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The top 25 shows for 2025 chosen by our TV experts – from Playing Nice to Amandaland
A hit comedy finally gets a spin-off while a top BBC drama returns after nine years
IT'S a New Year and that means one thing - a whole load of new TV shows to get excited about.
Whether it's gripping dramas or hilarious comedies, there's something for everyone to enjoy in 2025.
Here's our top picks for the TV shows you need to add to your watchlists.
1. Missing You, Netflix, January 1.
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The latest adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel comes after the global hit that was Fool Me Once with Michelle Keegan at the same time last year. Indulge yourself with the similarly nail-biting thriller all about a detective who finds her partner on a dating app - a decade after he disappeared.
2. The Rig, Prime Video, January 2
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This is a sequel to the strange but intriguing sci-fi thriller set on board an oil rig starring Martin Compston as the central hero. The debut series aired in 2023 and was a huge success for Prime Video. Now most of the original cast return for a series with a seriously chilling twist.
3. Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, Sky, January 2
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Colin Firth gives what could be a career-defining performance playing Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter perished on board doomed Pan Am Flight 103. As the title suggests, the drama chronicles his tireless mission to discover why the passenger jet was blown out of the skies above the town of Lockerbie in 1988.
4. Playing Nice, ITV, January 5 and 6
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James Norton plays a father who, along with his wife played by Niamh Algar, face the ultimate nightmare of discovering the baby they brought home from hospital wasn’t theirs - and they were the victims of a terrible mix-up. But that turns out to be just the start of their ordeal, which plays out in this four-parter.
5. Celebrity Hunted, Channel 4, January 6
Furious Molly Mae hangs up the phone on Tommy Fury as she breaks down in tears in first look at her new documentary
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The catch-me-if-you-can contest is back after a two year absence, and is probably a standout option mainly because it stars controversial Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice who is paired up with fellow show pro Kai Widdrington. Other celebs taking part include Denise Welch and Blue singer Duncan James.
6. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, Netflix, January 7
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A documentary that takes a deep dive on a TV phenomenon that was once dismissed as good fun, but these days looks cruel and downright bizarre.
Jerry Springer’s TV shows were a huge hit in the US and were just as loved when they were exported to the UK, but it had a dark underbelly which is revealed here.
7. Molly-Mae Behind It All, Prime, January 17
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The Love Island star’s big split from fiance Tommy Fury was headline news in 2024, and the trailers for this snapshot of her life suggests she’ll touch on what really happened between her and the boxer. But will she spill all the beans?
It remains to be seen, but this documentary is well worth trying just to find out.
8. Severance, Apple TV+, January 17
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This dystopian thriller won huge acclaim when it was unveiled two years ago, now the second series is on its way. The sci-fi show stars Adam Scott as an employee of a fictional firm, Lumon Industries, who agrees to a “severance” program which involves his non-work memories being separated from his work memories.
9. Prime Target, Apple TV+, January 22
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Though all eyes are likely to be on Leo Woodhall when he stars in the new Bridget Jones movie next year, we’ll get a taste of the hunk in this thriller first.
He plays a maths genius on the verge of a major breakthrough that will hold the key to every computer in the world - and naturally some people want him stopped.
10. Celebrity Bear Hunt, Netflix, February 5
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Though it’s definitely trying to ape I’m A Celebrity, this imitation from Netflix is still worth a look. Not only is it fronted by Holly Willoughby and Bear Grylls, it has a sensational collection of stars trying to survive the wilds of Costa Rica.
The line-up includes Mel B, Boris Becker and Steph McGovern.
11. The White Lotus, Sky, February 17
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The steamy drama is back, finally. After its last, particularly sexy outing in Sicily with Theo James getting viewers hot under the collar, the action moves to the even hotter surroundings of Thailand.
The third, long-awaited series stars Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Aimee Lou Reed.
12. Reacher, Prime Video, February 20
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After series two became the streamer’s most-watched series in 2023, there’s no stopping Prime’s vigilante tough guy.
Alan Ritchson returns as the eponymous beefcake, who must rescue an undercover DEA informant from the clutches of a vast criminal enterprise. There, he’ll have to confront some unfinished business from his own past.
