As 2024 comes to an end and we approach the beginning of 2025, it’s time to start thinking about what this new year will mean in the television world. We can expect 2025 to be a year of not just new television shows but of new seasons from extremely popular series. Here is the list of some of the most anticipated new seasons of shows that are expected to be released in 2025. (Spoilers ahead!)

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Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things season 4 changed the world and was the defining show for the summer of 2022, and it’s likely that the release of season 5, the final season, will have a similar effect. The first season came out in 2016, so it will have been almost ten years since the stars first set foot onto the set. The stars of the show, who were once pre-teens, are now in their early 20s.

Stranger Things is a sci-fi television series about a group of kids in the 1980s and their adventures. The last season ended on a cliffhanger, with Max in a coma, Vecna still at large, the gang finally reuniting, and a gate to the Upside-Down opening in Hawkins.

There’s expected to be a time jump of several years in the upcoming season - likely due to the main actors being much older now and no longer able to play teenagers - as well as some new characters introduced. The new season might also feature the return of popular characters who are dead, such as Billy or Eddie.

It is a Netflix original series so it will be available to watch on Netflix, though the last season was released in two parts, or volumes, so it’s likely that season 5 will be released in a similar way. There’s no confirmed release date or window for the eight episodes of season 5, other than that they will be released at one point in 2025. Watch the sneak peek for the fifth season!

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Andor Season 2

Andor is one of the many Star Wars spin-off shows that have come out since the end of the sequel trilogy among The Mandalorian, The Acolyte, and Ahsoka. It stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, a rebel who was also featured in the A New Hope prequel, Rogue One, though it is set before the events of that movie.

It will be 12 episodes and will chronicle 4 years of Andor’s life, and seeing as this new season will also be the last one, fans can expect the season finale to end in a way that leads right into Rogue One.

The first season of Andor covered the title character’s adventures as he travels through the galaxy, on the run for murder, assisting in a rebel mission, suffering in a brutal prison, and once again a fugitive. It ended with Andor approaching his friend Luthen and implying that he wishes to join the rebellion against the empire.

Although it is part of the Star Wars universe, it might surprise many to learn that unlike most other Star Wars media, there aren’t any lightsaber fights, amazing comebacks, or the-good-guy-always-wins situations in Andor; this show takes a much darker approach to the classic science-fiction story. It even earned an “Outstanding Drama Series” Emmy nomination.

The second season will premiere on April 22nd, 2025, and like all Star Wars productions, it will be available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us takes the familiar concept of zombies to the next level, creating a more haunting yet realistic depiction of life after an apocalypse. The show was based on a video game of the same name, and the first season covered part one of the game. The show earned nominations in the Emmy category of “Outstanding Drama Series”, and both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey - the two lead actors - received Emmy nominations for their roles.

Season one was largely just a survival story of characters Joel and Ellie, and their journey together as they come into contact with other people in this world. The series generally followed along with the storyline of the game, though it’s unclear whether season two will also stick to that pattern. The first season ended on a huge cliffhanger: it was discovered that making a cure for Cordyceps (the fungus that gives humans that zombie-like infection) would kill Ellie, so Joel prevents it from happening and then lies to Ellie.

Fans can expect there to be many new characters featured in the second season, and for the story to expand beyond just those two characters. It will also feature a time-jump, taking place 5 years after the first season. The Last of Us will air on HBO and be available to stream on Max.

It’s set to premiere at some point in the first half of 2025, episodes were released weekly for the first season. Be sure to check out the trailer for season two!

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The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3

The Summer I Turned Pretty is a romance/teen-drama centered around a love triangle involving one girl, Belly, and her two love interests, Conrad and Jeremiah, who happen to be brothers. The series started out as a wildly popular book trilogy and was turned into a show with the first season’s release in 2022, dividing fans on whether they are on “Team Conrad” or “Team Jeremiah”.

The second season went beyond the love triangle and into the broader world of these teens’ lives; Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother died, and they were at risk of losing their summer house while the teenagers dealt with school and athletic-related issues. It ends on a cliffhanger, as Belly and Jeremiah start dating and Conrad’s heart is broken.

So far, the series has generally stuck to the book storylines in terms of overall arcs and plots, though details and characters have been changed a bit. The books finish with Belly ending up with one of the two brothers. However, many show fans speculate that the show ending will be different from the book to accurately reflect the opinions of the fans, who are pretty evenly split on who they think Belly should end up with.

The third season will be released during the summer of 2025 and will be available to watch on Prime. For the second season, the first two episodes premiered together and the rest were released weekly.

Other notable mentions include season 7 of Black Mirror and season 3 of The White Lotus, both of which are hugely popular and critical successes, but aren't necessarily marketed towards teenagers.

It’s time to get excited for the new year and the new entertainment it brings. While 2024 has been a great year for fresh shows, 2025 is looking to be a year of the latest installments of some of our most beloved, popular series.