TV you should have watched in 2025: Stranger Things and the most in-demand shows

Every year, GWR works with data analysts Parrot Analytics to find out the hottest global viewing trends. So what was the must-see TV in 2025?

Two words: Stranger Things. Was it really 10 years ago that we were first introduced to a group of high-school kids from Hawkins, Indiana, and the bodged scientific investigation that the authorities will do anything to hush up?

The US show's blend of sci-fi, supernatural horror and coming-of-age sagas proved a compelling watch right from the start. Factor in its 1980s setting (riffing on suburban fright movies from around that time, such as Halloween [USA, 1978], and spine-tingling horror stories of the period by Stephen King), and its evocative retro soundtrack, and it's no wonder that this Netflix release garnered immediate acclaim and stellar viewing figures.

Image: Courtesy of Netflix

The fifth and final season kicked off on 26 November 2025. It did not disappoint, and racked up a string of GWR titles. At 103.6 times more popular than the average TV show, Stranger Things was the most in-demand drama, horror, sci-fi and digital original series last year. But if you want just one takeaway, it was the most-in-demand TV show outright. Quite the send-off!

Our love of screen scares - especially those that take place in a bygone era - showed no signs of letting up in 2025. At 88.3 times more popular than average, HBO's It: Welcome to Derry (USA; 2025-present) - the compulsive prequel to the chilling It movies - was the most in-demand TV show debut. Expanding on Stephen King's Pennywise lore, it offered a chilling 1962 setting (again, exacting period detail was a big part of the appeal) where disappearances mount and a townwide dread intensifies.

But TV in 2025 wasn't all supernatural scares and dark secrets. The most in-demand anime and animated TV show was TV's My Hero Academia (Japan; 2016-25), at 57.5 times more popular than average. The series traces the rise of Izuku Midoriya, a boy who inherits the legendary All Might's power and enrols in UA High School to train as a hero. By challenging his limits - how very GWR! - Izuku learns what true heroism means.

And there's nothing sinister about Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants (USA; 1999-present) either! The cheeriest bubble-blowing, jellyfish-catching sea sponge you're ever likely to meet proved as popular as ever with viewers. Once again, the long-running series retained the GWR title for the most in-demand children's TV show, at 47.6 times more popular than average. Holy shrimp!

Find more stories about records from the showbiz world in our Arts and Entertainment section.

More superhero feats came courtesy of Amazon Prime Video's adult animation Invincible (USA; 2021-present), the most in-demand superhero TV show, at 46.7 times more popular than average. If you missed it, the series follows the adventures of Mark Grayson, a teenager who inherits powers from the world's most powerful superhero, Omni-Man - who happens to be his father. But while learning how to become a hero, Mark also uncovers unwelcome truths about his dad's legacy. The series blends visceral action with emotional storytelling, and - unlike many screen adaptations - remained endearingly faithful to the comics on which it is based.

Last in our screen round-up, but by no means least, is Amazon Prime Video's The Boys (USA; 2019-present). At 45.3 times more popular than average, it's the most in-demand action and adventure TV show. And who wouldn't love a darkly satirical superhero series where corrupt, corporate-owned "Supes" abuse their power and a ragtag bunch of vigilantes join forces to expose them? Last year, GWR surprised the stars of the show by popping up to present them with GWR certificates at Comic Con (when, pre-Invincible takeover, the show was still the most in-demand superhero TV show too).

And that wraps up our summary of record-breaking TV series from the past 12 months. Anyone up for a spot of binge watching? We'll get the popcorn!

Header image: Courtesy of Netflix