The 50 best series on Disney Plus to stream in November 2025
Disney+ has beloved animated sitcoms and edge-of-your-seat thrillers
Disney+ is one of the big dogs in this era of overwhelming streaming choices. So if you’re desperate to cut to the chase and identify its 50 best TV series, you’ve come to the right place.
Edgy cinematic spin-offs, swashbuckling Star Wars adventures or endlessly rewatchable comedies: you name it, the House of Mouse has got you well and truly covered from all angles.
But if you – like many other streamers out there – are exhausted from the mission that is search, we’re here to ease that pain…
50. Glee
- Genre: Musical, Comedy, Drama,
- Year: 2009 – 2015
- Cast: Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Jane Lynch, Cory Monteith
- Creator: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
- Length: 6 seasons, 121 episodes
What it’s about: Step through the doors of Ohio’s William McKinley High School, where a glee club known as the New Directions compete on the show choir scene.
Why to watch: Even the word ‘glee’ has taken on a different form in the global lexicon since this jukebox musical comedy embedded itself in the culture. Like Lost, Glee is one of those instantly recognisable titles that you’ve at the very least got to watch one episode of.
49. The Big Bang Theory
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2007 – 2019
- Cast: Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco
- Creator: Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady
- Length: 12 seasons, 279 episodes
What it’s about: Experimental physicist Leonard and theoretical physicist Sheldon share a flat across the hall from waitress Penny. Their polar opposite worlds come together through various friendships and romances across 12 killer seasons.
Why to watch: No exaggeration here when we say that Sheldon (played so memorably by Jim Parsons) belongs in the top 10 greatest-ever sitcom characters pantheon. Co-created by Two and a Half Men’s Chuck Lorre, Big Bang also harbours some of the coolest guest stars for a show about nerds.
48. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
- Genre: Comedy, Family
- Year: 2005 – 2008
- Cast: Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse, Ashley Tisdale, Brenda Song
- Creator: Danny Kallis, Jim Geoghan
- Length: 3 seasons, 87 episodes
What it’s about: Twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin are well at home in Boston’s Tipton Hotel… because it’s literally where they live. Cue all sorts of mischief.
Why to watch: This teen sitcom became only the third Disney Channel Original to reach above 65 episodes (it aired for 87 in total). Riverdale fans will no doubt adore the mini Cole Sprouse as Cody, while his brother Dylan Sprouse went on to play Julian in Adam Sandler classic Big Daddy.
47. High Potential
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2025 – present
- Cast: Kaitlin Olson, Daniel Sunjata, Javicia Leslie, Deniz Akdeniz
- Creator: Drew Goddard
- Length: 2 seasons, 20 episodes
What it’s about: Single mother Morgan Gillory starts off as a cleaner at the LA Police Department, but thanks to an IQ of 160, she’s soon using her unorthodox brain to solve cases as a civilian consultant for the Major Crimes Division.
Why to watch: Oscar-nominated screenwriter Drew Goddard (who directed The Cabin in the Woods) is behind this Sherlock-y crime drama, while actress Kaitlin Olson gives our maverick protagonist a glint in her eye. Season 2 premiered this September, and there’s high potential for more.
46. Benidorm
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2007 – 2018
- Cast: Janine Dawson, Steve Pemberton, Johnny Vegas, Siobhan Finneran
- Creator: Derren Loy, Neil Stuke
- Length: 10 seasons, 74 episodes
What it’s about: The Great British Summer Holiday rendered as a sitcom. The all-inclusive Solana Resort is where everything goes down, with the same guests returning every year, including the mouthy Madge Garvey and her family.
Why to watch: With 10 series to plunder, the poolside laughs will take you all the way through to Christmas. Johnny Vegas, Steve Pemberton, Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran, Tim Healy, and even the toweringly talented Hannah Waddingham are in the cast.
45. The Fall
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Year: 2013 – 2016
- Cast: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan
- Creator: Allan Cubitt
- Length: 3 seasons, 17 episodes
What it’s about: Northern Irish serial killer Paul Spector’s spree has caught the attention of DS Stella Gibson. Can she bring this sinewy psycho to justice?
