This Winter at Processed Media

Temperatures might be going down as we get ready to turn the page on 2025, but it’s always hot at Processed Media… is exactly the dorky kind of shit I usually open this column with. Instead, however, I just want to thank everyone who has visited, read, commented, and followed this year – it has been a record year for traffic, revenue, interactions… by every metric, our little community and website continues to grow, none of which would happen without your support! So, while I have some stuff to announce below, I instead wanted to open this season’s preview with a profound thank you to everyone who has continued to show love to my silly little side project over the years – I appreciate it all incredibly.

Without further ado, here’s what I’ve got planned for the next few months:

Processed Media’s Best of 2025

Once a mainstay at the old Processed Media, the Best Of lists return as we close out 2025! For those who don’t remember (which – I don’t blame you for not keeping a 13-year old blog post at the forefront of your memory), the Processed Media Best of awards are a mix of performances, shows, trends, and other cultural things I found fascinating in 2025. For those who have followed along this year (which has been the busiest year in PM’s history), you may have some idea what’s in store – but there are always a few surprises to be found! Look for this to publish in early January, after I’ve had the holiday break to catch up on a few notable series.

The End of Stranger Things

Thanks to a condensed schedule, the Stranger Things rewatch came and went in a flurry in November, just in time for Stranger Things 5, a hulking, lumbering four episodes of endless intrigue and intermittent disappointment, to arrive. As one might expect, I’m along for the rest of the ride – reviews to Volume 2 will premiere on the 25th, 26th, and 27th, and then we’re all tuning in together for the series finale (titled “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up” on New Year’s Eve. Though the show’s been in a general creative decline since the heights of season three, it’s still bound to be a bittersweet goodbye to the people of Hawkins (just please don’t do a big, dumb time travel thing… please!).

Second Looks Continue

This week marks the end of season two of Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, which will drop the Pizza Place part of its moniker when it returns next summer for season three. It also marks the end of Continuum‘s first season, which will continue when season two reviews appear early in 2026 (in other words – bookmark those pages or sign up for the newsletter now, so you don’t miss out!).

While those shows are coming to an end, the season reviews of Scrubs, Friends season five, and Limitless will continue throughout the winter – and of course, I’m always taking requests from readers if there are series you’d like to see covered in the future. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements of new series in 2026 (including maybe one cult NBC series from the 1990s I’m infamously known to love? Who could say…)!

Rookie Rankings Return (For Real!)

My final rookie rankings for 2025 will be part of the Best of 2025 celebrations; but after the successful debut of February 2025, I wanted to bring it back in 2026 as a monthly column, rather than something scheduled to publish irregularly (and inevitably, be swallowed up by other coverage throughout the year). Though I don’t plan for quite as many First Impressions reviews in 2026, my goal is to provide monthly rankings of all new freshman series in 2026, absorbing as many episodes as I can in a year that, at least, for now appears to be pretty sparse with returning series.

However, our 2026 coverage will begin with a look at Best Medicine, which premieres on FOX January 6th. From there, we’re off to the races!

Regular Coverage – Fallout, Spartacus: House of Ashur, The Pitt

That’s right – Processed Media’s stepping into Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, for weekly reviews of The Pitt‘s second season, scheduled to begin on January 8th. Before that begins, Fallout season two (and the missing reviews from season one, maybe?) and Spartacus: House of Ashur reviews will appear in some form over the next month.

Also – you know I’ll be covering the Scrubs revival in February, defending season nine and hopefully not watching a series flounder to find meaning amongst the never-ending sea of disappointing, indulgent, and/or clearly unnecessary reboots and revivals we’ve seen the past decade.

What’s Coming in 2026?

As I head into my 15th year of covering the TV beat (including 10 years of writing my column for UpPortland Magazine, still available on newsstands all over Portland, Maine), I’m always looking to see what else I can write about, if time allows it. I certainly have some ideas for 2026, including expanding film and video game coverage… and maybe a book idea I’ve been marinating on for a few years? A new podcast? A potential video series? Not a lot to say right now, but there’s certainly more to come in 2026.

Again, for all those who follow, whether on here, Facebook, X, Bluesky, or even Tumblr, I continue to appreciate your support and feedback over the years as I continue to build out this little nerd-friendly corner of the internet. Happy holidays from Processed Media!