Exclusive Fall 2025 TV Slate: Ruffalo Sparks Crime Craze, Hawke’s Tulsa Thriller and More You Can’t Miss

Kai Montgomery here, which means yes, I’m grumbling but yes, I’m also handing you the clean, fact-packed gossip spoon you actually wanted. Look, fall 2025 is loaded with drama, crime, and a dash of big-name star power that makes your streaming queue groan with anticipation. So tighten your belts, because we’re breaking down the season’s most talked about prestige TV and why you’ll want to set those reminders now.

First up, the buzz machine is wheeling out a major crime thriller from the Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby. The project centers on Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis, a former priest turned FBI agent who leads a high-stakes task force unraveling a rash of violent robberies in Philadelphia. The antagonist is a family man named Robbie Prendergast, played by Tom Pelphrey. The setup is classic Ingelsby: moral gray zones, twisty investigations, and a city that feels like a character unto itself. Viewers are promised a gritty procedural intertwined with family tension, and the Sunday night HBO slot plus Max gives this one a dual-stage presence that increases its audience reach. The fact that Ruffalo is headlining a crime drama with a city-wide canvas immediately raises expectations, given his track record in high-stakes, character-driven thrillers. This is one to watch not just for the whodunit but for the weight of the lead.

Next, a postmodern psychological thriller is stepping into the limelight, adapted from a bestselling Michelle Frances novel. Robin Wright anchors this one as Laura, whose seemingly flawless life starts to crumble when her son Daniel brings home Cherry, his girlfriend. Olivia Cooke, fresh off House of the Dragon and other high-profile gigs, is on board to complicate the family dynamics. If you’re into the kind of tense, claustrophobic storytelling that makes you question every character’s motive, this Prime Video streamer will likely deliver. Wright’s presence adds gravity to a story that hinges on parental paranoia, protective instincts, and the fear that your family might be stranger than your enemies.

Then we have a head-turning, NYC-based thriller pairing Jude Law and Jason Bateman as brothers pulled into a criminal underworld. Law plays a rising-star restaurateur whose life gets messy when Bateman’s shadowy cohort returns with a bag of trouble. Filmed around New York City and set to drop on Netflix on September 18, the show’s premise blends the slick tension of The Bear with the ruthless undercurrents of Ozark. The pairing of Law’s polished charisma and Bateman’s iron-clad edginess makes this one a potential crossover hit for both streaming giants and their diverse fanbases.

A Sterlin Harjo project with Ethan Hawke in a producer role throws another log on the fire: a Tulsa-based series about a citizen journalist who is relentless about exposing corruption. Hawke also stars, and Kyle MacLachlan appears as a politician, bringing a mix of indie credibility and familiar TV gravitas. FX and Hulu platforms give it a measured pace that could cultivate a loyal following among fans of grounded, issue-driven drama.

Entertainment circles aren’t stopping there. Glen Powell-led comedy about a quarterback who reinvents himself as Chad Powers—an alter ego meant to reclaim what time, bad luck, and one infamous mistake essentially stole from him—lands on Hulu on September 30. It’s a meta underdog story with sports tropes and a dash of sitcom sparkle, crafted for binge sessions after a long day.

The “Monster” universe continues to matter, with Season 3 bringing Charlie Hunnam into the mix as Ed Gein. Netflix drops this exploration of historical horror icons on October 3, following two earlier seasons that made waves with Evan Peters and the Menendez story. The new iteration promises to push into more unsettling psychological terrain, paired with high-polish production values that fans have come to expect from Murphy’s stable of true-crime-inspired dramas.

Over on Peacock, the legendary real-life killer who dressed as a clown gets a chilling deep dive that promises to peel back the layers of his life and his victims’ stories. Michael Chernus headlines, with Gabriel Luna and James Badge Dale rounding out the detective team. It’s a grim anthology vibe that could carve out a niche for fans of meticulously researched, luridly paced crime storytelling.

Seasonal romance returns with a Netflix rom-com that exploded in popularity: the show about a podcaster and a rabbi navigating a whirlwind romance. Leighton Meester’s addition to the cast for Season 2 raises eyebrows in the best way possible, signaling a blend of humor, heart, and cultural clash that could expand the show’s reach beyond its loyal Netflix audience.

And then, the long-anticipated It prequel that ties into Stephen King’s universe re-emerges, with Bill Skarsgard reprising the iconic role. The connection to the newer It films adds a prospective bridge for viewers who want continuity between the small-screen expansion and the cinema franchise. The timing is ripe for a fresh dive into Pennywise’s backstory without retreading old ground, so fans will be keeping an eye on every clip and teaser drop.

Every show on this list comes with distinct flavors: courtroom grit, family-thriller tension, restaurant-front crime, abolitionist journalism, sports redemption arcs, historic horror, and the rom-com of a revival. The fall slate suggests networks are betting big on star power and high-concept premises, while also nurturing a harvest of prestige relationships between directors, showrunners, and streaming platforms that might redefine what “must-watch TV” means in 2025.

So, what’s the throughline here? Fall 2025 promises a blend of cerebral thrillers, character-driven crime sagas, and high-energy comedies, all anchored by a slate of big names that will drive conversation, not just viewership. The return of familiar players, the push into new territories, and the cross-pollination across platforms signal a TV season that asks not only “what happened” but “why did these people do it.” If you’re compiling a watch list, you’ll want to mark prime Sundays for the Ruffalo-led thriller and pencil in Netflix, Netflix, and more Netflix dates for the rest. The slate feels intentional, risky in ways that could pay off handsomely for networks willing to take creative leaps.

What to watch next? A few released trailers, a handful of bold casting reveals, and a few release date confirmations will tell us how the fall forecasting shakes out. Spoiler alert: some of these will become water-cooler fixtures; others might slip under the radar. Either way, your calendar will be busy, your remote hand will be tired, and your grumpy guru just told you to keep an eye on these shows because they’re bound to produce the kind of headlines that dominate water-cooler chatter for weeks.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post Entertainment, Netflix, HBO, Prime Video, FX, Hulu, Peacock, and official press releases.
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed (GO)