Why to watch: Jamie Dornan is almost in dual role territory here, playing the dad and bereavement counsellor before sneaking off when the sun goes down to extinguish lives. The Fall also happens to feature Gillian Anderson’s best role to date. Don’t come for us, fans of The X Files…
44. Angel
- Genre: Supernatural, Action
- Year: 1999 – 2004
- Cast: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof
- Creator: Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt
- Length: 5 seasons, 110 episodes
What it’s about: Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Angel gets his own spin-off series. The night-stalking murderer moves to Los Angeles, where he works as a private detective helping the helpless, while also contending with demons roaming the city.
Why to watch: This show, which ran for five seasons and retained Buffy’s creative team, is considered to be one of the best TV offshoots of all time. For lovers of Supernatural, Angel could well be your new Bible.
43. 9-1-1
- Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
- Year: 2018 – present
- Cast: Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark
- Creator: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear
- Length: 9 seasons, 129 episodes
What it’s about: We get an intimate look at the personal lives and often frightening work lives of LA first responders over the course of nine seasons (up to now).
Why to watch: Six Feet Under favourite Peter Krause and the Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett are husband and wife, Bobby and Athena, whose days involve putting out fires both literal and figurative. To keep it up for this long is a testament to the procedural drama’s consistent watchability.
42. The IT Crowd
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2006 – 2013
- Cast: Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson
- Creator: Graham Linehan,
- Length: 4 seasons, 25 episodes
What it’s about: Down in the abyssal IT department of Reynholm Industries lurk Maurice Moss, Roy Trenneman, and their clueless boss Jen Barber. They just want to know if you’ve tried turning it off and on again.
Why to watch: After treating us to the equally absurd Father Ted and Black Books, screenwriter Graham Linehan peaked with The IT Crowd. Matt Berry’s side character Douglas Reynholm is funnier than most lead characters these days, and even the theme tune knocks it out of the park. It left us wanting more.
41. Recess
- Genre: Animation, Comedy
- Year: 1997 – 2001
- Cast: Andrew Lawrence, Bessie Moore, etc.
- Creator: Paul Giacomin
- Length: 4 seasons, 65 episodes
What it’s about: Every episode of Recess chronicles a day in the life of six friends at Third Street Elementary School, which has its own playground hierarchy and is ruled by an older kid named King Bob.
Why to watch: If you’re of a certain age, TJ Detweiler, Vince LaSalle, Ashley Spinelli, Mikey Blumberg, Gretchen Grundler, and Gus Griswold are genuine childhood heroes. But for newcomers, this particularly inventive animation is like if The Simpsons solely followed Bart’s hours at school. Cool, right?
40. The Mandalorian
- Genre: Sci-fi, Action
- Year: 2019 – present
- Cast: Pedro Pascal, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff
- Creator: Jon Favreau
- Length: 3 seasons, 24 episodes (movie coming out in 2026)
What it’s about: Kicking off five years since the events of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, we’re in the company of gunslinging badass Din Djarin. He takes no names, only lives, across the outer galaxy.
Why to watch: Viewed through the beskar helmet of a Clint Eastwood-esque bounty hunter for the first time, the Star Wars universe was unquestionably reinvigorated by the dawn of Mando. It showed the largely dreadful Skywalker sequel trilogy how it’s done, and unleashes its own movie spin-off next year.
39. Downton Abbey
- Genre: Drama
- Year: 2010 – 2015
- Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith
- Creator: Julian Fellowes
- Length: 6 seasons, 52 episodes
What it’s about: Welcome to the aristocratic microcosm of the Crawleys and their live-in staff as they go about their daily lives at the titular country estate.
Why to watch: The show’s post-First World War setting brings with it a nostalgic innocence. There are six series and five festive specials to gorge yourself on, which not only feature the late great Maggie Smith, but also some of Britain’s classiest operators and rising stars in their early years.
38. Renegade Nell
- Genre: Fantasy
- Year: 2024
- Cast: Louisa Harland, Nick Mohammed, Adrian Lester
- Creator: Sally Wainwright
- Length: 1 season, 8 episodes
What it’s about: In 18th-century England, Nell Jackson is framed for murder and becomes a feared highwaywoman. It’s a good job she’s got the sprite Billy Blind to kit her out with superhuman powers, because there’s a conspiracy against the Queen to fix.
