Hello, readers. Here's something that happened while I was scrolling through the annals of Netflix this weekend: I was feeling so overwhelmed by the streamer's overstuffed home page, that I turned the TV off without choosing anything to watch. I swear, sometimes it feels like there's so many shows to pick from that the sheer volume of options deters me from watching anything at all. It doesn't help that HBO Max makes me scroll through the entire Magnolia Network lineup before I can reach my "Continue Watching" tab.
Sometimes, I just need the right show to inspire me again. The Bear season 4 did that in June. The Pitt and Severance worked their magic at the beginning of the year. But have we already seen the best TV show of the year so far?
Honestly, I don't see anything beating the three shows I just mentioned. But we still have four months left in the year—and a surprise hit could still steal the heavyweight belt. Last week, we published a list of the 25 TV shows we're excited for this fall, including the final season of Stranger Things, the return of Fallout, and even the premiere of Dutton Ranch (hopefully). But to my eye, there are only six shows on the list that have a shot at sneaking into Esquire's end-of-year top 10 list. (We keep a running tally of what we loved in 2025, then whittle it down to 10 at the end of the year.) Let's go through each contender.
Alien: Earth (August 12, FX/Hulu)
This might be a sacrilegious statement to director Ridley Scott—who once declared that James Cameron's Aliens was the only good Alien movie outside of his own—but I enjoyed every Alien movie. If the worst film in your seven-film franchise is Alien Resurrection (1997), then you're standing on solid ground. So, I'm incredibly intrigued by Alien's first foray into TV. There's also two names attached to Alien: Earth that give me some hope for the new series. First up is showrunner Noah Hawley, who led the excellent fifth season of Fargo and the underrated X-Men spin-off series Legion. Alien: Earth also has Timothy Olyphant on board. After starring in Deadwood and Justified, I'd watch him in just about anything.
The Paper (September 4, Peacock)
Remember when Thursday nights were appointment TV on NBC? Sadly, hasn't been a proper half-hour sitcom as good as The Office, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks and Recreation… well, ever since those shows ended. Peacock—NBC's streaming home—is hoping to bring back the laughs with The Paper, a spin-off of The Office from creator Greg Daniels that follows a group of volunteer journalists working for a local newspaper in Ohio called The Truth Teller. The series stars Domhnall Gleeson (White House Plumbers), Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus season 2's Italian front desk manager), and a few familiar faces. According to Variety, Dunder Mifflin's Oscar is even set to return.
Task (September TBA, HBO Max)
As a native of the Greater Philadelphia Area, I often joke that everyone on Mare of Eastown sounded completely normal to me. All the youse, jawns, and wooders of the Delco accent just felt like home. So, it's exciting that HBO is trying out another crime thriller this fall from Eastown creator Brad Ingelsby about a task force investigating a string of violent home invasions. Mark Ruffalo (Mickey 17) stars as the head of this new investigative unit, alongside Fabien Frankel (House of the Dragon). Last year, the former knight of the seven kingdoms told me all about working on his Philly accent—as well as accidentally ruffling some feathers when he called a hoagie a "baguette."
Black Rabbit (September 18, Netflix)
I wish I had more to tell you about Black Rabbit, but Netflix hasn't even released a trailer for this Jason Bateman and Jude Law-starring drama yet. But if Bateman can land another prestige TV hit on Netflix after Ozark, I'm ready to anoint the actor as the one guy who has somehow figured out how to compete with HBO and Apple TV+'s award-winning dramas on the streamer that's currently touting Wednesday as its greatest export. According to Netflix, Bateman and Law star as brothers who own a New York City restaurant called Black Rabbit. They're poised to become "New York's hottest club"—as SNL's Stefon would say—when one of the siblings' shady past catches up to them. If Netflix can pull off this drama, I'm seated.
The Last Frontier (October 10, Apple TV+)
You need to read this premise. According to Apple TV+, The Last Frontier follows an airplane transporting dangerous incarcerated criminals that crashes in the wilderness of Alaska. After the survivors escape custody and run amok, it's up to U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) to round them all up and save everyone from the wave of violence that just literally crashed into town. Sounds terrifying!
It: Welcome to Derry (October TBA, HBO Max)
The best horror stories are usually reserved for movie theaters nowadays. You can't exactly put bloody murder and demonic possessions on ABC without the threat of lil' Jimmy's eight-year-old eyes accidentally flipping the channel to some horrifying image that will scar the kid forever. Streaming is different. HBO Max's It spin-off series has the chance to dominate the TV conversation this fall. Andy Muschetti, the director of the recent two-part It adaptation, will return to helm the series—as will Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Clown—but I'm most excited to see what newcomer Taylor Paige and 3 Body Problem's Jovan Adepo bring to the table. Is Welcome to Derry ready to become the first TV series to really scare our socks off? I hope so.
Is there a show you're excited for this fall? Let me know at josh.rosenberg@hearst.com.
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