The 50 Best TV Shows of 2025: 50 to 41 | television

50-41

50

The last of us

(Sky Atlantic/Now) The best TV video game of all time is brought back to life with the year’s most shocking murder of a beloved character. Losing one half of the show’s central duo wasn’t easy to get over, but The Last of Us turned into a poignant meditation on grief, loss, and the pain of love left unspoken — with the addition of mushroom monsters.
What did we say: “A bold and thoughtful presentation of humans on the edge.” Read more

49

It’s all her fault

(Sky Atlantic / NOW) Is there anyone else to watch as Sarah Snook? Her performance as Marissa, whose son Milo is kidnapped when she thinks he’s on a playdate, was as absolute a force as we’ve come to expect from the Succession star. It started with the deepest fear a parent can face, before it turned into something worse: a fear orchestrated from within her inner circle. But Dakota Fanning’s ordeal as her friend Jenny, trying to navigate the constant hell and guilt of being a working mother, was also relevant and poignant. Together they deepen this thriller into something much more interesting.
What did we say: “All its faults are exquisitely executed. All the carefully planted seeds bear fruit. All the narrative cogs turn and mesh quickly and smoothly. You come for the terrifying premise and stay for the sheer fun.” Read more

48

The last musician in Auschwitz

(BBC Two/iPlayer) This extraordinary film tells the extraordinary story of 100-year-old cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, the only surviving member of the women’s orchestra at Auschwitz. First-hand testimonies – including from the stoic and candid subject himself – are combined as well as archival footage and musical performances to show the emotional turmoil of the prisoners playing beautiful music in hell, as well as small glimmers of resistance.
What did we say: “This incredibly impressive program does not allow us to forget the mountains of corpses in Auschwitz or the smell of burning corpses for a single moment, and at the same time raises questions about art and humanity that should ring in your ears for years to come.” Read more

47

Apple cider vinegar

(Netflix) A wonderful true story, beautifully told; This series depicted the rise and fall of Belle Gibson, an Australian woman who established herself as a “health expert” by falsely claiming to have cured cancer through nutritional tricks and alternative medicine. The truth was simpler: Gibson did not have cancer and her career and personal life were a tissue of lies. Caitlin Dever’s portrayal of Gibson was admirably accurate. She is deeply dishonest but also desperately needy and denies the consequences of her actions, not least for her followers, some of whom have relied on her judgment to combat life-threatening conditions.
What did we say: “A fast, smart, witty, compassionate, angry commentary on greed, need, mass delusion, self-deception, the exploitation of the gullible, and the enabling of insidious new forms of all these things by technology.” Read more

46

Accommodation

(Netflix) Something terrible happened in the White House! No, not the new expansion of Donald Trump’s hall, but a fictional murder in the heart of American power. This funny and bizarre crime thriller stars Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cobb, an eccentric detective (who is an enthusiastic birder, dresses entirely in brown tweed and frequently uses her binoculars for business purposes) to solve the case. It’s great, charming fun – basically a country house murder mystery with added trappings and West Wing trappings.
What did we say:A wonderful and delightful outing.” Read more

45

Common side effects

(Adult Swimming / Channel 4) Has Mike Judge ever given a bad show? That’s the question that was hard not to think about while watching this impeccable animated comedy-thriller. The plot? A mycologist discovers a mysterious mushroom that seems to cure all diseases, and unwisely tells it to his childhood sweetheart, Frances – who now works for a large pharmaceutical company. The resulting high-octane deep state drama was a black humor adventure with real heart that satirizes the state of health care in capitalist society. An absolute victory for the television industry.
What did we say: “Not only is it the best thing I’ve seen on television this year, but it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.” Read more

44

Gaza: Doctors under attack

(Channel 4) The film that the BBC was unable to broadcast. So thanks to Channel 4 for getting involved in the hack and broadcasting it – because this was an essential document of our time. Its tough view of the targeting of Palestinian medics demonstrated a pattern that has emerged over the past two years in hospitals across Gaza. First, they are bombed. Then they are raided, the doctors are arrested, and they are tortured. Then, when their workplaces are reduced to rubble, the cycle begins at the next hospital. The testimony of Dr. Khaled Hamouda, whose home was bombed, killing most of his family… just moments later before a drone strike hit the supposed safe house to which his remaining children had fled, was an unforgettable piece of television that really needed to be broadcast.
What did we say: “In an open letter before the programme’s broadcast, Channel 4’s Louisa Compton warned that Doctors Under Attack would ‘irritate people, whichever side they are on’. And she’s right. This is the kind of television that will never leave you.” Read more

43

Am I being unreasonable?

(BBC One/iPlayer) This riot of marital, sexual and social awkwardness (with a side order of murder and infidelity) comes courtesy of Daisy May Cooper and Celine Haisley, who have created a worthy successor to Julia Davis’ 2004 comedy Nighty Night. Cooper plays Nick, a woman who overcomes guilt, trauma and the debacle of parenting, and still finds time for extramarital adventures, yet somehow She remains deserving of sympathy, mainly because of the parade of monsters around her. A seriously addictive horror room.
What did we say: “Very funny.” Read more

42

a task

(Sky Atlantic / Now) This crime drama starring Mark Ruffalo as cop Tom Brandis assigned a dangerous new assignment in Philadelphia is certainly not for the faint of heart. But if you could handle the prevailing atmosphere of impending disaster, it was a nuanced, gritty, twisty procedural centered around crooked dealers, biker gangs, and the grim ramifications of the fentanyl trade. Extreme downer, in the best way possible.
What did we say: “Meditation on guilt, sin, and the possibility of redemption.” Read more

41

Traitors

(BBC One/iPlayer) Before the celebrity version brought us Alan Carr, the third series of Ordinary Traitors introduced Linda, aka the worst/best traitor to ever roam the castle. Her turn when Claudia Winckelmann called “traitors” wasn’t the only golden moment. Charlotte’s fake Welsh accent! Lisa Priest’s exposed lie about her job! Alexander shock returns! It’s not often that a show makes appointment TV and creates a national water cooler conversation in 2025. But outside of all that, Claudia’s gothic outfits alone were worth a look.
What did we say: “As a study of human behavior—deception, manipulation, and self-preservation—it remains captivating. As perhaps the best example of reality television in the style of a social experiment, it has cemented its place in the cultural firmament.” Read more

40-31 coming soon

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