Why to watch: This is Happy Valley genius Sally Wainwright trying her hand at historical fantasy, with bonus points for casting Celebrity Traitors’ Nick Mohammed.
Even though Renegade Nell was cancelled after just one season, its 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes guarantees good use of your time.
37. Paradise
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Year: 2025 – present
- Cast: Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson
- Creator: Dan Fogelman
- Length: 1 season, 8 episodes (season 2 confirmed)/li>
What it’s about: Three years post-doomsday, we’re in a supersized underground bunker with Secret Service agent Xavier Collins. He’s on the hunt for President Bradford’s killer, but soon enough, all eyes are turning on him.
Why to watch: Paradise re-teams This is Us duo Sterling K Brown and Dan Fogelman for a “precision-tooled thriller”, according to The Guardian. It’s comparable to Silo (one of the best Apple TV shows), but with less dystopian overtones. Get this one ticked off your list before season 2 arrives.
36. Atlanta
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2016 – 2022
- Cast: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz
- Creator: Donald Glover
- Length: 4 seasons, 41 episodes
What it’s about: Music manager Earnest Marks and rapper Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles navigate the surreal hip-hop scene of Atlanta.
Why to watch: Community’s Donald Glover is the creative force behind the series, which has four mesmerically cool seasons on offer. Atlanta is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest TV series of all time, no big deal.
35. This is Us
- Genre: Drama, Family
- Year: 2016 – 2022
- Cast: Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown
- Creator: Dan Fogelman
- Length: 6 seasons, 106 episodes
What it’s about: Consisting of mum Rebecca, dad Jack, and kids Kevin, Kate and Randall, take a look inside the Pearson family over multiple decades.
Why to watch: Comedy, tragedy, romance… This is Us has it all in spades. The non-linear nature of the storytelling gives its main characters a particularly dense dimension that not a lot of shows are confident enough to explore.
34. Welcome to Wrexham
- Genre: Documentary, Sports
- Year: 2022 – present
- Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney
- Creator: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney
- Length: 4 seasons, 49 episodes (season 5 confirmed)
What it’s about: Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney rip up the script by buying English Football League Two team Wrexham AFC. They’re way out of their comfort zones, but, against the odds, they totally transform a club and its community.
Why to watch: Sprinkled with the odd A-list cameo (hello Hugh Jackman), this ongoing sports docuseries captures the extreme highs and lows of professional football, both on and off the pitch. What separates Welcome to Welcome in an increasingly saturated market is its genuine interest in the players and supporters’ lives.
33. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Genre: Drama, Action, Fantasy
- Year: 1997 – 2003
- Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon
- Creator: Joss Whedon
- Length: 7 seasons, 144 episodes
What it’s about: Decided by fate, school pupil Buffy Summers must embrace her newfound position as the local Slayer. She’s responsible for the protection of Sunnydale, a city that lies on a portal between this world and another populated by demons.
Why to watch: Influenced by Scooby Doo, Buffy the Vampire Slayer combined supernatural horror with style, romance and levity, with a deep and well-drawn out lore keeping things continuously alive. You won’t find a more sinister creation in TV history than The Gentlemen in season 4.
32. WandaVision
- Genre: Superhero, Drama
- Year: 2021
- Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn
- Creator: Jac Schaeffer
- Length: 1 season, 9 episodes
What it’s about: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda Maximoff and her beloved Vision get their own sitcom set in the idyllic town of Westview.
Why to watch: Together with the Doctor Strange movies, WandaVision is as trippy as it gets for Marvel Studios. Across nine never-stale episodes, the dark reality of the domesticated superheroes’ situation unfurls by weaponising homages to classic sitcoms like Bewitched and The Brady Bunch.
31. Fresh Meat
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2011-2016
- Cast: Jack Whitehall, Joe Thomas, Zawe Ashton
- Creator: Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain
- Length: 4 seasons, 30 episodes
What it’s about: Six disparate students of Manchester Medlock University are cooped up together in an off-campus house.
Why to watch: If you’re into Succession and Peep Show, this four-series comedy should be catnip. That’s because of Fresh Meat’s co-creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, who stir a hilarious cauldron of personalities, from drug-addled philosophisers to will-they-won’t-they housemates, and unusual lecturers.
