In the annual Best of the Year podcast, Andrew Mercado and James Manning list their highlights.

Just three shows made the list of both hosts:

Adolescence - Netflix
Outrageous - Britbox
Reckless - SBS

Shows that also featured on either one of the Best of the Year were:

Aussie Drama
Top End Bub - Prime
Invisible Boys - Stan
The Newsreader S3 - ABC
RFDS S3 - Seven
Apple Cider Vinegar - Netflix
Reckless - SBS On Demand
Mix Tape - Foxtel/Binge
The Family Next Door – ABC

International
Dying For Sex - Disney
Train Dreams – Netflix
All Her Fault - Binge
Paradise - Disney
Good American Family - Disney
Toxic Town - Netflix
Mr Loverman - Binge
Hostage - Netflix
Mobland - Paramount+
Etoile - Prime
Brian & Magie - HBO Max
Your Friends & Neighbours - Apple TV
Patience - ABC iview
(and … yes really …)
Monster: The Ed Gains Story - Netflix

Comedies
Smoggie Queens - Binge
Mandy - Britbox
Amandaland - Stan
Such Brave Girls - Stan
South Park - Paramount+

Worst Shows of the Year
Stranded on Honeymoon Island - Seven
Chad Powers - Disney
All’s Fair - Disney

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The penultimate episode of the TV Gold podcast this week features reviews and previews of:

• Jay Kelly (Netflix movie)
George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, a famous movie star who, along with his manager Ron (Adam Sandler), travels through Europe and is forced to confront his life choices, work and family relationships, and legacy. The film is a study of a man facing an identity crisis, grappling with the difference between his public persona and his private self.

• The Abandons (Netflix, 7 episodes)
The Abandons is a gritty Western series on Netflix set in 1850s Oregon, focusing on a bloody feud between two powerful matriarchs: the devout, found-family leader Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey) and the ruthless mining heiress Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson).

• Amadeus (Binge/Foxtel, 5 episodes)
The drama examines the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Will Sharpe) and court composer Antonio Salieri (Paul Bettany) when Mozart arrives in 18th-century Vienna, focusing on his volatile genius, his romance with Constanze Weber, and Salieri's growing torment and jealousy as Mozart's talent overshadows his own.

Next week: Andrew and James present their Best and Worst of 2025

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In this episode of TV Gold, James Manning and Andrew Mercado review four new shows: Wild Cherry and Heated Rivalry both on HBO Max, plus Train Dreams and The Diplomat (S3) both on Netflix.

• Wild Cherry starts strong but soon reveals its trashy nature. Standout performance from Eve Best and it proves creator/writer/actor Nicôle Lecky is quite a talent. The show explores the toxic effects of social media on youth.

• Train Dreams offers a haunting portrayal of early 20th-century life and features Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th-century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood and finds work among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest.

• Heated Rivalry is a slow-burn romance set in the world of ice hockey. The series chronicles the story of rival hockey players Shane and Ilya. Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry, and a relationship neither of them fully understands.

• The Diplomat Season 3 raises the stakes for Keri Russell as diplomat Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell as diplomat Hal Wyler with political intrigue that starts with a plot twist you won’t see coming. Joining the cast this season are Bradley Whitford and Aidan Turner. Ride the series until the end with a plot twist as surprising as the one the series starts with.

TV Gold Chapters

00:00 Exploring Wild Cherry: A Trashy Delight

10:51 Train Dreams: A Haunting Journey

19:00 Heated Rivalry: A Slow-Burning Romance

24:58 The Diplomat Season 3: Political Intrigue and Cliffhangers

30:45 Wrap-Up: Show of the Week and Final Thoughts

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