By Dan Skip Allen

I see a lot of films, and that takes up quite a bit of my time during the course of the year, but I try to see a lot of television/streaming series as well. I’ve seen over fifty shows this year, and a lot of them were second or further seasons. Occasionally, I got to see a new show, though. My list is mixed with all kinds of series from pop-culture shows and major IPs to newer, more heartfelt series. A few of these have even appeared on past lists on the best television/streaming shows. All of these are incredible shows, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who loves them this much. These are just the ones that meant the most to me in 2025.

Honorable Mentions:

Monster: Ed Gien (Netflix), The Rainmaker (The USA Network) American Primeval (Netflix), Peacemaker Season 2 (HBO Max), The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO Max), Sandman (Netflix), The Pitt (HBO Max), The Four Seasons (Netflix), Bosch: Legacy Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video), Wheel Of Time Season 3, Long Bright River (Peacock), Reacher Season 3 (Amazon Prime Video),Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV +), The Lowdown (FX/Hulu), Chad Powers (FX/Hulu), Only Murders in the Building Season 5 (FX/Hulu), Ballard (Amazon Prime Video)

Hal & Harper (Mubi)

4.2/5 Letterboxd 94% Rotten Tomatoes

Hal and Harper and dad chart the evolution of their family.

10: “Hal & Harper” is one of the most heartfelt and heartwarming shows I saw all year. I heard good things about it coming out of the Sundance Film Festival last year, but I had to wait a while to finally see it. It was worth the wait. Cooper Raiff is the genius behind this show. It’s based on his idea, and I absolutely loved what he came up with. He is the writer, director, and one of its stars. That Triple duty for this young, talented man behind the Sundance hit “Cha Cha Real Smooth” from a couple of years ago. This series also stars Lili Reinhart and Mark Ruffalo. They are both phenomenal in their respective roles. The supporting cast, including Alyah Chanelle Scott Havana Rose Liu and Addison Timlin, is also very good. Despite the non-linear narrative and crazy style, Raiff created this story, and it had me in tears more than once. This was as realistic as a portrayal of a brother/sister dynamic as I’ve ever seen. The relationship with their father was also well written in the context of the show. Raiff is a talented man, and I can’t wait to see what he does next. This show is one everybody needs to see even though it’s on Mubi. I have rarely seen one so emotional as this one is. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

9: Daredevil: Born Again P1 (Disney+)

8.1/10 IMDB           87% Rotten Tomatoes

Matt Murdock finds himself on a collision course with Wilson Fisk when their past identities begin to emerge.

Ever since I saw “Daredevil” on Netflix, I knew that that iteration of the character of Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox) was one I wanted to see a lot more of. When I heard it was going to be brought back almost exactly like the Netflix version of the character on Disney + adapting one of the best stories from the comics “Born Again” I was very excited. It’s considered to be the best story about this character and his arch nemesis Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) that has been created. In that case, it was a highly acclaimed comic book series from Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, and Claus Janssen. This show adapts elements of that story and infuses other aspects I wasn’t expecting. The supporting cast, including Debra Ann Wahl, Jon Bernthall, Wilson Bethel, and Hunter Doohan, are all terrific opposite Cox and D’ Onofrio who are the absolute standouts in this series. This was the version I had imagined when I heard the character was being picked up by Disney and implemented into the MCU. This was only half the story, so I can’t wait for the second half of this story in 2026. I’m sure it’ll be as hard-hitting and action-packed as these nine episodes were.

8: It: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max)

8/10 IMDB               80% Rotten Tomatoes

Following the events in the 1960s, the time leading up to the events of the first film in the Stephen King “It” series.

Admittedly, I wasn’t super excited for “It: Welcome to Derry” as I was for the two films that spawned this series from the director of the It films Andy Muchietti. I ended up liking the series quite a bit, though. The writers developed a back story for Derry, Maine, and the “It” franchise that was very interesting and very intriguing to follow along with. The cast was quite extensive and included a lot of kids and adults, but everyone had their moments to shine. The production design, costumes and makeup, & and hairstyling are all exceptionally done. I came to this show wanting to see horror aspects, and that’s what I got. Especially with episode eight when Pennywise the Clown finally showed up played by none other than Bill Skarsgard. I was freaked out more times than I could count by the visual effects that brought this scary clown to life. It was the people in the show I cared about the most. Especially the kids. They kept me engaged from the beginning to the end of this series. Muchietti and company took another horror IP and made it a fantastic television series similar to “Alien/Earth”. I’m glad it was as good as it was.