30. Spider-Man: The Animated Series
- Genre: Animation, Superhero
- Year: 1994 – 1998
- Cast: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Ed Asner
- Creator: John Semper Jr.
- Length: 5 seasons, 65 episodes
What it’s about: You know how it goes: after a radioactive spider bites him, school kid Peter Parker discovers he has arachnid abilities.
Why to watch: With five seasons to get stuck into – originally airing between 1994 and 1997 – The Animated Series newcomers can soak up that unmistakable retro ’90s feel that disappeared with the advent of pristine graphics. Spider-Man has the coolest rogues gallery too, right?
29. Gilmore Girls
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2000 – 2007
- Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop
- Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino
- Length: 7 seasons, 153 episodes
What it’s about: Close-knit mum and daughter Lorelai and Rory Gilmore live in the Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. General differences are regularly explored, as well as their relationships, friendships and ambitions.
Why to watch: Regarded as a cult classic of 2000s TV, this comedy-drama’s periphery is packed with future big guns like Melissa McCarthy, Jared Padalecki and Milo Ventimiglia. In classic American tradition, its various seasons all feature at least 21 episodes.
28. Boston Legal
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Year: 2004 – 2008
- Cast: James Spader, William Shatner, Candice Bergen
- Creator: David E. Kelley
- Length: 5 seasons, 101 episodes
What it’s about: A continuation of legal drama The Practice, Boston Legal chronicles the ongoing exploits of Alan Shore (played by James Spader).
Why to watch: Alan and his flamboyant best friend/colleague Denny Crane are precursors to Better Call Saul’s Jimmy McGill and Kim Wexler. One is unconventionally minded, while the other is much more of a rule-follower when it comes to winning civil and criminal law cases. Did we mention it stars the legendary William Shatner?
27. Sons of Anarchy
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Year: 2008 – 2014
- Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman
- Creator: Kurt Sutter
- Length: 7 seasons, 92 episodes
What it’s about: Sons of Anarchy, California’s outlaw motorcycle club, shields its townspeople from all manner of threats, as well as operating a gun-running business.
Why to watch: The neo-Western show displays psychological nuances as Charlie Hunnam’s rider Jax Teller begins to question the inner workings of the club after coming across his dad’s manifesto. Real-life Hells Angels member David Labrava stood as a technical advisor throughout its creation, so you know at least some of the events are authentically brought to life.
26. My Wife and Kids
- Genre: Comedy, Family
- Year: 2001 – 2005
- Cast: Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell, George O. Gore II
- Creator: Damon Wayans, Don Reo
- Length: 5 seasons, 123 episodes
What it’s about: Wealthy trucking company owner Michael Kyle Sr might be the boss at work, yet his wife Janet, son Michael Jr, and daughters Claire and Kady are there to remind that things are a bit different once he gets home.
Why to watch: Damon Wayans of the famous Wayans family – brother Marlon gave the world Scary Movie – leads the cast as patriarch Mike in this easy-watching sitcom that boasts over 120 episodes. Perfect for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air idolisers.
25. Trigger Point
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Year: 2022 – present
- Cast: Vicky McClure, Adrian Lester, Gavin Sibson
- Creator: Daniel Brierley
- Length: 3 seasons, 18 episodes (season 4 confirmed)
What it’s about: Vicky McClure’s bomb disposal expert and war veteran Lana Washington contends with terrorist threats across London.
Why to watch: Series 3 of the British thriller just wrapped up in nerve-shredding fashion – no wonder, with Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio on executive producer duties. There’s never been a more pressing time to stream Trigger Point.
24. Malcolm in the Middle
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2000 – 2006
- Cast: Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek
- Creator: Linwood Boomer
- Length: 7 seasons, 151 episodes
What it’s about: This widely adored sitcom centers on prodigious kid Malcolm (his IQ is 165), the third of four sons in a dysfunctional family.
Why to watch: It’s Frankie Muniz in peak form, often breaking the fourth wall, and surrounded by bouncy performances from Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek as his childish and stubborn parents. Two decades after it ended, mini revival Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is officially on the way!
