If you looked at just the cast of this true story, you’d be sold. Aimee Lou Wood (White Lotus, Film Club), Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch), Rory Kinnear (Black Mirror), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) and Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey); and they are just the headliners in this story of a mother’s fight. When dozens of babies in one small steel manufacturing town are born with disabilities, their mothers set out to hold those responsible to account. It’s a tale as old as time – corruption, cover-ups, pay-offs and underestimating how far families will go to discover the truth. With only four episodes, you can devour this over a weekend, easy. – Bridget Jones
What do you get if you lock some of Britain’s top comedians in a room together and tell them they’re not allowed to laugh? The funniest TV show of the year, that’s what. Hosted by the ubiquitous Jimmy Carr, each episode sees the comedians eliminated if they emit so much as a titter. Think it sounds easy? You try keeping a straight face while Bob Mortimer does a one-man magic show, or Daisy May Cooper pretends to ride a rollercoaster. Other star performers from season one include Rob Beckett, Richard Ayoade, Lou Sanders, Sara Pascoe, Judi Love and Joe Wilkinson. Catch up on the first season before season two lands next year. Fans of Celebrity Traitors (see number 11 on this list) will be delighted to know Alan Carr is joining the cast. – Stephanie Holmes
“Cinematic” is an over-used descriptor in the golden age of television, but Alien: Earth was the only show I watched this year with all the living room lights off. Wildly imaginative, very scary (and, at times, very funny) it was the origin story I didn’t know I was missing. Set two years before the events of the 1979 movie original, the series absolutely works as a standalone watch, even if you’ve never seen a single second of the famed franchise. In this alternate universe, Peter Pan gets a makeover, the trillionaires behave in the manner to which the current world is becoming accustomed and the MVP is whoever came up with a suite of aliens so gruesome you will never look at a sheep the same way again. Go for the action (I’m not sure I actually drew breath for the entirety of episode five) and stay for the hard rock outros. Everything about this show feels like what I once only imagined television could look like. – Kim Knight
Any iteration of Taskmaster delivers a cosy watch. In Aotearoa, local comedians occasionally lack the focus and intensity of the English version. They tend to fall into a state of panic or simply bumble around the backyard trying to complete their tasks. The snug nature of our comedy scene tends to create a convivial energy, especially evident when surprise cameos from past contestants are greeted warmly. The latest season welcomed comedians Alice Snedden, Bree Tomasel, Jack Ansett, Jackie van Beek and Pax Assadi to the competition. The setting also expands to see the contestants running around New Zealand’s premiere theme park, which gives the whole show a real end-of-school-term vibe: just a bunch of children trying to make each other laugh. – Madeleine Crutchley
In the introduction of Severance, Lumon’s corporate walls are immovable. Four colleagues have their brains split in half to create two selves: one for work (the “innie”) and one for their personal life (“outie”). The innies, encased in fluorescent rooms, are tasked with the repetitive shifting of mysterious numbers around a screen, with no clue what the digits actually do. In the first season, they venture beyond their cubicles to better understand their place within this foreboding workplace – uncovering dark and disruptive secrets. Season two hits the ground running (sprinting!), corridors squeezing tighter as the innies seek urgent truths. Despite the claustrophobia, the scope of Severance expands. It’s a rare example of world-building that doesn’t exhaust but instead delights. We see how far Lumon’s corporate tendrils reach, from a decimated seaside town to a mountainous work retreat and an isolated empathy centre near the North Pole. No other show is reaching the stark and cutting excellence of Severance right now – you’ll feel any work stress channelled somewhere cathartic. – MC
A peek behind the curtain into the tumultuous private life and struggles of one of the UK’s most famous influencers isn’t something I thought I’d enjoy watching, but I ended up being totally engaged. While many similar shows gloss over the hard truths, this one doesn’t shy away from showing the unglamorous side of influencers and gives us a real sense of the pain (former Love Island star) Molly-Mae Hague went through during her highly publicised split with boxer Tommy Fury. – MH
