2025 is shaping up to be an exciting one in television.
Start off your new year with the return of “Severance,” Apple TV+’s bizarre (complimentary) and wildly innovative workplace series about a group of people who have two completely discrete personas for work and their outside lives. You’ll be able to pick up other returning favorites, like “The White Lotus” season three in the spring and the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” later in the year.
There are a few exciting new series on the docket for 2025 this year like “The Residence,” a White House whodunnit from Shondaland starring Uzo Aduba. If you’re looking for something with a stronger sci-fi bent, FX’s “Alien” franchise series “Alien: Earth” is set to hit screens later this year as well. Or, if you devoured the docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” watch the story dramatized in Hulu’s upcoming “Good American Family.”
Here are our most anticipated television series of 2025, in order of premiere date.
“Severance,” season 2
Release date: January 17 on Apple TV+
Watching the first season of “Severance” in early 2022 felt a bit like getting in on an extraordinary secret. This bizarre, endearing, and incredibly stylistic take on the soul-crushing office grind quickly yet quietly became one of the best genre series on television. Three years later, the show blessedly is not a hidden gem anymore, and “Severance” season two is coming in hotly anticipated.
The series stars Adam Scott as Mark, a man who decides to take a “severed” job after the death of his wife. The severance procedure bifurcates his personality into two discrete people: one who works his job at the inscrutable Lumon Industries, and one who lives life on the outside. In season one, he and his coworkers work to expose their plight as severed workers to the world, while simultaneously unraveling the myriad secrets of their workplace. — Palmer Haasch
“Paradise”
Release date: January 28 on Hulu
“This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman and star Sterling K. Brown reunite on a new Hulu series. The mystery thriller focuses on Xavier Collins (Brown), the head of security to James Marsden’s President Cal Bradford. Xavier finds Cal dead and is said to be the last person who saw the president alive, thrusting him into the middle of an apparent conspiracy.
The trailer is light on specific details, but according to the streamer the show is set “in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals,” who are rattled by the president’s murder and the ensuing investigation.
Brown was always a highlight of “This Is Us,” so it’s exciting to see him step into another lead role that appears to be very different from Randall Pearson.
“Yellowjackets,” season 3
Release date: February 14 on Paramount+ with Showtime (and February 16 on Showtime)
“Yellowjackets” is a mish-mash of genres: part coming-of-age story, part survival drama, part black comedy, part mystery.
When it first premiered in 2021, it wasn’t an instant hit. Rather, it steadily grew a passionate fan base as more and more viewers became invested in this tale of a group of teenage girls who became stranded in the Canadian wilderness in the 1990s — and the repercussions of that traumatic experience on the surviving women 25 years later.
Creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson managed to craft a wildly compelling story that drew equal interest to both halves of its cast: the talented rising stars who play the ’90s versions of the girls (including breakouts like Ella Purnell and Sophie Thatcher), and the established powerhouse actors like Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey, and Christina Ricci in the modern-day setting.
Season two answered a lot of questions (including arguably the biggest: Did they eat each other??) but ended on an unexpected death that left fans clamoring to know what would happen next. Luckily, there are still plenty of mysteries waiting to be solved. — CM
“The White Lotus,” season 3
Release date: February 16 on HBO and Max
There’s little information about season three of “The White Lotus.” But Mike White’s hit HBO anthology series, which racked up a total of 43 Emmy nominations from the first two seasons, has generated enough hype all on its own for the next installment.
Season three will focus on wealthy guests visiting the fictional White Lotus resort chain’s Thailand location. And for the first time ever, the new season will feature a returning cast member: Natasha Rothwell, who played spa manager Belinda in season one. The star-studded cast also includes Blackpink member Lisa in her acting debut, “Fallout” star Walton Goggins, and “Gen V” actor Patrick Schwarzenegger — who told Business Insider that season three is “Absolutely fucking insane.” — Olivia Singh
“Zero Day”
Release date: February 20 on Netflix
Robert De Niro on a Netflix drama? OK, sure, we’re in.
