways. Even as you notice slight differences in their stories, the show never takes a side. It’s up to you to decide if who’s gone far enough and if their motivations are justifications. —Katey Stoetzel
10. Adults
A classic friends-living-together type set up gives Adults an easy buy-in, but it’s quick wit and funny characters make the cost worth it. Though it’s a slow start, each episode of the show’s eight episode first season gets better and better. The character dynamics between Samir, Issa, Paul Baker, Anton, and Billie feel fresh every episode, with every pair getting their time to shine.
Episodes like “Spit Roast” and “Roast Chicken” showcase how well the group works off of each other. It’s got all the makings of a new sitcom classic, and the charm to prove it. —Katey Stoetzel
9. The Traitors Season 3
Drama, drama, drama! The Traitors Season 3 knew how to serve up one of reality TV’s best seasons, let alone TV shows, of 2025. It’s no mystery here for why it worked: these reality TV stars and celebrities came to play. That is, play a messy game of mystery and mayhem.
The Traitors Season 3 on Peacock brought back plenty of iconic stars, like Danielle Reyes (Big Brother), Boston Rob (Survivor), and Bob the Drag Queen (RuPaul’s Drag Race), to name a few. But more importantly, the game expanded on the great momentum from last season with new challenges, twists, and strong casting. Also, it introduced us to new storylines that changed the way The Traitors will be done. We might never see Traitor betrayals like this ever again! The Traitors Season 3 kept us hooked. —Justin Carreiro
8. Peacemaker Season 2
After the first season of Peacemaker, the DC universe went through a big shift and became DC Studios. This change really kicked off with the new Superman film and the second season of Peacemaker.
This time around, John Cena returns as everyone’s favorite helmet-wearing dude only this season he is forced to face a new threat and his inner demons as his world begins to get a whole lot bigger. And with all the connections to Superman and future DC projects, this season solidifies Peacemaker’s role in what is to come. –Tyler Carsen
7. Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry arrived late in 2025, but in its short time on air, it’s captured the hearts of queer audiences and hockey fans. Based on Rachel Reid’s books series Game Changers, Heated Rivalry follows the clandestine decade plus love affair between hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. While the show’s setting is against the high stakes world of professional hockey, it’s Shane and Illya’s relationship that drives the story.
Both Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who play Ilya and Shane respectively, have a lot of chemistry, and give each character a lot of depth, bringing to life their internal monologues from the book. Told through their hookups, each episode features multiple explicit sex scenes, a rarity in media these days, particularly high profile queer media like this show. —Katey Stoetzel
6. The Residence
There’s always room for a juicy mystery, especially when there are 132 rooms to hide a dead body! Netflix’s intriguing murder mystery, The Residence, was a fascinating tale that knew how to craft a case. Set within the backdrop of The White House, the Shondaland mystery weaved a complex web of twists and relationships. Just when you thought you figured out the investigation, a character would expose a new workplace drama that’d throw the door wide open.
It’s a shame that the series only lasted one season. Uzo Aduba, as the eccentric and campy investigator Cordelia Cupp, was in fine form, leading us through each new turn. And her growing list of suspects – from the staff to the First Family – added considerable nuance to the full picture. This was a dish of Knives Out-like drama for the small screen … and we were ready for more! —Justin Carreiro
5. Severance Season 2
The work is mysterious, important…and captivating. Severance had three years of hype to live up to in the interim between seasons 1 and 2, and it delivered. Who knew a whole episode about being outside could be as thrilling, as seen in mid-season field trip episode “Woe’s Hollow”? Season 2 investigated more of the ethical implications of severing your work and personal selves.
What if your wife loved your work self more than your home self, as seen between Meritt Wever and Zach Cherry? What if your outer-world self was evil and your work self was good, as Britt Lower’s Helena/Helly has to explore? For a show about duality, there’s one unifying thing: the world of Severance held our attention. If Lost took place in an office building, this would be it. —Claire Di Maio
4. Andor Season 2
Of all the Star Wars projects on Disney+ (and honestly, of all the Disney+ projects overall), the second season of Andor is hands down one of the most well put together and produced seasons of television ever. Telling the story between Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: A New Hope, this season brings the action, emotions, various story threads, and characters we’ve grown to love together in some of the most exciting and genuinely fulfilling moments in Star Wars history. The show somehow manages to put a mirror to the current state of our world just as genuinely good media has the power to do. —Tyler Carsen
3. Pluribus
The latest from Vince Gilligan, the creator of the critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, returns with the science-fiction series Pluribus. The series reunites him with Rhea Seehorn, who plays Carol, one of the few people who, after a mysterious, post-apocalyptic event, retain their autonomy. At the same time, most of humanity joins a hivemind.
From the moment the premiere starts, there’s an unsettling energy that pours across the scene, even in the most mundane frames or situations. Gilligan, as always, understands how to direct a scene so that something feels just off enough. The eerie, unexpected writing refuses to play it safe, even as we try to guess what is about to come. Seehorn is extraordinary, playing a woman constantly on the verge as she grapples with increasingly bizarre scenarios in a frantic race against the unknown. —Allyson Johnson
2. The Studio
From Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood to La La Land, it’s no secret that Hollywood loves seeing itself in the movies. The Studio brought moviemaking to the small screen in Apple TV’s bitingly funny satire that feels less satirical than unbelievably true. Watching Seth Rogen slowly lose his mind (and possibly his soul) developing a film based on the Kool-Aid man is one of the funniest arcs we’ve seen all year.
With a top-notch supporting cast (Ike Barinholtz to Catherine O’Hara among them) to stars like Martin Scorsese and Zoe Kravitz playing exaggerated versions of themselves, The Studio is a love letter to the zany insanity of the people who greenlight our entertainment. —Claire Di Maio
1. The Pitt
The Pitt outshines the rest of 2025 television for its simplistic conceit — a look into the lives of doctors, nurses, and patients during a 15-hour shift in the emergency department. But there’s nothing simple about The Pitt. The fast-paced nature of the ER easily translates on screen as a sort of dance of medical jargon, surgeries, traumas, dialogue, sequences, and pristine character work.
Unlike other medical shows, The Pitt doesn’t have time to get super deep into the personal lives of the doctors and nurses. However, the sharp writing and nuanced performances take each character on a harrowing journey throughout their shift. It’s real-time format ensures a wild and chaotic ride, but the result is a seamless 15 hours of television. —Katey Stoetzel