This miniseries is not festive viewing. It’s not fun viewing. A lot of the time, it’s not even very nice viewing. But it is very good. Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of Richard Flanagan’s novel (a Booker prize-winner) tells the story of Australian POWs building the Burma railway in World War II. And while that storyline is the most intense, full of mud and blood and cruelty, the series also darts between two other moments in the life of our hero, young doctor Dorrigo (Jacob Elordi). Before the war, he is engaged to be married but forms a connection with his uncle’s young wife (Odessa Young), which is light and bright and full of taboo hope, while towards the end of his life, the decisions he has made must be reckoned with. Elordi is dark, brooding and utterly captivating (and picked up a Golden Globe nom for his troubles) while Ciarán Hinds, who plays the older version of Dorrigo, is haunted and haunting. The only gripe is that the war scenes are (literally) very, very dark. Your eyes will adjust, but no, it’s not your television. – BJ
One of the most underrated Mark Ruffalo performances of all time. That’s what you’ll get in this explosive cat-and-mouse tale about a gang of drug-house robbers who get caught up in a high-stakes kidnapping in heartland Pennsylvania. It’s a character study within a thriller, with the lives of each character explored through deep dialogue, soaring storyline arcs and a mix of tense shootouts and quiet reflection – MH
I have absolutely no interest in golf. Couldn’t think of anything worse, to be honest. But somehow, in spite of that, this sports comedy had me absolutely charmed. Owen Wilson channels some unexpected subtlety into his role as Pryce Cahill, an ex-pro golfer, who is struggling to stay afloat after an on-course meltdown sent his career to the bunker. That is, until he comes across Santi (Peter Dager), a teenager with his own struggles, but a hell of a golf swing. Together, along with Santi’s mum (Mariana Treviño), the teen’s love interest (Lilli Kay) and the criminally underrated Marc Maron as Pryce’s best mate, Mitts, they hit the road to find fame and redemption. It’s funny, heart warming and will almost – almost! – make you think differently about golf. – BJ
Even if you’ve never tuned in to The Traitors franchise (guilty), The Celebrity Traitors, UK is a juicy and action-packed place to start. The UK franchise is hosted by the brilliant Claudia Winkleman, with the celeb iteration having cast some of the greatest names in UK comedy, sport and television. Alan Carr and Celia Imrie give us sass, silliness and even some cheeky gas. Joe Wilkinson and Joe Marler bring unexpected friendship, cluelessness and a truly stunning wobbly bridge walk technique. And Nick Mohammed and Stephen Fry show us they, much like this season of the show, have well earned the title of genius. A must-watch for those wanting to laugh, gasp and play along. – JM
Starring Eric Bana and our very own Sir Sam Neill, Netflix’s Untamed landed on the streamer in July. The detective thriller set in the picturesque Yosemite National Park opens with a gruesome death, which Bana, as gruff special agent Kyle Turner, must investigate. Each twist in this story is fairly predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch – and with six episodes less than an hour long each, it’s an easy weekend binge. – Bethany Reitsma
The Pitt was the darling of the 2025 Primetime Emmys for good reason; it’s small-screen hospital drama perfection. The show snagged 13 Emmy nominations and three wins for the drama, which plays out in real time across a 15-hour emergency room shift. But Kiwi audiences might not have caught the hype. Noah Wyle gives the performance of a lifetime as Dr Robby, a senior attending physician at a Pittsburgh hospital dealing with trauma from the job, while running a team of doctors. The show tackles harrowing and at times triggering subject matter, but does so with grace, showcasing what our emergency room staff go through on a daily basis as they try to save lives. – JM
If you’ve ever wanted to feel young again, this is the kind of show that will beat that desire right out of you and remind you that actually, being old(er) and wise(r) is quite a lovely thing, thank you very much. Set in a US college, we follow Benn, a closeted former football player trying to just figure things out alongside his new friends who are just as confused about life and love. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and quite sweet at its core, but would I do uni all over again? Not if you paid me! – BJ
This beautifully crafted eight-part docuseries sees radio and TV personality Kara Rickard explore the concepts of mātauranga Māori through the art of gardening. Each episode follows a different story and shows the different ways whānau use and live with the land to provide nurturement in their communities. As someone who loves easy-watching shows like Earth Oven, Off The Grid, and Country Calendar, this is a great new take on a previously done format with plenty of heart and humour to match – MH
