If you'd rather stay in than brave the elements or deal with holiday crowds, it's a great time to catch up on the year's standout television shows. A number of titles got people watching and also talking.
In no particular order, here are 10 shows that broke out in 2025.
''Dept. Q''
When it comes to his TV credits, Matthew Goode has a history of being a ''late add'' to TV shows. He swept in to be Mary's love interest on ''Downton Abbey'' after the death of Cousin Matthew. He joined Season 2 of ''The Crown'' as Margaret's husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, known as Earl Snowdon. Goode was also added to ''The Good Wife'' during Josh Charles' shocking final episode in the show's fifth season. In ''Dept. Q,'' Goode leads as a curmudgeonly detective who assembles a team of misfits to solve cold cases. The show is based on a Danish book series and was renewed for a second season. (Available on Netflix)
''Paradise''
Sterling K. Brown stars in this drama as a U.S. Secret Service agent who arrives to work one day and finds the president is dead. It gets crazier from there. The show is part sci-fi, part drama, and definitely a mystery. It's been renewed for a second season with Shailene Woodley added to the cast so now is a good time to catch up. (Available on Hulu)
''Love Island USA''
Because each season has a new cast, we'll count the seventh season of ''Love Island USA'' as a new show. Chatter about this one dominated social media and watercooler chatter this summer as it aired five nights a week. The gist: cameras follow a group of single people sequestered at a Fiji villa as they couple up. New connections are consistently in jeopardy as contestants get sent home — by the cast or the viewers who can vote — and new people called bombshells arrive like fresh bait. About halfway through, the men and women are separated for a week of episodes and introduced to a whole new cast. (Available on Peacock)
