By Elazar Abrahams
January is here, which means it’s time to speculate about the pop culture year ahead. What has the potential to be good? What’s going to bomb hard? Will The White Lotus or The Last Us have the better long awaited return to HBO? Only time will tell, but sometimes the speculation and waiting game can be just as fun as the actual releases. So, without further ado, here are TV and City’s five most anticipated television shows of 2025.
The Studio
As a whole, Apple TV+’s streaming catalog is a mixed bag, with some series hitting and many more striking out. The Studio reteams the much-loved creative team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for a new show that hopefully is the former. The dramedy is a satirical glimpse into the inner workings of a struggling Hollywood film studio that just appointed Rogen’s character at the helm. The trailer looks really promising, and for fans of entertainment and celebrity, this is going to be one to check out.
The Four Seasons
Tina Fey can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and her many recent TV projects that followed her legendary run in 30 Rock are all bangers, from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Great News, to the recently canceled Girls5Eva (RIP). Next up for her on Netflix, and as of yet without a release date, is The Four Seasons, a comedic miniseries inspired by the 1981 Alan Alda film of the same name. Fey stars opposite Steve Carell and a killer ensemble that includes Colman Domingo, Erika Henningson, and Will Forte. Hopefully this release brings more of the laugh-a-minute hijinks that fans of the producer have become used to.
Stranger Things
One spot on this list had to go to a returning favorite, and there’s a lot of follow-ups gracing screens throughout the coming months. The most exciting however, is the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Audiences across the globe have watched the characters (and real life cast) of this sci-fi journey grow up over almost a decade, and the story is finally poised to conclude in epic fashion this year. The fourth season had multiple feature-length episodes and there’s a stage play prequel opening soon on Broadway. Stranger Things is a phenomenon and event television at its finest. Will the Duffer Brothers be able to satisfyingly land the plane?
IT: Welcome to Derry
This HBO horror series is a prequel to the two recent IT films, some of my favorite scary movies and Stephen King adaptations in recent memory. Welcome to Derry explores the origins of the malevolent entity known as Pennywise, and Bill Skarsgard is back in the chilling role. Set in the 1960s, the series promises to uncover the dark events that have plagued the town for generations. I’ll take this sort of franchise expansion over another middling MCU show or a Dune spinoff. Plus, the HBO banner on this connotes some level of prestige, similar to how last year’s The Penguin was not just an average comic book joint, but an elevated crime drama from the network.
The Chair Company
Tim Robinson is the type of comedian folks either love or hate, or even love to hate. His brand of humor is unique to say the least; Quite nonsensical, overly silly, and often hotdog based. But his sketch series I Think You Should Leave is your exact Q-zone, you’ll be delighted to know that Robinson is moving to HBO with The Chair Company, a show that follows a man who, after an embarrassing incident at work, begins investigating a conspiracy within his company. Let’s hope the executives let Tim – to quote one of his bits – do whatever the hell he wants.
TV and City 