13. A Thousand Blows, Disney+, February 21
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Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight works his magic on this tale of boxing and gangsters in Victorian London.
Starring Erin Doherty and Stephen Graham, it focuses on the story of Jamaican fighter Hezekiah Moscow, played by Malachi Kirby, who has to navigate the perilous new city.
14. Amandaland, BBC One, February
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Fans of Motherland will be thrilled a slice of the sardonic comedy has lived on after the BBC confirmed its end.
This spin-off focuses on Lucy Punch’s Amanda as she tries to raise her teenagers solo after her divorce.
Joanna Lumley plays her mother Felicity and Philippa Dunne is new pal Anne. Expect the usual dry wit from the Bad Mums.
15. Dope Girls, BBC One, February
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This sexy new drama brings to life the nightclubs of London’s Soho in 1918, during a moment of sexual liberation, decadence and intoxicating glamour as women took matters into their own hands to earn themselves a living.
Single mum Kate Galloway sets up a nightspot to provide for her daughter, and enters into a life of criminal activities under the nose of the police - including Violet Davies, one of the country’s first wave of female police officers.
16. Brian and Maggie, Channel 4, February
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One of several dramas about Margaret Thatcher currently in development, only this one hones in on the sensational interview between Maggie grand inquisitor Brain Walden, just at the moment when The Iron Lady - played by Harriet Walter - was crumbling towards the end of her time in Downing Street.
17. The Night Manager, BBC One
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Anticipation is ripe for the return of the Beeb’s sexy drama after news that a second series was on its way, eight years after its debut.
Both Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Coleman will return to the roles that cemented their status on British TV, Jonathan Pine and Angela Burr, with the story once again inspired by the 1993 spy novel of the same name.
18. Real Housewives of London, Sky
With hit franchises all over America, it was only a matter of time before the Housewives phenomenon would consider a start-up in London.
The new series will feature some of the Capital’s wealthiest women and major players in showbiz, with filming to commence over the summer. Expect drama, divas and a dollop of British banter.
19. Gangs of London, Sky
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After a two-year wait, the third series of this much-loved crime show is ready for launch after the second finished on a cliffhanger when a final face-off with rival gang leader Elliot left Sean’s life hanging in the balance.
The new outing follows the gangs as chaos erupts in London after a spiked shipment of cocaine kills hundreds.
20. Protection, ITV
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Three brilliant women lead this gritty drama, which is based on the first-hand experiences of a witness protection officer and the chaos that occurs when the system breaks down.
Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran, ex-Corrie actress Katherine Kelly and Nadine Marshall navigate a murky world of moral compromise in this gripping six-parter.
21. Fear, Prime Video, Spring
A mind-bending, psychological thriller starring Martin Compston and Anjli Mohindra about a family pushed to their absolute limits.
A move from London to Glasgow turns dark when new neighbour Jan launches an intimidating attack on the family leading to them facing accusations that are a parent’s worst nightmare.
22. House of Guinness, Netflix
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Behind the famous pints of the black stuff is the fascinating, real-life family saga of the Guinness brewing family.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight explores the dynasty in both Ireland and New York following the death of patriarch Benjamin Guinness as his four children scramble for supremacy. James Norton leads the cast.
23. This City is Ours, BBC One
A big new drama led by Sean Bean, Julie Graham and James Nelson-Joyce, who play Scouse drug gang leader Ronnie Phelan, his wife Elaine and his pal Michael Kavanagh.
Set in Liverpool, it finds the group as Ronnie edges ever closer to retirement and Michael begins to imagine a life beyond organised crime - because he’s fallen in love.
24. The Last of Us, Sky Atlantic
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Pedro Pascal’s dystopian thriller rose far above the more-dubious dramas based on a video game and became a global smash hit.
He returns as anti-hero Joel Miller for series two, as his efforts to deliver Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to safety in a world where a parasitic fungal infection has devastated mankind and created infected zombies.
25. A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, ITV
The shocking true story of the last woman to be hung for murder in the UK.
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Glamorous Ruth Ellis held acclaim in 1955 as London’s youngest nightclub manager until her life careered off the tracks when she met abusive racing driver David Blakely.
This drama delves into the hidden story behind the historic legal case and the woman at its heart.
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