Fourteen years ago, Emily Nussbaum, one of my esteemed predecessors as TV critic, sadly titled her Top Ten list:I hate top ten lists” I've rarely felt the same way. I'm not a big fan of the holidays, but for most of my time as a critic, I've enjoyed the end-of-year ritual of sorting out the average from the excellent and the overrated from the deservedly praised, whittling down my favorites to a few of the most deserving. I've always taken seriously—perhaps too seriously—the privilege of giving hidden gems another chance to shine.
New Yorker writers reflect on the year's highs and lows.
But in 2025, I can't say curating such a review was much fun. This year, as executives abandoned the risky, ambitious programming that marked television's last golden age, the industry's decline became evident in its output. The TV seemed smaller. Epics like “The Last of Usand Alien: Earth, which, while interesting, were ultimately limited by the source material. Some of the most famous prestigious series of the year – “Severance pay“Andor”, “Adolescence“Bear”, “White Lotus,” And “Studio– were, in my opinion, ponderous, superficial, or both. I've been particularly disappointed by the lack of straight-up sitcoms as the comedy ecosystem continues to migrate online and become increasingly, sometimes unfathomably, niche.
In the past, keeping up with all the boundary-pushing shows could be a lonely affair; There were always shows that I was sure only other TV critics watched. But in such a boring year, I've found my yardstick for what constitutes a great shift in television. While the traditional standards of excellence—innovation, ambition, execution, uniqueness, and relevance—still apply, I was more inclined to highlight projects that I wanted to discuss (and discuss) with other people. The Water Cooler may never be rebooted, but these shows have me yearning for its return.
10. “Death by Lightning”
Netflix
In 1881, a man named Charles Guiteau assassinated President James Garfield in an effort to be remembered in the history books; instead, he relegated both himself and his victim to footnotes. These lively excavations The intertwining fates of Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen) and Garfield (Michael Shannon) provide a twisted political drama as well as a gripping parable about our violent times. The killer's obsession with glory isn't the only element that feels strikingly modern: the anachronistic touches give the series an unusual verve. The focus on Garfield's sense of duty and grand plans highlights what was lost with his death and raises the question of what he could have achieved had he lived.
9. “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City”
Bravo
The cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.Photo courtesy of Bravo
The Real Housewives franchise, which turned interpersonal conflict into an art form, is nearly two decades old, but the SLC installment, currently in its sixth season, feels as fresh as ever. This year's episodes are consistently successful the best of the Housewives brand: moments of transcendental camp, viral one-liners, and the hottest fashion money can buy. But intertwined with the usual fights and betrayals are the vulnerabilities that define this particular cast: struggles with addiction, religious (especially Mormon) trauma, marriages fraught with deep disparities in age and wealth, and, of course, the perils of reality TV fame.
