Five new series in 2025 that could give Netflix a run for its money

Hello, dear reader. You tune into this website because we write about Netflix stuff. The truth is that while we adore the streamer, we also are human enough to know there is stuff worth watching beyond Netflix. Barely, but some.

The funny bit is that Netflix is so important and huge that many of these shows will probably eventually find their way to being streamed on your favorite subscription service. If someone wants a lot of views then they will go to Netflix.

Still, it would be a disservice to you to not know what excellence might eventually be coming to the streamer. Maybe a few years from now, but you'll need to know. And here are five shows that should not be missed.

Five non-Netflix shows you should watch in 2025

The Paradise (January 28 on Hulu)

Put Sterling K. Brown into nearly anything and you are probably going to be a winner. He is excellent as a lead or supporting actor, and he will make whatever project he is involved in better. This is especially true when he is paired with series creator Dan Fogelman, who also created This Is Us.

The plot of the series has Brown's character, Xavier Collins, protecting the president, only the president appears to be murdered, and Collins is one of the suspects. The genius seems to be in the apparent ironic title of the show.

The Studio (March 26 on Apple TV+)

The guest stars alone are going to make this show about a new studio head trying to make films worth watching. Rogen stars (and co-creates the show) as Matt Remick, the studio head, and that alone could make the show watchable. His main co-stars include Catherine O'Hara and Kathryn Hahn.

But that guest star list is ridiculously good. The names include Bryan Cranston, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Charlize Theron, and Olivia Wilde. If the first episode does not draw you in, just wait.

Your Friends and Neighbors (April 11 on Apple TV+)

Jon Hamm. It would be kind of nice to leave that there, but some readers might want more prove. Still, Hamm in any series ever has to mean that there is some part of the show worth watching. After all, while he was excellent in Mad Men, he has been great in everything since as well.

This series showcases Hamm as a hedge fund manager who has been recently divorced and then loses his job. Sounds depressing. But the fact that Hamm's character, Coop, resorts to crime makes everything seem a bit better. Olivia Munn and Amanda Peet also are in the cast.

It: Welcome to Derry (Date of release to be announced on HBO/Max)

You know you needed more Pennywise in your life. Why not get it from a series instead of a two-hour film? That way we get even more of the clown.

The show will tell the story in reverse as we already know there will be three seasons. The first is set in 1963, the next in 1935, and the next in 1908.

Blade Runner 2099 (TBA on Amazon Prime)

There has not been much released about the plot, but does that matter? Not really. We can assume it follows the storyline of the two movies that preceded it, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. The show also stars Michelle Yeoh.

In other words, just knowing the name of the series and the people in it should make it a must-watch. Will this be the end of the Replicants? Likely not.