AJ’s Side Panel 2025 TV Show list

So I’ve been hunting around the interwebs for the past few weeks putting together a list of shows that are coming out this year that have piqued my interest. I thought I would share them here with you.

Enjoy.

1. “Andor” Season 2 (Disney+)
   Without question, the best filmed “Star Wars” work since the original trilogy returns with a final season that retains the first season’s several mini-arcs structure but will boast year-long time jumps between them as it races to reach the events of “Rogue One”. Hopefully that won’t lead to it feeling rushed, and in fact could work in its favor – avoiding the pacing issues early on in the first season.
   The first season came out of nowhere with solid performances from Luna, Skarsgård, and Serkis that helped solidify my love for Rogue One.
2. “The Last of Us” Season 2 (HBO)
   HBO’s adaptation of the acclaimed PlayStation game hit it out of the park with the first season, sticking to the first game quite loyally though also made a few changes that were incredibly well-received. Here they’re adapting what appears to be the first third of “The Last of Us Part II” game – a much darker, more epic, but also more divisive title that some loathe and some adore. Having played the first game I was prepared for the first season but not playing the second game makes me fearful for what I’m walking into. I can’t wait.
3.  “Alien: Earth” (FX)
   Famed “Fargo” and “Legion” creator Noah Hawley is showrunning this TV series set within the “Alien” franchise. More specifically events unfold in 2120, two years before those of Ridley Scott’s original film. It begins when a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth. A young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery in the wreckage. The series will reportedly retain the original film’s retro-futuristic aesthetic.
4. “Stranger Things” Season 5 (Netflix)
   Having filmed across the entirety of 2024, the cast and crew of “Stranger Things” wrapped production on their final season the other week. Netflix is expected to turn this into a big event later in the year after the fourth season had the streamer’s biggest-ever premiere weekend for an English-language series. Plot specifics are under wraps beyond it mostly returning to the town of Hawkins, and of course the season likely to have massive budgets for the total of its run.
   I’ll be glad when the series is over if only to put the final nail in the coffin and finish the long awaited story.
5. “Daredevil: Born Again” (Disney+)
   Depending upon how “Fantastic Four” turns out, this could be the most or second most exciting Marvel work to come out next year. Ditching plans to retool it into a legal procedural, Marvel is essentially giving us a fourth season of the Netflix series (with a fifth on the way) and offering the kind of dark gritty drama meets adult sensibility within the MCU that it has only teased to date. The key players are back, as is Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, and if it goes well this could well be ongoing.
6. “Reacher” Season 3 (Amazon Prime)
   The third run of the show sees one of the better Lee Child books about the character – “Persuader” – being adapted. Here, Alan Ritchson’s character must take down a notorious drug trafficker operating from a heavily fortified lakeside mansion and has a massive bodyguard who makes Reacher seem short. I am loving this show and Ritchson casting for it is perfect.
7. “Blade Runner 2099” (Amazon Prime)
   A sequel to both Ridley Scott’s original film and Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, this takes place a half century later with Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer starring. The series will see a Blade Runner nearing the end of her life and a fugitive replicant teaming up to stop a widening conspiracy that poses an existential threat. Silka Luisa (“Shining Girls”) serves as showrunner and executive produces the project alongside Scott. Shot across Prague and Belfast over the back half of 2024, don’t expect this until year’s end.
8. “Peacemaker” Season 2 (HBO)
   James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” spin-off is back, the first season proving even more enjoyable than Gunn’s film thanks to fun work from John Cena, Freddie Stroma and others. Here the team return for a new season which shifts the action into the new DC Universe and brings in Frank Grillo’s Rick Flagg Sr. from “Creature Commandos”. Other specifics of the new season are under wraps, but it will launch shortly after the release of Gunn’s “Superman” film in cinemas next July. I’m curious how the tackle the change in Universes with the JL scene at the end of s1 now being labeled as “non-canon”.
9. “IT: Welcome To Derry” (HBO)
   A prequel to the two “IT” films based on the Stephen King novel, this sees the film’s director Andy Muschietti returning to executive produce and directs four of the nine episodes of this prequel in the early 1960s in a period before Pennywise the Clown goes into hibernation. Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar and Bill Skarsgård star in the series which will cover some events from the book (eg. the Black Spot) not really done in the films. If the series is anything like Welcome to Castle Rock then I will be happy.
10.  “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Season 3 (Paramount+)
    The third outing for Captain Pike’s crew sees Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn) join the crew full time, Cillian O’Sullivan playing Dr. Roger Korby from TOS, and Rhys Darby guest starring. One episode will see some of the crew transformed into Vulcans, another is a Hollywood murder mystery which Jonathan Frakes directed and dubs the “best episode of TV I’ve had the privilege of directing”. This show has been a lot of fun and I’m excited to see what’s next.
