Sometimes great TV shows are like buses - you wait for ages for one then suddenly they all arrive at once.
These include "The Penguin", "True Detective: Night Country" and "Baby Reindeer", among many of the most highly-anticipated shows whose premieres were postponed due to the dual Hollywood strikes that took place in 2023.
With big-screen adaptations like "Stranger Things", "The Last of Us", and "Yellowjackets" migrating to the small screen, it's almost too much to handle - how are we going to fit anything else into our busy lives this year?!
We've narrowed it down to 16 of our most anticipated series - with special nods to 'The Death of Bunny Munro' (Sky Atlantic), 'Poker Face' (Peacock), 'Wednesday' (Netflix), 'Euphoria' (HBO and Max), 'House of Guinness' (Netflix), and 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Prime and Apple TV+), all of which are also set to debut in 2025, with their release dates still to be determined.
Cozy up with a blanket, snuggle in, and get ready to brighten up the January blues with some fantastic TV.
Severance
What if your work memories and personal memories were completely compartmentalized? In many ways, it’s the ultimate goal: A literal 9-to-5 ability to shut off after hours! In others, it’s a foreboding vision of a future where the distinction between self and work blurs reality and enables sinister corporate secrecy.
A drama series, reminiscent of "The Office", follows the lives of a team of employees at the enigmatic company Lumon. Adam Scott plays Mark, a man who, consumed by grief after losing his spouse, underwent a memory-altering procedure. In Season 1, Mark joined forces with coworkers Helly, Dylan, and Irving to uncover the truth behind Lumon's true intentions.
We finally have our questions on the table, so hopefully, we can get some responses before everything gets wrapped up.
The Night Agent
Where to stream: Netflix
Achieving a milestone of over 812 hours of total watching time, it isn't astonishing that 'The Night Agent' is receiving a second season.
This gripping crime thriller unfolds as FBI agent Peter Sutherland and his tech-savvy partner Rose become entangled in intricate government conspiracies. Having thwarted a high-stakes threat to the President in the previous season, Sutherland is now tasked with uncovering a mole within the CIA.
Yellowjackets
The Emmy-nominated thriller about a high school girls' soccer team that miraculously survived a plane crash is returning for a third season. This gripping drama shifts between the past and present, gradually uncovering how past trauma has impacted the main characters, slowly revealing the dark secrets (including disturbing acts of cannibalism) hidden within their memories.
Featuring a star-studded cast of nostalgic faces, including Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, and new addition Hilary Swank, this latest season is centered on the young girls' return to society after being rescued from the Canadian wilderness following a plane crash.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the show's co-creator Ashley Lyle mentioned: "What we see is a continuation of some of the tensions and resentments that were developing in season 2. And these actually play a significant part in how the girls continue to interact in this season."
The White Lotus
What do you think motivates someone who wants to be 'crazy rich'?"
Located at a luxurious White Lotus resort and surrounded by its enigmatic and secretive guests, this new installment is set in Thailand. Belinda Lindsey, who played the hotel spa manager in Season 1, returns, as do a diverse cast of newcomers: Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Dom Hetrakul, Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Lisa Manobal of the K-pop group Blackpink.
While it might seem impossible to surpass the frenzied antics of season 2's finale, White informed Entertainment Weekly that this upcoming season will be "going to be longer, bigger, crazier."
Zero Day
Release date: 20 February
- but never a TV series. This is about to change, with his starring role in Netflix's upcoming political thriller about a loved, straight-talking former U.S. President in charge of leading an investigation into a disastrous nationwide cyberattack.
The show's co-creator, Noah Oppenheim, said to Tudum, "It also examines the costs of power for those who are asked to take on these massive challenges – what it implies for them personally, and what it implies for their families.”
Daredevil: Born Again
Release date: 4 March
Where to stream: Disney+
The highly anticipated sequel to Netflix's popular 'Daredevil' series, 'Daredevil: Born Again' will premiere in two 9-episode parts on Disney+.
We're back in the Marvel comic book world of Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil, who acquired superhuman senses after being blinded by a chemical spill in his childhood.
Due to the series now streaming on Disney, which owns the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’re likely to see a much wider variety of crossover characters appearing. It's also expected to be (once again) quite violent, with Brad Winderbaum, the head of TV and Streaming at Marvel Studios, saying: "Some of the most intense action we've ever brought to the screen is coming in 'Daredevil: Born Again', which isn't a horror show, but it really packs a lot of power and there's a lot of dynamic action."
The Studio
Release date: 26 March
In an era of streaming and blockbuster failures, the conflicts between corporate profits and creative liberties have never been more intense for filmmakers.
A new satire comes from writer, director, and actor Seth Rogen, who plays Matt Remick, the new head of the imaginary 'Continental Studios'. The film mocks the chaotic and frivolous nature of Hollywood's superficiality, and provides a genuine insider's look at the behind-the-scenes struggles of trying to please everyone, while sacrificing artistic integrity.
Renowned director Martin Scorsese, along with other notable personalities such as Catherine O'Hara, Bryan Cranston, and Kathryn Hahn, features in a production that will leave you appreciative of a conventional 9-to-5 job.
Stranger Things
It's difficult to believe, but nearly a decade has gone by since the debut of 'Stranger Things' on Netflix in 2016.
Set in a small Indiana town in the 1980s, a group of kids stumble upon a portal to the underworld known as the 'upside down' after their friend disappears, unveiling a realm of fantastical horrors, interdimensional creatures, and clandestine government operations.
- of a generation.
Films. On Stranger Things Day (November 6th), Netflix also released all eight episode titles, with the final episode named "The Right Side Up" - here's hoping that signals a happy ending and some much-deserved peace for the residents of Hawkins.
