2025 has been another great year for TV, and while several new series have gotten all kinds of attention, these seven shows aren’t talked about nearly as much as they deserve. After watching all of the award-winning new premieres this year, viewers who are looking for something else new should check out these seven options that they may not have heard of.
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Many popular TV shows returned for new seasons in 2025, with Severance, Stranger Things, The Bear, The Righteous Gemstones, Hacks, and more coming back for another round of critically-acclaimed episodes. Some new shows also made names for themselves, with The Pitt, Pluribus, and Adolescence getting major social media buzz alongside their critical acclaim. While these shows got the latter, they missed out on the former, meaning that they could have gone under the radars of some.
7. Duster
HBO Max’s Duster was a new crime thriller show from J.J. Abrams and Shameless writer LaToya Morgan. The series stars Josh Holloway as a getaway driver who teams up with an FBI agent played by Rachel Hilson in order to take down a crime boss.
Duster received critical acclaim from critics, with the series earning 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this and the involvement of an industry Titan like Abrams, Duster went completely unnoticed by many. The 1970s love letter didn’t catch on with a broader audience, leading the streaming service to cancel Duster after one season.
6. Murderbot
The sci-fi action comedy series Murderbot hit Apple TV+ this year, with it coming from creators Paul and Chris Weitz. Based on Martha Wells’ book series The Murderbot Diaries, the show stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular android who discovers and subsequently hides his autonomy.
Murderbot got a bit of attention on social media ahead of its release, although it wasn’t positive. Some fans of the books complained about the show’s decision to use Skarsgård’s face instead of a generic robot face. However, this is about all the social media attention that the show got. This is a shame, as the show is fantastic, earning 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
5. Alien: Earth
Major movie franchises that make the jump to TV often get a lot of attention, and while there was a good bit of buzz for Noah Hawley’s take on Alien, the series was quickly forgotten. Alien: Earth explores new corners of Ridley Scott’s iconic franchise, finally showing off Earth while highlighting the various synthetic forms of life that have developed in the future.
Alien: Earth garnered an impressive viewership upon its premiere, with Variety reporting that it got 9.6 million views in its first six days. However, viewership fell in the following weeks, with THR reporting that it was only the ninth-most-streamed original series the first weekend of September, weeks before the show’s finale. This is despite the series being a critical success, earning 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
4. Dope Thief
Writer Peter Craig created the 2025 Apple TV+ series Dope Thief, which stars Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. The show follows two friends who pose as DEA agents in order to rob a house, although things go awry when they realize that they have stolen from a major organized narcotics operation that the real DEA has been surveilling.
Like many Apple TV+ shows, Dope Thief has received critical acclaim but has made very little cultural impact. The series is rarely talked about online, and while it has been nominated for a few awards, it hasn’t won any. This is a shame, as Dope Thief is a critically acclaimed series, with it earning 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. Dying For Sex
Showrunners Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether adapted the podcast of the same name into a critically acclaimed FX miniseries, with it releasing in 2025. The show follows Michelle Williams as Molly Kochan, and it tells the real-life story of how Kochan left her husband to find sexual pleasure after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The show currently sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, showing just how beloved Dying for Sex is. Unfortunately, the show has been overlooked by many, with many audience members missing out on one of 2025’s best new series.
2. The Lowdown
The Lowdown comes from Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo, and interestingly, both shows take place in a shared universe. The show follows Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a journalist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who is obsessed with always discovering the truth.
The Lowdown‘s popularity is disproportionate to its star-studded cast, which features Hawke, Keith David, Tim Blake Nelson, Peter Dinklage, Tisha Campbell, and more. The show also has 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that it is another critical success for Harjo.
1. Common Side Effects
Scavengers Reign creator Joe Bennett teamed up with Steve Hely to bring Common Side Effects to life, the most unique new adult animated series of 2025. The series tells the story of two former high school friends who reunite years later, with Frances Applewhite being an executive assistant at a major pharmaceutical company, and Marshall Cuso being a fungi expert who finds a mushroom that can cure anything.
Common Side Effects‘ beautiful animation style, unique humor, and tense conspiracy story make it unlike any other adult animated series. Common Side Effects has garnered critical acclaim since premiering on Adult Swim, with it currently holding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. While it has found major success in its niche fanbase, the show hasn’t broken out. However, there is always the possibility that it could find a larger audience in the recently confirmed second season of Common Side Effects.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
