It’s a wrap for another year of entertainment, marking an apt time to celebrate the good, leave behind the bad, and look forward to more live-action excitement on the small screen. From Shogun to Fallout, 2024 saw its fair share of surprise breakouts, with the strong momentum carrying over into 2025.
The anticipation is certainly understandable. Between the return of beloved series like Netflix’s Wednesday, Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, Max’s The Last of Us, and Prime Video’s Reacher, viewers will be subjected to playing catch-up across the various streaming platforms. For those seeking to embark on a new journey, there are debut titles – some spawning as offshoots from popular or recognisable properties – that paint a picture of strong first impressions.
Here are the top 30 anticipated TV shows to check out this year, arranged by release date.
1) Severance (Season 2)
Apple TV+
Release date: 17 January
The first season of Severance brought plenty of mind-bending thrills and sci-fi brilliance, but its audacious (in a good way) cliffhanger left fans wanting to know even more about the inner workings of Lumon Industries. Following Adam Scott’s Mark Scout (Parks and Recreation) once again, Season 2 will pick up the pieces and reinforce the “dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier,” leading him and his friends “further down a path of woe”.
Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum) is back to helm the series created by Dan Erickson (Lip Sync Battle Preshow), with Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Bob Balaban (Gosford Park), and Merritt Wever (Unbelievable) coming onboard as new cast additions.
2) The Night Agent (Season 2)
Netflix
Release date: 23 January
Things are just getting started for The Night Agent. Not only did it become the third-most-viewed debuting series on Netflix in its first four days, the Shawn Ryan-directed (S.W.A.T) outing was renewed for a second season within a week. Based on Matthew Quirk’s novel of the same name, it stars Hillbilly Elegy’s Gabriel Basso as FBI agent Peter Sutherland, who gets embroiled in a vast conspiracy about a mole at the highest level of the U.S. government, and is plunged into a hunt for the traitor.
The sequel will propel him into a world where danger is everywhere and trust is in short supply, promising more intense, explosive action and political intrigue than before. A third season has been ordered, with no word on a release date yet.
3) Paradise
Hulu / Disney+
Release date: 28 January
What’s another political drama involving a presidential assassination? Marking a reunion between This is Us creator Dan Fogelman and lead actor Sterling K. Brown, Paradise looks set to kick the espionage and mystery into overdrive, with the Emmy winner portraying a Secret Service agent who becomes a prime suspect after discovering the dead body of President Cal Bradford (James Marsden, X-Men).
Hulu describes the eight-episode show as follows, “Paradise is set in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquillity explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.”
4) Yellowjackets (Season 3)
Paramount+
Release date: 14 February
Take a bite out of Yellowjackets Season 3 when Valentine’s Day rolls around. While story details remain under lock and key, The Addams Family’s Christina Ricci, who plays Misty in the show, confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that the forthcoming outing will be “even more shocking and surprising than the previous seasons”.
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches from Elsewhere), the thriller drama centres around a group of teenagers involved in a 1996 plane crash and the consequences that follow them into adulthood in the 2021 timeline. Fallout and Arcane fans will find a familiar face in Ella Purnell’s Jackie Taylor, captain of the Yellowjackets soccer team.
5) The White Lotus (Season 3)
Max
Release date: 16 February
Mike White’s black comedy drama anthology series is back to whisk a new group of travellers away to Thailand. Natasha Rothwell (Insecure), reprising her role as spa manager Belinda Lindsey from the first season, is the only returning cast member, but the change in locale also means several heavyweight additions, including Lisa from popular K-pop girl band Blackpink, and Walton Goggins of Fallout fame.
Originally intended as a six-part limited series, The White Lotus chronicles the adventures of the guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, whose interactions are affected by their various psychological dysfunctions.
6) Reacher (Season 3)
Amazon Prime Video
Release date: 20 February
As if Alan Ritchson’s (Titans) Jack Reacher wasn’t hulking and intimidating enough, Reacher Season 3 is set to introduce an even bigger and beefier foe. Played by the 218-centimetre, 160-kilogram Dutch bodybuilder Oliver Richters, this new antagonist promises to stage one heck of an epic showdown between the pair.