Every single person on this list will have watched at least part of this series from the makers of The Office, which means perhaps it’s not a show we have missed. But we can claim vested interests. Set in a newspaper, the comedy gets things very right – and very wrong – about what it’s like to be a journalist today. Which parts are which? We will leave that to your imaginations (and the comment section on Facebook). – BJ
Kiwi parents rejoice, this fresh reimagining of Spike Milligan’s Badjelly the Witch is equal parts smart, funny, and oh-so-watchable – for all ages. The classic tale of a lost cow, a mysterious forest and a sinister sorceress plays out across eight 21-minute episodes that will have your tamariki hooked. Made by New Zealand animation studio Mukpuddy, my parental ears perked up when I heard brilliant comedic voices like Miriam Margolyes, James Acaster, Joe Wilkinson, Rhys Darby and Rose Matafeo, as my son laughed at the madness and magic on-screen. – JM
This three-part documentary will make you nostalgic, happy, sad and unbelievably furious, as you follow the rise, fall, tragedy and comeback of Irish boyband Boyzone. Archive footage is mixed with deeply revealing present-day interviews with the remaining band members and the man who initially brought them together, Louis Walsh, who effortlessly paints himself as one of the most mercenary, fame-hungry industry figures ever to have lived. The episode featuring Stephen Gately’s funeral will have you sobbing. – SH
It’s one of those documentaries that sounds too bizarre to be true – a US college football quarterback who, at the same time, is cosying up to cartels and making money, hand over fist, as one of their top smugglers. Now, 43-year-old paroled felon Owen Hanson earns $500 every two weeks selling iced protein bars, with the FBI calculating his spectacular downfall. If you’re a fan of true crime that comes with a side of pizzazz, this one’s for you – MH
I hate post-apocalyptic series. It’s a genre done to death and shows like The Walking Dead long outstayed their welcome. But when the creator of Breaking Bad does one, you have no choice but to watch. I’m so glad I did, because Plur1bus is quite possibly one of the best series ever made. It’s a simple premise that’s caked in complexion: What happens if you are one of the only people on earth who can be sad or angry, as well as one of the only ones who can think like an individual. Rhea Seehorn’s troubled author Carol Sturka is a revelation and will make you laugh out loud or cry as she experiences a world of forced happiness. The cinematography is also a chef’s kiss. – MH
Watch what you say and who you say it to is the moral of this glossy retelling of the scandal that rocked the LA Clippers dynasty. A secret recording leads to eccentric business tycoon Donald T. Sterling’s (Ed O’Neil) downfall, with coach Doc Rivers (Lawrence Fishburne) and his players left to bear the brunt of the reputational fallout. Stellar performances, a dynamite script, and great music choices make this the must-watch sports biopic of the year – MH
Sometimes you want to watch a show that makes you obsessed. White Lotus-level obsessed. The kind that makes you choose watching an episode over sex, then gossip about it at work. Sirens is that kind of show. Comprising just five episodes, it’s ominous from the get-go: big sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) tries to rescue little sister Simone (Milly Alcock) from the unhealthy relationship she has with her super-rich boss (Julianne Moore). These are three beautiful women – sirens – who are so powerful and yet so wounded in different ways by men. We see their desires. We see their traumas. But the problem is deeper – you’re trying to put the pieces together till the last minute. Is there a cult? Is there a killer? Is there a mermaid? With a stacked cast, Sirens delivers a deliciously mysterious storyline that will leave you on your toes every minute of every episode. I guarantee you won’t see its final twist coming. – Varsha Anjali
Maybe it’s a hangover from my name, maybe I’m just a tragic millennial, but show me a new rom-com and I’ll be yours forever. And Film Club, starring and co-created by Amiee Lou Wood (The White Lotus, Toxic Town), is a rom-com that references other rom-coms, so whole-heartedly, smartly and without an inch of embarrassment. It makes for perfect TV, to be honest. The tale is as old as time: Noa (Nabhaan Rizwan) and Evie (Wood) are two mates who share a love of film. And maybe each other? When circumstances force things to a head, the countdown is on for one of them to come clean. It’s delightful and clever and just very, very sweet (with a bit of a bite). – BJ
