Project Life 2025: documenting the media I consumed last year

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In 2024, I included in my Project Life album for the first time the media I consumed throughout the year, using 6″ x 8″ pages divided into 2″ x 2″ pockets and Avery self-adhesive insertable tabs. I enjoyed the practice and continued it in 2025.

A 6-inch by 8-inch page protector divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. 11 of the 12 pockets are filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a docuseries or documentary I streamed at home in 2025: American Murder: Laci Peterson; Chaos: The Manson Murders; Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever; Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser; I Hate Myself; Listers; No Place to Grow Old; The Quilters; Scamanda; Titan: The Oceangate Submersible Disaster; Unknown Number: The High School Catfish.

In 2024, I included thumbnails for only the movies I streamed at home. In 2025, I included thumbnails for movies that I streamed at home (on the left) and movies that I watched in the theater (on the right), separated by pages holding my “movie ticket stubs” (I am endlessly annoyed about the disappearance of well-designed and quality-crafted ephemera).

A spread of two 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors. The left-side page protector is divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. 10 of the 12 pockets are filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a movie I watched at home in 2025: The Assessment; Blink Twice; Get Out; I Smile Back; Inglorious Basterds; Longlegs; Monster; The Phantom Thread; The Thursday Murder Club; When the Wind Blows. The page protector on the right is divided into four 3-inch by 4-inch pockets. In each pocket, a ticket stub from a movie I saw in a theater in 2025.
On the left, a the back of a page protector that's divided into four 3-inch by 4-inch pockets. In each pocket, a ticket stub from a movie I saw in a theater in 2025. On the right, a 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors, divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. Seven of the 12 pockets are filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a movie I watched in a theater in 2025: Babygirl; Companion; The Encampments; One Battle After Another; One of Them Days; The Phoenician Scheme; Weapons.

I included only those TV shows and podcasts that I watched or listened to either in full (season or series) or consistently throughout the year. If I watched an episode or two of a TV show or listened to an episode or two of a podcast to get a feel for it and didn’t continue watching or listening beyond that episode or two, I didn’t include it.

A spread of two 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors, each divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. Each pocket is filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a TV show I watched in 2025. On the left: Abbott Elementary; Adolescence; Adults; Apple Cider Vinegar; The Asunta Case; Baby Farm; Bad Sisters; Baskets; The Beast in Me; Black Bird; Black Rabbit; The Breakthrough. On the right: Call the Midwife; Chief of War; Cunk on Life; Dark Winds; The Diplomat; Emily in Pars; Entrapped; Eric; Fisk; The Four Seasons; Franklin & Bash; Ginny & Georgia.
A spread of two 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors, each divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. Each pocket is filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a TV show I watched in 2025. On the left: Good American Family; Government Cheese; Grey's Anatomy; Homeland; The Hunting Wives; Just One Look; The Lincoln Lawyer; Love You to Death; The Lowdown; Missing You; Mo; The Morning Show. On the right: Paradise; Pernille; Platonic; Prime Target; The Residence; Roar; Scandal; Secrets We Keep; Servant; Severance; Shrinking; Sirens.

I do realize that I watch a lot of TV. Much of my TV time is spent pedaling away on a stationary bike.

A spread of two 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors, each divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. On the left, eight of the 12 pockets are filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a TV show I watched in 2025. On the right, each pocket is filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a podcast I listened to in 2025. On the left: Slow Horses; Stick; The Studio; Sullivan's Crossing; Untamed; Wayward; The Wonder Years; Your Friends & Neighbors. On the right: Articles of Interest; Cult Liter; Decoder Ring; Detective Trapp; The Devil You Know; Diss and Tell; Do You Need A Ride?; Don't Cross Kat; Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story; Even the Royals; The Exponential Athlete; Good Bodies.
A spread of two 6-inch by 8-inch page protectors, each divided into pockets measuring 2 inches by 2 inches. Each pocket is filled with a 2-inch by 2-inch thumbnail of a podcast I listened to in 2025. On the left: The Harvard Plan; I Said No Gifts!; If Books Could Kill; Infamous; The Knife: Off Record; Maintenance Phase; Monster: DC Sniper; My Favorite Murder; Normal Gossip; Obitchuary; The Opportunist; Redacted. On the right: Scam Factory; Scamfluencers; Severance; Smosh Reads Reddit; The Telepathy Tapes; Trail Tales; True Crime Bullshit; You're Wrong About.

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For the curious:

Most enjoyed documentary/docuseries in 2025:

  • Listers

So (SO!) good.

Most enjoyed movie in 2025:

  • Companion

Most enjoyed TV shows in 2025:

The perennial favorites:

  • Bad Sisters
  • Call the Midwife
  • Dark Winds
  • Severance
  • Slow Horses

The others:

  • Fisk
  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • Homeland
  • Pernille
  • Scandal

I LOVE a good soapy show (Call the Midwife, Grey’s), and a good DC show/political drama (Homeland, Scandal, Slow Horses). Homeland was partly a rewatch (I’d seen only the first four seasons). I’d never seen Grey’s or Scandal before and I loved both. Fisk is excellent autistic representation. Pernille, a Norwegian show on Netflix, was my favorite watch all year. Charming, heart-wrenching, funny. I wanted to live inside their life. 12/10.

Most enjoyed podcasts in 2025:

The perennial favorites:

  • Diss and Tell (RIP)
  • Even the Royals (RIP)
  • I Said No Gifts!
  • Scamfluencers
  • Smosh Reads Reddit

The others:

  • Articles of Interest
  • The Knife: Off Record
  • The Severance Podcast
  • The Telepathy Tapes
  • Trail Tales
  • True Crime Bullshit

The latest season of Articles of Interest—”Gear”—is so good. It explores how military apparel inspired America’s early outdoor industry, and how military apparel continues to inspire that industry, as well as streetwear and fashion in general. For example, did you know Lockheed Martin makes streetwear? Neither the fuck did I.

Screenshot of a quote tweet. The original tweet reads, "Why are ICE agents wearing camo???" The quote tweet, from the host of the podcast Articles of Interest, reads, "I can yell you why. It's a really fashion story. I made a podcast about it" and includes a link to the podcast.
Source

I started listening to The Knife: Off Record after hearing a teaser for an episode of the show that covers the murder of someone who was, once upon a time, in my social circle. It was the first time I’d listened to a true crime podcast from the perspective of someone who knew the victim and it completely rewired how I think about true crime podcasts and the true crime industry. The hosts did a great job with the story, and I’ve been listening ever since.

The Severance Podcast and Trail Tales were my go-to podcasts while hiking last summer, The Telepathy Tapes is always interesting (and controversial), and I will forever be seated for True Crime Bullshit, a deeply researched and well-produced podcast about the crimes and victims of serial killer Israel Keyes.

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Related: this chart depicting IMDB ratings of various TV shows between 2000 and 2025.

One thought on “Project Life 2025: documenting the media I consumed last year”

  1. Pingback: Project Life 2025: a look inside my album | kelsey, etc.

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