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Last One Laughing UK to Adolescence: The best TV shows of 2025 in the UK (so far)
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Can’t decide what to watch next from all the great TV that’s out there? We’ve got you covered with our essential TV guide of the best shows of 2025 so far…
By Charlotte Briggs + Chris Miller, Feature Writers
- Published
- 4 June 2025
Let’s face it: long gone are the days when we complained there was nothing to watch on TV. First-world problems aside, 2025 is already shaping up to be one of telly’s finest years (and we’ve still got another six whole months to go!). With bundles of thrilling, tear-jerking, laugh-out-loud and heartwarming shows to choose from, we’ve picked the crème de la crème of 2025’s most unmissable series you can watch right now. Don’t have a TV package? Explore our amazing TV deals.
Whether you’re a fan of these shows already, are looking for something new or simply want to join in at the next office debrief about big-hitting TV, we guarantee you’ll find something to entertain you here. So get comfortable on your sofa and let us guide you to your new binge watch. Right this way…
Last One Laughing UK
Stream series 1 in Apps > Prime Video now
What it is: The UK’s best and brightest comedians are tasked with making each other laugh all while keeping a straight face.
Number of episodes: 6 x 40 minute episodes
Why you should stream it: It’s a premise that relies on the right balance of comedians to work well. From the big laughers (Judi Love) to the stone faces (Richard Ayoade), from the terminally naughty (Lou Sanders) to the notorious wind-ups (Joe Lycett) and the legendary (Bob Mortimer), the UK version of this format got it spot-on. As well as hilarious gurning as the contestants strove to keep those faces straight, it showed us that a two-minute lecture on the history of the RNLI could be the funniest thing ever.
The Assembly
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Stream series 1 in Apps > ITVX now
What it is: David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Jade Thirlwall and Gary Lineker are grilled by an inquisitive group of autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled interviewers.
Number of episodes: 5 x 30 minutes
Why you should stream it: Get ready to feel all the feels. In a world where celebrities are media-trained or have a team of professionals perfectly curating their every move, The Assembly offers a rare and refreshing insight into the psyche of some of the UK’s most famous stars. No questions are off-limits, which lets both the A-listers and the interviewers shine without interference from a pesky PR manager. Packed with laughter, tears and genuine human connection.
Adolescence
Stream it in Apps > Netflix now
What it is: A family’s world is turned upside down when their teenage son is accused of killing a fellow classmate.
Number of episodes: 4 x 50-65 minutes
Why you should stream it: Um… because you’re one of the half-dozen people left who hasn’t? It’s been a huge global hit and the focus of at least 65% of TV conversations in 2025, so you’ll be missing out on those. Not only is it an eye-opening and cautionary glimpse into the difficulties of parenting in the online age, but it’s also a phenomenal technical achievement – each episode was shot in one take – with terrific performances, especially from young actor Owen Cooper in his first screen role.
Octopus!
Stream it in Apps > Prime Video now
What it is: A deep dive into the magical and fascinating world of the octopus to discover why these creatures are considered “charismatic, vulnerable and sexy”.
Number of episodes: 2 x 40 minutes
Why you should stream it: This isn’t your average nature documentary. Narrated by Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Octopus! weaves together an enlightening story through creative animation, testimonies from marine experts and cephalopod fans including actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, and the breathtaking oceanic adventure of a stop-motion Giant Pacific Octopus named Doris.
This City Is Ours
Stream series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer now
What it is: A Liverpool-based crime drama about the lives of the Phelan family and their drug trafficking empire.
Number of episodes: 8 x 60 minutes
Why you should stream it: Lauded as the “Scouse Sopranos”, this show’s March debut was so triumphant that a second series has already been confirmed. Woohoo! Rave reviews aside, if you like your crimes dramas tumultuous and gritty with a twist of heart-fluttering romance thrown in (we’re crowning Michael and Diana as Liverpool’s answer to Romeo and Juliet), then we suggest that you clear your evening schedule – because once you start This City Is Ours you won’t want it to end.
The Feud
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Stream it in Apps > 5 now
What it is: A thriller that sees plans for a house extension unearth unexpected skeletons and dark secrets on an idyllic suburban street.
Number of episodes: 6 x 45 minutes
Why you should stream it: While show creator Aschlin Ditta might be more well known for his collaboration with Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show, Queen Of Oz), his move from comedy to domestic thriller has paid dividends. First came suspenseful whodunnit The Inheritance. Then The Feud followed 18 months later, attracting another high-quality cast including Jill Halfpenny, Ray Fearon, Larry Lamb and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell as they navigate a menacing neighbourhood dispute that makes for tense and essential viewing.
