Straight Up

Happy Christmas hunnies and here’s a little treat from us: our definitive list of the top 10 TV shows of 2025. From thrillers to comedies and coming-of-age dramas, these should keep you entertained throughout the Christmas hols. We've kept our main list to original shows of the year, but with special mentions to our fave returning seasons too. Plus a run through of a few of the year’s very worst shows. We’ll be back next Tuesday for our Best Books of 2025 ep, then back to our usual Thursday pop culture debrief the week after that!Enjoy and please do let us know what you think of the ep, share your top TV recs of the year and just generally get in touch on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠. We LOVE hearing from you!Follow us on TikTok @straightuppodRecsThe Beast In Me, NetflixPluribus, AppleTVSirens, NetflixFilm Club, BBC iPlayerAdolescence, Netflix Toxic Town, NetflixThe Girlfriend, Amazon Prime VideoDown Cemetery Road, AppleTVWhat It Feels Like For A Girl, BBC iPlayer Overcompensating, Amazon Prime VideoPlatonic, AppleTVAmandaland, BBC iPlayerSeverance, AppleTVBig Boys, Channel 4The White Lotus, NOW TV. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Swift’s The End of an Era documentary is already breaking Disney records, so we review the first two episodes. Is it pure hagiography or genuinely insightful? Also on the show: why Bonnie Blue wrote a Spectator op-ed backing Nigel Farage, George Clooney’s new marital rule, and the surprising subculture that’s helped make Zootopia 2 box office gold. Plus a review of Alchemised, the incredible fanfic inspired by Harry Potter and the Housemaid’s Tale that netted a seven-figure film deal. Enjoy hunnies and remember next week’s ep is dropping on Tuesday!Enjoy and please do let us know what you think of the ep, share your recs and just generally get in touch on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠. We LOVE hearing from you!Follow us on TikTok @straightuppodRecs/ reviews Backstage Beauty SalonAlchemised, SenLinYuThe fanfiction written on a notes app that’s become a bestseller – with a seven-figure film deal, GuardianMargaret Atwood on Desert Island Discs, BBC Sounds The MaddAddam Trilogy, Margaret AtwoodCece, Emmelie PropheteGrace Beverley: the Oxford student with a £70m wellness brand, The Times Zootopia 2, in cinemas nowWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Netflix Taylor Swift: The End of an Era, Disney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

50 Cent’s explosive Diddy documentary is dominating the headlines, so this week we’re unpacking the most shocking moments from Sean Combs: The Reckoning. Also on the show: Sydney Sweeney finally addresses her “great jeans” ad controversy, Margot Robbie has given a wonderfully juicy Vogue interview around Wuthering Heights, Channing Tatum’s “career defining” film with Kirstin Dunst is out, Miley Cyrus’s fiancée has everyone talking about age-gaps again and Ellie Goulding’s new baby daddy is a “bad boy”. Plus: the Netflix and Warner Bros mega-deal that has Hollywood spooked! Enjoy and please do let us know what you think of the ep, share your recs and just generally get in touch on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠. We LOVE hearing from you! Follow us on TikTok @straightuppodRecs/reviews:Roofman, Apple TV‘Roofman’ Stars Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst Talk That Nude Scene, Which Toys They Took From Set, Hollywood Reporter Margot Robbie, British Vogue The end of big-screen cinema? What Netflix hopes to achieve by buying Warner Bros, GuardianAll About Miley Cyrus’s Fiancé Maxx Morando and Their ‘Low-Key’ Relationship, ElleSean Combs: The Reckoning, NetflixSean Combs: The Reckoning review – you can see why the musician is fighting to ban this horrific documentary, Guardian . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Sheeran’s new songs hint at cracks in his seemingly perfect, previously ultra-private marriage, while Jessie J has had to set the record straight on her breakup with Channing Tatum. So just how literally should we take pop stars’ lyrics? Also this week, we’re diving into the BBC’s Gossip Girl-style mother-daughter thriller Wild Cherry, the so-called “female Adolescence", David Szalay’s Booker Prize-winning novel Flesh and 2025’s Word of the Year. Plus, the surprising news that we’re technically teenagers until 32, reports of wild parties from the set of Rivals, and, finally, our (spoiler-free) review of Wicked 2!We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviews:Wild Cherry, BBC iPlayerFlesh by David Szalay Shuggie Bain, Douglas StuartIgnore the pessimists – we are living through a literary golden age, New StatesmanHow to Stop Time, Matt HaigThrew it Away, Jessie JPlay, Ed SheeranStraight Up behind the music miniseries ep with Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart CampAdolescence lasts into your 30s, major new study on brain development finds, The IndependentWicked: For Good, in cinemas now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beast in Me is the buzzy new Netflix thriller everyone’s talking about, so this week we’re sharing our (spoiler-free!) review and the standout moments from its star Claire Danes’ latest interviews. First, though, we dive into Jennifer Lawrence’s career-defining performance in Die My Love, also starring Robert Pattinson, and her personal reflections on postpartum life, as well as Charli XCX’s fab Substack on the realities of being a pop star and the celeb newsletter boom more generally. Plus: the brilliant new sci-fi about a romantasy writer, Pluribus; the Guardian’s viral investigation into ‘free birth’ influencers; and Ambika Mod’s latest role as a porn-addicted academic. Enjoy hunnies! Get 10% off our fave sofa brand Swyft with the code straightup10 at swyfthome.com, and the code works on top of Black Friday sales! Stylish, comfy, flat-packed and no tools required.We love hearing from you, DM us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@straightuppod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, email at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ and follow us on TikTok @straightuppod too!Recs/reviews:Pluribus, AppleTVThe Lost Bus, AppleTVDie My Love, in cinemas now ‘Die My Love’ and the savage truth about the postpartum experience, Gillian Orr, SubstackInfluencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world, GuardianThe realities of being a pop star, Charli XCX’s substack  Why is Everybody Losing Weight and What do we do Sincerely? A person who's lost weight, Lizzo’s SubstackLizzo Starts Over The pop star’s success once felt radical. Can she capture the Zeitgeist again?, VultureThe Beast In Me, Netflix ‘I’d barely kissed a boy, but was making out with Adonis’: Claire Danes on sex, spy camp and teen stardom, Guardian  Porn Play, Royal CourtThe 31-Year-Old Creator Of Porn Play Wanted To “Do Something Provocative”, Vogue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.