TV shows to watch out for in 2025

Billion Dollar Playground (Binge/Foxtel)
An unscripted reality series from Ronde Media, set in the world of “opulence, palatial real estate, and high-stakes drama”, about a team of on-call concierges who work for ultra-rich clients, following the philosophy “if it’s legal, make it happen”.

Chateau DIY Australia (Nine)
The television version of everyone’s Instagram fantasy: renovating an abandoned palace in the French countryside. A five-part series which follows Australians embarking on a tough real estate dream, and dealing with crumbling ceilings and termite invasions.

Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+)
Charlie Cox returns to the role of Matt Murdock, alias Daredevil, in the latest addition to Marvel’s suite of TV series. (High points: Wandavision, Agatha All Along.) The series originated on Netflix but is getting a reboot on the parent platform, Disney.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Binge/Foxtel)
A dramatisation of the crimes of one of America’s most notorious serial killers – played here by Michael Chernus – and the investigation that brought him down. The series also stars Gabriel Luna and James Badge Dale.

Do Not Watch This Show (ABC)
Andy Lee brings his best-selling book series – eight books written by Lee and illustrated by Heath McKenzie – to television. The story of a blue monster who tries to discourage kids from reading on, with varying degrees of success.

Eyes of Wakanda (Disney+)
An animated series, set in Wakanda, the setting of the Black Panther films, about the Hatut Zeraze, an elite group of Wakandan warriors who have, throughout history, retrieved vibranium artefacts from around the world.

The Family Next Door (ABC)
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth’s novel, a mystery drama about a young woman, Isabelle (Teresa Palmer), who moves to a small seaside town, unearths a mystery and inadvertently casts suspicion on four neighbouring families.

Fast Friends (Max)
A game show based on the hit sitcom Friends, specifically the much-loved episode in which the characters split into teams and quiz each other. In the game show, contestants relive iconic moments from the series and compete in trivia and puzzle games.

The Floor (Nine)
The Australian adaptation of an international format, described as “the ultimate trivia showdown, hosted by actor/presenter Rodger Corser. Each contestant starts with one tile on the floor and must challenge and steal the tiles of others; the first person to win the entire floor wins a $200,000 prize.

For Her Sins (Britbox)
Laura Conroy (Jo Joyner) is a successful lawyer with a beautiful family, but when she befriends a charming stranger – Emily (Rachel Shenton), whose motives may not be genuine – the cracks in Laura’s perfect life begin to appear.

Frankenstein (Netflix)
Horror master director Guillermo del Toro brings Mary Shelley’s iconic novel to the screen, commissioned for streaming but definitely planning a brief stop in cinemas for Oscar eligibility. Oscar Isaac stars Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi stars as the monster.

Ghosts Australia (Paramount+)
A successful series in the UK and adapted first in the US, this comedy is getting an Australian version. The original series follows a woman who has to help ghosts trapped in the earthly world make their way to the afterlife. No details yet on an Australian cast or air date.

The Golden Bachelor (Nine)
Samantha Armytage hosts a spin on The Bachelor format which proved to be a breakout hit in the US. If you can’t stomach young folks embarking on disastrous reality TV romances, then this might be the show for you: so you can watch the oldies do it.

Good Cop/Bad Cop (Stan)
Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Luke Cook (Hacks, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) are a sister and brother detective team in a small town who must contend with colourful residents and a police chief, Big Hank (Clancy Brown), who happens to be their dad.

Government Cheese (Apple TV+)
A “surrealist family comedy” set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo), who is released from prison and has to find a way back into the lives of his wife Astoria (Simone Missick) and sons Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston).

Grosse Pointe Garden Society (Seven)
An American mystery comedy starring Melissa Fumero and AnnaSophia Robb, about the members of a suburban garden club, from all different walks of life, who “get caught up in murder and mischief as they struggle to make their conventional lives bloom”.

The Hardacres (Britbox)
A rags-to-riches saga set in 1890s Yorkshire about the Hardacre family, who leave behind a grimy fish dock after a business venture pays off, and must move into a vast country estate and learn to navigate the world of aristocrats and high society.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Max)
A wild hybrid unscripted format: a baking series hosted by the Weasley brothers from the Harry Potter films – James and Oliver Phelps – along with chefs Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef.

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Netflix)
A mystery drama from Lisa McGee, the creator of Derry Girls, about three friends who investigate the mysterious death of a former schoolmate: Saoirse (Roisin Gallagher), Robyn (Sinéad Keenan) and Dana (Caoilfhionn Dunne).

The Hunting Party (Seven)
Melissa Roxburgh, Nick Wechsler and Josh McKenzie star as a team of investigators charged with tracking down a group of dangerous killers who have escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist.

The Idea of Australia (SBS)
A four-part series from Blackfella Films, hosted by actor Rachel Griffiths, which explores the “myths that bind Australia and the events and people that have shaped our democracy, place in the world, cultural identity, and the relationship between non-Indigenous and First Nations peoples”.