23. The Walking Dead
- Genre: Horror, Drama
- Year: 2010 – 2022
- Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
- Creator: Frank Darabont
- Length: 11 seasons, 177 episodes
What it’s about: Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes arises from a coma to discover that civilisation has collapsed and now the entire planet is overrun with zombies.
Why to watch: Initially developed by the great Frank Darabont, The Walking Dead was gnarly prestige TV for probably half of its 11 seasons. You’ll come to love and loathe these apocalypse survivors in equal measure, but one thing this horror drama does guarantee is the finest zombie makeup ever put on screen.
22. Mr Inbetween
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Year: 2018 – 2021
- Cast: Scott Ryan, Chika Yasumura, Brooke Satchwell
- Creator: Scott Ryan
- Length: 3 seasons, 26 episodes
What it’s about: Ray Shoesmith’s secret life as an assassin in Sydney needs to be balanced with his various relationships; he’s got a terminally ill brother, a daughter, an ex-wife, and a girlfriend.
Why to watch: Comparisons to Bill Hader’s Barry Berkman are unavoidable, but that’s not merely down to the setup. In Scott Ryan’s Aussie criminal, viewers can get behind another warm-hearted anti-hero in the middle of an exquisitely made dark comedy.
21. Outnumbered
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2007 – 2014
- Cast: Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche, Ramona Marquez
- Creator: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
- Length: 5 seasons, 35 episodes
What it’s about: The Brockman family of Chiswick, London, consists of dad Pete, mum Sue, daughter Karen, and sons Jake and Ben. As the title suggests, the two adults are outnumbered by persistently inquisitive, sarcastic, and hyperactive kids.
Why to watch: Lauded for its semi-improvisational construction, this five-series sitcom is just about held together by Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner’s drowning parents, as child stars Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez run amok in constantly unpredictable ways.
20. Des
- Genre: Drama, Crime
- Year: 2020
- Cast: David Tennant, Daniel Mays, Jason Watkins
- Creator: Lews Arnold, Luke Neal
- Length: 1 season, 3 episodes
What it’s about: Real-life serial killer Dennis Nilson is arrested after human remains block a drain near his house.
Why to watch: Everybody’s favourite Doctor Who, David Tennant, slips into the expressionless mask of a Scottish monster here. In 2021, he won the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his unnervingly calm performance. Many believe it to be his best yet…
19. Young Sheldon
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2017 – 2024
- Cast: Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, Annie Potts
- Creator: Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro
- Length: 7 seasons, 141 episodes
What it’s about: Spread across the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, it’s the origin story of genius Sheldon Cooper as he grows up in East Texas.
Why to watch: Young Sheldon is notably ranked way higher than flagship sitcom The Big Bang Theory in this list. That’s down to youngster Iain Armitage, who infuses his maths and science whizz with another level of curiousness. This kid is TV gold.
18. The Americans
- Genre: Thriller, Drama
- Year: 2013 – 2018
- Cast: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich
- Creator: Joe Weisberg
- Length: 6 seasons, 75 episodes
What it’s about: During the Cold War, two KGB agents immerse themselves in a suburb of Washington DC, posing as a married American couple.
Why to watch: The concept is tantalising, isn’t it? A surefire classic if in the right hands. Fortunately, this period spy thriller is led by Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, who, in a super-meta move, ended up marrying each other a year after The Americans premiered.
17. X-Men and X-Men ’97
- Genre: Animation, Superhero
- Year: 1992 – present
- Cast: Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza
- Creator: Eric Lewald (original), Beau DeMayo (X-Men ’97)
- Length: 5 seasons, 76 episodes (original), 1 seaosn, 10 episodes (season 2 confirmed for ’97)
What it’s about: Both mutant-based Marvel series follow Professor Xavier’s powerful pupils, who are persecuted by wider society yet protect them from terrible forces.
Why to watch: Just like Spider-Man: The Animated Series, X-Men was a child of the mid-’90s, so the same reasons to watch apply here. X-Men ’97 differs in that it is a critical darling, earning an almost flawless 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. A no-brainer for comic book lovers.
16. Only Murders in the Building
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2021 – present
- Cast: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez
- Creator: Steve Martin, John Hoffman
- Length: 5 seasons, 50 episodes (season 6 confirmed)
What it’s about: The Arconia residents Charles, Oliver and Mabel transform their shared interest in true-crime podcasts into a sleuthing hobby when things get a little too close to home.
