The best TV of the year (so far)

Sydney Morning Herald

28-05-2025

Saying goodbye to Helen Norville (Anna Torv) and Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) after three seasons was never going to be easy, but thankfully Newsreader creator Michael Lucas stuck the landing with an ending that was hopeful and emotionally satisfying. Over three seasons, Torv and Reid excelled as the complicated News at Six anchors at the heart of this drama, which dared to tackle big storylines (mental health, sexuality, racism and sexism) and the even bigger 1980s fashion (Helen's shoulder pads, always). They were ably supported by a cracking support cast – William McInnes as news boss Lindsay Cunningham always looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack, while Michelle Lim Davidson and Stephen Peacocke, as Noelene and Rob, just about stole every scene they were in. In a world where local drama is increasingly rare on free-to-air Australian TV, The Newsreader was a beacon of hope. Let's just hope there's more like it – and soon. LR
Optics (ABC)
Former co-stars from SBS's The Feed Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst (also known as sketch comedy duo Freudian Nip) co-created and wrote this comedy series with The Chaser's Charles Firth, centred on a crisis PR firm. Zerbst is Greta and Owen is Nicole (Kidman – a gag that is never explained), juniors in the firm that is run by middle-aged men. But when the CEO dies during a meeting, the firm's owner (Claude Jabour) promotes the girls to co-CEOs. Blissfully unaware this is a 'glass cliff' promotion, the pair, both chronically online 20-somethings whose rapid-fire banter is at once irritating and brilliant, actually manage, in most cases, to save their clients – wealthy entrepreneurs, footy players – from PR disasters. Delightfully cynical, Optics takes a swipe at just about everyone, and should, by rights, make Owen and Zerbst stars. I'm hoping for a second season of this one, but I also can't wait to see what they write next. KN
The Pitt (Max)
An old-school hospital drama, made by some of the key creatives behind ER, with a mammoth run of 15 episodes rolling out week-by-week. If the success of The Pitt is anything to go by, the future of TV looks a lot like its past. Spanning one day (a 15-hour shift, with each episode shot in real-time) in a Pittsburgh emergency department, this word-of-mouth hit won many fans this year for its emotional honesty, surprising medical accuracy and dedication to its characters. Though you'll shed tears over the patients – and squirm over a few particularly graphic moments – the heart of this show is the practitioners. Led by the warm and dependable Dr Robby (Noah Wyle), the overworked and PTSD-ridden doctors and nurses in The Pitt became close friends you felt compelled to check in on each week. Thankfully, we can expect another dose in January 2026. Meg Watson
The Rehearsal (Max)
The only show that's made me involuntarily scream this year (in a good way), The Rehearsal is unlike anything else on TV. And, honestly, if you haven't seen it, I don't know where to start. In the first season of this HBO docu-comedy, creator and host Nathan Fielder ostensibly helped people 'rehearse' for events by re-creating elaborate staging in which they could practise. This year he hoped to apply the same logic to end pilot communication issues, which result in fatal airline disasters. Naturally, that involved a fake reality singing competition, an intervention into several pilots' romantic lives and a re-creation of the entire life of Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger. This strange show isn't for everyone. It's often outright absurd, and perhaps even cruel depending on how much of the 'real' aspects you believe. But it's always saved by Fielder's seemingly genuine obsession with human connection – and the season ends with the lens turned squarely on himself. MW
Severance (Apple TV+)
For the first few episodes of the second season, I wasn't entirely convinced. But by the time episode four rolled around – with the Macrodata Refinement team finally getting to experience life outside the office, in a snow-covered vastness – I was utterly hooked. Creator Dan Erickson and producer-director Ben Stiller seem more interested in upping the surreal aspects of their dystopian psychological sci-fi puzzle than in solving it, which might eventually wear a bit thin. But right now, Severance is a perfectly judged and darkly funny conundrum that rewards repeat viewing. I can't wait for more. KQ
The Studio (Apple TV+)
The Studio deserves to be on this list for its cameos alone. From Martin Scorsese being strong-armed into making a movie about Kool-Aid, to Olivia Wilde posing as a difficult director (echoing the endless rumours about Don't Worry Darling), we haven't seen a group of A-listers being so willing to send themselves up since Ricky Gervais' Extras. But The Studio is more than a group of famous faces goofing around. Co-created by Seth Rogen and his longtime writing partner, Evan Goldberg, this slick and well-produced comedy is a sharp satire on the state of Hollywood. Starring Rogen as an idealistic studio head endlessly stressed by the grind of commercial reality, the show wrestles with IP, AI, diversity and tech takeover. But I don't want to over-intellectualise it. It's also simply very funny how Rogen finds a way to spectacularly fall over every second episode. MW
The White Lotus (Max)
Few shows arrived with as much hype as the third season of Mike White's eat-the-rich satire, which landed – and finished – with more controversy and eyeballs than the first two seasons combined. Set in Thailand, on the island of Koh Samui with an excursion to Bangkok, the mystery of the floating body unravelled over eight episodes, with a side serve of incest, toxic friendships, surprise Sam Rockwell, surprise Australians, surprise shady Greg and enough post-show gossip about stars Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood to fill the internet. And while the show may not have matched the heights of season two – when Tanya McQuoid uttered the forever line 'these gays are trying to murder me' – season three still kept us entertained, which, after all, is the point of the whole damn thing. LR