2025 has been a pretty good year for TV fans. In this year alone, we've been treated to new arrivals like "Alien: Earth," "The Pitt," "Adolescence," and "The Studio," plus new seasons of hit shows like "Severance," "The White Lotus," and "Andor," to name but a few and we've still got "Stranger Things" season 5 to look forward to next month, too.
In a year that's been quite so stacked, it's easy for some releases to slip off your radar, as it's all but impossible to remain on top of every new and returning series. However, I spend every single day keeping tabs on all the latest and greatest releases across all the best streaming services; it's quite literally my job to stay up to date.
5 shows you might have missed in 2025 — and where to stream them
'A Thousand Blows'
"A Thousand Blows" is one of the many shows from Steven Knight that's made its way to our screens this year, but it's the one that I've heard the least amount of fuss about, and that's a big shame.
This period series takes us to London's East End in the 1880s, where friends from Jamaica, Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alex Munroe (Francis Lovehall) find themselves thrown into the criminal underbelly of the city's bare-knuckle boxing game.
Hezekiah's talents attract the attention of criminal Mary Carr (Erin Doherty), who sets out to exploit his skills in the ring for her own gain, but also that of the menacing Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham), the self-declared "emperor" of the district's boxing empire. If you haven't checked it out, now's the perfect time, too: "A Thousand Blows" season 2 is coming our way in January.
Stream "A Thousand Blows" on Hulu now
'Chief of War'
It may well be home to arguably one of the strongest rosters of originals on the market, but Apple TV isn't quite as big as some of the true streaming giants, so it's also home to great series that often get overlooked. And if I had to choose one Apple TV show to single out as an underrated watch from 2025, I'd pick "Chief of War."
Written, produced, starring, and directed by Jason Momoa, "Chief of War" tells the story of the unification and colonization of Hawai'i from the indigenous perspective, following warrior Ka'iana (Momoa) as he attempts to unite the islands in the late 18th century. It's a brutal, gripping watch with serious scale, well-deserving of the "epic" label.
Stream "Chief of War" on Apple TV now
'Duster'
In the mood for a breezy crime thriller? J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan's 1970s-set "Duster" could be worth investigating. The series premiered in May and revolved around the FBI's first Black woman agent (played by Rachel Hilson) taking the fight to a crime family (led by Keith David) with the aid of getaway driver, Jim Ellis (Josh Holloway).
"Duster's" debut season was well-liked as a slice of easy entertainment, but it must not have reached a wide enough audience, as HBO Max canceled it after just eight episodes... but it's still worth checking out regardless.
Stream "Duster" on HBO Max now
'The Narrow Road to the Deep North'
"The Narrow Road to the Deep North" is an Australian drama that won the hearts of critics upon its release (it still holds a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes), but it feels to me, at least, like it didn't quite generate as much buzz as other new releases did this year.
The five-part series is based on the bestselling 2014 novel of the same name by Richard Flanagan, and tells the story of Lieutenant Colonel Dorrigo Evans (Jacob Elordi), a prisoner of war during World War II, whose memory of a forbidden love affair helps him to survive his darkest days.
Stream "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" on Prime Video now
'Toxic Town'
While hard-hitting British drama "Adolescence" broke out as a massive hit on Netflix earlier this year (it's Netflix's No. 2 most-watched show of all time), the streamer dropped another worthwhile watch just a couple of weeks earlier: "Toxic Town."
This four-part drama miniseries is based on the Corby poisonings (one of the UK's biggest environmental scandals), a case that's been described as "the British Erin Brokovich." The series follows three mothers (played by Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, and "Bridgerton's" Claudia Jessie), who banded together to take their local council about its alleged mismanagement of toxic waste materials, after their children were born with severe health issues.
Stream "Toxic Town" on Netflix now
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