TV shows worth the wait

Something old, something new, something thrilling and something true! Netflix’s 2025 series and movies slate has something for everyone. Here’s what to look forward to.

American Primeval

From the creators of The Revenant comes a gripping western series set in the wild, untamed country that was the US before Instagram was a thing. The limited series takes place in 1857 at a time when western civilization clashed with indigenous people at the frontier. It’s brutal, it’s gory and violent, everything you want from a gritty western!

Stranger Things Season 5

The phenomenon that helped cement Netflix’s dominant position in the streaming wars and launched a wave of 80s nostalgia-based content comes to an explosive end. Almost ten years after Eleven burst on the scene with her telepathic powers, the Hawkins gang return to their town to defeat Veccna and the Upside Down once and for all, stopping them from taking over the world. David Harbor and the Duffer Bros promised a tear-jerker ending so get those hankies ready! All the original cast returns, with Linda Hamilton joining for a surprise role.

Cobra Kai: Final part

Speaking of series finales, Cobra Kai will also sing its swan song in 2025, marking the end of a story so unlikely that its production might someday have its own series. Started as a series for YouTube, its moderate success led to a Netflix order where it exploded in popularity, resulting in multiple seasons. Sweeping the leg, one last time!

Zero Day

At this point, I’m willing to watch anything with Jesse Plemons in it, even if it’s the guy’s vacation reels. He is the actor equivalent of garlic: you can put him anywhere and he will instantly improve and elevate your recipe!

Zero Day is a political thriller series, starring Robert De Niro as a beloved former US president called back to action to investigate a devastating cyber-attack that left thousands dead. Plemons (yay!) stars alongside him with Lizzy Kaplan.

Squid Game Season 3

The South Korean global hit comes to an end in the summer of 2025, wrapping up the story of a poor man in Seoul whose life changes after taking part in a series of deadly challenges for the amusement of the uber-rich. Season 2 is available now!

Happy Gilmore 2

Adam Sandler returns to the comedy that solidified his position in Hollywood, as Happy Gilmore gets a sequel almost 30 years after it was released. Golf, short tempers and amazing shots. What more could we want?

Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man

Let me be absolutely clear: Daniel Craig’s southern drawl in any other context or medium would be atrocious and downright offensive. For some unfathomable to humankind reason it works perfectly in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out film series. So much so, we just can’t get enough of it!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third instalment in the acclaimed mystery series, following Knives Out and Glass Onion. The film features Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc, who delves into a complex murder investigation set against the backdrop of a funeral.

The Residence

Talking about murder mysteries, Shonda Rhimes takes inspiration from a book about the White House to set up a whodunnit that takes place during a state dinner. An eccentric detective takes on the case and delves into the private lives of the White House staff to find out who the killer is. The series promises to be a fresh take on the murder mystery, bringing together elements of humour, suspense and romance.

Running Point

I would be extremely hesitant to release a sports comedy series with the fish-out-of-water trope after the enormous success of Ted Lasso. The Bill Lawrence-produced series set the bar really high and any other series can only hope for a ‘good but not as good as’ rating. Anyway, Kate Hudson stars as Isla Gordon, a socialite who finds herself the president of a professional basketball team. Isla tries to keep her head above water and navigate the male-dominated world of professional sports, with humorous results. Or at least, that’s what the official release claims. I’m setting the bar really low on this one, fearing it will be a failure but hoping it finds its way.

The Fallout Shelter

Casa De Papel creator Alex Pina returns with a brand new series called The Fallout Shelter to tell the story of a dystopian future after a nuclear attack. A group of billionaires retreat to a luxury underground bunker called Kimera Underground Park, where they can live the rest of their lives in luxury and opulence. Things though fall apart as the residents quickly turn on each other. No Teslas were harmed during the filming of the series.