You hear people sounding the death knell for TV ever so often. Whether it’s the rise of AI-generated content or algorithm-influenced stories, there are certainly forces that are dulling human imagination and creativity on the silver screen.

But when you look away from the doomsaying and focus on the best that TV has to offer, the picture couldn’t be any more different. From returning fan favourites and boundary-pushing sophomore seasons to bold new originals and one-of-a-kind limited series, 2025 has given us plenty of engrossing reasons to cancel plans and stay home and binge-watch.

And the best shows don’t just entertain — they often spark conversations about power, relationships, identity, and everything in between. Here are five standout series from the first half of 2025 that prove the golden age of television is still going strong.

The Gilded Age S3

Scandal, status, and sumptuous gowns — The Gilded Age, the 1880s-set series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, returns in glittering form. While it continues delivering all that fans have come to love it for, its latest season also raises the emotional stakes. 
 
Season 3 cranks up the draaaama, zigzagging through a web of juicy storylines and subplots. Arranged marriages! Forbidden romances! Social exile! Business betrayals!  
 
Lavish, romantic, and brimming with intrigue, this new chapter balances spectacle with sharper storytelling and more poignant and intimate moments. Sure, the balls and mansions and costumes are fun, but the show proves that even in the age of excess, emotion reigns supreme.

Andor S2

The Rebellion’s heart beats louder in the second and final season of Andor, a prequel to Rogue One. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) commits himself fully to the Rebellion and ventures deeper into the galaxy’s shadows, confronting ethical lines, shifting allegiances, and the weight of sacrifice. As he inches closer to the events of Rogue One, the series cements itself as Star Wars’ most grounded, nuanced, and politically charged masterpiece — an exploration of heroism, morality, and authoritarianism. This season is also packed with memorable sequences, including Mon Mothma’s (Genevieve O’Reilly) fiery senate speech and the chaotic Ghorman street protest. 
 
Gritty, gripping, and poignant, Andor is the Star Wars franchise’s soul laid bare.

Adolescence

What happens when a 13-year-old is accused of murder? Adolescence follows Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) as he’s pulled into a nightmare no child should face, shaking his family, therapist, and investigators to their core. The show offers a peek into the mind of a young boy and explores the traumas of teenagehood and masculinity. 
 
Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who also stars in the series), the four-episode series is shot in long takes and unfolds in real time, heightening its suspense. Visceral, tense (sometimes almost unbearably so), and morally devastating, Adolescence is both a technical feat and an emotional gut punch that lingers long after the credits roll. 

Your Friends & Neighbors

Jon Hamm makes a deliciously dark return to prestige TV in Your Friends & Neighbors as Andrew ‘Coop’ Cooper, a disgraced hedge fund hotshot who loses everything when he is axed from his job and his wife runs off with his best friend.  
 
Broke, bitter, and desperate, Coop starts robbing his wealthy neighbours in the gated community of Westmont Village. But what began as petty revenge soon unravels into something bigger, as he stumbles upon a web of secrets and betrayals simmering behind every picket fence.

The series doesn’t just thrive on Hamm’s brooding charm — it shines with standout turns from Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, who bring emotional bite to the drama. Sharply written and wickedly entertaining, Your Friends & Neighbors skewers suburbia while serving up cliffhangers that keep you hooked. Already renewed for a second season, it’s a juicy cocktail of dark comedy and social satire that fans of shows like Big Little Lies will devour.

The White Lotus S3

The luxury resort of The White Lotus checks in new guests — this time in sun-drenched Thailand — and checks off another killer season. With sacred temples, wellness retreats, and a healthy dose of satire, Season 3 digs into what happens when the ultra-wealthy go searching for spiritual meaning … and maybe just a great foot massage. Along the way, it sprinkles in intrigue with its whodunit aspect — it does, after all, start with a literal bang (we’re talking a gunshot).

A fresh new cast grace the series: BLACKPINK’s Lisa shines in her acting debut as Mook, a health mentor at the resort, while Aimee Lou Wood charms as a starry-eyed astrology girl tangled up in a questionable romance. Familiar faces like Jon Gries and Natasha Rothwell reprise their roles as Greg ‘Gary’ Hunt and spa manager Belinda Lindsey, respectively.

Throw all the winning elements together, and you get a star-studded drama with a juicy mystery simmering under the surface.

The Last of Us S2

Five years after Season 1, Joel and Ellie are back — and things are more emotionally charged than ever. Their world is still the same: a civilisation left in ruins due to a fungus-based pandemic. But their dynamic — a surrogate father-daughter relationship — is forever changed. Ellie’s now 19 and still wrestling with the lie Joel told her about what really went down at the Firefly hospital at the end of Season 1. As their fragile bond is tested, a vengeful new character, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), steps in with a personal mission that turns everything upside down. Staying true to its source material, The Last of Us S2 doubles down on what made Season 1 so compelling — heartache, horror, empathy, and moral murkiness — and dares you to ask a tough question: Who’s really the hero in this story?

The Studio

Hollywood takes a long, hard, and hilarious look in the mirror in The Studio. This biting satire takes a swing at the modern movie industry, where every executive decision is driven by data, intellectual property (IP), and the desperate hope of going viral.

Seth Rogen is at his comedic best as Matt Remick, a celebrity-obsessed film nerd who lands the job of studio head by pitching a blockbuster about … Kool-Aid (yes, really). As Matt stumbles through pitch meetings, ego clashes, and absurd corporate demands, The Studio pokes fun at the chaos behind the camera with long takes, A-list cameos (Martin Scorsese! Charlize Theron! Zoë Kravitz!), and surprisingly sharp questions about art vs commerce. It’s clever, chaotic, and a love letter to the movies — even the ridiculous ones.

With 23 Emmy noms and rave reviews, The Studio has earned its place as the most entertaining Hollywood roast in years.

Severance S2

Three years after its mind-bending debut, Severance returns — and it’s even more unsettling. The employees of Lumon Industries are back to uncover more truths about the twisted company that lets them live two completely compartmentalised lives: one at work (which they call their ‘innie’), and one in the outside world (‘outie’).

The show’s Kubrickian cinematography and hauntingly discordant score contribute to its surreal atmosphere. Season 2 also dials up the existential horror to 11, as Mark (Adam Scott) and his colleagues begin to question what it really means to share a body with someone you’ll never meet. It’s eerie, emotional, and totally addictive — and fans are still debating what Lumon is really up to.

The Pitt

No music. No glamour. Just 15 straight hours in a high-stress Pittsburgh emergency room (ER). The Pitt is a gripping medical drama that trades soapiness for surgical precision, with each episode of its 15-episode season representing one hour in a relentless trauma shift. Noah Wyle makes a triumphant return to TV as Dr Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch, leading a new team through chaos and heartbreak. Shot with brutal realism and praised for its authenticity (the actors worked with medical professionals to make sure they were portraying them accurately), The Pitt is raw, riveting, and Wyle’s Emmy-worthy comeback.

Dept. Q

If you love your crime dramas brooding and methodical, Dept. Q might just be your thing. Former top-rated detective, DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), is assigned to a new cold-case unit in Edinburgh — one filled with oddballs nobody else wants — after his arrogance gets a young officer killed and his own partner paralysed.  
 
What begins as punishment turns into obsession, as he and his misfit squad uncover threads of corruption and buried secrets stretching across decades. Crafted by Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit), this noir thriller (with bits of comedy) is all grit and atmosphere, a slow burn with real heart beneath the darkness.