7: Adolescence (Netflix)

4.1/5 Letterboxd                     8.1/10 IMDB

A family’s world turns upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller is arrested for murdering a schoolmate: the charges against their son force them to confront every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Adolescence” hit me pretty hard. It starts right out of the gate with the revelation that this thirteen year old boy, Jamie (Owen Cooper), was being arrested for murder. That’s enough to shock anybody. As episode one progresses, you see who was murdered and how this young man and his father Eddie (Stephen Graham) reacted to the evidence the police detectives have against him. The other episode is to learn about this boy and his father. Where did he get this anger from and their mindset? We are all susceptible to our own jeans. Meaning who we are is based on our parents and / or grandparents. I am a clear result of this myself so I can attest to what transpires in this short but very powerful series. The style was that of a no edits style like in “Birdman” and “1917”. That was surprising at first, but I went along with it once I knew what the writers/directors were going for. The supporting cast, including Erin Doherty, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsa, and Christine Demarco, are all fantastic. This was a very realistic story that is more relevant today than it would have been in years past. I was in complete awe the entire time I watched this show, and that’s why it is on my best of the year list. 

6: Mr. Scorsese (AppleTV +)

8.6/10 IMDB 4.2/5 Letterboxd 98% Rotten Tomatoes

Examining how Scorsese’s colourful life experiences informed his artistic vision, as each film he made stunned the world with originality; earliest experiences and the themes that have fascinated Scorsese.

I have said many times in my lifetime that Martin Scorsese is my favorite film director. I’ve been watching his films since I was 5 years old. “Mr Scorsese “ delves into this man’s career from the very beginning. With the man himself, Marty tells viewers how his career got started and how each of his movies from the awards Contenders like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull to the few documentaries he made. He was a huge music fan, as evident with the soundtracks in his films. The documentary also explored this man’s struggles with substance abuse and his many marriages he had. Like a lot of great documentaries, this one has quite a bit of talking heads from his previous actors like Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio to film critics and film historians. They are all waxing poetic about this man’s career. Archival footage is another key as to why this docu-series is so good. A lot of photos and interviews from the past are combined with Scorsese doing his work as a director. These are many of the reasons why this series is so good, but my personal reason why I love it so much and why it’s on this list is because I got to see who this man was behind the camera and how so many people adore him as much as I do. I’m excited for his next films when and if there are any, but I’m glad I got to see the one I did all of these years. 

5: Wednesday Season 2 (Netflix)

8/10 IMDB.                80% Rotten Tomatoes

While attending Nevermore Academy, Wednesday Addams attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a killing spree and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago.

“Wednesday” Season was led once again by Tim Burton and Miles Miller & Alfred Gough.Together, this trio brought Wednesday Adams (Jenna Ortega) to a new generation of fan.. They all added their unique talents, whether it be directing or writing. They gave me another Season of angst and adventures with Wednesday and her friends and classmates Enid (Emma Myers) Xavier (Percy Hynes White) Bianca (Jo Sunday) Ajax (Georgie Farmer) and Tyler (Hunter Doohan). Along with her family, Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), Thing (Victor Dorabantu), Gomez (Luis Guzman), and Morticia Addams (Cathrine Zeta Jones). They faced off against some interesting and crazy villains that kept this season going in new and crazy directions.  This show reminds me of a darker, more goth version of Harry Potter. Burton’s style is all over this series from the production design,costumes, makeup, and hairstyling and score from Danny Elfman. All of these elements combined to make Season Two of Wednesday clearly one of my favorite shows of the year. I am so excited for Season 3, which is already in production and should be on Netflix this year, hopefully. 

4: The Studio (AppleTV +)

8.1/10 IMDB             93% Rotten Tomatoes

Matt Remick is the newly appointed head of Continental Studios; desperate for celebrity approval, he and his executive team at the movie studio must juggle corporate demands with creative ambitions as they try to keep movies alive and relevant.

As a cinephile and massive film aficionado, I am still fascinated by the ins and outs of Hollywood and how movies are made, and greenlit. The behind the scenes of moviemaking have always intrigued me to no end. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have taken that fascination and thrown it out the window with their hilarious take on the behind the scenes of moviemaking and producing films. They have loaded this short but delightfully humorous series with funny cameos from directors like Martin Scorsese & Ron Howard as well as actors like Dave Franco, Anthony Mackie, and Zoe Kravitz. The supporting cast, including Brian Cranston, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barenholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders, are all fantastic. If it weren’t Rogen though “The Studio” wouldn’t work so well. He infused it with all the knowledge he has about the business and cliches that are attributed to the movie business. Each episode of the series has a unique spin on the funny tropes the movie business has been known for. Each episode has had me laughing profusely. The two part conclusion was executed perfectly in every way. It’s the funniest sitcom I’ve seen in many years. And truly shows what you can do when you have great people behind a great idea. I can’t wait for Season 2 of this show. Seven Emmy wins proves me right and why it has gotten greenlit for Season 2.

