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Best TV Shows of 2024

2024 was another strong year for television. This time around the returning shows fared lesser than the new ones with a couple of exceptions. But some new series that we got were not only excellent, but they only promise to get better in future seasons. Here is the list of best new and returning shows released this year.

Best New Shows of 2024:

7. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the newest Ryan Murphy show and it definitely is a mixed bag, but I verge mostly on the positive side of things. Yes, it is overly indulgent, campy and trashy, but it works due to its important subject that was well explored, strong dialogue, exceptional technical aspects and fantastic performances from its very talented cast. It’s a must see for all Ryan Murphy fans.

6. Dune: Prophecy Season 1

Dune: Prophecy is a surprisingly strong, underrated show. The first season has its issues – the third episode is a mess, the character count is too high, and the show is very dialogue-heavy for better and for worse – but for the most part the political intrigue worked, the characters were very well developed and the acting is terrific across the board. The production values are also excellent and the SF elements, though minor, were quite intriguing. It’s a fine first season that promises great things in the future. It’s by far the most underrated show on this list.

5. 3 Body Problem Season 1

Another strong SF outing this year, 3 Body Problem is a very good Netflix adaptation of an incredible eponymous novel. They focused way too heavily on characters and emotions instead of plot and the science behind it all, but at least most of those characters were well developed and their arcs were fulfilling. The highlights here are the strong acting performances and the terrific VFX. It’s a flawed, but very good adaptation and it will be interesting to see how they will adapt the next two novels.

4. Baby Reindeer

Baby Reindeer is the most Netflix-like show that you can stumble upon. Yes, it’s very much a show of the moment. It won’t really be remembered for years to come, but for the time being it is definitely juicy and entertaining enough that it will fascinate thousands of viewers while bringing Gadd a lot of money of course. It’s a well made show that is a bit too short, tonally uneven and at times obvious, but it worked due to strong dialogue, excellent characterization, powerful acting and a potent handling of its difficult issues.

3. Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1

Another underseen gem, Batman: Caped Crusader is terrific. This first season doesn’t have a single stinker as most episodes range from pretty good to downright excellent. The series doesn’t fully develop all of its characters and its tone is messy, but the voice acting, animation and score are all strong as is the writing. The episodic storytelling worked and Dent’s arc was fantastic while the other highlights included Alfred, the Gordons and most of the villains. It’s a great noir-inspired, classical take on this often adapted franchise.

2. Ripley

The second spot goes to this incredibly cinematic masterpiece. I wasn’t a fan of this story before, but now I am thanks to this stellar series. Ripley is overlong and slow at times, but it’s still very engaging due to its strong character development, a pretty strong script and an unforgettable main character played effortlessly by the great Andrew Scott. The series is worth seeing for its technical aspects alone – the score is lovely, the production design is fantastic and its black-and-white cinematography is artistic, refined and just stunning to behold. It’s one of the best-looking shows of all time without a doubt.

1. Shogun

And the obvious number one is obvious for a reason. Yes, Shogun is a phenomenal series that deserves all the praise that it got. Yes, the first episode took some time getting used to due to a weaker start and the finale was a bit too dark for my taste. The violence is also overwhelming. But the show is so well written, so superbly performed by its talented cast and so emotionally rewarding that it was a thrilling watch all-around. The highlights are its impressive technical aspects, fantastic characterization, evident thematic richness and stellar dialogue. This show deserved every award that it got and it’s a genuine treat for fans of grounded period pieces.

Best Returning Shows of 2024:

7. Futurama Season 9

The ninth season of Futurama is solid, but mostly forgettable. It got a couple of stellar, imaginative episodes, but most of the others range from solid to downright mediocre. Some characters got their moments to shine, but most did not. This season was at its best when it was more timeless in its approach and at its worst when it was trying to be timely.

6. Sweet Tooth Season 3

The third season of Sweet Tooth is overall a solid conclusion of this show. It’s weaker than the original, but better than its predecessor. While the constant monologuing and narration were preachy, the character arcs of the main cast were mostly very strong. The ending was quite moving. It’s a fine Netflix series that still never quite recaptured the magic of the initial season.

5. The Dragon Prince Season 7

The final season of The Dragon Prince did not feel as if the show is concluding at all due to its cliffhanger ending. The final two episodes were frenetic, but epic and memorable. The remainder of the season is slowly paced and rather dull. This season is full of plot holes and contrivances, which made it by far the worst one in the show’s run. I like this series for what it is, but it is clear that the writers did not give it their all. It’s still a pretty solid conclusion all things considered and in this year when returning shows weren’t the best, it gets on the list.

4. Shrinking Season 2

The second season of Shrinking was a delight. It’s still a show that favors drama over comedy for better and for worse. The comedic bits are cringe-worthy at times, but some lines of dialogue were genuinely funny. The dramatic elements also worked and some of the more serious scenes were truly heartbreaking. I loved most of the characters and their arcs on this season with the highlights being Jimmy, Paul and Liz. I also continue to appreciate the communal feel to the show as well as its traditional messaging.

3. Blood of Zeus Season 2

The second season of Blood of Zeus is for the most part inferior to its predecessor. It has messy pacing and a rushed second half. It also failed to develop all of its characters properly. With that being said, this is still a rousing, epic season full of strong action, some terrific arcs, emotional engagement and a great utilization of its famous myths and figures. It’s a high fantasy season that resembled a quest narrative, which in and of itself was quite ambitious and original.

2. Hacks Season 3

I loved the third season of Hacks. It has its flaws, in particular it sidelined its side characters way too much. But it was the best and most confident season of this series yet with so many powerful speeches, excellent points being made about Hollywood and fantastic character arcs for Deborah and Ava. Their relationship was the heart of this season and every single scene of theirs was fantastic. This series only gets better and better with each subsequent season and it deserves all the awards that it got.

1. Squid Game Season 2

The second season of Squid Game is a big success. Its first two episodes are lackluster, but the fifth one is a masterpiece and the finale is truly thrilling, ending with a perfect cliffhanger that will make it very difficult to wait for the next season. Although less sophisticated thematically speaking than its predecessor, it’s ultimately of pretty much the same quality due to a phenomenal change to the formula of the games, perfectly developed characters, complex dynamics between them, superb acting performances all-around and excellent dialogue. It’s a season that is filled with thrilling action scenes, but also a lot of care was given to its character roster, which is once again terrific. The fact that the second season is just as great as the first one speaks volumes of the talented crew behind this phenomenon, so it gets the deserved first spot here.