“Zero Day” is a political thriller focusing on a global cyberattack, where De Niro plays a former president who comes out of retirement to help mitigate the crisis. The impressive ensemble cast also includes Lizzy Caplan as his daughter, Angela Bassett as the current president, and Dan Stevens as a loudmouth political TV host who antagonizes De Niro.
“Suits: LA”
Release date: February 23 on NBC and Peacock
“Suits” mania very suddenly and randomly swept over the nation when the 2010s USA Network drama saw a resurgence of interest on Netflix. Why? Who knows — chalk it up to one of the great mysteries of the algorithm.
In any event, it prompted the greenlighting of a spinoff series that shifts the action from a corporate firm in New York to an entertainment firm in Los Angeles. The new series centers on Stephen Amell’s Ted Black, a former New York prosecutor who has reinvented himself out west.
Don’t expect Meghan Markle to show up on it, but we can still hold out hope for other fan-favorite characters: Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter is reportedly set for a three-episode arc, which hopefully means Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) isn’t far behind. — CM
“Daredevil: Born Again”
Release date: March 4 on Disney+
The Marvel series will see Charlie Cox reprise his role as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer by day, and a vicious vigilante by night. Because it’s a continuation of the “Daredevil” Netflix series (which is exciting in itself) it’ll also reunite Cox with Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, the criminal mastermind, Kingpin. Not only that but “Daredevil: Born Again” will add a harder, violent edge to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hopefully Marvel chief Kevin Feige and the gang let the show stand on its own two bloody feet without forcing needless cameos for the sake of it. After all, a street-level story with relatable stakes is what the franchise needs right now amid all the chatter of future “Avengers” movies. — Eammon Jacobs
“Deli Boys”
Release date: March 6 on Hulu
“Deli Boys” (created by former Vice journalist Abdullah Saeed) follows the two wealthy Pakistani American sons of a convenience store magnate who learn after his death that he was secretly involved in a life of crime.
The polar opposite brothers are forced into that world, promising a unique take on the fish-out-of-water story coming to Hulu. — CM
“The Residence”
Release date: March 20 on Netflix
Market your series as a “Shondaland White House whodunnit,” and you don’t have to do too much more to convince me. After a murder at a state dinner, Detective Cordelia Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba, must attempt to solve the case. On-screen, she’s joined by Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Ken Marino, Edwina Findley, and a slate of others — including Kylie Minogue.
“Scandal” writer Paul William Davies serves as showrunner, with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers executive producing. “The Residence” is based on the book of the same name by Kate Andersen Brower. — PH
“The Last of Us,” season 2
Release date: April on HBO and Max
“The Last of Us” season one turned prestige gaming into prestige television, adapting Naughty Dog’s fungal apocalypse thriller into an acclaimed series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Season one ended on a tenuous high note: Joel (Pascal) chose to save Ellie (Ramsey), who is immune to the cordyceps fungus that turns people into violent infected, rather than allowing her death in pursuit of a cure.
“The Last of Us” season two will adapt at least part of “The Last of Us Part II,” the sequel to the original video game. Without getting too much into spoilers, it’s likely to be even more heartbreaking than season one. This season will also feature newcomers including Kaitlyn Dever, who will play a significant character named Abby, “Beef” star Young Mazino, and Jeffrey Wright, who will reprise his role from the game, Isaac. — PH
“Your Friends and Neighbors”
Release date: April 11 on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ has had no shortage of prestige drama attempts, from the Cate Blanchett series “Disclaimer” to Natalie Portman’s “Lady in the Lake.” Not all of them are very good (and a lot of them appear to come and go with little to no fanfare), and yet I still have enough faith in Jon Hamm and his ability to play complex antiheroes that I’m compelled to tune into “Your Friends & Neighbors.”
Hamm plays Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm), a recently divorced former hedge fund manager who’s fired in disgrace. According to Apple, Coop, who lives in the wealthy Vestment Village, begins stealing from his neighbors’ homes but ends up uncovering more secrets (and danger) than he bargained for.