3: Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix)

8.6 IMDB.                  83% Rotten Tomatoes

In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries.

I’ve said it many times over the years, but ever since the beginning of “Stranger Things” premiered in 2016, I have loved this series. It’s everything I love about great television/ streaming shows.They are all about great characters, writing, direction, and an interesting concept. It was going to be hard for The Duffer Brothers to outdo themselves after Season 3 & 4 of this phenomenal show, but they’ve done that with Season 5. There were going to be a lot of subplots to tie up, but they’ve done that. They established a great television/streaming villain, and now they’ve had a knockout dragon fight to the finish to destroy him, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), and saved the world as they know it. As a nostalgic guy, I was so glad they set the series in the 80s within the kids on  bikes genre. It was one of my favorites of that era. The group of core characters such as Eleven/Jane (Millie Bobbie Brown) Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) Mike (Finn Wolfhard) Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) and many more are so iconic by now. The indelible mark they have left on pop culture is something that can not be misunderstood.  Season 5 builds on that legacy this series has left and has stamped it as the greatest show in the history of Netflix and one of, if not, the greatest shows of all time. 

2: Alien: Earth (Hulu/FX)

7.2/10 IMDB.        94% Rotten Tomatoes

In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. Cyborgs and synthetics exist alongside humans, but the game is changed when the Prodigy Corporation unlocks hybrids. The first hybrid prototype named Wendy marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms, which are more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.

I have always told people that the two scariest movies I have ever seen are “Alien” and “Aliens”. Not as much anymore, but the later films in the franchise have taken that mantle. I have always been scared by the “Aliens” films. Fast forward to the present day with the new Alien: Earth series from writer/director Noah Hawley, and I was scared out of my mind once again. Hawley brought fans of this franchise like myself into this world on a deeper level. By a confluence of events, a ship in space crashed into a Waylon Utani building on Earth. Hence, the Earth part of the title. The series has quite a few characters played by many actors like Timothy Olyphant, Samuel Blankin, Bayou Ceesay, Erana James, and Richa Moorjani, but Sydney Chandler as Wendy is the real star of the show. She was a revelation in this sci/fi series.  Even though there was a lot of blood and gore as “Aliens” films have, there is also a lot of character stuff that makes the show so good. With any great show based on an IP like this or not, there has to be an emotional connection. This series has that, and that’s why I loved it so much. The technical aspects of the series are also fantastic. The production design, cinematography, score, and other aspects of the show are so good. It also has all of the Aliens lore and Xenomorph action fans of this franchise love. I loved it as well.That’s why it’s one of my favorite shows of 2025.

1: Andor Season 2 (Disney+)

8.6 IMDB.                100% Rotten Tomatoes

The story of Rebel spy Cassian Andor’s formative years of the Rebellion and his difficult missions for the cause.

I’ve been a fan of Star Wars ever since I saw The Empire Strikes Back as a 6 year old in theaters. It was one of the most transformative experiences in my entire life. Star Wars has always been a constant in my life. I just fell out of love with the franchise because of the last trilogy of the Skywalker Saga. In-between those films was a little movie called “Rogue One”. It was about stealing the Deathstar plans. Even though Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) wasn’t the main character in the film, he was the most fascinating to me after I finished watching it. I was so glad Lucasfilm decided to spin him off into his own series. I absolutely loved season one of Andor, but season two brought the character and series full circle for me. The supporting cast from Stellan Skarsgard, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Adria Arjona, to name a handful, were all fantastic in their respective roles. The direction, by Tony Gilroy, production design, costumes, and cinematography were phenomenal, though. This show was as cinematic as I’ve ever seen before. I genuinely felt I was watching a Star Wars film. The drama, intrigue, suspense, and storytelling had me hooked from the very beginning. Season 2 of this show was the perfect conclusion and glue that tied it to “Rogue One.” I have seen a lot of television and streaming shows this past year, but none of them have captured my heart like “Andor” Season 2 has. I want to see more Star Wars like this. On this scale and quality. This is Star Wars for me.