The Best New TV Shows of November 2025

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Holiday-themed TV movies are starting earlier and earlier each year, often focusing on predictable, romantic storylines. Thankfully, before Thanksgiving overshadowed everything, a few genuinely interesting shows premiered in November 2025. These include a suspenseful thriller with Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys, a clever historical drama starring Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen, a passionate French adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons told from a female perspective, the television debut of acclaimed director Wong Kar Wai, and an ambitious new science fiction series from the creators of Better Call Saul, Vince Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn.

The Beast in Me (Netflix)

Claire Danes is well-known for her expressive crying, which is truly captivating to watch. When her characters are sad, her chin trembles, her eyes narrow, and her mouth turns down, as if pulled by an unseen force. However, this emotional display is just one example of her greatest strength as an actress: her ability to portray deep vulnerability and despair. This talent shines through in diverse roles, from the troubled teenager Angela Chase in My So-Called Life and the tragic Juliet to the CIA agent battling bipolar disorder in Homeland and the overwhelmed mother in Fleishman Is in Trouble. Even when surrounded by others, her characters often feel profoundly and convincingly alone, yet still relatable.

Claire Danes delivers a standout performance as Aggie Wiggs in the gripping Netflix thriller, The Beast in Me. Aggie, a Pulitzer-winning journalist, is deeply isolated, still grieving the loss of her son and navigating a divorce. These traumas have left her unable to move forward and she struggles to take responsibility for her own pain. Many are calling Aggie Danes’ best character since Carrie Mathison in Homeland. The well-acted, expertly paced, and incredibly suspenseful eight-episode murder mystery is a definite highlight of the year. [Read the full review.]

Blossoms Shanghai (Criterion Channel)

The Chinese drama Blossoms Shanghai is set in the early 1990s, but it feels like a glamorous, sparkling Art Deco world – aside from a few modern details. This style choice intentionally connects China’s economic boom of the 1990s to America’s prosperous Jazz Age. The series was also created by Wong Kar Wai, a celebrated Hong Kong filmmaker known for his romantic and visually stunning movies that capture the feel of Old Hollywood. Considering Wong is a world-renowned director and Blossoms Shanghai is his first television series – and a hit in China – its quiet release in the US deserves more attention.

The Criterion Channel is releasing a 30-part series, Blossoms, with three episodes each week, starting November 24th. The show follows a rising stock trader in Shanghai during the early days of the stock exchange, a time when international business was creating new wealth in China. Hu Ge stars as Ah Bao, a charismatic and enigmatic figure who learns the ropes from an older, former criminal named Uncle Ye (You Benchang). The story begins with an attempt on Ah Bao’s life, but this isn’t a mystery to be solved – it’s a way to immerse viewers in the vibrant and interconnected world of 1980s Shanghai, encompassing finance, crime, food, and nightlife. While the story might remind Western viewers of The Great Gatsby or 1980s Wall Street films – with a touch of the decadent atmosphere of Babylon Berlin – director Wong Kar-wai is known for his unique style, and that’s what truly shines in this series.

Death by Lightning (Netflix)

Most Americans probably know Garfield as the orange cartoon cat, not as the 20th U.S. president. This is fitting for “Death by Lightning,” a new four-part series that tells the tragic and darkly humorous story of James A. Garfield’s election and assassination. Garfield served as president for only about six months in 1881, spending two of those months battling a fatal infection. The series stars Michael Shannon as the honest and forward-thinking, though somewhat innocent, president. It also explores the mind of his assassin, Charles Guiteau, a delusional con man played by Matthew Macfadyen, known for his role as Tom Wambsgans in “Succession.” The show features excellent performances, including Nick Offerman as a melancholic Chester A. Arthur, Shea Whigham as influential New York politician Roscoe Conkling, Bradley Whitford channeling the spirit of “The West Wing” as James Blaine, and Betty Gilpin as Garfield’s wife, Lucretia.

Beyond the strong performances, the show’s creator, Mike Makowsky, brilliantly adapts Candice Millard’s book, Destiny of the Republic, into a portrayal of classic American characters. We see Garfield, a man of principle who reluctantly accepts a presidential nomination. Then there’s Guiteau, a scheming con artist who feels like a precursor to today’s overly enthusiastic tech entrepreneurs—sincere in some ways, but ultimately driven by self-interest. Conkling embodies greed and hypocrisy, willing to do anything to get rich. And Arthur is a flawed and struggling figure, caught between the corrupt practices of Conkling and the high ideals of Garfield. While our current political situation feels unique, the types of people in Washington—ambitious, flawed, and often self-serving—are characters we’ve encountered throughout American history.

Pluribus (Apple TV)

Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, returns with Pluribus, his new series which premiered three years after the finale of Better Call Saul. The show starts by playfully poking fun at common tropes found in post-apocalyptic dramas like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, and 3 Body Problem. The first episode suggests various ways the world might end before revealing a truly unexpected catastrophe. Essentially, within the first thirty minutes, everything changes beyond recognition. I won’t spoil any details, even if I wasn’t asked not to, because the show is most effective when you’re as surprised as the main character, Carol. [Read the full article about Gilligan and Pluribus.]

The Seduction (HBO Max)

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, doesn’t feature any heroes. Instead, it portrays the cruel and self-indulgent lives of the French aristocracy just before the French Revolution. The story centers around Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil, a brilliant and ruthless woman who exploits the rekindled affections of her ex-lover, the Vicomte de Valmont, by challenging him to a dangerous game that leads to their mutual downfall. As Fiona Apple once observed, it’s a disheartening reality when someone intentionally hurts another simply because they have the power to do so.

HBO Max’s first French-language series, The Seduction, offers a new take on the classic story from Laclos’s novel. If you’re familiar with the book, the film starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich, or even the teen drama Cruel Intentions, you won’t find many surprises in this beautifully filmed and well-acted miniseries. Created by Jean-Baptiste Delafon and directed by Jessica Palud, the six-episode drama focuses on the character of Merteuil, exploring her past and portraying her not as a villain, but as a woman striving for the same independence as men. [Read the full review.]

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2025-11-28 18:09