The action crime show is based on Lee Child’s series of novels, which follows the titular former U.S. Army military policeman with formidable strength, intellect, and abilities, and his encounters with dangerous criminals in his travels.
7) Suits: L.A.
NBC
Release date: 23 February
The second spin-off of Aaron Korsh’s highly popular legal drama, Suits: L.A. will pick up in the City of Angels and star Stephen Amell (Arrow) as Ted Black, a former New York prosecutor who moves to Hollywood to represent some of Los Angeles’ most powerful clients. Along the way, the past events of his life will slowly unravel.
Original Suits actor Gabriel Macht is poised to appear in three episodes as his character Harvey Specter, which should delight longtime fans. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for former royal Meghan Markle, who played Rachel Zane in the original series for seven seasons.
8) Daredevil: Born Again
Disney+
Release date: 4 March
It’s been a long road for Daredevil: Born Again, and that’s putting things lightly. After a roller-coaster back-and-forth involving a short-lived Marvel-Netflix partnership, as well as a well-documented supersized creative overhaul at Disney, Charlie Cox (The Theory of Everything) is finally back in the saddle as Marvel’s resident blind lawyer Matt Murdock.
The titular hero’s solo Disney+ outing serves as a continuation of the original three-season run on Netflix, reuniting Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson, Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye, and of course, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk / Kingpin. There are big shoes to fill, and hopefully, the nine-episode series will fit nicely into Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
9) The Residence
Netflix
Release date: 20 March
Shonda Rhimes is behind some of Netflix’s biggest hits, including 2020’s Bridgerton and Inventing Anna (2022), but the megaproducer has another ace up her sleeves. Enter The Residence, a sleuthing adventure starring Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black) in the lead role, alongside Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), and Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat).
The official logline tells the whole story, “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”
10) Andor (Season 2)
Disney+
Release date: 22 April
The Force was strong for the first season of Andor, which stood out among other Star Wars offerings with its gritty storytelling, stellar cast, and skilful writing. Picking up after the events of Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna, Y tu mamá también) first year as a rebel against the Empire, the sophomore season will spread its 12 episodes across three-episode arcs, each representing a year in his journey.
While the return of Stellan Skarsgård (Dune, 2021), Kyle Soller (Poldark), Denise Gough (Too Close), and Genevieve O’Reilly (Ahsoka) is enough reason to revisit a galaxy, far, far away, it’s the highly-anticipated meetup between Cassian and fan-favourite droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk, Firefly) that has got fans all hyped up.
11) The Last of Us (Season 2)
Max
Release date: Spring 2025
The Last of Us is a rare example of a live-action video game adaptation done right, ending the long-running curse of poorly executed video game outings for the big screen. Pedro Pascal (Narcos) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) are set to reprise their respective roles as Joel and Ellie in Season 2, which also guest stars Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) in an undisclosed role.
Based on the events of Naughty Dog’s 2020 sequel The Last of Us: Part II, the upcoming series is set five years after the duo’s perilous journey across the post-pandemic United States – only for their collective past to catch up, drawing them into conflict with each other in a world even more dangerous than before. Series newcomers include Kaitlyn Dever (Last Man Standing) as Abby, Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus) as Dina, Young Mazino (Beef) as Jesse, and more.
12) Ironheart
Disney+
Release date: 24 June
There’s a new genius on the MCU block. Following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams (Judas and the Black Messiah) returns with a show to call her own, Ironheart. In it, the heroine with her suit of armour gets herself tangled with the enigmatic Parker Robbins / The Hood (Anthony Ramos, Twisters), and discovers secrets that pit technology against magic.
The six-episode miniseries will conclude Phase Five of the MCU, setting the stage for the next big Avengers outing. Joining Thorne along for the ride are Lyric Ross (This is Us) as Riri’s best friend Natalie Washington, Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Joe McGullicuddy, Manny Montana (Good Girls) as Cousin John, and more.
13) Alien: Earth
FX
Release date: Summer 2025
In space, no one can hear you scream… but can the same be said on Earth? Helmed by Fargo creator Noah Hawley, Alien: Earth brings the extraterrestrial threat to well, the Blue Planet, two years before the events of Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film starring Sigourney Weaver. The prequel series marks the space-horror franchise’s first live-action iteration on TV, following a young woman and a ragtag group of soldiers who come in contact with a mysterious space vessel (no prizes for guessing what’s inside!).
Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling) leads the cast as Wendy, joining Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2), Alex Lawther (The Imitation Game), Essie Davis (The Babadook), Samuel Blenkin, Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), and more.
14) A Knight of Seven Kingdoms
Max
Release date: Late 2025
Taking place roughly 90 years before the events in Game of Thrones, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms is the second prequel in the franchise after House of the Dragon. At the centre of the six-episode narrative are the duo Ser Duncan the Tall, destined to become lord commander of the Kingsguard, and his squire Egg.
Story specifics are under wraps for now, but the show adapts The Tales of Dunk and Egg novels in George R. R. Martin’s original A Song of Ice and Fire collection. The writer will also pen the project, set to have a different tone than its successors, with Peter Claffey (Vikings: Valhalla) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Emmerdale) portraying the two leads.
15) Wonder Man
Disney+
Release date: December 2025
The superhero hype is set to continue with Wonder Man, an eight-to-10-episode miniseries planned as part of Phase Six of the MCU. Featuring a more niche character than most, it stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) as the titular protagonist and Ben Kingsley (Hugo) as Trevor Slattery, who reprises his role from the MCU movies (specifically, 2013’s Iron Man and 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
An official logline has yet to be released, but the show will presumably serve as an origin story. In the Marvel Comics universe, Wonder Man was first introduced as a supervillain imbued with “ionic energy”, fought the Avengers, and was later reborn as a superhero and joined the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
16) Alice in Borderland (Season 3)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
While the sophomore season of Alice in Borderland gave off a sense of closure, it also left some questions unanswered. All eyes will be on Season 3 as it looks to deliver “nothing short of an adrenaline-fulled roller-coaster ride” while exploring “profound themes of humanity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence”, but there’s a catch – the original manga by Haro Aso has ended, so it’d be interesting to see how the original elements will fit into the established setting.
In any case, there are high expectations to meet. The dystopian thriller has grown into a global hit, with the second outing setting records as Netflix’s most-watched Japanese title. Kento Yamazaki (Kingdom) and Tao Tsuchiya (Rurouni Kenshin) led the cast for both seasons, stepping into the respective roles of Ryohei Arisu and Yuzuha Usagi.
17) Black Mirror (Season 7)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
Few things can match the fear of technology gone rogue, as Charlie Brooker’s (Brass Eye) satirical anthology series Black Mirror likes to remind viewers. Season 7 looks to celebrate its roots, with one of the episodes serving as a sequel to the iconic Season 4 opener, “USS Callister” and boasting “a little bit [of] OG Black Mirror” flair.
A mix of genres and styles can be expected across all six episodes, two of which are feature-length. As with each new season, disturbing content will be a staple – brought to life by familiar and new faces alike, including Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine), Issa Rae (Barbie), Billy Magnussen (Road House), Harriet Walter (Succession), and more.
18) Blade Runner 2099
Amazon Prime Video
Release date: TBA
Building on Ridley Scott’s beloved sci-fi franchise, Blade Runner 2099 returns to the cyberpunk world 50 years after Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049. This time, the story is driven by Cora (Hunter Schafer, Euphoria), described as “a chameleon forced to adopt numerous identities”, who assumes one final persona to secure a stable future for her brother.
Accompanying her on the journey is Olwen, a Replicant who’s confronting the end of her life, portrayed by none other than Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once). Other notable cast members include Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy), Maurizio Lombardi (The Young Pope), and Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie).
19) Gen V (Season 2)
Amazon Prime Video
Release date: TBA
Sophomore year confirmed!!! pic.twitter.com/rxqYzp9vXo
— GEN V (@genv) July 26, 2024
Gen V may sound unassuming with its college setting, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A spin-off of The Boys through and through, the first season delivered copious amounts of gore, brutal, thrilling action, and story twists amid the spotlight pivot to the first generation of superheroes, who come to learn about Compound V.
Taking place at the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, it pits them against their moral boundaries as they compete for the university’s top ranking and a chance to join The Seven, Vought International’s elite superhero team. However, the emergence of the school’s dark secrets means they must decide the kind of heroes they want to become.
