The Pop Culture Pundit

^{The show I’m probably most excited for 2026 is Apple TV’s Shrinking, which has ’80s icon Michael J. Fox joining the cast (what a treat it will be to see Marty McFly and Indiana Jones acting opposite one another!) (Apple TV via YouTube)}

2025 brought us both new and returning shows that are worth mentioning. Seth Rogen had not one but two hits with The Studio and Platonic; Severance and Stranger Things both returned after three long years away; and limited series such as Adolescence stormed the Emmys stage. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best TV shows of 2025. 

The Chair Company (HBO)

^{HBO Max via YouTube}

The Chair Company is easily one of the wildest shows I have ever seen. Continuing the SNL-to-HBO pipeline established by others such as Bill Hader with Barry, Tim Robinson’s Chair Company is a crime-conspiracy-cringe comedy that will have you laughing the next minute and gasping the next. For fans of Robinson’s other shows such as Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, this only seems like the next step in his unique comedy career. It’s hard to talk about The Chair Company without giving away any spoilers–you really should go into the show knowing as little as possible–but basically, Robinson’s Ron Trosper, an employee at Fisher Robay, embarrassingly falls off a chair at a company presentation. That may not sound like much to kick off a show, but once Ron starts going down the rabbit hole of trying to find the titular chair company responsible for his workplace mishap, there is so much more he uncovers than he ever could have imagined. I’ll be sitting in a chair waiting for the next season. 

Platonic (Apple TV)

Seth Rogen’s other Apple TV show, The Studio, may have won all the awards this year (like, literally all of them)–but I elect Platonic as the stronger showcase of Rogen’s comedic instincts. Reuniting with Neighbors co-star Rose Byrne, Platonic follows Rogen’s Will and Byrne’s Sylvia as they re-connect as best friends after years of estrangement. In its second season, Platonic only grew, with its comedic instincts hitting new highs. Just watch the mid-season installment “Jeopardy!” which sees Luke MacFarlane’s Charlie display his physical comedy chops while attempting to and instantly regretting breaking into a former Jeopardy producer’s home, or the penultimate episode “Boundaries” as Byrne’s Sylvia goes on an unforgettable boat trip with Will and Katie (a similarly hilarious Carla Gallo). Platonic is one of the rare hangout comedies that isn’t about the romantic subtext between the male and female leads. Rather, it’s about their friendship, and how important it is for friends to be in our lives as we celebrate the good, the bad, and the ugly. And we should celebrate the show for embracing that. 

Severance (Apple TV)

^{Apple TV via YouTube}

After three loooooonnng years, Severance came back, and it did not miss a single step. Much like The Chair Company, the mysteries surrounding Lumon, the corporation severed employees such as Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), and co. worked for deepened throughout the season. So did the drama, as we dealt with perhaps the strangest love triangle (square??) in history with Mark’s severed personalities torn between coworker Helly and real-life-returned-from-the-dead-wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman). Every single actor was firing on all levels, with Britt Lower’s Helena-as-Helly providing an intriguing mystery for the first half, John Turturro’s Irving breaking our hearts as he left, Tramell Tillman’s Milchick giving us an iconic marching band dance sequence, and Adam Scott acting opposite himself as his innie and outie selves negotiated with each other over camcorder. The worst part is we’ll probably have to wait another three years for season three. 

St. Denis Medical (NBC)

Network TV has been having a resurgence this past year, and the workplace mockumentary sitcom is having a renaissance of its own. First it was Abbott Elementary on ABC in 2021, and now it’s St. Denis Medical, a sitcom set at a hospital in Portland, Oregon. It’s kind of like  Scrubs and Superstore had a baby–which is fun especially considering the former is coming back for a tenth season this February–but what really sets it apart is its top notch cast, which includes Allison Tolman, David Alan Grier, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. All are regularly engaged in something silly, whether it’s a confused glance to the camera filming them or a wacky physical comedy bit. With a cast with such an impressive comedic background, St. Denis proves that sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. 

Your Friends and Neighbors (Apple TV)

^{Apple TV via YouTube}

In his first anchoring starring role on a TV show since Mad Men, Jon Hamm came back with a bang–sometimes literally in this comedy crime-drama on Apple TV. Though Your Friends and Neighbors starts slowly as a show about Hamm’s Andrew “Coop” Cooper losing his hedge fund job and turning to theft to support his wealthy, luxurious lifestyle, it takes a turn halfway through the first season to become a thrilling whodunit. With a fantastic supporting cast including Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, the second season (premiering this April!) is sure to bring more thrills to shake-up Coop’s once peaceful suburban life. Between this and The Morning Show, Hamm has truly had an electric year.