Network TV shows included plenty of exciting moments throughout 2024, but 2025 also has much to look forward to for network TV. Indeed, some long-awaited spinoffs will finally see the light of day in 2025, and other established TV series will end, with their final seasons concluding decade-spanning franchises too, promising dramatic developments. Characters returning after years they had been absent from TV shows and entire franchises or even less will spice up the rest of the 2024-2025 TV season and the next, along with the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary exciting crossover uniting staple TV shows.
The first part of the 2024-2025 TV season already included impressive events in the form of cameos, character exits and well-established network TV shows ending. Indeed, police procedural Blue Bloods concluded its 14-year run with season 14. CBS nonetheless explored also the potential expansion of Fire Country’s franchise with Jared Padalecki’s Camden being fundamental for Bode’s development as a firefighter in Fire Country season 3. Grey’s Anatomy kept its viewers on their toes with its season 21 fall finale, which simultaneously led to heartbreaking departures and two doctors’ fates hanging in the balance that won’t be solved until 2025.
12
Suits’ Franchise Revival Via Suits LA
Suits LA Is Poised To Keep What Made Suits Great
Suits LA finally debuting on NBC on February 23, 2025, revitalizes the Suits franchise years after the end of the parent series and the sad cancelation of its first spinoff, Pearson. The more is known about the West Coast-based spinoff of the successful legal procedural, the greater the hype for Suits LA becomes, especially so after Suits’ Gabriel Macht was confirmed to return as Harvey Specter in a recurring role for Suits LA.
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Despite the difference in setting, the spinoff is poised to bring back many of the things that made Suits great. From Suits’ costume designer Jolie Andreatta working on Suits LA too to the spinoff’s teaser trailer taking Suits’ opening credits song and transposing it in the new LA setting, the spinoff seems to be keeping what made Suits stand out as a legal procedural and for the focus on its central characters’ personal and professional lives. Suits LA’s potential to showcase Suits’ best qualities and make them their own thus makes its upcoming release in 2025 even more exciting.
11
Matthew Gray Gubler’s Return As Spencer Reid In Criminal Minds: Evolution
Reid Will Return For Part Of An Episode In Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3
Criminal Minds effectively continuing with its revival Evolution made it possible for most key characters in the police procedural to return. The absence of Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid and Shemar Moore’s Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds: Evolution was nevertheless felt, but while the latter’s absence was fully explained by Morgan leaving the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Criminal Minds season 11, Reid’s absence was more puzzling, due to his never leaving the unit. With scheduling conflicts reportedly behind Reid never appearing in the revival before, his return happening in Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 marks a significant moment.
Reid’s brief appearance in part of an episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 will likely have to do with the profiler on which the spotlight is put.
It’s unclear why Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid will return for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3, but it will likely be meaningful and for personal reasons, as showrunner Erica Messner revealed that as a condition for Reid or Morgan’s return. Reid’s brief appearance in part of an episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution season 3 will likely have to do with the profiler on which the spotlight is put. It would have to happen for a good reason, especially after Reid’s absence for two seasons due to a special assignment as still part of BAU, making his return even more intriguing.
10
The NCIS Franchise Bringing Back Tony & Ziva
The Spinoff Can Right An Original NCIS Mistake At Last
NCIS: Tony & Ziva being set for a 2025 release on Paramount+ expands the NCIS franchise beyond its network TV roots, despite the parent series still going strong with its 22nd season on CBS. Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo returning as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David respectively makes the NCIS spinoff all the more interesting, especially after they weren’t simultaneously onscreen in NCIS for a decade.
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NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s focus on the two key characters from the parent series also makes the spinoff exciting. Their relationship following the well-trodden Will They/Won’t They pattern made their pairing extremely lovable to NCIS fans through the years, but not seeing their love blossom onscreen always undercut their story in the parent series. NCIS: Tony & Ziva putting a spotlight on the couple and their daughter Tali can right that mistake, finally giving NCIS fans the full story of Tony and Ziva’s love.
