December 2025
The best shows to binge over the summer break
A homage to music festivals gone by, a smart FBI drama and a dying woman on a mission to have interesting sex are among the hidden gems worth seeing.
Fallout sticks with its winning formula
Season two expands the show’s scale and cinematic ambition while retaining its darkly comic vision. And Walton Goggins remains compelling as The Ghoul.
What streaming TV could learn from Mad Men
The classic show arrived on HBO Max with an embarrassing remastering error. But the show’s creative mastery remains undeniable.
These are the best TV shows of 2025
Here’s a quick take on the highlights of the small screen this year, which include shows about diplomacy, war and office life.
RBA plays Grinch, CEOs fire up and how Netflix might change
James and Anthony look at the RBA’s dilemma, take the pulse of our top business leaders and discuss how the battle for Warners Bros could change streaming.
Yellowstone wannabe is a half-baked pile of beans
“The Abandons” is clearly an attempt to channel Taylor Sheridan, but is plagued by slow pacing, unremarkable characters and awkward subplots.
‘Gaslighting us’: Inside Paramount’s desperate bid for Warner Bros
David Ellison’s original approach was rebuffed over concerns about financial backing from China and Middle East sovereign funds. Now he’s turned hostile.
The Netflix-Paramount fight goes all the way to the White House
In an unsurprising plot twist, Donald Trump is involved in the battle for Warner Bros Discovery. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is backing Paramount’s bid.
Trump warns $108b Netflix-Warner deal ‘could be a problem’
The US president says Netflix’s “very big market share” in streaming video might be an issue, as it seeks regulatory approval for its blockbuster deal.
Angst turns to anger in Hollywood as Netflix hooks Warner Bros
Celebrities, workers and industry groups have raged against the streaming giant’s bold takeover of one of the world’s best-known movie studios.
Netflix throws $109b at Warner, proving M&A bulldust is universal
Two months ago, the streaming giant’s chief executive said his company would not blow its top off chasing the storied studio. So much for that.
Netflix has won a historic victory. But it’s taking a $105b gamble
Netflix has won the bidding war for Warner Bros Discovery, giving it access to huge TV and film franchises. Yet there’s a chance viewers will be the losers.
Netflix now owns HBO, Harry Potter after $105b Warner Bros buyout
Media giant Netflix will buy TV and film studios plus the streaming division at Warner Brothers Discovery in a huge deal that will transform the industry.
Warner Bros in exclusive $7.6b deal talks with Netflix
The deal, if consummated, would bring seismic change to the industry, joining the dominant streaming service with one of Hollywood’s most revered studios.
The industry where an extra $678m isn’t welcomed by all
Screen production in Australia just had a record year, but like on Spotify’s annual most-listened charts, local voices are increasingly drowned out.
Netflix, a master of enshittification, does it again
This latest example, while widely decried as yet more enshittification from Netflix, doesn’t quite follow the same well-worn path.
November 2025
Kim Williams’ pleas for ABC funding get $50m boost in Greens deal
The Greens struck a deal with Anthony Albanese to pass content quotas for streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+. The cost? A big cheque for the ABC.
Stranger Things’ final, 5th season has arrived. Here’s our verdict
Volume one of this finale is epic in scale, which presents problems but promises thrills as it sets the stage for the last, violent confrontation.
Luna Park is hoping to cash in on this Netflix show’s success
The three-year wait for the final season of supernatural series Stranger Things ends on Thursday when the fifth season drops. Everyone wants in on the action.
Coalition backs Labor’s streaming laws despite US tariff threat
The government’s streaming laws are set to pass both houses of parliament, despite US threats of new and increased tariffs.
