2025 has been the best year for me of TV watching as any year in recent memory. Besides watching the shows below which comprise the Best of television in 2025, I was able to catch up on some series which had previously eluded me. I crossed a major blind spot off and watched The Sopranos for the first time. I watched the delightful, underseen and underappreciated cartoon Craig of the Creek. I finally caught up with Emmy darling Hacks (and enjoyed it as much as I expected, even if season 4 wasn’t my favorite). Between all of that, I made time to rewatch many of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons.

Regardless, I have no doubt that 2025 will go down as one of the great years for television, with amazing seasons from returning series like The Rehearsal and Stranger Things, great limited series like Adolescence, and new shows from previously established voices like Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s Long Story Short and Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. Of course there were disappointments from previous critical favorites, like The White Lotus season 3, The Last of Us season 2, the final installment of Squid Game, and The Bear season 4, but those lows were few and far between in a great year for TV. As I said, my time spent with the boob tube was at its peak, but there were inevitably shows that still slipped through the cracks. If you’re wondering why shows like The Righteous Gemstones, The Diplomat, Nobody Wants This, Daredevil: Born Again, Fallout (which wasn’t screened in time for publication) et cetera, aren’t on this list, now you know why.

How much was the best TV of 2024 affected by last year’s SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes? The answer is unclear but, as always, there was plenty of quality TV and limited series to be found on cable, network channels, and streaming. New and returning shows alike altered the landscape to show what’s possible in the medium. Some premiered with little fanfare, and some were predetermined to succeed.

2024 was my best year in recent memory for staying up to date on television and limited series. As any year, there were still some blind spots, but much less glaring ones this year. So when you don’t see shows like Industry, Nobody Wants This, Under the Bridge, The Diplomat, Pachinko, Interview With the Vampire, and Hacks, it’s not because they’re not worthy, but because I simply haven’t seen them yet. Nevertheless, here are the best TV shows of 2024:

When ranking the best TV of 2023, I have to mention once again that, while I’ve done better than years before in TV watching, there are still some major titles missing from this list. I do plan to get around to shows like Shrinking, Abbott Elementary, Reservation Dogs, and The Righteous Gemstones, but that day is not today. Judge the following list accordingly.

First, a disclaimer: As usual, this list is missing some of the bigger television releases of the year because I simply haven’t watched them yet. Though I did better in my TV viewing this year, I still haven’t gotten around to shows like Succession, House of the Dragon, Better Call Saul, Abbott Elementary, The Boys, or Hacks. Judge the following list accordingly.

First, a disclaimer: I still have yet to see some of the bigger television releases of the year. Juggernauts like Succession, Mare of Eastown, WandaVision, Squid Game, and The Crown (and more) will be notably absent from this list, not because they’re not great, but because I simply haven’t watched them yet. Judge the following list accordingly.