The show also stars Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, among others. And the streamer clearly has a lot of faith in it: They’ve already renewed it for a second season, months ahead of its premiere. — CM
“Hacks,” season 4
Release date: (rumored) May on Max
The Emmy Award-winning “Hacks” is a series that only gets better with age, and its excellent third season set a high bar for whatever will come next. The series stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a comedian who turns around her stale Vegas stand-up career into a true artistic reinvention with the help of young writer Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder.
Deborah and Ava’s relationship has always been defined by an ever-growing co-dependence, the capacity to mutually wound each other, and somewhere in the mix, love and grudging respect. The season three finale put them at odds once again, setting up for what’s sure to be a thrilling — and of course, extremely funny — fourth season. — PH
“Chad Powers”
Release date: Fall 2025 on Hulu
Glen Powell has been all over our movie screens for the last three years, and now he’ll be all over our small screens.
Powell, one of the biggest male rising actors in Hollywood today, is on a movie star trajectory akin to his mentor (and “Top Gun: Maverick” costar) Tom Cruise. He has roots in TV, though (“Scream Queens,” I will never forget you). The upcoming Hulu comedy, about a hotshot quarterback who torpedoes his college football career and disguises himself as Chad Powers to walk onto a Southern university’s team, is a great venue for flexing his funny chops.
At the absolute least, the visual of Powell in those prosthetics and wig is already a hoot. — CM
“Stranger Things,” season 5
Release date: TBD on Netflix
These days, it’s hard to fathom that “Stranger Things” was one of the relatively early hits of the streaming age when it premiered in 2016. Close to a decade later, it’s a cultural juggernaut that elevated the profile of its entire cast, from veteran actors to young stars. With one season left, it’s finally time to close this chapter of life in Hawkins, Indiana.
“Stranger Things” season five will bring an end to Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) story, but past that, it will represent the true end of an era at Netflix. “Stranger Things” is one of the biggest series the streamer has ever released, but even if the show is ending, some talent like showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer and Brown, now a leading lady, are sticking around with other projects. — PH
“Wednesday,” season 2
Release date: TBD on Netflix
“Wednesday” was a smash hit when it premiered on Netflix in 2022. Over two years later, it’s still holding strong atop the streamer’s list of its most-watched shows ever, with over 252 million views to date.
The supernatural teen dramedy’s success is due in large part to the performance of Jenna Ortega as the titular Wednesday Addams, the sardonic, psychic teen who finds herself thrust into the center of a murder mystery when she’s shipped off to a new boarding school.
The first season ended with a twist about one of Wednesday’s two love interests, but Ortega has promised that “Wednesday” season two will lean more into horror and focus less on her character’s romantic life. That’s a very welcome tweak. — CM
“Black Mirror,” season 7
Release date: TBD on Netflix
The long-running dystopian anthology series — where each episode is a stand-alone story of speculative fiction, with most set in a near-future world with advanced, often ethically troublesome technology — returns for its seventh outing later this year.
As with recent seasons, there are some big names lined up for the “Black Mirror” season seven cast, including Awkwafina, Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti, Billy Magnussen, and Tracee Ellis Ross. But perhaps most excitingly, for the first time in the series’ history, there’s going to be a story continuation: One of the six new episodes will be a sequel to “USS Callister,” the Emmy-winning season four episode starring Cristin Milioti as a programmer who gets trapped in her incel boss’ video game world. — CM
“You,” season 5
Release date: TBD on Netflix
Obsessive stalker Joe Goldberg has somehow managed to evade capture or consequences in his yearslong killing spree that’s spanned four seasons of television and multiple cities across the globe. He seemed to finally be at the end of the line in “You” season four, only to miraculously make it out with a seemingly clean slate yet again. The finale brought Joe full circle back to New York, and partnered with a woman who may or may not see him for who he truly is.
