7 ‘criminally overlooked’ TV shows from 2025 that you need to binge

It’s beginning to get to that stage of the year when Christmas decorations are in full flow and nobody has any idea what day of the week it is.

Whether you’re still recovering from last night’s work party or you’re fed up of scouring the internet for a last minute gift, staying up to date with the plethora of TV shows that have been released this year can be tough work.

Metro has already given you at home more than a dozen gripping crime thrillers to keep you entertained during the Christmas break if you’re bored of the same old cheesy Christmas movies (I know I’m not).

But in a year when an endless amount of TV shows seemed to go viral (The Summer I Turned Pretty, I’m looking at you) not all new releases received equal love.

For every thousand social media posts that were dedicated to shows like Netflix’s Adolescence or HBO’s The White Lotus, a handful of dramas and comedies by HBO, Netflix, Apple TV and BBC flew under the radar.

So, without further ado, here are the seven best TV shows from this year that you’ve probably missed.

The Chair Company

Much like the nonsensical internet phrase ‘6-7’, it’s unfathomable to me how large swathes of the UK public are unaware of who Tim Robinson is.

The US comedian may have come across your attention through a funny clip from his Comedy Central series Detroiters or his equally hilarious comedy sketch show on Netflix, I Think You Should Leave.

But if you have somehow not enjoyed his unique brand of absurdist comedy, I’m actually quite jealous of you. I’d love to wipe my brain clean and rewatch all of his shows.

The 44-year-old is, in my opinion, the funniest comedian working today, and his latest HBO series The Chair Company has offered us a glimpse into how high his ceiling could be.

Co-written by Tim and Zach Kanin, the eight-part series sees Ron Trosper (Robinson), a Ohio property developer, spiralling down a conspiracy rabbit hole after an embarrassing incident at a work meeting. Spoiler alert – it involves a chair.

Inside his wonderfully bizarre brain, Tim has delivered a rare type of comedy that manages to transform mundane everyday tasks into hilarious scenarios.

The Chair Company is available to stream on NOW.

What It Feels Like For A Girl

When the BBC’s adaptation of Paris Lees’ acclaimed memoir, What It Feels Like For a Girl, first hit our screens, the eight-part series received rave reviews.

Praised by fans and critics alike, the anarchic Y2K coming-of-age drama shocked viewers with its brutal portrayal of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire in the early 2000s.

But for one reason or another, it was unable to make the impact it deserved.

Following Byron, who is stuck in a small working-class town, the 15-year-old is desperate to get away from his surroundings.

Finding solace in a group of queer and trans friends, the series offered a much-needed insight into how transgender people are treated in our society.

Created by Paris herself, this fearless drama is full of life, wit, drugs, sex and soul.

What It Feels Like For A Girl is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

The Rehearsal

If you think The Chair Company goes too far with its absurdist humour, Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal might not be for you.

But, if you’re like me, and awkward humour gives you a renewed sense of life, then this HBO series will have you crying with laughter… and embarassment.

Much like the equally wonderful How to with John Wilson, which Fielder serves as an executive producer on, The Rehearsal masterfully blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

At its core, the series is about Nathan helping people prepare for difficult moments in life by creating elaborate, hyper-realistic rehearsals with actors and sets.

Building upon the success of the first season, the second series sees Nathan take on the aviation industry as he introduces his plan to fix plane disasters through meticulous planning.

The 42-year-old US comedian is another who is at the very top of his game, and his unique brand of humour needs to be seen more widely across the UK.

The Rehearsal is available to stream on NOW.

The Eternaut

If, like most viewers, you were distraught by the ending of The Last of Us season two and you were in desperate need for some more bleak, post-apocalyptic action, the solution was standing right in front of you all this time!

Netflix’s adaptation of the classic Argentinian sci-fi comic, The Eternaut, sees a devastating toxic snowfall kill millions.

Following Juan Salvo and a group of survivors in Buenos Aires, they must resist an invisible threat from another world.

In a year when Fallout and Last of Us rightly received heaps of praise, not enough was made of this thrilling post-apocalyptic masterpiece.

Leaning into more of a darker gritty realism and sci-fi horror, the six-part series is sure to fill any gaping hole left in your life by The Last of Us.

The Eternaut is available to stream on Netflix.

Forever

Another hidden gem from this year has to be Netflix’s teenage love story, Forever.

Based on bestselling author Judy Blume’s 1975 novel of the same name, the eight-part has been praised for being ‘one of the best love stories ever’ by those who have seen it.

But compared to the monumental impact The Summer I Turned Pretty had, Forever deserves a hell of a lot more attention.

Following two Black teens, Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.), the pair explore their identities through the awkward and moving journey of being each other’s first loves.

Viewers raved about its ‘warm, fluffy’ telling of this love story.

But there was also heavy praise for how it tells a deeper story about the challenges of being a black teeanger in our modern era.

Forever is available to stream on Netflix.

The Lowdown

Perhaps the most overlooked series in this helpful list of hidden gems has to be Ethan Hawke’s The Lowdown.

Released on FX, and available to stream on Disney Plus in the UK, the eight-part series follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon (Hawke).

As a self-proclaimed Tulsa ‘truthstorian’, whose obsession with the truth is always getting him into trouble, Lee’s efforts to uncover deep corruption linked to a prominent family sees him fall into a world of pain.

Blending a southern American noir thriller with real gritty comedy, it’s strange to see that The Lowdown has not taken off more with audiences.

The Lowdown is available to stream on Disney Plus.

Dope Thief

Having to compete with the likes of Severance and The Studio for air time would be tough going for any series.

But for Apple TV’s hilarious comedy police thriller Dope Thief, it has unfortunately been crowded out on the streaming service.

Following two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob drug dealers, the pair’s lives are turned upside down when they steal from an organized narcotics operation under surveillance by the actual DEA.

The eight-part series is in equal parts hilarious as it is heartbreaking and action-packed.

Bolstered by the magnificent performances of Brian Tyree Henry as Ray Driscoll and Wagner Moura as Manny Carvalho, who are both respectively global stars in the TV and film industry, Dope Thief is sure to be your next binge watch.

Dope Thief is available to stream on Apple TV.

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