Invisible Boys (Stan)
Based on Holden Sheppard’s multi-award winning LGBTQIA+ novel, a 10-part drama from Logie and AACTA award-winning creator/director Nicholas Verso, starring Joseph Zada, Aydan Calafiore, Zach Blampied, Joe Klocek, Pia Miranda and David Lyons.

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (Netflix)
A “jaw-dropping documentary” that goes behind the scenes of America’s most controversial talk show, The Jerry Springer Show, which from 1991 to 2018 was notable for outrageous topics, guests and moments.

The Last Anniversary (Binge/Foxtel)
An adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, starring Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson, Danielle Macdonald, Helen Thomson, Claude Scott-Mitchell, Uli Latukefu and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.

Live It Up: The Mental As Anything Story (Seven)
Blending archival material, “era-evocative animation” and timeless songs, a documentary series about Australian band Mental as Anything, which charts their rise from Sydney pubs to the shiny stage of Top of the Pops.

Lord of the Flies (Stan)
A four-part adaptation of William Golding’s novel of the same name, filmed in Malaysia, about a group of British schoolboys who survive a crash on a remote island and try to recreate a social order which ends in chaos.

Madam (Nine)
Award-winning New Zealand series starring Rachel Griffiths and Danielle Cormack, about a woman who forges a signature on a home loan, leases a motel and recruits an eclectic group of women to staff the country’s first “feminist, ethical brothel”.

Mix Tape (Binge/Foxtel)
A four-part miniseries adapted from the critically acclaimed novel by Jane Sanderson, about Daniel (Jim Sturgess) and Alison (Teresa Palmer), who leave behind a teenage romance and find themselves living very different lives on opposite sides of the world.

Moni (SBS)
Created by Taofia Pelesasa, a series that tackles the challenging question of whether you can ever go home, told from the perspective of a closeted 39-year-old Samoan man haunted by the re-emergence of a deep secret from his childhood.

Moonbird (SBS)
A drama, from Kutikina Productions, about a recently sober father who attempts to rekindle his relationship with his estranged son through a traditional mutton birding season on a remote Tasmanian island.

Moonflower Murders (BritBox)
Can there ever be enough Lesley Manville? Manville stars as Susan Ryeland, an editor for Cloverleaf Books, who sets out to solve the disappearance of a hotel owner’s daughter, detailed in a novel by fictional author Alan Conway.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva (Paramount+)
Developed with the exotic title of NCIS: Europe, a 10-episode spin-off to the American NCIS franchise, focusing on Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s characters, Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David.

On Call (Amazon)
An old-school crime procedural drama with a high-tech visual “look”, about Long Beach Police Department veteran training officer Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) and her rookie partner Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente).

Once in a Lifetime (Seven)
Dr Chris Brown, Australia’s most-loved TV vet, embarks on global wildlife journeys joined by entertaining Australian personalities including Mick Molloy, Amanda Keller, Kate Ritchie and Matt Preston.

Outrageous (BritBox)
Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Downton Abbey in a scripted drama based on Mary Lovell’s biography The Mitford Girls, about the early 20th century’s most glamorous London pack: the six Mitford sisters, the daughters of the second Baron Redesdale and his wife, Sydney Bowles, who became tabloid princesses.

Paradise (Disney+)
A murder mystery from Dan Fogelman, set in a serene community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent families, Paradise stars Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden and Julianne Nicholson.

The Paper (Binge/Foxtel)
A comedy mockumentary series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, set in the same universe as The Office. The Paper stars Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars) and Sabrina Impacciatore (White Lotus).

The Piano (ABC)
An unscripted series that follows a group of everyday pianists who undertake “the opportunity of a lifetime”, being tutored by expert musicians Harry Connick jnr and Andrea Lam.

The Pitt (Binge/Foxtel)
Noah Wyle in a show about “emergency medicine doctors [who] juggle personal crises, workplace politics and high emotions”. Sound familiar? Wyle plays Dr Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch in the series; each episode covers one 15-hour emergency room shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital.

Prime Target (Apple TV+)
A brilliant young maths postgraduate Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) is researching patterns in prime numbers, but is close to a breakthrough that might have global implications, which puts him in the path of NSA agent Taylah Sanders (Quintessa Swindell).

The Residence (Netflix)
Is this The Diplomat for politics, or Miss Marple for the modern age? Uzo Aduba stars as Cordelia Cupp, a consultant with the Metropolitan Police Department who arrives at the White House to investigate a murder involving the “upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs” of America’s presidential residence.

The Role of a Lifetime (ABC)
Australian comedians take on the mission of “rewriting the rule book in the face of uncharted territory, breathing life into common parenting dilemmas through a series of scripted comedy sketches.” Hosted by Amanda Keller.

