The longest day of the year has come and gone and summer is finally upon us. It is hard to believe but we are already halfway through 2025 and Christmas will be here before you know it.
As we approach the second part of the year, it might be the perfect time to take stock and reflect on the TV shows that have come and gone already. From streaming smash hits to some underseen gems, there are plenty you could still add to your watchlist.
We’ve pulled together this list based on the overall ‘Tomatometre’ score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes - as well as my personal recommendations at the end, as a TV reporter and writer.
Where possible we will try to include where it is possible to watch the shows as well in the UK.
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9. When Life Gives You Tangerines - 100% fresh
It feels like every year we get a surprise Korean TV show hit that comes from nowhere and takes over the world - Squid Game, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, etc. For 2025 that could be When Life Gives You Tangerines - a romantic slice-of-life series about a wannabe poet and her love in the 20th century. It was released on Netflix in March and has 18 episodes in total and has 100% fresh rating based on seven reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. | Netflix Photo: Netflix
10. Secrets We Keep - 100% fresh
In this 2025 series, a woman investigates the disappearance of a neighbour’s au pair. It is a Danish show and released on May 15 on Netflix. All six episodes are available to watch right now. Secrets We Keep has a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on nine critic reviews - and it was made by people involved in Borgen, for those who enjoyed that back in the day. | Netflix Photo: Netflix
11. The Survivors - 100% fresh
This Australian came out June 6 and has been hailed as one of the best shows you can watch this year, according to critics. It has a 100% fresh rating based on 13 reviews. The Survivors follows a sleepy town shaken up by the death of a young women. You can find it on Netflix and it has six episodes in total. | Netflix Photo: Netflix
12. Toxic Town - 100% Certified Fresh
It might be quite hard to believe but Jack Thorne has had two critically acclaimed series about the state of Britain released on Netflix this year. Toxic Town wasn’t the global smash hit that Adolescence was but it was truly fantastic and Jodie Whittaker is brilliant in it - yes it would have been on my own list of recommendations. The show, about the Corby toxic waste case, has a 100% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews. | Netflix Photo: Netflix