20) It: Welcome to Derry
Max
Release date: TBA
What did you see? 🤡🎈
— Max (@StreamOnMax) November 11, 2024
The HBO Original Series #ITWelcomeToDerry is coming to Max in 2025. pic.twitter.com/VYydTv2o6L
Pennywise will soon be back – not in black, but with his signature balloon in hand. It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel to 2017’s It and its 2019 sequel, revealing an origin story for the homicidal clown played once again by Bill Skarsgård (Barbarian).
Set in the 1960s in Maine’s most haunted town, the show is shaping up to be a treat for horror enthusiasts. Keep an eye out for the hallmarks of Stephen King’s writings, the strong violence and disturbing imagery the films are known for, and maybe even the introduction of the Turtle, the big bad’s enemy from the novel.
21) One Piece (Season 2)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
We’ve got quite the treat here, Straw Hats! 🏴☠️ 🍖 Iñaki Godoy learned Japanese to sit down with Oda-Sensei to talk about Season 2. From the Grand Line's wild challenges to the heart of Luffy himself, you won’t want to miss this rare treasure of a moment! 👑 🌊 pic.twitter.com/m3bFxNX4Hz
— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) December 19, 2024
The Straw Hat Pirates are rearing to resume their voyage on the Grand Line. Following a well-received first season, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece will return to cover five story arcs from Eiichiro Oda’s original manga: Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island. The highly anticipated and beloved Arabasta Arc won’t be part of the list, unfortunately.
Season 2 is poised to reunite the main gang of Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji, alongside other returning members such as Ilia Isorelys Paulino (Alvida) and Michael Dorman (Gold Roger).
22) Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Season 2)
Disney+
Release date: TBA
It isn’t often that a book-to-film adaptation can find success, but Rick Riordan’s novels gained a second wind on the live-action front after the 2010 and 2013 movies failed to take off. The first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians served as a love letter to the source material, carving out a promising start for long-time readers and Greek mythology fans alike.
Season 2 will pull from the second book in the collection, The Sea of Monsters, which introduces new characters such as Percy’s half-brother and cyclops Tyson, Thalia, a daughter of Zeus who helps Annabeth and Luke at Camp Half Blood, and the three Grey sisters. Walker Scobell (The Adam Project), Leah Sava Jeffries (Empire), and Aryan Simhadri (Spin) are due to reprise their roles as the main trio of Percy, Annabelle, and Grover, respectively.
23) Squid Game (Season 3)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
Everyone say hi to Chul-su 👋 Season 3 coming in 2025. pic.twitter.com/tjWjFESLFQ
— Squid Game (@squidgame) January 1, 2025
Playing children’s games sounds like fun until it becomes a matter of life or death. The South Korean dystopian thriller hit Squid Game, operating on this premise, catapulted to international fame with its unflinchingly brutal portrayal of a dog-eat-dog world and emotional depth, and the continued success of Season 2 – released last December – proved that it’s more than a one-time wonder.
The third and final season is expected to pick up right after, following Gi-Hun’s (Lee Jung-jae, The Face Reader) quest to dismantle the murderous show. Little is known about it, except that a new doll, Cheol-su, will appear alongside another new game and hopefully, some happy resolutions.
24) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 3)
Paramount+
Release date: TBA
The sophomore season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ended on a cliffhanger, so fans are understandably eager to revisit the USS Enterprise, hopefully sooner than later. While story details remain sparse, Season 3 includes a “Hollywood murder mystery” episode directed by Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generaion, Picard), and a comedic episode where Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount, Inhumans) and the crew become Vulcans.
Martin Quinn, who made his debut as Montgomery Scott aka Scotty last season, has been tapped as a series regular, joining Cillian O’Sullivan (Vikings) as Dr Roger Korby, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, and Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death) in a mystery guest role. A fourth season has been greenlit, with filming scheduled for Spring 2025.
25) Stranger Things (Season 5)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
It’s almost time to run up that hill for one last time. Nearly a decade after its debut, Stranger Things is bidding farewell to Hawkins and the Upside Down, with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes) and her friends banding together to save their Vecna-devastated town from its biggest threat yet.
Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer are coy about the plot for Season 5, but promise that the last of the unanswered questions will be revealed in the final chapters. The full titles for all eight episodes, bar one, have also been revealed, so make do of that what you will: The Crawl, The Vanishing of _____, The Turnbow Trap, Sorcerer, Shock Jock, Escape From Camazotz, The Bridge, and The Rightside Up.