MobLand
Stream it in Apps > Paramount+ now
What it is: A rivalry between two of London’s biggest crime families erupts into an all-out gang war, resulting in a catastrophic struggle for power amid a crumbling empire.
Number of episodes: 10 x 60 minutes
Why you should stream it: Buckle up as Top Boy’s Ronan Bennett takes you on a thrilling crash course through the art of gangland warfare. Tom Hardy is Harry Da Souza – a street-smart fixer for the Harrigan crime family that’s fronted by ruthless patriarch Conrad (Pierce Brosnan). But it’s Helen Mirren as devious matriarch Maeve who’s the real villain of the Harrigan firm, as she subtly guides her grandson Eddie in actions that leave a trail of destruction in their wake. (Did we mention that Anson Boon’s Eddie has ignited similar levels of audience outrage as Jack Gleeson’s Joffrey from Game Of Thrones?)
The Four Seasons
Stream it in Apps > Netflix now
What it is: A modern remake of the 1981 romcom, with Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Colman Domingo at the heart of a decades-long friendship group going through life’s motions.
Number of episodes: 8 x 30 minutes
Why you should stream it: Former 30 Rock writer Tracy Wigfield’s previous shows Great News and the rebooted Saved By The Bell were under-appreciated, but she has struck a chord with this new series, co-created with Tina Fey and Lang Fisher. It’s less joke-heavy than Wigfield’s other work but marries wit to emotional resonance, and it’s extremely relatable in its approach to the practicalities of marriage, friendship and holidays.
The Rehearsal
Stream season 2 in Sky Comedy on demand now. Season 1 also available
What it is: The second instalment of Nathan Fielder’s wacky docucomedy where he helps ordinary people navigate tricky situations by creating extraordinary simulations.
Number of episodes: 6 x 30-60 minutes
Why you should stream it: Fielder keeps coming up with ideas that are like nothing else on TV. From his business-bothering reality show Nathan For You to his bizarre drama The Curse, he’s proved himself a unique talent – and The Rehearsal, with Fielder making already tricky-to-navigate situations even more uncomfortable, is the perfect vehicle for his hilarious brand of hyper-awkwardness. Fans had to be patient after the first season aired all the way back in 2022, but it was definitely worth the wait.
Overcompensating
Stream season 1 in Apps > Prime Video now
What it is: A closeted high school football star heads off to college, where he embarks on a chaotic journey about the importance of finding yourself (eventually).
Number of episodes: 8 x 30-35 minutes
Why you should stream it: While he may have started out with viral Kardashian skits as Benny Drama, comedian Benito Skinner has shed his metaphorical online skin to bring fans his semi-autobiographical (and utterly bingeable) comedy, executive-produced by pop queen Charli XCX. Skinner stars as our central character who, as the title might suggest, does everything in his power to mask his true identity from his male peers, resulting in hilarious hijinks and a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating. We are gagged.
Out There
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Stream it now in Apps > ITVX
What it is: Martin Clunes is a bereaved farmer who finds his livelihood under threat from economic problems and criminal gangs, and takes matters into his own hands.
Number of episodes: 6 x 1 hour
Why you should stream it: If your life has a Happy Valley-shaped hole in it, this tension-filled story of rural crime should fill it perfectly. It paints a vivid and convincing picture of the difficulties faced by farmers in modern Britain, from pressure to sell their land for commercial use to the fact that their children have no interest in their inheritance if it means hard work. And Clunes – entering his Liam Neeson era, as an armed traditionalist who won’t stand for any nefarious activity – is a revelation.
Missing You
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Stream it now in Apps > Netflix
What it is: A detective investigates an apparent abduction and soon finds that the case has links to the murder of her father and the abrupt ending of her engagement.
Number of episodes: 5 x 41-46 minutes
Why you should stream it: 2025 has brought us another Netflix adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel with this intricately plotted thriller, starring Slow Horses’ Rosalind Eleazar. It’s fast-moving stuff, with shocking revelations occurring at agreeably frequent intervals. The producers have assembled a terrific cast including Marc Warren (Van Der Valk), James Nesbitt (Suspect), Steve Pemberton (Inside No.9), Ashley Walters (Top Boy), Samantha Spiro (Sex Education) and Richard Armitage, who’s appeared in all the English-language Coben series on Netflix.
The Traitors series 3
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Stream it now in Apps > BBC iPlayer. Series 1-2 and the US, Australian and New Zealand versions also available, as well as companion show The Traitors: Uncloaked
What it is: Another dose of Round Table-based skulduggery as the Faithfuls and Traitors strive to outmanoeuvre each other, while host Claudia Winkleman watches on archly.