11. “Spider-Noir” (Amazon Prime)
    Amazon is spinning off Nicolas Cage’s memorable “Spider-verse” character – a spin on P.I. characters like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe – into his own live-action series. Here he’s an aging private investigator and superhero in an alternate version of 1930s New York City. His investigation into a death leads him to discover the Mayor is involved with crime boss Silvermane and femme fatale Yuri Watanabe. Jack Huston, Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson and more star in the show which is currently filming in Los Angeles and wraps next month.
12. “Criminal” (Amazon Prime)
    An adaptation of the famed Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips comics, the series follows multiple generations of criminal families and explores the murders that connect their pasts. Celebrated novelist Jordan Harper teams with Brubaker as showrunners on the project which stars the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Richard Jenkins, Adria Arjona, Emilia Clarke, Luke Evans, Garrett Hedlund and more. Directing duties were split with half going to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Captain Marvel”), the other half to Dee Rees (“Mudbound”).
13. “Young Sherlock” (Amazon Prime)
    Having directed the two “Sherlock Holmes” films with Robert Downey Jr., filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns to the characters with this prequel to the Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Hero Fiennes Tiffin stars as a 19-year-old Holmes who is an unruly, unfiltered and undisciplined amateur investigator at Oxford University. He sets out to solve his first murder mystery and uncovers a scheme with global implications. Zine Tseng, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone and Colin Firth co-star along with Max Irons as Mycroft and Donal Finn as Moriarty.
14. “Gen V” Season 2 (Amazon Prime)
    Against the odds, Amazon’s college-set “The Boys” spin-off “Gen V” ended up being surprisingly strong – a bit messier than its originator sure, but a highly entertaining work that managed to stand on its own. It returns with a second season that had to be retooled following Chase Perdomo’s sudden death and will offer a look at the world after the events of fourth season finale of “The Boys” saw Homelander install a puppet U.S. President to office. At this point, I just want to see how it all ends lol.
15. “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” (Paramount+)
    A Discovery-era series following the first new class of Starfleet cadets in over a century. Starring the likes of Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, Tatiana Maslany, Robert Picardo back as the EMH and Tig Notaro back as Jett Reno.
16. “The Boroughs” (Netflix)
    The Duffer Brothers, who created Netflix’s immensely popular supernatural series “Stranger Things,” are set to executive produce another series for the streamer – a sci-fi tale set in the New Mexico desert where a supernatural threat in a retirement community emerges and a group of unlikely heroes combat it. The likes of Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Jena Malone, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman star in the series which is being showrun by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”).
17. “Murderbot” (Apple TV+)
    An adaptation of the Martha Wells book series, the sci-fi thriller project hails from David S. Goyer along with Chris & Paul Weitz. Alexander Skarsgård produces and stars as a security android who has achieved self-awareness and must mask its ability for free thought while completing routine dangerous assignments.
18.  “The War Between the Land and the Sea” (Disney+)
    Russell T. Davies delivers a new five-episode “Doctor Who” spin-off that hopefully will recapture the glory days of his “Torchwood: Children of Earth” event series. Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw lead the series in which UNIT must take action to prevent a global war once the ancient aquatic species, the Sea Devils, comes out from the sea and revea themselves to humanity. I’m not a big Who fan but I know many that are.
19. “Wonder Man” (Disney+)
    What appears to be a meta buddy comedy set within the MCU, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star as Simon Williams – a superpowered actor and stuntperson auditioning for the lead role in a superhero television series. Ben Kingsley is back in his “Iron Man 3” role of failed British actor Trevor Slattery in what’s a wacky pairing that might just work. “Shang-Chi” director Destin Daniel Cretton co-created the series with “Community” and “Hawkeye” alum Andrew Guest. Eh, why not.
20. “A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms” (HBO)
    Another “Game of Thrones” spin-off, this TV series adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas is set midway between the events of “House of the Dragon” and ‘Thrones’. The series follows the adventures of young versions of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) making their way through the seven kingdoms. It should potentially be the ‘lightest’ entry in the franchise to date with a focus more on comedy and adventure than ruthless politics.
21. “Your Friends and Neighbors” (Apple TV+)
    “Banshee” and “Warrior” creator Jonathan Tropper’s new series stars Jon Hamm as a hedgefund manager who has been recently fired and divorced, so he turns to crime to maintain his lifestyle and keep his family happy. Olivia Munn, Amanda Peet, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero and Corbin Bernsen co-star in the series which has already been renewed for a second season. Being a HUGE fan of his previous series AND having them cast Jon Hamm in what is no doubt going to be a brutal role, well, that’s all you had to say.
