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

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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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This week on TV Gold a father and son relationship goes right off the rails in The Death of Bunny Munro. A chase around Italy is related to cracking the code for top secret tech in The Iris Affair, and
David Duchovny is a very rich man whose perfect life is threatened by someone seeking revenge in Malice.
In addition to those reviews Andrew Mercado has thoughts about future of TV and the longest-running Australian drama.

• The Death of Bunny Munro (Foxtel/Binge, 6 episodes)

Following the death of his wife Libby (Bibi from Bad Sisters), sex addicted door-to-door beauty salesman and self-professed lothario Bunny Munro (Matt Smith), finds himself saddled with his young son, Bunny Junior, and only a very loose concept of parenting. A series based on Nick Cave’s novel with a guest appearance from Cave.

• The Iris Affair (Stan, 8 episodes)

When enigmatic genius Iris Nixon (Niamh Algar) cracks a string of complex online puzzles, she’s led to a piazza in Florence where she meets charismatic entrepreneur Cameron Beck (Tom Hollander). He invites her to come and work for him to unlock a powerful and top-secret piece of technology. Don’t miss Andrew Mercado’s thoughts on this series!!

• Malice (Prime, 6 episodes)

Adam (Jack Whitehall) is a charismatic tutor who charms his way into the life of the wealthy Tanner family while they’re on holiday in Greece. When the family’s nanny falls dangerously ill, Adam orchestrates his way in to their London home and his true vengeful nature begins to emerge…but will Jamie Tanner (David Duchovny) and his wife Nat (Carice Van Houten) wake up to what is happening?

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This week the TV Gold podcast with Andrew Mercado and James Manning reviews three series and a Netflix movie.

Listen to the podcast: https://pod.link/1106441089

Reckless (SBS, 4 episodes)
Two feuding siblings are forced to work together to get away with an accidental hit and run murder that spirals wildly out of control in their hometown of Fremantle. Features a memorable performance from Tasma Walton.

The Beast in Me (Netflix, 8 episodes)
A famous author is pulled into a twisted mind game with her rich, powerful new neighbour — who just might be a murderer. Claire Danes is back with what is arguably her best role since playing Carrie in Homeland. She stars alongside Matthew Rhys and Brittany Snow.

The Forsytes (ABC iview, 6 episodes)
Inspired by John Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga novels, The Forsytes chronicles the lives, loves, trials and triumphs of a wealthy late Victorian stockbroking family near the turn of the 20th Century. From the makers of Poldark, this series again stars Eleanor Tomlinson with Jack Davenport co-starring.

Frankenstein (Netflix movie)
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley's classic tale of a brilliant scientist and the creature his monstrous ambition brings to life.

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Do we have a new contender for worst TV show ever made this week?

This week on the TV Gold podcast the creator of Breaking Bad is back with a new sci-fi series, Pluribus, on AppleTV.
Andrew and James also review two sitcoms – a musical on HBO Max, Happiness, and an Australian version of the successful Ghosts franchise on Network 10
Plus more from Ryan Murphy – high priced actors playing high priced divorce lawyers in All’s Fair on Disney+.

Pluribus (AppleTV, 10 episodes)
What does a virus heading for planet Earth have to do with Carol Sturka, a fantasy romance author who has just completed a gruelling book tour? No spoilers here, but Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan delivers a gripping launch episode.

Happiness (HBO Max, 6 episodes)
Ex-Broadway director Charlie is forced by circumstances to return to his home town of Tauranga, New Zealand where his mum makes him join her amateur theatre society. Rebecca Gibney stars as Charlie’s mum in this adventurous musical comedy.

Ghosts Australia (Network 10, 8 episodes)
Young couple Kate and Sean are about to jump into the inner-city rental market, until Kate inherits a huge mansion in the country. Moving in together for the first time they are attempting domestic bliss, but unbeknown to them, the house is haunted by a collection of needy spirits who carked it in Ramshead Manor over the past 200 years.

All’s Fair (Disney+, 6 episodes)
A team of female divorce attorneys leave a male-dominated firm to open their own powerhouse practice from creator Ryan Murphy. They navigate high-stakes breakups, surprising secrets and shifting allegiances—both in the courtroom and within their own ranks.
The cast includes Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close. Is it really as bad as some of the international press reviews have indicated?

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All Her Fault (Binge, 8 episodes)
Sarah Snook stars in this thriller about a mother who is distraught after learning her son has disappeared from a supposed play date.

Down Cemetery Road (AppleTV, 8 episodes)
All the elements are here – Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson star in a story from the writers involved with Slow Horses. Both series are adaptations of novels by author Mick Herron and share creative personnel, including writer Morwenna Banks, who also serves as an executive producer for both shows.

I Love LA (HBO Max, 8 episodes)
A tight-knit friend group of young self-obsessed LA professionals gather after years apart, navigating the complexities of ambition, relationships, and how time has changed them.

*PLUS*

One More Shot (Stan, movie)
In One More Shot, Emily Browning is about a woman named Minnie who discovers a bottle of time-traveling tequila on New Year's Eve 1999. Each shot sends her back to the beginning of the night, giving her multiple chances to try and win back her ex-boyfriend before the new millennium begins.

Son of a Donkey (Netflix, 6 episodes)
Host Andrew and James couldn’t disagree more about the merits of this Netflix Australian comedy series. Andrew got plenty of laughs, James reckons he lost a few brain cells watching the first episode.

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This week on the TV Gold podcast four programs – three about different sorts of horror, and the other a romcom series.

• Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Foxtel/Binge, 8 episodes)

A horror story about America’s most notorious serial killer. But a TV series made without exploiting the actual crimes. It instead focuses on the impact on the victims families and follows closely the police investigation and the court case.

• Film Club (Foxtel/Binge, 6 episodes)

A quirky comedy from actor/producer Aimee Lou Wood who stars as Evie who runs a film club in the garage at her mother’s house. Mum is played by Suranne Jones who is not really known for her comedy skills. But it’s an intriguing premise and there is a nice cameo from Emmy-winning star of Adolescence, Owen Cooper.

• A House of Dynamite (Netflix, movie)

The much anticipated new movie from director Kathryn Bigelow. The film repeatedly tracks the 18 minutes that follow a missile being launched at the United States — first from the perspective of the White House Situation Room, then from the perspective of United States Strategic Command, and finally from the perspective of the President himself.

• Andrew’s Halloween special - It: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max)

A terrifying prequel series that goes back to 1962 to trace the origins of the murderous, shape-shifting entity known as Pennywise the Clown. Based on the novel It by Stephen King.

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