The Last of Us
Release date: April 2025
It's the show that broke the curse of video game adaptations, based on Naughty Dog's influential post-apocalyptic franchise.
Set in a world devastated by a mutated fungus known as Cordyceps that transforms people into violent zombies, the first season concluded dramatically with smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) rescuing teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who possesses a rare immunity to the disease, after the rebel group, the Fireflies, turned on her.
Plots are powerful and compelling television shows that captured the essence of a world still grappling with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Season 2 takes place four years after we last see Ellie, who is now exploring Seattle alongside her girlfriend Dina (Shannon Woodward), with a plan for revenge against the people who wronged her.
The Three Betty Books
The 'Game of Thrones' finale might have been a letdown for many, but George R.R. Martin's vast fantasy world still has a wealth of material to be adapted for the small screen - this time in the form of a brand new spinoff series, titled 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.
This series is based on Martin's book 'Fire & Blood'. It follows a smaller format with six parts, using material from his novellas 'Dunk & Egg'. The story takes place nearly a century before the events of 'Game of Thrones'. It centres around Ser Duncan the Tall (played by Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (played by Dexter Sol Ansell).
Regrettably, no dragons make an appearance - having gone extinct - however, this, along with its more modest budget and concise runtime, likely allows for a narrative that focuses on characters, opting for more profound storytelling over grand spectacle.
IT: Welcome to Derry
Available to stream on HBO and Max.
The 1990s miniseries version of Stephen King's heart-stopping novel "IT" still haunts those who grew up with it. Unfortunately for those with a fear of clowns, it is being brought back to television.
Located in the imaginative United States town of Derry during the 1960s, the four-episode series serves as a prequel to explore the origins of Pennywise the Clown, a supernatural being capable of transformation that thrives on fear. Andy Muschietti, who directed the 2017 and 2019 films in the saga, will return to direct the series once again, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise. Other members of the cast include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, and James Remar.
Although information is still scarce, we can expect to uncover more about the town's strange clown curse and the dark mysteries that spawned it. This will also bring a multitude of frightening experiences.
Squid Game
You're probably feeling a bit impatient. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk chose to split the season because it was too lengthy, leaving us with one major cliffhanger.
The story takes a dark turn for Seong Gi-hun, also known as player 456, as his efforts to take down the sinister forces behind the brutal game come to naught. Can he escape the clutches of fate, while former police detective Hwang Jun-ho struggles to infiltrate the game? What terrifying challenges await them in the apocalyptic final showdown?
While there is still no certain date confirmed for the release of the third and final season, it is highly probable that it will be this year, a relief for fans.
Alien: Earth
Where to stream: FX/Disney+
The project is now focusing on small-screen productions, with Noah Hawley, director of FX series 'Fargo', set to lead the way.
In this part, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) finds herself trapped on a doomed spaceship with an unwelcome visitor after responding to distress calls from a mysterious planet. As hinted at by the title, the series will take place on Earth after a spaceship carrying a life-threatening presence lands - be prepared to cover your faces.
"I have something special in store for them," Hawley said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. We can’t wait.
The Bear
Where to stream: FX/Disney+
Are you craving more blood, sweat, and hard work with exquisite culinary experiences?
Good news, because FX's Emmy-award-winning 'The Bear' has returned for a fourth part.
The Chicago-set series about a skilled chef named Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, who assumes control of his late brother's sandwich shop and transforms it into an upscale restaurant, is a complex blend of intense drama and touching moments that showcases how a passion can sometimes lead to self-disruption.
Although Season 3 received mixed reviews, it continues to be one of the most daring and innovative TV shows, consistently coming up with exceptional episodes, such as "Review" (shot in a single continuous take), like Season 1's episode, and Ayo Edebiri’s remarkable directorial debut in season 3 from "Napkins".
As Carmy's relationships with his ex-girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon) and cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) remain uncertain, and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) ponders a new path in life, many questions still await answers. We hope you're ready for a serving of intense emotional turmoil.
Black Mirror
Where to stream: Netflix
This is the show that fills us with deep, dark foreboding - and becomes disturbingly more believable with each passing year.
The acclaimed satirical television show by Charlie Brooker is coming back with a seventh season that consists of six episodes, two of which are reportedly full-length. The show boasts an impressive ensemble cast, which includes notable actors like Awkwafina, Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, Peter Capaldi, Rashida Jones, Cristin Milioti, and Chris O'Dowd.
Speaking at Netflix's Tudum event, Brooker said: "It's back to basics in many ways. They're all sci-fi stories, but there are undoubtedly some frightening events that take place. However, these may not be depicted as overtly frightening in a traditional horror movie way. There is certainly disturbing content in it."
We would anticipate nothing less.
And Just Like That
.Continuing to follow the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) in New York as they navigate relationships, identity, and loss as women in their 50s. It's as vapid and ridiculous as it is engaging and soothing - one can almost wish for such problems, despite the reality that money is no constraint.
Currently, there are reports that the character Che Diaz, played by Sara Ramirez, will not be returning, which is unfortunate since their chemistry with Miranda did improve over time.
Samantha Kim Cattrall will also not make a cameo appearance this time around.
In a recent talk with Warner Bros. Discover Upfronts presentation last year, Sarah Jessica Parker stated: “It’s time for [Carrie] to commit more to being the relevant person she wants to be. So, what does that mean, and where might that take a person? A particular role, Aidan, plays an important part in coming to that understanding.”
That's all, folks! And by 2026, if you miss out on great TV, it's clear you're not watching enough!
Which shows are you most looking forward to? Let us know - and in the meantime, stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our ongoing previews that give you a glimpse of the exciting films, books, music, fashion, and art coming your way in 2025.
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