Number of episodes: 12 x 1 hour (the finale is slightly longer)
Why you should stream it: Even if you’ve not previously got on board with this phenomenally successful competition show – over 10 million have watched the series 3 finale – you can dive straight into the most recent edition and immerse yourself in the scheming shenanigans. And if you’re a fan who’s wondering how they’ll keep it fresh third time around, don’t worry: as well as creative variations on previous tasks there are ace new ones too, and a surprising twist in the finale that introduces a whole new category of contestant.
The Crow Girl
Stream it now on Paramount+
What it is: Detectives Jeanette Kilburn (Eve Myles) and Lou Stanley (Dougray Scott) hunt a serial killer in this adaptation of a Scandinavian crime thriller shifted to Britain.
Number of episodes: 6 x 1 hour
Why you should stream it: Writer Milly Thomas and directors Charles Martin and Rebecca Rycroft do a sterling job of translating the chilly, brooding Scandi noir atmosphere to the West Country, helped by the truly disturbing premise of Erik Axl Sund’s source novel. As in the best crime dramas, nothing is what it seems and no one is to be trusted. The cast are excellent: Myles (Keeping Faith, We Hunt Together) and Scott (Irvine Welsh’s Crime, Vigil) are well versed in the genre and make the complicated police business look effortless. Propulsive, compelling and unsettling.
Vera series 14
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Stream it now in Apps > ITVX. Series 1-13 also available
What it is: The final mystery for Brenda Blethyn’s much-loved dowdy detective as she bows out after well over a decade on our screens.
Number of episodes: 2 x 2 hours
Why you should stream it: Like Shetland’s Jimmy Perez, also created by master crime writer Ann Cleeves, Vera Stanhope has earned a place in the canon of great TV detectives. And the series ended its run with a surprisingly emotional mystery, one that brought forth parallels with Vera’s early life – something we hadn’t seen much of – as she investigated the disappearance of a young woman with whom she felt a certain kinship. It’s an unexpected, quite un-Vera way to see her off, and one that made the series’ ending all the more bittersweet.
Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake
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Stream it now in Apps > U
What it is: The TOWIE graduate and Strictly star helps the charity Dogs Trust to rehabilitate and rehome rescued dogs.
Number of episodes: 4 x 45 minutes
Why you should stream it: You may not think the flamboyantly groomed and coiffed Wicks is to your taste at first, but we defy anyone not to be won over by this sweet-natured Essex lad after watching him in any of his TV appearances – from Celebrity MasterChef to Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and especially his triumphant run to the Strictly semi-final last year. And he’s in his element presenting this heartwarming series, in which his genuine love for animals is front and centre. If you get through it without shedding a tear, we suggest double-checking whether your heart is made of actual stone.
SAS Rogue Heroes series 2
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Stream it now in Apps > BBC iPlayer. Series 1 also available
What it is: The continuation of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight’s fact-based wartime drama about the early days of the Special Air Service.
Number of episodes: 6 x 1 hour
Why you should stream it: “Period drama” usually conjures up images of corsets and bonnets, but if that’s not your thing, don’t worry. This series meticulously recreates the mid-20th century for another bracing series of perilous combat missions. With the shrewd David Stirling (Connor Swindells) imprisoned and out of action this time, command falls to the more reckless Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell), and viewers get to see the contrast between two approaches to military strategy: cautious and bullish. This is muscular, high-class entertainment.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Stream it now in Apps > Netflix
What it is: A fact-based drama in which an Australian wellness blogger who claimed to have cured her own cancer through unorthodox methods is unmasked as a fraud.
Number of episodes: 6 x 55-65 minutes
Why you should stream it: It’s a sobering tale of how gaining some influence can lead to desperate corruption – and why you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the internet. Belle Gibson starts out offering wellness advice on social media with the best intentions. But when she gains a huge following, the exaggerations begin to spin out of control as lies are stacked upon lies. It’s part of a mini-trend (which includes Netflix’s Inventing Anna) of shows about real people brought down after being hoisted by their own hubris – you might call them Icarus stories.
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
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Stream series 1 now in Apps > Prime Video
What it is: A glimpse into the life of reality TV star and influencer Molly-Mae Hague as she juggles her social media presence, business, romance and press intrusion.