Why to watch: These wannabe detectives are brought to life by comedy icons Steve Martin and Martin Short, plus the one and only Selena Gomez. Only Murders is cosy crime with a Hollywood shine. Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd and Tina Fey are just a few of its best guest stars.
15. Alien: Earth
- Genre: Sci-fi, Horror
- Year: 2025 – present
- Cast: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant
- Creator: Noah Hawley
- Length: 1 season, 8 episodes (season 2 confirmed)
What it’s about: Two years before the events of Alien, this spin-off series sees the USCSS Maginot crash-landing on Earth. A genetically-engineered child and her fellow science experiments are then tasked with cleaning up the extraterrestrial mess.
Why to watch: From the mastermind behind quirky anthology Fargo, Noah Hawley, this riveting action-thriller unleashes the Xenomorph on a futuristic Earth populated by billionaire idiots, synths, cyborgs and five ruling corporations. Highlights include a sentient eyeball and Timothy Olyphant’s snow-haired robot.
14. Lost
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Year: 2004 – 2010
- Cast: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway
- Creator: Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof
- Length: 6 seasons, 121 episodes
What it’s about: The survivors of an unfortunate commercial flight heading to Los Angeles from Sydney find themselves marooned on an unknowable tropical island.
Why to watch: Lost is just one of those shows: you have to check it out before you die. For its whole six-year stretch, the mystery of the island kept fans everywhere locked into the story, even if its overdramatic execution bogged it down with tropes.
13. 24
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- Year: 2001 – 2014
- Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard
- Creator: Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran
- Length: 9 seasons, 204 episodes
What it’s about: Counter Terrorist federal agent Jack Bauer is on a mission to keep the United States of America safe from exterior attacks.
Why to watch: Like Lost, it’s now sadly a bit dated. Yet, each season of this espionage drama thrillingly covers 24 consecutive hours as Kiefer Sutherland’s hero races against the clock to squash assassination attempts, nuclear threats, and terrorism schemes.
12. Loki
- Genre: Superhero, Sci-fi
- Year: 2021 – 2023
- Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
- Creator: Michael Waldron
- Length: 2 seasons, 12 episodes
What it’s about: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an alternate version of the God of Mischief is apprehended by the Time Variance Authority. They monitor the universal timeline.
Why to watch: Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson sharing scenes together… does that not whet your whistle? If you’re still on the fence, Loki’s time-hopping antics and kaleidoscopic sense of adventure should reel you in.
11. The Office US
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2005 – 2013
- Cast: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer
- Creator: Greg Daniels
- Length: 9 seasons, 201 episodes
What it’s about: Adapted from the groundbreaking but short-lived BBC mockumentary, this US workplace sitcom depicts the goings-on at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Pennsylvania.
Why to watch: Lasting for nine seasons in total, you’d expect The Office US to run out of comedy gas. We can confirm that thanks to Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer (among many, many others), that definitely didn’t happen. It could well be the funniest show America has ever made.
10. The X Files
- Genre: Sci-fi, Drama, Horror
- Year: 1993 – 2018
- Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson
- Creator: Chris Carter
- Length: 11 seasons, 218 episodes
What it’s about: FBI workers Fox Mulder and Dana Scully team up to crack the X-Files. They are unsolved cases of a potentially paranormal constitution.
Why to watch: Monster of the Week episodes are where it’s at. In them, Mulder and Scully encounter a soul-eater, lizard man, The Great Mutato, and self-shrinking murderer Eugene Victor Tooms. The theme tune will send shivers down your spine, too.
9. Peep Show
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2003 – 2015
- Cast: David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Matt King
- Creator: Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Andrew O’Connor
- Length: 9 seasons, 54 episodes
What it’s about: Mark Corrigan, a somewhat misanthropic loan manager, and Jeremy Usbourne, his unemployed weed-smoking mate, share a flat in Croydon.
Why to watch: British comedy’s finest hour, no doubt about it. Distinctive point-of-view camera shots and accompanying character voice-overs make the Peep Show experience stupidly funny. The diametrically different duo try to make it through the day with as little embarrassment as possible.