Running Point (Netflix)
A comedy series created by Elaine Ko, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen, and starring Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, a young woman who must step in and take over the family business, one of the most famous professional basketball franchises in the country.

Sherlock & Daughter (SBS)
An older Sherlock Holmes (David Thewlis) teams up with a young American woman, Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt), who may or may not be his long-lost daughter. The series also stars Dougray Scott as Holmes’ long-standing nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

St. Denis Medical (Seven)
A medical comedy created by Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, about the overworked doctors and nurses at an underfunded Oregon hospital. Wendi McLendon-Covey and Allison Tolman star, with Australian actor Josh Lawson as Bruce, “a cocky trauma surgeon desperately seeking adulation”.

Star Trek: Section 31 (Paramount+)
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, this is technically the first Star Trek TV movie ever made, following Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who is working with Section 31, a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets.

Stranded on Honeymoon Island (Seven)
“A unique social experiment” that sounds more like “Seven’s answer to MAFS”, Stranded on Honeymoon Island puts couples through a speed-dating process and then strands them on “their own deserted tropical islands for the adventure of a lifetime.”

The Studio (Apple TV+)
A Hollywood does Hollywood comedy series, in which Seth Rogen plays Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. A-list superstar cameos abound, as the studio bosses wrangle “narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films”.

Suits: L.A. (Seven)
An unlikely television franchise, sprung largely off the back of the rise of the Duchess of Sussex (nee Megan Markle) and reruns of the original Suits on Netflix. The new series focuses on Ted Black, played by actor Stephen Amell, who exchanges his career as a prosecutor for a high-profile position with a prominent Los Angeles law firm, taking on cases in criminal and entertainment law.

Sunny Nights (Stan)
A “darkly comedic series” about Martin and Vicki Marvin, an American brother-sister duo who relocate to Sydney hoping to establish a spray tan business, but soon get caught up with the city’s criminal underworld. Directed by Trent O’Donnell, with writers Marieke Hardy, Lally Katz, Clare Sladden, Niki Aken, Ty Freer and Nick Keetch.

Todd Sampson’s Why? (Ten)
One of TV’s true discoveries, Todd Sampson embarks on a series that asks a very simple question in the face of some of life’s most perplexing mysteries – why? From base jumpers to doomsday preppers, “it’s by understanding others that we better understand ourselves”.

Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet (BritBox)
A five-part docuseries in which David Suchet, who became a household name playing one of Christie’s iconic detectives, Hercule Poirot, traces Christie’s travels across the world before she became famous.

Toxic Town (Netflix)
From Charlie Brooker’s production company, written by Jack Thorne and directed by Minkie Spiro, a four-part drama starring Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Robert Carlyle and Rory Kinnear, about three mothers fighting for justice after a toxic waste spillage.

Unstoppable (Amazon)
The inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who was born with one leg but who fought to earn a spot on the Arizona State Wrestling team. A-list supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez.

Warm Props (SBS)
An “upbeat and biting series that takes audiences behind the scenes with Charlie, who returns to a chaotic film shoot in her hometown of Broome and must then face her past as her narcissistic boss threatens the stability of her career and personal life.”

Watching You (Stan)
Based on J.P. Pomare’s novel The Last Guests, a gripping psychological thriller adapted for television by creators Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk, about an insidious voyeur who captures a one-night stand using hidden cameras.

Watson (Paramount+)
A “medical drama with detective elements” created by Craig Sweeny and set in the Sherlock Holmes universe with a twist: Sherlock is gone, Dr John Watson (Morris Chestnut) is the star of the show, and Sherlock’s nemesis, Moriarty, may be about to turn his focus on Watson.

When the War Is Over (ABC)
A five-part arts/history series, produced by Mint Pictures and presented by actor and art lover Rachel Griffiths, which explores how art has helped shape and change our attitude to war, and helped us heal from the wounds of war.

The White Lotus, Season 3 (Binge/Foxtel)
The HBO postcard-becomes-nightmare comedy/drama series that first took us to Hawaii and then – in an epic season – to Sicily, now turns to Thailand, where a new group of guests, packed with neuroses and character quirks, are ready to check into the White Lotus.

Working Class Man (Seven)
Just seven years after the last documentary, 2018’s Working Class Boy, the story of Jimmy Barnes is all grown up and coming back as Working Class Man, featuring “the legendary singer telling his story with his trademark honesty and insight”.

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Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV+)
From writer/director Jonathan Tropper, a drama series about a hedge fund manager still grappling with his recent divorce whose plan to steal from his neighbours unearths more than he bargained for. Stars Jon Hamm.

You’re Cordially Invited (Amazon)
Two weddings collide at a double-booked venue with comic results, pitting the father of the bride of one wedding (Will Ferrell) against the sister of the other bride (Reese Witherspoon).

Zero Day (Netflix)
A political thriller series about a devastating global cyberattack, directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland), and starring Robert De Niro, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, Angela Bassett and Matthew Modine.