Aliens, evil clowns and Demogorgons: The best TV shows arriving in 2025

arrive at once.

Including 'The Penguin', 'True Detective: Night Country' and 'Baby Reindeer', the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023 led to a large number of the most eagerly-awaited shows being put back until this time.

From 'Stranger Things' to 'The Last of Us' to 'Yellowjackets', the sheer quantity of new TV shows coming up is becoming a bit too much to handle - how on earth are we going to find the time for anything else this year?!

We've narrowed it down to 16 of the ones we're most looking forward to - with special mentions going 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+), and all are set to premiere in 2025, with their exact dates still to be confirmed.

Pick up a blanket, get cosy and get ready to cheer up on a dull January day with some fantastic TV.

Severance

What if your professional recollections and personal recollections were entirely distinct? It's the ultimate wish: a facility to genuinely shut off after 5pm! Conversely, in some respects, it's a dystopian apocalypse where a company's division of the self blurs reality and enables it to conceal sinister secrets.

Meets 'The Office' style drama about a group of employees working for an enigmatic company called Lumon. Adam Scott plays Mark, a former history lecturer who agreed to the memory procedure after being consumed by grief following the loss of his spouse. In season 1, he teams up with colleagues Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry) and Irving (John Turturro) to uncover the true nature of the company.

It’s been a lengthy wait to get answers, but let’s hope they arrive in time before things end of period.

The Night Agent

Where to stream: Netflix

As a result of clocking up more than 812 hours of total viewing time, it's no great shock we're getting a second series of 'The Night Agent'.

A gripping and suspenseful crime thriller, it follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) and his tech-savvy partner Rose (Luciane Buchanan) as they become embroiled in a series of complex government conspiracies. Having saved the President in season 1, this time Sutherland is tasked with tracking down a mole within the CIA. There's no break in the action for the Night Agent team.

Yellowjackets

The BAFTA-nominated thriller about a high school girls' football team that survived a plane crash is returning for a third series. Alternating between the past and present, it explores how trauma has influenced the main characters, steadily unveiling the unpleasant truths (and cannibalistic terrors) that are hidden deep within their memories.

Featuring a star-studded cast including Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, and newcomer Hilary Swank, this latest series is set to focus on the young girls' reintegration into society following their rescue from the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash.

Ashley Lyle, one of the show's co-creators, told Entertainment Weekly: “What we see is a continuation of some of the tensions and resentments that were brewing in season 2. These really play a significant part in how the girls continue to interact this season.”

The White Lotus

The portrayal of excessively wealthy individuals has had a great deal of attention recently.

This series is centred around a luxurious White Lotus resort and its secretive guests in Thailand. Belinda Lindsey, who managed the hotel spa in season one, is back, along with a big cast of new characters including Jason Isaacs, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Dom Hetrakul, Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Lisa Manobal, member of the renowned K-pop group Blackpink.

While it appears to be impossible to surpass the frantic antics of season two's conclusion, White revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the new season is "going to be longer, bigger, crazier."

Zero Day

Release date: 20 February

- but never a TV series. This is set to change, with a leading role for him in Netflix's upcoming political thriller about a highly respected and straight-talking former US President who is tasked with leading an investigation into a catastrophic nationwide cyberattack.

The show's co-creator, Noah Oppenheim, told Tudum that it "also examines the cost of power for those who are asked to take on these tremendous challenges - what it means for them individually, and what it means for their families."

Daredevil: Born Again

Release date: 4 March

Where to stream: Disney+

The long-awaited sequel to Netflix's popular 'Daredevil' series, 'Daredevil: Born Again', will be broadcast in two 9-episode parts on Disney+.

We're returning to the Marvel comic book universe of Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox), who developed extraordinary senses after being blinded by a chemical accident while still a child.

Due to the series now being available on Disney, which owns the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we can likely look forward to seeing a much broader range of crossover characters appearing. It is also set to be (once again) fairly violent, with Brad Winderbaum, head of TV and streaming at Marvel Studios, stating: "Some of the most intense action we've ever brought to the screen is coming in 'Daredevil: Born Again', which isn't a horror series, but it packs a significant amount of power and features a lot of physical action."

The Studio

Release date: 26 March

In an era of streaming and frankly underwhelming movies, the conflicts between commercial profit and artistic license have never been more pronounced for filmmakers.

A send-up of this is a new satirical comedy from writer, director and actor Seth Rogen, who stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of the fictional 'Continental Studios'. Taking on the frenzied and egotistical absurdity at the heart of Hollywood, it's both a satirical take and an insider's look at what goes on behind the scenes when trying to (hopelessly) please everyone at the expense of artistic honour.

Martin Scorsese, along with other notable stars such as Catherine O'Hara, Bryan Cranston and Kathryn Hahn, stars in a movie that will make you grateful for a straightforward 9 to 5 job.

Stranger Things

It's astounding to think it's nearly a decade since 'Stranger Things' launched on Netflix back in 2016.

Located in the 1980s in Hawkins, a small town in Indiana, a group of youngsters stumble upon a gateway to 'the upside down' after one of their companions goes missing, a realm where the Demogorgons, Mind Flayers, and government cover-ups become apparent.

- of a generation.

On Stranger Things Day (6 November), Netflix also released the titles of all eight episodes, with the finale being titled 'The Rightside Up' - or so one hopes that means a happy ending and the residents of Hawkins can now enjoy some well deserved peace.

The Last of Us

Release date: April 2025

It's the show that broke the mould of failed video game adaptations, based on Naughty Dog's influential post-apocalyptic franchise.

