Here are the 25 TV series released in 2025 that received the highest Metacritic scores, the industry's leading review aggregation site for film, television, and video games. This isn't a ranking in the traditional sense, but a snapshot of the collective tastes of the international critical press, not those of individual reviewers.
How we grouped the data:
- releases are arranged from top to bottom, from highest score to lowest, and in alphabetical order;
- the data is current as of early January 2026. As more reviews appear, the ranking may change;
- only series with at least 6 reviews were included. The only exception was “Asura”, which currently has 5 reviews;
- we also recommend checking out the best series of 2023 and 2024.
Andor — 92 points (Disney+ / season 2)
Genre: science fiction, adventure, drama
Why it stands out: during the height of the Empire, several brave warriors create the Resistance. Starring Diego Luna.
Adolescence — 91 points (Netflix / miniseries)
Genre: drama, crime
Why it stands out: a family’s world is turned upside down when their 13-year-old son is accused of murdering a classmate. Starring Stephen Graham.
Hacks — 91 points (Max / season 4)
Genre: drama, comedy
Why it stands out: an aging stand-up comedian hires a young writer to liven up her bored audience. Starring Jean Smart.
Long Story Short — 89 points (Netflix / season 1)
Genre: animated series, comedy
Why it stands out: a troubled family annoys one another for decades, but with each passing year it only brings them closer together.
Asura — 89 points (Netflix / miniseries)
Genre: drama
Why it stands out: four sisters gather together when one of them begins to suspect that their elderly father has been leading a double life for many years. Hirokazu Kore-eda directed every episode.
The Righteous Gemstones — 89 points (HBO / season 4)
Genre: drama, comedy
Why it stands out: outside the TV studio, pious televangelists turn out to be shady show-business sharks. Starring John Goodman.
The Rehearsal — 88 points (Max / season 2)
Genre: documentary, comedy
Why it stands out: the host helps ordinary people prepare for important events by creating complex simulations in which the boundaries between script and life become blurred.
Pluribus — 87 points (Apple TV+ / season 1)
Genre: science fiction, drama
Why it stands out: the unhappiest woman on Earth suddenly becomes the last hope of a humanity intoxicated by happiness.
Severance — 87 points (Apple TV+ / season 2)
Genre: thriller, drama, mystery
Why it stands out: employees of a mysterious company agree to separate their personal lives and work through high-tech memory filtering.
The Lowdown — 86 points (FX / season 1)
Genre: drama
Why it stands out: a journalist exposes influential people, but one day this leads to a mysterious death in a powerful family. Starring Ethan Hawke.
Alien: Earth — 85 points (FX / season 1)
Genre: horror, science fiction
Why it stands out: after a spaceship crashes, humanity encounters an ancient cosmic threat that may become its end (see our piece).
The Diplomat — 84 points (Netflix / season 3)
Genre: thriller, drama, comedy
Why it stands out: an experienced diplomat receives a promotion in the midst of an international crisis, bringing chaos into her work and personal relationships.
Mr. Scorsese — 84 points (Apple TV+ / miniseries)
Genre: documentary
Why it stands out: a deep dive into Martin Scorsese’s archives, revealing secrets about how his lived experiences shaped his art.
Forever — 84 points (Netflix / season 1)
Genre: drama, romance
Why it stands out: high school students from Los Angeles experience real love for the first time against the backdrop of a coming-of-age period that is not always easy.
Dark Winds — 84 points (AMC / season 3)
Genre: thriller, drama, mystery
Why it stands out: in the 1970s, police officers on Navajo territory face crimes that challenge their faith and reveal dark Native American secrets.
Ballard — 83 points (Prime Video / season 1)
Genre: crime
Why it stands out: a detective takes on long-frozen cases and uncovers a corruption conspiracy inside the police department. A spin-off of “Bosch”.
Mythic Quest — 83 points (Apple TV+ / season 4)
Genre: comedy
Why it stands out: the developers of a multiplayer RPG, buoyed by unexpected success, make grand plans and stumble into new problems.
Mo — 83 points (Netflix / season 2)
Genre: comedy
Why it stands out: a Palestinian refugee in the United States maneuvers between two cultures, three languages, and a ton of nonsense that has fallen on his head.
Foundation — 83 points (Apple TV+ / season 3)
Genre: science fiction, drama
Why it stands out: a sci-fi saga about people scattered across distant planets and living under the oppression of the Galactic Empire.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North — 83 points (Prime Video / miniseries)
Genre: romance, war
Why it stands out: an elderly doctor recalls his participation in World War II and his contradictory actions during that time.
Dying for Sex — 83 points (Hulu / miniseries)
Genre: drama
Why it stands out: after learning of a terrible diagnosis and her impending death, a woman leaves her husband and sets off on a bold journey through the world of her own sexuality.
Pee-wee as Himself — 82 points (HBO / miniseries)
Genre: documentary
Why it stands out: the story of comedian Paul Reubens, who was known not only for his humor, but also for a series of controversial actions.
The Chair Company — 82 points (HBO / season 1)
Genre: comedy
Why it stands out: after a humiliating incident at work, an office clerk begins an investigation and encounters a corporate conspiracy. Starring Tim Robinson.
Toxic Town — 82 points (Netflix / season 1)
Genre: drama
Why it stands out: in a British town located near a steel plant, children with abnormalities are born almost simultaneously. Their mothers then set out in search of justice.
King of the Hill — 82 points (Hulu / season 14)
Genre: animated series, drama, comedy
Why it stands out: the family of an ordinary propane salesman from Texas faces the new realities of modern life.
See you next year!
