From 2005-2013 and 2017-2020, I punctuated each year with an ever increasingly complex Best-Of List. In 2021, I returned to the weekly blogging with FTCH. The fact is that I watch things, read things, and eat things, and above all, I love making lists. Over three weeks (see last week for Best of Movies), I’ll pull from a year’s worth of notes and spreadsheet entries to put together a personal summary of my disjointed 2025 experience.
BEST OF TV/STREAMING 2025
If I thought that the Best of Movie lists were difficult, that was just a walk in the park. These series are culled from cable television and just about every streaming service of note (only exception being a series I know would make the list but I don’t have MGM+). In fairness, I’m including shows where I may only have a sampling but haven’t finished the series yet. There’s no good way to keep track of everything new coming out and I feel like while I’m putting this list together they probably just released five new quality series.
Best Show of 2022: Better Call Saul (AMC).
Best Show of 2023: The Bear (FX)
Best Show of 2024: Bad Monkey (AppleTV+)
BEST SHOWS OF 2025
1. Severance (Apple TV+): The second season was challenging. The duplicate lives and memories of the innies in the outies’ world got confusing at times. There just aren’t any better show premises out there. The cinematography, use of music, and casting are all some of the best out there. I can pick at some of the scripts and pacing, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t the show that I look forward to the most each week. That’s ultimately the best way for me to judge how much a show means to me. In the forest of shows that debut each week, is there a show you want to watch and talk about with others? This is that show for me.
Buy Severance: Season 12. The Bear (Hulu) (2024 #7): I rank this show much higher than most people. There’s something about the production, acting, and setting that speaks to me. The struggles this season felt more real than the previous season. We are talking about family and redemption now. There’s a heart to this show that I can’t put my finger on, and I cherish each episode.
3. The Rehearsal (HBO): I was unsure what to do about this show. I generally don’t put documentaries or reality shows on my list. Somehow this is and isn’t one of those all at the same time. The first season was certainly just a practice session for the craziness of Nathan Fielder becoming a pilot and making a serious push for improving flight safety. There is not a show I can think of where the pathway is less clear from episode to episode.
4. The Chair Company (HBO): Tim Robinson is having a good year. He was brilliant in Friendship and this conspiracy-ridden show is in some ways a longer burn of that same type of character. The string of decisions that keep leading him further are cringeworthy and hilarious. I’m amazed and excited that this has been renewed for a second season.
5. Stranger Things (Netflix): I thought that too much time had passed between seasons. I thought that the strength of this show had passed into oblivion. We are four episodes into the new season, and I’m back on board as much as I was in all but the first season. I understand the folks who have bailed on the show, I get that lack of viewing continuity. When years from now, someone watches this at their own pace, I think it will regain some of what it has lost.
6. IT: Welcome To Derry (HBO): I would have hoped/predicted that this was going to be my #1 show of the year. It was a good year for Stephen King’s Constant Readers. I still have to finish the last few episodes of this season, but I feel comfortable with this ranking. I think it succeeds, much like the book, when the horror exposes the deeper underbelly of the town, as symbol of everyday America. The fact that they didn’t skimp on the production values also keeps this highly ranked.
7. The Righteous Gemstones (HBO): The final season started with a Civil War flashback episode, and I really worried where this was headed. It turned out that they were going out with a bang and they did. I don’t know that I would call it a “satisfying” finale, but you have to admit that they gave us everything and the kitchen sink before calling it quits. Well played, Gemstones.
8. Alien: Earth (Hulu): Taking a movie property and translating it to television is almost as old as television. What’s changed is that these shows are now an expansion of the Universe of the film and not just a rehash with a lesser group of actors (all apologies to the wonderful cast of M*A*S*H). This show took the franchise and expanded it in ways that make logical sense (although some of the world in the show was confusing to understand). I expect that we’ll see more like this in the near future from unexpected source material.
9. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) (2024 #8): I’ve only dipped my foot into the new season. With enough seasons built up, I think it’s fair to assume this show keeps the same quality we’ve seen the past few years I know it’s time for the series to come to an end, but when you love a cast so much, it’s hard to say goodbye.