Set in a world devastated by a mutated fungus called Cordyceps that turns people into violent zombies, season one reached a dramatic climax with Joel (Pedro Pascal) extricating teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who possesses a rare immunity to the disease, after the rebel Fireflies resistance had a sudden change of heart and turned against her.

Plots, it's a highly engaging television that accurately reflected the mood of a world that was still recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Season 2 begins four years after Ellie's story, now, with her and her partner Dina (Shannon Woodward) undertaking a journey through Seattle, seeking vengeance against those who assaulted her.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The 'Game of Thrones' finale may have left many fans feeling underwhelmed, but George R.R. Martin's vast fantasy world still has plenty more to offer in the form of a brand-new spin-off show titled 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

This adaptation is based on Martin's book 'Fire & Blood', but uses material from his 'Dunk & Egg' novellas. It takes place almost a century before the events of 'Game of Thrones' and focuses on Ser Duncan the Bold (Peter Dammoch) and his squire, Egg (Ron Donachie).

Unfortunately, dragons don't make an appearance - they've become extinct, after all - but this, combined with the show's modest budget and relatively short running time, suggests a programme that focuses more on the characters and personal stories rather than grand spectacles.

IT: Welcome to Derry

Where to stream: HBO and Max.

The 1990s TV adaptation of Stephen King's frighteningly scary clown novel 'IT' is a chilling memory for those who experienced it as children. Unfortunately, for those with a fear of clowns, it's due for a comeback to British screens.

Set in the fictional American town of Derry during the 1960s, the four-part series is an origins story for Pennywise the Clown, a shape-shifting alien that feeds on terror. Andy Muschietti, who previously directed the 2017 and 2019 films in the horror franchise, will once again be at the helm, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise. Other cast members include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo and James Remar.

While the facts are still unclear, we're likely to get more information about the town's clown curse and the mysterious secrets that led to it. Plus a whole lot of frights ahead.

Squid Game

You're probably feeling a bit miffed right now. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has decided to split the season because it's just too bloomin' long, leaving us on a right old cliffhanger.

Things didn't quite end on a high note for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-ae) - or 456 as he was nicknamed. Poorly, he kept hitting a brick wall in his efforts to take down those masterminds behind the bloodlust games. Will he manage to escape? Will former detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) make it in and find a way out? And what, for goodness' sake, will the final countdown entail?!

There's still no concrete date announced for when we'll get the third and final series, but it's looking increasingly probable to be in the current year.

Alien: Earth

Where to stream: FX/Disney+

They are now tackling the small screen, with Noah Hawley, the director of the film-inspired FX series 'Fargo', due to lead this project.

, in which Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is stuck aboard a doomed spaceship with an unwanted guest after investigating distress signals from a mysterious planet. As the title suggests, the series will be set on Earth after a space vessel lands containing something life-threatening - shield your faces.

"I think I'm going to give them something extra special," 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, tears, and a delightful dining experience?

Good, as FX's Emmy-winning 'The Bear' is back for a fourth season.

This Chicago-set show follows a skilled chef called Carmy (played by Jeremy Allen White), who takes over his late brother's sandwich shop and transforms it into a high-end restaurant. The show is a complex mix of emotional intensity and heartfelt moments, showing how passion and dedication can tip into self-undoing.

Although its third season was met with mixed reviews, it is still one of the most innovative and daring TV programmes that consistently delivers exceptional episodes, including "Review" from season one (which was filmed in a single take) and "Napkins", the notable directorial debut of Ayo Edebiri in season three.

As Carmy's relationships with his ex-girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon) and his cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) hang in the balance, and his friend Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) considers a new path, there's a lot to look forward to. We hope your hunger for emotionally charged drama is good and strong.

Black Mirror

Where to stream: Netflix

It's the programme that gets everyone feeling a deep, ominous sense of foreboding - and becomes increasingly unsettling in accuracy each successive year.

Charlie Brooker's sharp-elbowed satirical anthology show is coming back for its seventh run, comprising six episodes, two of which are said to be feature-length. Joining the usual star-studded ensemble are Awkwafina, Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, Peter Capaldi, Rashida Jones, Cristin Milioti, and Chris O'Dowd - to mention just a few!

Speaking on it at the Netflix's Tudum event, Brooker said: "It's getting back to basics in many ways. They're all sci-fi stories, but there's certainly some terrifying occurrences, but perhaps not in an overt horror movie way. There's certainly some disturbing content within it."

We wouldn't be surprised by that.

And Just Like That

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Following the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) in New York City, they continue to navigate the complexities of relationships, identity, and dealing with loss as they enter middle age, navigating this latest chapter of their lives with wit, charm, and confidence – albeit surrounded by the luxurious and lighthearted trappings of high society.

Meanwhile, it appears that the character Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) will not be returning - a disappointment as we'd grown to like them once the chemistry-free relationship with Miranda finally came to an end.

Samantha (played by Kim Cattrall) will not be making a returning appearance this time around either.

In an interview with Warner Bros. Discover Upfronts presentation last year, Sarah Jessica Parker stated: “It’s time for Carrie to commit more to being the character she wants to be relevant as. So, what does that mean, and where might that lead for the person in question? Aidan plays a somewhat significant part in the answer to that particular query.”

That's it for now! And if you won't have got those fixed, round eyes that are glued to the screen by 2026, you're obviously not watching enough fantastic television.

What shows are you most looking forward to? Let us know - and in the meantime, stay tuned to Vivid BulletinCulture for our ongoing 2025 previews that look ahead to the films, books, music, fashion and art we're most excited about.