22. “Ironheart” (Disney+)
    The long in the works TV series brings back Dominique Thorne as MIT student Riri Williams who returns home to Chicago where she becomes entangled with the enigmatic Parker Robbins/The Hood (Anthony Ramos) who taps into dark magic. The Chinaka Hodge-created series, which also stars Alden Ehrenreich and Lyric Ross, will also look at Riri’s life before the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. Sacha Baron Cohen also co-stars in a small role rumored to be Mephisto.
23. “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” (Netflix)
    An anime-style adaptation of the famed Tom Clancy-branded Ubisoft video game franchise. Liev Schrieber voices covert black-ops soldier Sam Fisher who works for a top secret sub-division of the NSA dubbed ‘Fourth Echelon’ and specialises in stealth infiltration. “John Wick” franchise writer Derek Kolstad serves as the lead writer and executive producer for the story which seems to be set after the events of “Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory”. Guillaume Dousse and Félicien Colmet-Daage direct.
24. “Marvel Zombies” (Disney+)
    What could be a fascinating experiment or forgettable fluff, this “What If?” four-episode R-rated spin-off follows a group of survivors who must fight against former Marvel heroes and villains that have been turned into zombies. Key voice actors like Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh and more return for the show from comic writer and “Robot Chicken” director Zeb Wells.
25.  “The Paper” (Peacock)
    A mockumentary series spin-off of “The Office” created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Here, the narrative shifts to the challenges faced by a struggling historic Midwestern newspaper as the same documentary crew chronicle the efforts of the newspaper’s publisher to revive the publication using volunteer reporters. Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore lead the cast. More curious than excited for this one.
26. “Mid-Century Modern” (Hulu)
    Ryan Murphy’s multi-camera comedy hails from the creators of “Will & Grace” and follows three gay gentlemen (Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham) of a certain age who decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs. The series has drawn “Golden Girls” comparisons, and the loss of co-star Linda Lavin will have to be dealt with, but the comedy pedigree here is high. Obviously, Golden Guys was taken.
27. “Anansi Boys” (Amazon Prime) – Filming wrapped mid-2022 on this fantasy miniseries adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel about the two sons of the spider-god Anansi. Its fate seems decidedly uncertain right now.
28. “Butterfly” (Amazon Prime) – The comic adaptation is a character-driven spy thriller series about a highly unpredictable former US intelligence operative (Daniel Dae Kim) living in South Korea whose life explodes when an impossible decision from his past has led to a deadly consequence in the present. Reina Hardesty plays a sociopathic young agent assigned to kill him.
29. “Devil May Cry” (Netflix) – A new animated adaptation of the acclaimed video game series being steered by Adi Shankar who handled the acclaimed “Castlevania” animated series also at Netflix. Studio Mir is doing the art for the series.
30. “Dexter: Resurrection” (Paramount+) – Picks up after the events of “Dexter: New Blood” and the flash forwards seen in the currently airing prequel. Dexter has seemingly survived having bled out in the cold and this will explore what happens to him next. Michael C. Hall and James Remar return, as does showrunner Clyde Phillips. They seem to be milking Dexter for all his blood.
31. “The Hunting Party” (ABC) – Melissa Roxburgh leads this crime procedural as a former FBI profiler leading a task force to track down the most dangerous serial killers in the world who have just escaped from a top-secret government underground prison called ‘The Pit’ which houses its own mysteries.
32. “Man on Fire” (Netflix) – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads this new take on A. J. Quinnell’s novel about a wounded former mercenary on a quest for revenge for the loss of his only companion while defending the daughter of his dead colleague.
33. “The Pitt” (HBO) – Noah Wyle leads the cast of this medical ensemble drama following frontline heroes working in a Pittsburgh hospital. I don’t know why but I am really excited for this one. All the trailers seem to bring forth that intense ER room drama that we’ve all be longing for.
34. “Suits LA” (NBC) – The popular legal drama that ended years ago gets a LA-set spin-off led by Stephen Amell and with much of the same creative team behind the original back along with an almost all-new cast.
35. “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” (Disney+) – The animated series explores Peter Parker’s early days as Spider-Man in an alternate timeline where Norman Osborn becomes Parker’s mentor rather than Tony Stark. Jeff Trammell serves as showrunner.
36. “Batman: Caped Crusader” Season 2
    The first season was such a breath of fresh air as far as origin stories go. The animation did an amazing job of taking us back to the TAS days. I can’t wait.
37.  “Invincible” Season 3
    This series does a great job of adapting the Robert Kirkman created comic book. Season 3 promises to be in more insane.
38. “Twisted Metal” Season 2
39. “Will Trent” Season 3