10. St. Denis Medical (Peacock) (2024 #8): It’s the exception and not the rule any longer, but I like that there is at least one traditional linear television show on my list. It’s a throwback show, if you consider something can be a throwback to 2009. The sitcom lives in the shadow of The Office crossed with Scrubs and I find enjoyment in having it in my rotation. Don’t expect full belly laughs each week, but sometimes just having a smile is enough for 24 minutes of my time.
11. The White Lotus (HBO): The third season was a little bit of a drop in quality, but the show makes the list for the first time, since it’s the first season that I actually watched as it happened. As a satire of the upper class, this show is undefeated for each season. The acting choices are superior. I just wonder how often they can go back to the well. Three times seems like enough.
12. Poker Face (Peacock): I love this show. Everyone knows I love this show. So why isn’t it ranked higher up this list? I think I’m just mourning the cancellation of the show. I think the latest season came with expectations after such a long break between seasons. It mostly lived up to them, telling some unique stories and breaking out of the Columbo mode for many episodes. If there was another season to look forward to, I assume this would be a Top Five show.
13. Bob’s Burgers (2024 #12): It’s been a long strange trip for Animation Domination the past few years. The Simpsons are still out there and I watch almost every single episode. I’m entertained but I also don’t feel the need to pay complete attention. Family Guy doesn’t get the respect and it even was moved out of Sunday to a weeknight. Futurama and King of the Hill appeared on streaming again this year. The one remaining show after 15 years that I still want to watch on Sunday night, and the one that I still quote to family members a season or two later is Bob’s Burgers. It is a dependable laugh and deserves this bonus spot on the list.
A quick list of older shows that also played well in 2024 for me include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Spaced, and All in the Family.
This next list is where I usually take it in the shorts. Don’t “I can’t believe . . . ” @ me, bro. I already watch so many shows and I fully realize that some of them are Big Brother and Survivor but there are only so many hours in a day. This list is made up of shows on my radar, and they are often just one long weekend away from getting started.
I did a much better job at working through some of the shows from last year’s list. I started and finished Somebody Somewhere (HBO), Day of the Jackal (Peacook), and We Are Lady Parts (Peacock). Those three would have made last year’s Best Of list and all three might rank in my Top 100 of all-time. I got a good start on some others like The Diplomat (Netflix), A Man on the Inside (Netflix) and Agatha All Along (Disney+). None are those are groundbreaking, but I’ve enjoyed them. I still want to get on 3 Body Problem (Netflix), Evil (Netflix) and Baby Reindeer (Netflix).
BEST SHOWS THAT I DON’T WATCH (YET) IN 2025
1. Pluribus (AppleTV+): You had me at Vince Gilligan. Then you moved to #1 on the list with Rhea Seehorn. I have avoided learning much more about the show other than those two participants. I know that the average Apple TV show has a bigger budget and good production values, so in the hands of Gilligan, this will probably be a show I’m talking about at this time next year.
2. Adolescence (Netflix): I didn’t get around to watching this in the spring when it came out. Now it’s going to be all over my timeline again as we hit Awards Season. This is another show that I don’t have any doubts that I will enjoy. It does feel like a show I need to pay undivided attention as I watch.
3. The Pitt (HBO): The world of hospital shows has changed significantly since E.R. (NBC). It’s impossible to tell the story of a hospital in a serious way without including the subtext of the broken healthcare system. This show looks to have a micro focus of a shorter period of time in an Emergency Room. I have no doubt it’s stressful, but it also looks to address some of the societal issues we have in this area.
4. Andor (Disney+): This is a tiny bit of a cheat. I watched the first episode only. I have already decided that it’s a really good show. What I’ve read is that it’s the best of the Star Wars shows that litter Disney+. I am planning a weekend soon to power through the series.
5. Long Story Short (Netflix) It’s from the creators of Bojack Horseman which should be enough credibility, but I didn’t hear much about it. Then other end-of-year lists started coming out, and I was reminded about it enough to go check out a trailer. Now I’m down to add it to my list. The lesson of this year is how easily it is to miss things you might really enjoy in life.
6. Such Brave Girls (Hulu): With all of the shows that debut in a year, it’s amazing that I find any when you consider how few days a show has to make an impression before the next one comes along. I don’t know much about this show other than I remember it made me smile when I saw a brief clip, and I wrote the name down with multiple stars to make sure I go back to watch it.