The fifth and final season of “You” will hopefully bring a satisfying conclusion to the drama that’s managed to keep reinventing itself — and finding ways to creatively continue the story — long past where many assumed it’d surely end. — CM
“Squid Game,” season 3
Release date: TBD on Netflix
“Squid Game” isn’t only Netflix’s biggest non-English-language series — it’s also one of its biggest properties, period. The Korean-language series, created by showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk, is a deeply tragic thriller with an instantly recognizable visual identity. Both of those factors helped it become not only a hit series, but also a true cultural phenomenon. “Squid Game” season two, which premiered in December, broke viewership records to become Netflix’s biggest debut ever.
Even if you didn’t watch “Squid Game,” you know “Squid Game” — and with the show’s third and final season on the way in 2025, you definitely should be catching up. — PH
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
Release date: TBD on HBO and Max
Given the wild success of “Game of Thrones,” it makes sense that HBO would go all-in on the “Thrones” brand through a series of spinoffs. The first of those, “House of the Dragon,” focuses on a bloody Targaryen succession war. The second, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” is about a knight and his young squire — Dunk and Egg, colloquially. Dunk is Ser Duncan the Tall, and Egg is Aegon Targaryen, a young member of the ruling family.
The series is based on the first installation of George R. R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novella series, titled “The Hedge Knight.” HBO drama head Francesca Orsi told Deadline in 2023 that the show would ideally span three seasons, one for each existing novella. — PH
“Alien: Earth”
Release date: TBD on FX and Hulu
FX is expanding the “Alien” franchise with a new TV series that finally brings the unimaginable horrors of the Xenomorphs to Earth in the aptly titled “Alien: Earth.”
The first teaser trailer didn’t reveal much about the series, but it’s helmed by “Legion” and “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley, which hopefully means that the series will have more to say than just sci-fi scares. It features the likes of “Justified” and “The Mandalorian” star Timothy Olyphant, “Andor” and “Black Mirror” actor Alex Lawther, and “Fargo” alumni David Rysdahl. Also in the cast are Essie Davis, Sydney Chandler, and Samuel Blenkin. — EJ
Untitled Rachel Sennott project
Release date: TBD on HBO and Max
Rachel Sennott has been a standout part of some of the best comedies of the last few years, including “Bottoms,” “Shiva Baby,” and the horror comedy “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” The comedian is stepping up as HBO’s new Lena Dunham (non-derogatory), helming a series that she’s writing, executive producing, and starring in.
No details about its plot have been made available, but Sennott has proven herself to be imminently watchable, so we’re certainly tuning in to see what she’s got in store. — CM
“Good American Family”
Release date: TBD on Hulu
It’s a tale as old as time: Where there’s a viral true-crime story, a scripted dramatization (or five) is sure to follow. That’s the case with “Good American Family” (not to be confused with the similarly named faith-based TV network Great American Family), which is loosely inspired by Natalia Grace Mans’ story.
Natalia’s saga is long and complex (enough to fill three seasons of the Investigation Discovery docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace” over the course of three years). The gist of it is that Natalia, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism, was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett, who eventually came to believe that their new daughter was actually a psychopathic adult posing as a child. (Yes, that is also generally the plot of the horror movie “Orphan,” which wasn’t based on Natalia’s story).
Ellen Pompeo, in her first major starring role since stepping back from “Grey’s Anatomy” as a series regular, stars as the girl’s adoptive mother. It’ll be interesting to see whether the scripted drama is more sympathetic to the Barnetts’ side or Natalia’s. — CM
“It: Welcome to Derry”
Release date: TBD on HBO and Max
“It Chapter 1” and “It Chapter 2,” based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, were mega-hits at the box office when they came out in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Pennywise the Clown had previously terrorized audiences in the form of Tim Curry in a 1990 miniseries before Bill Skarsgard scarred a new generation when he took over the role. “Welcome to Derry” is the first time the story is getting the prequel treatment.
The show jumps back in time to explore an earlier community in Derry who came face to face with the monstrous creature. It features new characters not seen in the films, with only Skarsgard returning. — CM
“Outlander: Blood of My Blood”
Release date: TBD on Starz
The smash hit historical drama “Outlander” has captivated audiences (both readers of the book series it’s based on and show-only fans) for over a decade since premiering in 2014.