26) The Bear (Season 4)
FX / Disney+
Release date: TBA
The accurate depiction of kitchen dynamics and a deft balance of comedy and drama have cemented The Bear as a fan favourite, even if Season 3’s heavier lean into experimentation wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Still, the characters are where the heart is, and the fourth season presents the ripe opportunity to delve deeper into their relationships with one another.
Jeremy Allen White’s (Shameless) Carmy and Ayo Edebiri’s (Bottoms) Sydney return to lead an ensemble cast that includes series veterans Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls), Lionel Boyce (The Jellies!), Liza Colon-Zayas (The Purge: Election Year) and Abigail Elliot (Indebted), as well as newcomers like John Cena’s (Peacemaker) Sammy Fak.
27) The Handmaid’s Tale (Season 6)
Max
Release date: TBA
Set in a dystopia following the Second American Civil War wherein a theonomic, totalitarian society subjects fertile women called “Handmaids” to child-bearing slavery, The Handmaid’s Tale offers a haunting, wrenching, and partially prophetic watch that can hit a little too close to home – particularly in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election.
Season 5 kept the momentum going by subverting the roles of June (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men) and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski, Chuck), and it remains to be seen if the penultimate sixth season will be able to stick the landing.
28) The Sandman (Season 2)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
The realm of the Dreaming promises more visions and nightmares in the follow-up to The Sandman, but that won’t be all to look forward to. Tom Sturridge’s (American Buffalo) Morpheus / Dream returns to chronicle his phantasmagorical journeys to Hell and back again, grappling with the skeletons in the closet and the consequences of his actions.
Alongside new characters from Neil Gaiman’s original comics like Thor, Loki, and Odin, the show’s second season will also introduce Dream’s other mysterious siblings, including his eldest brother Destiny (Adrian Lester, Love’s Labour’s Lost), his younger sister Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles, Hanna), and the enigmatic The Prodigal (Barry Sloane, Hollyoaks).
29) The Witcher (Season 4)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
It won’t be easy filling up the void left behind by the departure of Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as Geralt of Rivia, so it’s only fair to give Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) a shot at taking over the mantle in Season 4 of The Witcher.
“The new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, who are separated and traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons,” reads the official logline. “If they can embrace and lead the group of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire – and finding one another again.”
More notably, the character of Regis, a mysterious barber-surgeon that fans of the books and CD Projekt Red’s game trilogy will surely recognise, is making his live-action debut, with The Matrix’s Laurence Fishburne stepping into the role.
30) Wednesday (Season 2)
Netflix
Release date: TBA
Class will soon be in session, as hit Addams Family spin-off series Wednesday gears up for a highly anticipated return to Nevermore Academy. Expect more complex narratives involving family, friends, and foes, which showrunners and executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar describe as “delightfully dark, kooky, and mysterious,” as well as a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga.
Indeed, the singer-actor has been tapped to guest star in a top-secret role – a neat nod to her viral track “Bloody Mary”, which gained immense traction after it was paired with a dance from the show on TikTok. Jenna Ortega (Scream VI) is reprising her role as the titular character, alongside Emma Myers (The Glades) as Enid Sinclair, Joy Sunday (Dear White People) as Bianca Barclay, Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago) as Morticia Addams, Luis Guzmán (Punch-Drunk Love) as Gomez Addams, and more.
Honourable Mention – Star Trek: Section 31
Paramount+
Release date: 24 January
It’s a movie based on the popular sci-fi franchise, but before Star Trek: Section 31, starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Wicked) reprising her role as Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, became the 14th film from the long-running franchise and its first television movie, the original concept was for this to be a spin-off series, and hence its bonus inclusion on this list.
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi (The Fourth Kind), the film will delve into the origins of the mysterious Section 31, known to fans as a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets. Meanwhile, Yeoh isn’t playing Philippa Georgiou from the Prime Universe, but is instead Emperor Georgiou, the leader of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe who has joined Starfleet.
Almost six years in the making, we can’t wait to see the Asian acting icon take the lead in a Star Trek film.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
Natalie
