The 19 Best TV Shows of 2025

Plus: Getting Intimate With 'Heated Rivalry' Stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS We've talked through the best movies of 2025—and now it's time to turn our attention to the small screen. Though it's been, on balance, a terrible year, 2025 has premiered some tremendous short-form content, enough that our annual list of the best TV shows contains not 10, not 15, but a cool 19 entries. Interestingly enough, few of these shows aired on network television—but at least one (which yours truly wrote up) is the product of public TV, a vital institution that's been pushed to the brink under the Trump administration. (Don't take my word for it—take Ken Burns's.) It's also my professional obligation to inform you that the smutty hockey phenomenon Heated Rivalry debuted after the list was locked. But thankfully, if the words smutty hockey phenomenon pique your interest, Chris Murphy's got an interview with leading heartthrobs Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie that just went up today. HILLARY BUSIS, SENIOR EDITOR The 19 Best TV Shows of 2025 BY VANITY FAIR All are well worth your time, particularly as the weather and, perhaps, the horrors of current events draw more of us indoors. Huddle before your screens—preferably something bigger than a phone, please—and behold this year's best television shows, as chosen by Vanity Fair staffers and presented in reverse chronological order. READ MORE Hot Topics CULTURE Revisiting The West Wing in Trump's America BY SAVANNAH WALSH Aaron Sorkin's idealistic series about the US presidency returns to Netflix after a five-year absence. VF's Savannah Walsh muses on its relevancy to disenchanted youth in 2025. READ MORE TELEVISION Getting Intimate With Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams BY CHRIS MURPHY "We got comfortable just being inches from each other's face and invading each other's personal space," Williams tells VF. "A nightmare for HR." READ MORE MUSIC Inside Taylor Swift's End of an Era Screening—With Taylor Swift BY KASE WICKMAN At an intimate screening of the singer's docuseries, Swift discussed the "magic and mystery and destiny and all that sort of stuff we can't explain" that went into her history-making Eras Tour. READ MORE From the Archive A Delicate Balance BY SAM KASHNER Jacqueline Kennedy was the first lady and iconic widow lauded for her style and beauty. More stylish and beautiful, in many eyes, was her sister, Lee Radziwill. Both adored their dashing, ne'er-do-well father, "Black Jack" Bouvier, were drawn to the same men—including Aristotle Onassis, Rudolf Nureyev, and Peter Beard—and dealt with terrible tragedy. In a revealing interview with Sam Kashner, from the May 2016 issue, Radziwill looks back at their deeply intertwined lives. READ MORE In Case You Missed It Pamela Anderson Opens Up About Her Relationship With Liam Neeson In a cover story for People, the 58-year-old actress recounts her "intimate"—and apparently concluded—relationship with the Irish actor, who she says once introduced her as the "future Mrs. Neeson." The 25 Movies You Need to Watch on Netflix This Month Including everything from landmark films to cult classics to Netflix-original hidden gems. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2025. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.