8. Shōgun
- Genre: Drama
- Year: 2024 – present
- Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, Cosmo Jarvis
- Creator: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
- Length: 1 season, 10 episodes (season 2 confirmed)
What it’s about: This historical piece of fiction captures the collision between shipwrecked sailor Jack Blackthorne and Japan’s powerful Lord Toranaga.
Why to watch: Shōgun is epic from all angles, and its predominant Japanese language sweeps you off into a richly unfamiliar world. It set a new record as the most-awarded single season of TV in Emmy history. It collected 18 prizes on the night.
7. Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again
- Genre: Superhero, Action
- Year: 2015 – present
- Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Wilson Bethel, Deborah Ann Woll
- Creator: Drew Goddard, Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, Chris Ord
- Length: 3 seasons, 39 episodes (original), 1 season, 9 episodes (season 2 confirmed for Born Again)
What it’s about: In the neighbourhood of Hell’s Kitchen, blind lawyer Matt Murdock stalks the night as a masked vigilante.
Why to watch: Daredevil and revival series Born Again might not be equals in terms of storytelling finesse or face-smashing action, but this Marvel superhero series deserves to be on your watchlist simply because of the dynamic between Charlie Cox’s avenger and Vincent D’Onofrio’s crime lord Kingpin.
6. Modern Family
- Genre: Comedy
- Year: 2009 – 2020
- Cast: Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
- Creator: Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan
- Length: 11 seasons, 250 episodes
What it’s about: We flit between three different families that call LA home. They are related through patriarch Jay Pritchett and his offspring Claire and Mitchell.
Why to watch: The cast of Modern Family cobble their boundless talent together to create a sitcom for the ages. What’s precious about this one is the confessional interview segments delivered right down the camera lens.
5. Catastrophe
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Year: 2015 – 2019
- Cast: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Mark Bonnar, Ashley Jensen
- Creator: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan
- Length: 4 seasons, 24 episodes
What it’s about: Singletons Sharon and Rob are forced into a relationship when they accidentally conceive a child.
Why to watch: Concocted by Bad Sisters’ Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, Catastrophe is fantastic. The comic chemistry from the writing room transfers wonderfully to their onscreen alter-egos, with Rob’s American lens often bashing against Sharon’s Britishness.
4. Normal People
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Year: 2020
- Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal
- Creator: Alice Birch, Sally Rooney, Mark O’Halloran
- Length: 1 season (12 episodes)
What it’s about: Popular student Connell and social outcast Marianne engage in a secret romance during their last days of high school.
Why to watch: Normal People was a pandemic-era sensation, launching the careers of both Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Tenderly directed by Lenny Abrahamson, this Sally Rooney adaptation is 12 episodes of doomed bliss. Seek it out if you somehow haven’t already.
3. The Bear
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Year: 2022 – present
- Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- Creator: Christopher Storer
- Length: 4 seasons, 38 episodes (season 5 confirmed)
What it’s about: Carmen Berzatto inherits his brother’s Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago following a tragedy.
Why to watch: The Bear feels like it’s always been with us despite only starting three years ago. A carousel of personalities keeps the madness spinning as the talented Michelin-star-chaser deals with family trauma, his own pain, and a rundown business.
2. The Simpsons
- Genre: Animation, Comedy
- Year: 1989 – present
- Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright
- Creator: Matt Groening
- Length: 37 seasons, 796 episodes (two more seasons confirmed)
What it’s about: What’s happening today in the lives of Springfield’s Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson?
Why to watch: Come on… there’s a reason why The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom in history. Admittedly, the animation’s humour and parody targets have gone down the toilet in the last 10 years or so. But it’s still far superior to anything done by Seth McFarlane.
1. Andor
- Genre: Action, Sci-fi
- Year: 2022 – 2025
- Cast: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona
- Creator: Tony Gilroy
- Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
What it’s about: Officially the best Disney+ series available to stream; this prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story details thief-turned-rebel-spy Cassian Andor’s radicalisation.
Why to watch: Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tony Gilroy hijacks a galaxy far, far away, casting off its lightsaber-duelling legacy to hone in on various political machinations. It’s Star Wars for grown-ups and ranks in many minds as the greatest production this iconic franchise has ever birthed.
Read more: The 30 best Apple TV shows to watch in November 2025
