It’s a new year, and that can only mean one thing: the renewal of dozens of highly-anticipated TV shows! But if you don’t remember all of the TV you’ve loved in years past, aren’t aware of what is getting a third (or fourth, or twelfth) season, or are just looking for something new to watch, here are five returning shows to look forward to in 2025.
Yellowjackets (Paramount+ on February 14)
If you read Lord of the Flies in middle school and found yourself thinking, “I wish this were about high school girls instead of middle school boys… and that they cannibalized each other… and that we got to see where they ended up 25 years later…” then this is the show for you.
When the Wiskayok High girls’ soccer team qualifies for nationals, they couldn’t be more excited to take a private plane to the championship — that is, until the plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, leaving many of their teammates dead, their Assistant Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) with only one leg, the hallucination-prone Lottie (Courtney Eaton) without her medication, and everyone else with no idea how to survive.
Together, the team — comprising of team captain Jackie (Ella Purnell), her best friend Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), the determined Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown), traumatized Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), and equipment manager Misty (Samantha Hanratty), among others — must learn to endure the harsh Canadian wilderness; and each other.
Switching between the girls’ struggle to survive in 1996 and the survivors’ struggle to move on in 2021, Yellowjackets expertly balances suspense and drama with dark comedy and the occasional wholesome moment. It asks us how we cope with trauma, whether it’s possible to move on, and what lengths we would go to in order to keep living.
Mythic Quest (Apple TV+ on January 29)
All the drama of a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) communicated through this show — but instead of epic wars, sword-wielding barbarians, and schools of magic, Mythic Quest represents something far more stressful: office life.
Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney), pronounced eye-un, is the creative director and creator of the tremendously successful game Mythic Quest, but his ambitions don’t stop there. Together with lead engineer Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao), executive producer David Brittlesbee (avid Hornsby), game testers Rachel (Ashly Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim), and assistant Jo (Jessie Ennis), Ian must strive to make his game even greater while contending with the big egos of the creative team and seemingly endless nagging by corporate.
Mythic Quest is comforting and laugh-out-loud funny, while also knowing when to veer into the serious. During COVID, two specials depicted the changed lives of the team as they struggled to find a sense of normalcy and rhythm within their work. Near the end of season 1, Poppy must finally address what makes her feel valued as an employee and person and how her relationship with Ian might undermine that. But their antics will always bring them back to each other (and the viewers back to the show).
The White Lotus (Max on February 16)
What happens on vacation decidedly does not stay on vacation in this anthology series. Starring a different cast of characters at a different resort from the White Lotus chain every season, The White Lotus follows guests and employees as they realize something is not quite right and ultimately must deal with a murder.
The first and second seasons take place in Maui and Sicily respectively, and explore themes of wealth and privilege, the ethics of tourism, and relationships. While there are not many hints as to what the third season will bring — as an anthology series, most of the storylines from the first and second seasons will not carry into the new one — the creator has said that the third season will be focused on “death and Eastern religion.”
The Traitors (Peacock on January 9)
Craving all of the intrigue and mystery of a murder without any actual killing? Then the Emmy-winning reality TV show The Traitors might be for you.
Hosted by Alan Cumming and shot in the Scottish Highlands, The Traitors places reality TV stars in a castle together to strategize their way to the top. “Traitors” are chosen by the host and meet nightly to choose one contestant to “murder,” or expel from the game, and the next day the group must vote on who to banish — hopefully one of the Traitors. Meanwhile, they also compete in missions to add money to the prize pot, which is awarded when there are four players remaining. If they are all Faithfuls (not Traitors), they split the prize evenly; but if one of them is a Traitor, they take it all.
Season 3 has a star-studded cast, including Bob the Drag Queen of Rupaul’s Drag Race, Carolyn Wiger, Tony Vlachos, and Rob Mariano (Boston Rob) of Survivor, and numerous others from shows like Big Brother, The Real Housewives, and The Bachelorette. The big personalities are sure to stir up drama in this upcoming season, so all we can do is grab the popcorn, dim our lanterns, and watch.
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Max on February 16)
The next four years will certainly have some surprises, which is why John Oliver is here to explain them. In the past he has covered Trump’s rise to power, vaccines, trans rights, the border, unions, televangelism, healthcare, and hundreds of other topics that inform viewers of the intricacies of the policies, precedents, and social norms affecting their lives, all while making the audience laugh.
Each episode contains a series of shorter stories followed by a larger segment that Oliver explores in-depth, such as prisons, juries, or the USPS. Unlike other late-night talk shows, Last Week Tonight spends most of its airtime delving into one topic and exploring its history, nuances, and social-political impact rather than recapping the week’s news and interviewing celebrities.
These longer segments are also posted on Youtube, so if you feel particularly compelled to learn about the TikTok ban or Project 2025 but don’t have Max, they are readily available. And while they are educational, the episodes are made extremely entertaining by the humor that’s injected into even the most somber subjects. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s bound to be something that piques your curiosity, and if there isn’t, a few minutes of watching will do that for you.
