Emmy season is upon us, and while many of this year’s eligible contenders premiered in the second half of 2024, several new entries made their debuts in early 2025. (May 31 is the cutoff date for Emmy eligibility, so expect even more shows drop in the coming months.)
Television critics have been sounding off about all of their latest favorites, and we’ve noted their top 2025 picks in the alphabetic listing below. We’ll keep updating it throughout the season as more shows arrive on the scene.
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Some of their choices are enjoying serious 2025 Emmys buzz, including Netflix’s Adolescence, which follows a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering a classmate, and Apple TV+’s Severance, back for a second season of sci-fi superfluity after a three-year break. Critics are also heaping praise on series that have so far had trouble connecting with Emmy voters, like Dark Winds‘ third season and The Righteous Gemstones‘ fourth season.
Photo Credit: Paramount+ – Credit: Paramount+
Paramount+
1923 (Drama — Season 2)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 11 reviews)
Metacritic: TBD
Critics Consensus: “The consistently shallow and clichéd writing often fades away under the production value of 1923 and the sheer scope of what Taylor Sheridan and his team are attempting.”
Gold Derby odds: Even though Season 1 was skunked at the Emmys, don’t count out the second edition of the popular period drama, particularly in the below-the-line technical races. In terms of above-the-line categories, lead actors Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford have a chance at nominations.
Adolescence (Limited Series)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 32 reviews)
Metacritic: 92 score (based on 22 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Stylistically bold and beautifully acted from top to bottom, Adolescence is a masterclass in televisual storytelling and a searing viewing experience that scars.”
Gold Derby odds: Adolescence has moved up to sixth place (and climbing) for a Best Limited Series bid. Acting nominations to watch out for include Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, and Stephen Graham, who also co-created the project.
Dark Winds (Drama — Season 3)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 12 reviews)
Metacritic: 84 score (based on 10 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Dark Winds is unforgettable work in what’s shaping up to be a career-highlight season for Zahn McClarnon.”
Gold Derby odds: McClarnon reaped a Gotham Award nomination in 2020, but he has yet to receive an Emmy bid throughout his career. He’s undoubtedly the thriller show’s best chance at a major nom.
Deli Boys (Comedy — Season 1)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95 percent (based on 21 reviews)
Metacritic: 74 score (based on 11 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “A tasty crime caper where the laughs come first, Deli Boys busts a gut with Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh‘s bumbling chemistry and Poorna Jagannathan‘s scene-stealing turn.”
Gold Derby odds: The Hulu show hopes to cement Ali and Shaikh as first-time Emmy nominees for the breakout comedy series.
Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/CBS – Credit: Brooke Palmer/CBS
Brooke Palmer/CBS
Matlock (Drama — Season 1)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 34 reviews)
Metacritic: 74 score (based on 18 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Case closed — this Matlock reboot is a winner thanks to the ever reliable Kathy Bates and the intriguing wrinkle it puts on the legendary series’ original concept.”
Gold Derby odds: Bates is the odds-on favorite in her Drama Actress race, after being nominated recently at the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice (which she won). Also watch out for breakout supporting player Skye P. Marshall after her surprise Critics Choice bid.
Reacher (Drama — Season 3)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98 percent (based on 40 reviews)
Metacritic: 74 score (based on 43 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Jack Reacher finally picks a fight with someone his own size in this crunchy third season, reliably doling out justice to foes and satisfaction to viewers.”
Gold Derby odds: The high-octane show has so far been overlooked at the Emmy Awards, but sometimes it just takes a while for voters to find a show. Will Alan Ritchson be found this year?
The Righteous Gemstones (Comedy — Season 4)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 15 reviews)
Metacritic: 91 score (based on 10 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “The Righteous Gemstones takes a bow with plenty of heavenly inspiration left in the tank, delivering a riotous final season that goes out on a holy high note.”
Gold Derby odds: HBO’s family comedy has only received four below-the-line bids to date, but the final season could finally gather some serious love, especially for actors like John Goodman and Danny McBride.
Severance (Drama — Season 2)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96 percent (based on 176 reviews)
Metacritic: 86 score (based on 43 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Masterfully managing its two halves of adroit character study and surreal nightmare, Severance‘s long-awaited sophomore season makes cognitive dissonance a mind-melting pleasure.”
Gold Derby odds: The buzzy second season is currently expected to win Best Drama Series, Best Actor for Adam Scott, and Best Supporting Actor for John Turturro — not too shabby! Other potential nominees include Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, Dichen Lachman, Merritt Wever, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, and Christopher Walken.
Photo Credit: Apple TV+ – Credit: Apple TV+
Apple TV+
The Studio (Comedy — Season 1)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100 percent (based on 27 reviews)
Metacritic: 85 score (based on eight reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Savvy enough to impress even the most studious of film buffs, The Studio fights the good fight for a better Hollywood while eliciting huge laughs at its expense.”
Gold Derby odds: This laugh-out-loud comedy based on a Hollywood studio is receiving massive buzz ahead of its March 26 premiere on Apple TV+. We expect major bids for series, Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, and Ike Barinholtz.
The White Lotus (Drama — Season 3)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95 percent (based on 118 reviews)
Metacritic: 77 score (based on 44 reviews)
Critics Consensus: “Darker and more patient with its storytelling than previous seasons while brandishing a superb new ensemble full of acidic performances, The White Lotus‘ third season offers a spiritual respite that shivs the soul.”
Gold Derby odds: The first two seasons of Mike White‘s high-brow vacation series won 15 Emmys, and Season 3, now set in Thailand, is a major player once again. Ensemble members to keep an eye on include Carrie Coon, Natasha Rothwell, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Sam Nivola.
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