Number of episodes: 3 x 35 minutes
Why you should stream it: With eight million Instagram followers, Molly-Mae is one of the faces of the social media age in the UK, and her profile was only boosted by her romance with Love Island paramour and boxer Tommy Fury. If you’re tuning in for relationship gossip, though, you won’t find it. Instead this is an insightful and often surprising look behind the scenes of an online megastar, and although it’s clear that the subject and the programme-makers are carefully guarding how much information about her is released, that tells its own story.
FROM season 3
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Stream it now in On Demand > Sky Max. Seasons 1-2 also available
What it is: After weeks of trying to escape, the Township’s inhabitants are starting to slip into desperation – but there is a glimmer of hope.
Number of episodes: 10 x 1 hour
Why you should stream it: This creepy sci-fi series has steadily become one of the most gripping shows on TV but it’s flown under the radar somewhat. With its characters trapped in a isolated location and experiencing mysterious occurrences, it’s got some serious Lost vibes – helped by the presence of the superb Harold Perrineau (who played Michael Dawson in the hit 2000s show) as the town’s sheriff. While Lost ended up dividing viewers with its labyrinthine storylines, the reviews for FROM have been glowing, and the focus is firmly on solving the riddle of the Township’s powers.
Binged the lot already? Here are 10 more TV shows to add to your watchlist
Race Across The World
Stream series 5 in Apps > BBC iPlayer now. Series 1-4 also available
From teenagers to sexagenarians – including, gulp, a separated couple – the two-person teams travel 14,000km across Asia in another eye-opening instalment of this series.
Poker Face
Stream season 2 in Sky Max on demand now. Season 1 also available
Natasha Lyonne is back as BS detector Charlie Cale for more laid-back but fiendishly plotted mysteries.
Dying For Sex
Stream season 1 in Apps > Disney+ now
Terminally ill Molly (Michelle Williams) embraces her sexuality for the first time in this frank and heartfelt comedy drama.
The Residence
Stream season 1 in Apps > Netflix now
This all-star, light-hearted murder mystery, set in the White House and anchored by Uzo Aduba’s oddball detective, is enormous fun.
Reacher
Stream season 3 in Apps > Prime Video now. Seasons 1-2 also available
Lee Child’s vigilante hero (Alan Ritchson) finds another season’s worth of trouble in the form of organised crime and the biggest bad guy yet
Hacks
Stream season 4 in Sky Max on demand now. Seasons 1-3 also available
Deborah and Ava find out the real meaning of “careful what you wish for” in this brilliantly spiky new season of the award-winning US comedy.
Code Of Silence
Stream series 1 in Apps > ITVX now
This groundbreaking drama puts Rose Ayling-Ellis front and centre as a kitchen worker with lip-reading skills who’s pressed into service by the police.
The Change
Stream series 2 in Apps > Channel 4 now. Series 1 also available
The return of Bridget Christie’s bucolic comedy finds Linda (Christie) leading an unlikely revolution in the Forest of Dean.
Faking It
Stream series 1 in Apps > 5 now
A welcome return for this inventive 2000s reality format in which participants learn a whole new way of life and try to convince experts they’re the real thing.
Jane Austen: Rise Of A Genius
Stream it in Apps > BBC iPlayer now
The novelist whose stories are still globally loved 250 years on from her birth gets a thorough appreciation in this semi-dramatised three-part series.
How to watch Paramount+ with Virgin TV
You can get Paramount+ direct on Virgin TV 360 and our Stream box once you’ve got a subscription to the service. Simply sign up online, then log in on the box. And because Paramount+ is fully integrated into our 360 and Stream boxes, you can search without even going into the app. Just select Search & Discover from the Home menu and type in the name of the show or movie you’re after. You can also voice search Paramount+ shows with your remote, or say “Paramount Plus” to get to the app even faster.
How to watch Prime Video with Virgin TV
Prime Video is available to all Virgin TV customers with Virgin TV 360, our Stream box and our V6 box (powered by TiVo®), and a subscription to the service. Simply sign up to Amazon Prime via the website, and you can log in on the box. And because Prime Video is fully integrated into TiVo®, you can search without even going into the app. Just select Search & Discover from the Home menu and type in the name of the show or movie you’re after. 360 customers can also find Prime Video shows and launch the app with voice search.
Please note, if you watch TV on our TiVo® box, you will not be able to access Prime Video. But it’s super simple to upgrade to our latest Virgin TV box by contacting us on 0345 454 1111 (or call 150 from a Virgin Media phone).
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Image credits: The Traitors © Studio Lamber / Euan Cherry
Pete Wicks: For Dogs' Sake © UKTV
SAS Rogue Heroes © Banijay UK / Robert Viglasky
