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Metacritic has unveiled its ranking of the 10 highest reviewed TV shows released in the US in 2025, highlighting standout offerings that have earned widespread acclaim from critics. This list features a diverse mix of genres, from intense dramas and historical epics to sharp satires and innovative crime stories.
Topping the list is Adolescence, a British crime drama praised for its unique single-take filming technique. Other highly rated series include the family drama Best Interests, the historical epic A Thousand Blows, and the satirical show The Studio.
Here is a list of Metacritic's 10 highest reviewed TV shows released in the US in 2025 so far.
Adolescence, and other Metacritic's 10 highest reviewed TV shows released in the US in 2025 so far
1) Adolescence – Metacritic score: 90
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According to Metacritic, Adolescence has emerged as one of 2025’s most highly praised dramas so far. It is a 2025 British crime drama miniseries created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, with Philip Barantini as the director.
The story follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for murdering a classmate. Most significantly, all four episodes were shot in one continuous take each. The series premiered on Netflix on March 13, 2025, to widespread critical acclaim for its direction, script, and acting.
2) Best Interests – Metacritic score: 85
Best Interests indicates its critical acclaim as an intense family drama. It is a four-part BBC One British television drama written by writer Jack Thorne. Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen play a married couple who fight for their disabled daughter over her medical treatment. The drama was first broadcasted on June 12, 2023. It premiered in the US on February 17, 2025, through Acorn TV.
It received numerous award nominations, winning the Best Limited Series award at the Banff Rockie Awards.
3) Toxic Town – Metacritic score: 84
Toxic Town tells a harrowing real-life story. It is a British drama miniseries written by Jack Thorne and tells the story of three mothers connected to the Corby toxic waste case. The four-episode series debuted on Netflix on February 27, 2025.
Inspired by one of the UK’s most significant environmental crises, Toxic Town follows the Corby poisonings through the perspective of a group of mothers, who challenged powerful forces in their pursuit of justice, uncovering a devastating truth along the way.
4) The Studio – Metacritic score: 80
The Studio is an American satirical comedy TV series developed by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez. Starring Rogen alongside Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Kathryn Hahn, the show premiered on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes on March 26, 2025.
The story follows Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of Continental Studios, as he struggles to revive the struggling company amid significant social and economic shifts in the industry.
Receiving favorable ratings on Metacritic, The Studio offers a comedic take on Hollywood’s inner workings.
5) A Thousand Blows – Metacritic score: 78
A Thousand Blows is a British historical drama by Steven Knight about the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate engaged in illegal boxing in 1880s London.
Led by Mary Carr, the Forty Elephants face off against Henry "Sugar" Goodson, the king of East End’s underground boxing. Meanwhile, Jamaican immigrant Hezekiah Moscow and his friend Alec Munroe fight to survive amid the chaos.
Metacritic reviews highlight A Thousand Blows as an immersive historical crime drama.
6) Ludwig – Metacritic score: 78
Ludwig is a six-part BBC detective dramedy starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, which premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2024. In October 2024, the BBC confirmed a second season, with Mitchell and Martin reprising their roles.
The series follows John Taylor (David Mitchell), a reclusive puzzle maker writing under the pseudonym "Ludwig." When his identical twin, Detective Chief Inspector James Taylor, goes missing, James' wife Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) seeks John's help.
Disguising himself as his brother, John infiltrates the Cambridge police force to investigate and unintentionally finds himself solving other cases along the way.
Recognized by Metacritic for its clever blend of mystery and humor, Ludwig delivers a unique detective story.
7) Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man – Metacritic score: 77
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an animated series created by Jeff Trammell for Disney+ and produced by Marvel Studios Animation.
As the 12th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it offers a fresh take on Peter Parker’s origin story, set in an alternate timeline separate from the main MCU films and shows.
In this reality, Peter gains his powers due to a temporal paradox caused by Doctor Strange’s time travel during a battle with a symbiotic alien. Unlike the main MCU timeline, where Tony Stark serves as Peter’s mentor, this version sees Norman Osborn guiding him instead.
With a Metacritic score of 77, this animated series offers an intriguing twist on Spider-Man’s origin.
8) A Cruel Love : The Ruth Ellis Story – Metacritic score: 77
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, originally titled Ruth, is a four-part British historical drama series on ITV. Starring Lucy Boynton as Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, and Toby Jones as her solicitor John Bickford, the series premiered in the U.S. on BritBox on February 17, 2025.
The drama follows Ellis, who was convicted of murder after fatally shooting her abusive lover.
A Cruel Love has earned a Metacritic score of 77 for its portrayal of Ruth Ellis’s tragic fate.
9) The Pitt – Metacritic score: 76
The Pitt is an American medical drama created by R. Scott Gemmill, which debuted on Max on January 9, 2025. Each episode follows one hour of a single 15-hour shift in the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital.
In February 2025, the series was renewed for season 2.
The Pitt, with a score of 76, offers an intense and realistic medical drama.
10) Cunk on Life – Metacritic score: 75
Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) returns in a new mockumentary special, delving into topics like art, artificial intelligence, the big bang, morality, and the meaning of life. It premiered on BBC Two in the UK on December 30, 2024, and on Netflix in the US on January 2, 2025.
In her most ambitious exploration yet, the pioneering documentary maker embarks on a quest to uncover the purpose of existence. Along the way, she quizzes experts on everything from the origins of the universe to biology and technology, determined to get to the heart of it all. The show is created by Charlie Brooker.
Hailed on the rating platform for its sharp satire, Cunk on Life sees Diane Morgan at her comedic best.
All the shows on the list are available on major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV+.
