5 shows that will probably flop in 2025

Now that 2024 has reached its end and all the dust is starting to settle on the television season, it's time to look ahead at the new streaming shows coming in 2025. Once the new year arrives, so will the rush of brand-new series looking to secure a spot on our watch lists.

Inevitably, not all of these shows will manage to find success in all the ways they need to become popular hits. That being said, no one looks at a new show and prays on its downfall. Well, at least no one should actively wish for a show to fail, and that's not the intention here at all.

Just as we can predict that some shows will probably be canceled in 2025, we can use our best judgment to reflect on some of the newbies entering the ring in the new year and estimate whether they have what it takes to become a hit or whether they will ultimately flop.

That's not to say that these shows are destined to flop. Maybe they will surprise us all and be some of the biggest hits of the year! But based on current trends, their release dates, and the overall mood surrounding their first looks, some of these new and returning shows could disappoint.

Which shows coming out in 2025 are in the most danger to potentially flop? Let's dive right in with the show Netflix might have accidentally sabotaged.

The Recruit season 2

Release Date: Jan. 30 on Netflix

Not to keep ragging on The Recruit since it's also on our list of Netflix shows that could be canceled in 2025, but reading the tea leaves on this one isn't looking too good. It's a shame because it has nothing to do with the actual quality of the show. The Recruit is excellent, and so is Noah Centineo in the leading role. He's charming and funny and a great action star! However...

Here's a case of scheduling that could either go so wrong or work directly in The Recruit's favor. One week before Netflix releases The Recruit season 2 on Jan. 30, the streamer releases the highly anticipated second season of The Night Agent, which as you might know is pretty much the same genre. Either The Night Agent will give The Recruit a lift or completely bury it.

It's unclear how anticipated the spy comedy-drama series actually is and how many people are looking forward to it. It's been over two years since it first premiered in December 2022. There's a lot going against it that's manifesting a flop, but here's to hoping Owen Hendricks comes out on top.

Prime Target

Release Date: Jan. 22 on Apple TV+

It's hard to look at Leo Woodall in the face and suggest that his new show could flop, but here's another case of a series that could unfortunately get lost in the shuffle. Prime Target, the Apple TV+ miniseries from creator Steve Thompson and executive producer Ridley Scott, premieres on Jan. 22. If that date sounds familiar it's because it's one day before The Night Agent season 2 drops on Netflix.

We shouldn't underestimate just how big the return of The Night Agent could be and how significantly it could pull focus from the rest of the streaming world. Aside from the hit Netflix show's high-profile comeback after its strike delays, Apple TV+ also begins rolling out the buzzy Severance season 2 on Jan. 17. Similarly, Severance could pull focus or even encourage viewers to check out Prime Target in between new episodes.

Still, in comparison to Severance, Prime Target will probably have much smaller numbers. But maybe like one-time Apple TV+ limited series Presumed Innocent, the series will become such a huge hit that another season is ordered. That might not be realistic, though.

Ironheart

Release Date: June 24, 2025 on Disney+

Before any Marvel fans start throwing tomatoes, the fact that Ironheart has been featured on this list isn't to diminish the show in any way. It's not even a critique on the show at all but rather a critique at the overall handling of the release of the series from the get go. Sometimes a streaming service can build up too much hype for its new programming that they shoot themselves in the foot.

Ironheart was first announced way back in December 2020 and has been a topic of conversation among the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom ever since. Like all Marvel shows, every step of the process has been followed closely by the fans as they excitedly awaited its eventual release... and that release date shifted so many — too many! — times.

Of course, situations that were beyond control such as the pandemic and the dual strikes caused delays in the development and production process, but Ironheart was first supposed to be released in 2023... then in 2024... and now finally in 2025. Hopefully, it hasn't lost all of its momentum.

Goosebumps season 2

Release Date: Jan. 10 on Disney+/Hulu

Maybe this is the wrong assumption, but isn't January possibly not the best time to release a new season of a show like Goosebumps on Disney+ and Hulu? The first season of the series, which debuted in October 2023, had the bonus of a release on Friday the 13th during spooky season. That's a match made in a release date heaven! But season 2 in, checks notes, January?

Disney+ renewed Goosebumps season 2 in February 2024, after the strikes had been resolved. The new eight-episode season, which stars David Schwimmer and Ana Ortiz, didn't have to contend with major setbacks from the strikes, though the turnaround was likely too quick to make another October release. Goosebumps: The Vanishing will really have to prove itself at the start of the year.

The new season could very well be an incredible watch and one of the most underrated shows of 2025, but as it stands, it doesn't seem as though the second season is getting the attention or chatter that it should be ahead of its official bow.

On Call

Release Date: Jan. 9 on Amazon Prime Video

The rest of the above shows are either solid shows or new shows that look promising. The same can't be confidently said about the upcoming Amazon Prime Video procedural drama On Call. To put it as kindly as possible, the trailer provides plenty of evidence that it's a serviceable procedural for fans of those kinds of shows... but there's just something missing.

On Call comes from executive producer Dick Wolf (yes, the mastermind behind the Law & Order, One Chicago, and FBI franchises) and stars Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, and Lori Loughlin. It breaks new ground for the procedural drama series as it's not an hour-long series. Each episode is said to clock in under 30 minutes for a bite-sized taste of adrenaline-pumping drama.

But the show was originally intended for released on IMDb TV and then at Amazon Freevee. If you're used to glossier procedural dramas from small screen broadcast and cable networks, the webshow feel of On Call probably won't draw most folks in and cause this one to significantly underperform.