9
Madeline & Olympia’s Deepening Friendship In Matlock
The Development Will Likely Hinder Madeline’s Revenge Plan
Matlock’s entire premise threatens the bond between Madeline and Olympia, making their deepening friendship particularly interesting in the second part of the 2024-2025 TV season. Indeed, Madeline Matlock’s true reasons for joining Jacobson Moore revealed in Matlock’s series premiere’s ending twist puts betraying Olympia in her future if Madeline wishes to pursue her revenge plan against those she sees at fault for her daughter’s death.
While Madeline’s purpose had always been clear throughout Matlock, her revenge plan also inevitably puts her at odds with Olympia, a boss she genuinely likes and someone who could be considered a friend.
Olympia’s anger in Matlock episode 8 after learning about Julian’s requests to Madeline about her proved how important loyalty is to her and even led to the two patching up by the episode’s end, making the deepening of Madeline and Olympia’s friendship a given. This can make Matlock all the more interesting for the conundrum it leaves Madeline in, having to choose between her purpose and Olympia.
8
The Abbott Elementary Crossover Event With It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The First Part Airs On ABC On January 8, 2025
Abbott Elementary’s return will already introduce its long-awaited crossover event with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, making it one of the few things happening sooner rather than later in this list. The crossover event will see key characters from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia appear as volunteers at Abbott in Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9, and central Abbott Elementary characters appear in the future on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, hinting at upcoming chaotic events, given both the characters and the wildly different comedy styles.
Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 9’s trailer offered a glimpse of what’s to come, highlighting the pairings that will form as a result of the crossover, including the seemingly hilarious of Frank and Mr. Johnson, and Mac and Ava. Their common setting in Philadelphia always made a It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia/Abbott Elementary crossover make sense, but their completely different approach in their comedy also paints it as unusual, setting up the scene for a memorable crossover likely filled with outrageous antics.
7
Fire Country’s Spinoff Sheriff Country Releasing Later In 2025
Sheriff Country Will Begin During The 2025-2026 TV Season
Fire Country season 2, episode 6 introduced Mickey ahead of Sheriff Country, and the Fire Country spinoff will finally be released in the 2025-2026 TV season. This makes Sheriff Country effectively come right after the events in Fire Country season 3, making the second half of the firefighting drama’s season 3 even more important, as key Sheriff Country characters like Mickey’s father will show up in Fire Country ahead of their appearance in the police procedural spinoff.
It’s unclear what Sheriff Country will focus on beyond following Mickey’s dedication to protecting Edgewater from criminals, as Fire Country season 2, episode 6 already proved with Mickey’s unwavering focus on finding the real culprit behind the sheriff’s murder. However, given how Fire Country already introduced a difficult relationship between Mickey and her father and her preoccupation with her daughter, Sheriff Country will undoubtedly focus as well on Mickey’s private life.
6
More Young Sheldon Characters In Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
More Characters Are Set To Return Besides The Coopers & Pastor Jeff
Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage season 1 setting up the titular characters’ different roles in the comedy series already made it possible for many characters from Young Sheldon to appear in the second The Big Bang Theory spinoff. Georgie and Mandy’s initial move away from the McAllisters and Thanksgiving made it possible for all the Coopers but Sheldon to appear twice, with Dale even appearing once. Georgie and Mandy still living in Medford nonetheless makes multiple cameos possible in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’s future.
Whenever Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage returns, the Young Sheldon spinoff is already set to welcome back Pastor Jeff in a bid to help mediate the continuing fight between Mary and Audrey. However, news about Coach Wilkins’ appearance in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage show it keeping Young Sheldon’s legacy alive while also revealing more and more Young Sheldon characters will appear in the spinoff. It’s unclear why Coach Wilkins will appear on the Young Sheldon spinoff, but doing so can nevertheless connect his late best friend George to the spinoff’s story even more, making the appearances more impressive.
5
The Interns’ Reshuffle In Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 After Yasuda’s Departure
Mika’s Departure Upends The Interns’ Balance In The Medical Drama
After being a relatively stable and close-knit group of interns since Grey’s Anatomy season 19 when they first appeared, Mika Yasuda’s heartbreaking departure in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 threatens the group’s balance. Mika was the glue of the group of interns, connecting with each and every one of the others, being friends with all of them in different ways. The death of Chloe understandably rattled her, but Mika’s willingness to do everything possible to start rebuilding her life away from Seattle inevitably affects the interns, from Jules who finally admitted her feelings for Mika, to Lucas losing his best friend.
Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s midseason finale also set up other potentially major scares for the interns, as it ended with the armed robbery Jo and Lucas were witness to quickly deteriorating, with shots fired during Lucas and the robber’s physical struggle for the gun. All of this leaves the balance among the interns completely up in the air for when Grey’s Anatomy season 21 returns, making for a compelling storyline that will need to show where that brings the interns after such major events.
4
Alexander Hamilton Appearing In Ghosts
Ghosts Season 4 Cast Isaac’s Longstanding Rival At Last
CBS’s Ghosts had plenty of gags running in its four-season run, but few among them were as hilarious as what Isaac viewed as a feud between him and fellow revolutionary and Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton. Isaac’s tendency to measure his contributions to the American Revolution to Hamilton’s obviously more sizeable ones always caused many laughs, even more so after Isaac and the other ghosts came into contact with the famous Lin-Manuel Miranda Broadway musical about the Founding Father.
Hamilton’s appearance in Ghosts season 4 can also let Isaac work through his sense of inferiority in relation to the Founding Father, potentially giving Isaac peace at least about one of the holdups plaguing him.
Ghosts finally casting Alexander Hamilton thus hints at Isaac’s story taking once again center stage in season 4, in an even more hilarious way as it will bring Isaac’s rival to the screen after Ghosts’ previous seasons all built up Isaac’s disdain for Hamilton and his sense of not being enough compared to him. Hamilton’s appearance in Ghosts season 4 can also let Isaac work through his sense of inferiority in relation to the Founding Father, potentially giving Isaac peace at least about one of the holdups plaguing him.
3
The Conners Ending
Season 7 Brings To An End The Conners & Roseanne
The Conners returning one last time with season 7’s six episodes also marks a momentous event. The six-episode farewell event, as it was dubbed in ABC’s The Conners season 7 poster, marks the final season of the Roseanne spinoff and will have to conclude its characters’ storylines as established throughout The Conners and Roseanne, bringing 35 years’ worth of storylines to an end, as it will also effectively conclude the Roseanne franchise.
It’s unclear what the focus of The Conners season 7 will be, especially as the Roseanne spinoff will only have six episodes to provide satisfying endings to characters who have been around for decades. Whether the focus will be on the younger members of the Conners family or those who have been around for much longer, The Conners season 7 will nonetheless have to end with a bang, making its last installment all the more precious and long-awaited as a result.
2
Jensen Ackles’s Return In Tracker Season 2
Ackles’ Return As Russell Explores His Character More
Tracker season 2, episode 2 already had Jensen Ackles’ Russell Shaw return to locate and save his younger brother Colter after season 1 initially introduced him as the possible culprit behind Colter and Russell’s father’s death before clearing his name. However, Ackles’ return as Russell Shaw for more than one episode in Tracker season 2 makes the deepening of the brothers’ story all the more interesting.
The context of Colter and Russell’s first reunion made it particularly tense, even as Colter and Russell evidently got along. While Russell saving Colter in Tracker season 2, episode 2 changes their relationship even more, his return in the second part of Tracker season 2 can finally put a spotlight on the complicated relationship between the two brothers, shining a light on their family history and going beyond their peculiar upbringing.
1
9-1-1: Lone Star’s Ending
The Spinoff Ending Before 9-1-1 Risks Undercutting Its Final Tragedy
9-1-1: Lone Star season 5’s last three episodes ending the 9-1-1 spinoff story for good make its return in 2025 also memorable. 9-1-1 is still standing only because ABC revived it after Fox’s cancellation, but the latter cemented Lone Star’s cancellation by Fox, letting it feel inevitable despite the parent series living on, with 9-1-1 season 8 being set to return in March 2025 on ABC.
With a possible asteroid impact being teased for 9-1-1: Lone Star’s final episodes, 9-1-1’s upcoming release in March 2025 risks undercutting its severity, as 9-1-1 continuing inevitably ruins Lone Star’s final tragedy. However, 9-1-1: Lone Star’s ending will nonetheless be worthy of excitement for the network TV show’s fans, as it concludes its key characters’ development in a flashy and potentially earth-shattering way.
