What a year! With so many franchises returning for final runs and new shows vying for our attention, it can be hard to stay on top of it all. This time of year can be a break from the world and allow you to catch up on some of the best network and streaming shows you may have missed this year. We couldn’t let you sizzle through summer without offering you a guide on what we loved here at Novastream this year.
Let’s jump into the top TV and Streaming shows of 2025, starting with some honourable mentions.
Honourable Mention – Abbott Elementary Season 5
It’s been tough for this workplace sitcom; the last few seasons have gone a bit off the rails, but season 5 hit back with some great cold opens and had Janine team up with Ava to deliver some of the best one-liners and running gags. You can stream it now on Disney +
Honourable Mention Invisible Boys
The Stan original series took the book from Holden Sheppard and made it into one of the most addictive series of the year, we just couldn’t get enough of. Set in Geraldton, Western Australia, against the 2017 marriage equality plebiscite, a group of gay teens in the coastal town go through a coming-of-age story after one of them is outed on social media. Watch it now on Stan
10 The White Lotus
With Jennifer Coolidge no longer around, we took a trip to Thailand with a new band of merry misfits and spoiled, horrible people for a surprising season that kept social media ablaze with some truly shocking moments. This is unmissable viewing! Stream it now on HBO Max.
9 Running Point
Kate Hudson teams up with Mindy Kaling for a comedy set in the world of basketball. With plenty of laugh out loud moments and some family drama, this Netflix original had us binging hard and we can’t wait for the next season! Stream it now on Netflix.
8 Paradise
It’s been a while since a show like this has been around. Lost, Fringe, they all had premises like this and sucked us in, well, now Hulu and Disney+ have taken that classic premise and given it a new twist. This came out in weekly episodes, fortunately for you, you can binge the whole thing on Disney + now.
7 Adolescence
Every few years, a Netflix show comes along that captures audiences internationally and infiltrates the pop culture zeitgeist. This was the show for 2025. A hard-hitting look at what our kids do online, it’s both shocking and fear-inducing, with some incredible acting. This show quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows ever. Stream it now on Netflix
6 The Studio
Seth Rogen takes a stab at Hollywood in this satirical inside look at Hollywood film studios. It’s full of incredible actors and performances that have made it as successful as it is. This is best binged as opposted to week to week, you can stream the whole thing now on Apple TV.
5 North of North
Netflix’s charming Inuit comedy set in Canada’s icy north teeters on the edge of sitcom and drama. The backdrop is spectacular to look at and the reality of this remote village with the tight-knit community only adds to the effect of this show. Stream it now on Netflix.
4 The Pitt
A modern take on ER, this fast-paced and compelling look into an emergency department, complete with a 24-style structure, made this completely unmissable. Catch up on Season 1 now on HBO Max, Season 2 starts in January.
3 Hacks
Hacks has to be the most consistent comedy that has ever been made, it keeps bringing us consistent laughs, and jaw-dropping reveals that build momentum and make us fall in love with these deeply unlikeable people. Stream it now on Stan.
2 Andor
Easily the most exciting and interesting thing to come out of Star Wars Lucasfilm division in a very long time, this political drama successfully bridges the gap to Rogue One. Stream it now on Disney +
1 Heated Rivalry
A small show from the Crave network in Canada about gay hockey players falling in love completely captured the world. Two of its episodes are ranked as the highest ever made alongside shows like Breaking Bad, the intensity of the relationships are real, the sex scenes are intense and it is what they used to call “water cooler television”. Watch it now on HBO Max.