7. The Lowdown (Hulu): I have no excuses on this FX show. It stars Ethan Hawke and Kyle MacLachlan and somehow I didn’t understand what was happening from the print advertising. Now that I have finally watched a video trailer for the show, I’m going to get on this as soon as possible.
8. Dying for Sex (Hulu): The FX show looks similar to a string of quirky character shows that the network has run for over a decade. I’m a huge Jenny Slate fan, so I have had this on my radar since it debuted.
9. The Last of Us (HBO): For a show that everyone was talking about after Season One, the newest season seemed to come and go without a ton of feedback. I know enough about the premise of the show to understand it is right up my alley. I’m hoping that the lack of chatter wasn’t because the show falls off in Season Two.
10. The Studio (AppleTV+): Seth Rogen’s self-referential Hollywood parody looks hilarious in trailers. I’m surprised I haven’t heard much more about it since initial release.
You remember the way I like trailers almost as much as movies? Ads are even more intriguing. One, there are fewer actual old-time commercials anymore and for fewer and fewer products. Two, where do you even sit still for them anymore? For me, it’s mostly during televised sporting events or the moments before the movie starts in the theater. Once you watch a few over and over, YouTube and Google will start to deliver some quality product in your algorithm. So many ads are unimaginative and derivative. It might be Toyotathon or Lobsterfest and that’s important but not creative.
Best Ad of 2022: Gatorade “Love Means Everything.”
Best Ad of 2023: Chevrolet “A Holiday To Remember”
Best Ad of 2024: Amazon “Midnight Opus”
BEST ADS OF 2025
1. Wallace & Gromit x Barbour – “A Cracking Christmas”: You don’t realize you need Wallace & Gromit at Christmas until they gift you a brilliant 90 seconds like this one. Wallace and Gromit got each other scarves for Christmas! It’s only got a few jokes, but the characters are such a comfort that I really could watch them drinking tea by a fireside and be happy.
2. Hellmann’s Mayo – “When Sally Met Hellmann’s”: This Super Bowl ad is a little more nostalgic after the passing of Rob Reiner in December. Reuniting the cast of When Harry Met Sally to parody one of the most iconic scenes of the film is something that could easily fall apart. This is the rare case where it works thanks to the professional work by Crystal and Ryan. It also benefits from excellent cinematography.
3. The UPS Store – “Verify You Are Human”: When you think emotional holiday ads, the UPS Store might not being one of the first hundred that come to mind. This story of a man trying to find the perfect gift for his mother hits the right emotional beat on many levels including the CAPTCHA question to “verify you are human.” Capably directed by Gia Coppola.
4. Nespresso – “GC25”: This George Clooney-led parody of Murder on the Orient Express makes me want to see Clooney in an Agatha Christie adaptation. I’ve always thought of him as a Hitchcock leading man in his older years, but this funny, clever ad is entertaining.
5. Waitrose – “The Perfect Gift”: It’s impressive that a cheddar-cheese company makes the list. Comedian Joe Wilkinson and actress Keira Knightley star in an ad that’s somewhere between a commercial and a short film. Clocking in at four minutes, it’s a mini-rom-com where a woman breaks up with a man, telling him that he could only do better if he dated Knightley. It’s a fun ad and shows off a genre that should exist in theaters. I’d much rather watch these short stories than the same 60-second ads.
6. KFC x Stranger Things – “Hawkins Fried Chicken”: There were quite a few Stranger Things tie-ins throughout 2025. There were some decent efforts like Target. In the end, the best was this KFC ad which at least played out like a scene that could have been in the show. Other ads didn’t capture the style in the way that this one does. It’s a fun 90-second mini-movie.
7. Apple – “Someday”: This is five minutes of exactly what you would expect from director Spike Jonze. The ad turns into a long-form music video for AirPods 4 with two great song choices for the winter and summer scenes. Pedro Pascal is charming, and while maybe cast a little older than I’d expect for the ad, it actually works pretty well. It would have been an odd year if Apple and Nike got shut out of my Best Ads of the year.