Claire and Jamie Fraser’s epic love story will come to an end with an eighth and final season. But the “Outlander” universe will live on with “Blood of My Blood,” a prequel that rewinds the clock to show how Jamie’s parents, and Claire’s, wound up together.
If the prequel’s cast has even a fraction of the chemistry “Outlander” leads Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe do, it’ll be must-see TV for romance lovers. — CM
“Dying for Sex”
Release date: TBD on FX and Hulu
Michelle Williams, who previously won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon,” returns to the network with “Dying For Sex.” She plays Molly, an unhappily married woman who decides to leave her husband in order to explore her sexuality after being diagnosed with cancer.
Billed as a comedy-drama, it’s based on the podcast of the same name by Nikki Boyer. Boyer, who’s also an executive producer on the FX show, co-created her podcast with her friend — the real Molly, who actually did leave her own marriage after a breast cancer diagnosis. Jenny Slate plays Boyer on the show; Rob Delaney and Jay Duplass also star.
Beyond the compelling true story and excitement over the talented Williams’ return to TV, “New Girl” creator Liz Meriwether also serves as a showrunner, promising whip-smart writing. — CM
“The Terror: Devil in Silver”
Release date: TBD on AMC and AMC+
The criminally underrated supernatural horror anthology series gathered a small but devoted fan base after the first season, based on Dan Simmons’ 2007 novel of the same name, premiered in 2018.
That season told an extremely spooky fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition and featured a who’s-who of British actors like Jared Harris and Tobias Menzies. The next season, subtitled “Infamy,” debuted a year later and moved the horror to a Japanese internment camp in America during World War II, where the camp’s inhabitants believe they’re being tormented by an evil force.
AMC stayed mum on whether the show would continue for almost five years, until the February 2024 announcement that “The Terror: Devil in Silver” was coming. The upcoming six-episode season, based on Victor LaValle’s novel of the same name, will star Dan Stevens (who’s also an EP) as a working-class man wrongfully committed to a psychiatric hospital where he has to contend not only with the other patients and the doctors but a seemingly malevolent force that appears to live within the hospital’s walls.
Stevens is a great choice for this brand of psychological horror. See also: “Legion.” — CM
“All’s Fair”
Release date: TBD on Hulu
Ryan Murphy regulars, assemble!
The prolific TV creator is fresh off a busy 2024 that included the premieres of four separate shows he produced, including “Grotesquerie” and the controversial “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” He doesn’t appear to be taking it easy in 2025 either.
It’s unclear whether he’ll again match the sheer number of projects he debuted in 2024, but he definitely has at least one coming out: “All’s Fair,” a legal drama about an all-female law firm of divorce attorneys coming to Hulu. The cast includes a bunch of Murphy’s go-tos, including his frequent collaborator Sarah Paulson, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” star Naomi Watts, “Grotesquerie” star Niecy Nash, and his most recent addition to the crew, aspiring real-life lawyer Kim Kardashian, who starred in “American Horror Story” season 12.
Kardashian was surprisingly good in “AHS,” so it’s intriguing to see what she’ll do in “All’s Fair,” where she’s reportedly playing the protagonist. — CM
“Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey”
Release date: TBD on Paramount+
Few true crime cases have captivated the public as intensely and for as long as JonBenét Ramsey’s unsolved murder. The six-year-old beauty queen was found dead in her family home the day after Christmas 1996, and her killer was never identified.
The long-cold case was recently covered in a Netflix docuseries, which led to a resurgence of interest (though plenty of true-crime enthusiasts have been carefully following the case for years). The story has been dramatized before, in a 2000 miniseries and multiple TV movies, but this is the first time it’s getting what appears to be the prestige TV treatment.
Most intriguingly, the series will star Melissa McCarthy as Patsy Ramsey, JonBenét’s mother. This will mark an interesting pivot for McCarthy, who’s chiefly known for far more light-hearted roles in comedies like “Bridesmaids” and “Tammy.” — CM
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