8. John Lewis – “Tableau”: Mostly known to me for their iconic Christmas ads, they are a legit department store that advertises year around. This tribute to 100 years of British fashion caught my attention with a decent cover of “The Beat Goes On” and attention to detail as the shot moves through the park.
“9. Patreon – “Christmas Is Being Ruined”: Stavros Halkias is a solidly popular podcaster and hot off an appearance in Bugonia. I’m not 100% sure I can described what Patreon is all about, but this Santa list of complaints is hilarious (“crappucino gift cards”). Definitely not safe for work, but before the holiday is over, take a listen because Santa is pissed.
BEST TV DEBUTS OF 1975
Television in 1975 was simply ABC, CBS, and NBC. The year the western could be declared dead with the end of two long-running classics (both of which originated as radio shows), Death Valley Days (SYND) and Gunsmoke (CBS). Other shows that ended included Mannix (CBS), Adam-12 (NBC) and Ironside (NBC). Shows like Kojak (CBS), The Rookies (ABC) and Hawaii Five-O (CBS) are still going strong. In November, Sony would introduce the Betamax retailing for $2,495 to play on your state of the art 19-in. console television. The future of television will never be the same.
Best Debut of 1972: M*A*S*H (CBS)
Best Debut of 1973: Schoolhouse Rock (ABC)
Best Debut of 1974: Happy Days (ABC)
1. Barney Miller (1975-1982) (ABC): That bass hits immediately in the theme song and you know this is something special. The establishing shot of New York City with the Twin Towers told you what you needed to know. This show was a little “adult” for me as a seven-year-old when it debuted. I put this as the Best Debut because of how it took the Norman Lear formula and set it in a police precinct with a set of unique characters and a rotating cast of criminals. It was political and touching and most importantly it was funny.
Buy Barney Miller: The Complete Series2. NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1975-Present) (NBC): This is really a #1A ranking for the year. The influence it has had on comedy and television for the past 50 years is undeniable. This initial cast is strong, especially once Bill Murray is added after this season. If they weren’t as talented, this show might not have lasted 50 years. It was influential to my idea of comedy as a youth and represented a little rebellion to stay up until 1am to finish an episode on a Saturday night.
3. Space: 1999 (1975-1977) (SYND): This wasn’t great. It wasn’t even always good. What it was is a space show that was on my television over the time that Star Wars hit the big screen. I have watched the first season again this past year. I like some of the concepts, but the shows often drag out a 30-minute idea over 60 minutes. I was a little disappointed since I held this in high regard in my memories. You still can’t deny the influence it had on those of us seven- to eight-year-olds on the playground.
4. The Jeffersons (1975-1985) (CBS) / Phyllis (1975-1977) (CBS): CBS couldn’t get enough of a good thing. They had two incredible shows with Mary Tyler Moore and All in the Family and they wanted more of the same. The spin-off wasn’t a new thing but CBS made it work like very few have since. Phyllis started strong and fell off quickly, but it was a fun little series while it lasted. The Jeffersons had a huge impact on network television and paved the way for the success of The Cosby Show (NBC). I was a fan of both at the time.
5. Wonder Woman (1975-1979) (ABC/CBS): The Pilot debuted in November 1975. The series would start in 1976 and make a big splash, not just because of Lynda Carter’s beauty. We lived in an age where we would have a DC Superhero show weekly and later a Marvel Superhero show (The Incredible Hulk). I liked the World War Two-era episodes more than when they moved forward to current settings, but it was still awesome for a budding young comics fan to get a weekly dose of action.
Honorable Mention: Fawlty Towers (1975/1979) (BBC): It’s a hilarious show. I would keep them off the list normally for only having a total of 12 episodes. What I want to emphasize is that this show still airs on our local PBS station. Six hours worth of material and it airs 52 weeks a year on Saturday nights. That’s a testament to the new fans it gains each year and the folks willing to watch it over and over.
This concludes the second part of the year-end finale. Next week, we ring in the new year by celebrating all of the odds and ends that didn’t make the first two parts. Thanks for keeping your focus this far, faithful reader.
“Under my literal nose unfolded a human drama of danger and intrigue, inspiration and love.” – The Lumon Building (Severance)
Stay Hard.
