Not to state the obvious, but TV occupies a different place in our brains than movies. TV is a bigger time commitment and often feels more intimate. It’s what you turn on at the end of a long day to unwind before bed. You invite the same characters into your home week after week (or for 10 hours at a time), and they often start to feel like real, tangible people.
When it came time to pick our favorite shows of the year, we approached our list-making a bit differently than our best movies of 2024. Like with films, we asked ourselves how these shows made us feel and what they made us think about. But we also considered if they featured characters we wanted to hang out with? Or change the way we think about something? But, perhaps most importantly, did we want to keep watching every episode? Did we want to return to the worlds of these stories? Were they worth the time and personal space we had given them?
That’s why, ahead, you’ll find a mix of series that resonated in different ways throughout the year, like the comedies that have become our happy places, the historical dramas that made us feel every range of emotion, and the fantasy tales that kind of made our brains hurt — but in a good way. Read on to discover our picks on the best TV shows of 2024 (in no particular order).
I said it when I first screened this series and I’ll say it again: FX’s Shōgun is easily the most well-deserved breakout TV show of the year. An original adaptation of James Clavell’s historical fiction drama, Shōgun is set in 1600s feudal Japan at the start of a century-long civil war that comes to define the island nation. Lord Yoshii Toranaga (played by the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada) is staving off threats to his life and power from political rivals when English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmos Jarvis) is marooned in a nearby village, bringing with him secrets about what lurks past the sea horizon. With the help of Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a Japanese Christian noblewoman who serves as a translator between the two men and whose past has its own secrets, they must navigate the tense political landscape to defeat enemies on all fronts.
It’s hard not to think of 2003’s The Last Samurai, which also stars Hiroyuki Sanada, when watching Shōgun. In both, a white man from the West (in the case of The Last Samurai, that’d be Tom Cruise) brings Western knowledge that can help the Japanese but, despite cultural differences, comes to respect the new world he finds himself in. But there’s an intentionality in Shōgun that, unlike The Last Samurai, keeps the white savior at arm’s length; Japan is the main character and Europe is the foreigner.
Shōgun is a stunning tour de force that was rewarded at the 2024 Emmys, scoring a record 18 wins including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Drama Actor for Sanada, and Lead Drama Actress for Anna Sawai, who made history as the first actress of Asian descent to win her category. If there’s one show that defined 2024, this is it.
Denis Villaneuve’s Dune: Part 2 made our best movies of 2024 list for a reason; its transportive images and sweeping narratives fully delivered a bigger spectacle that further immersed you in the story of Paul Atreides and the secrets of Arrakis. Although made for the small screen, Dune: Prophecy is a worthy successor in what will surely be the first of many expansions into the Dune universe.
Set 10,000 years before the events of the films, HBO’s Dune: Prophecy shows the Sisterhood (later known as the Bene Gesserit) in its messy journey to power and as it establishes an organization that puppeteers from the shadows by counseling the leaders of the Great Houses and manipulating bloodlines in order to cultivate rulers they can control. Bound both by blood and vows, Sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen work to cement the Sisterhood’s future in the face of existential threats, particularly in the form of a foreboding prophecy and a powerful, mysterious soldier named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel).
Dune: Prophecy centers the power of women in a patriarchal society in a way that feels authentic and shows the breadth of how ripe Frank Herbert’s books are for Hollywood reimagining. The first season, just six episodes, makes for a quick and satisfying watch that answers some questions and leaves you hungry for more.
Every once in a while, you’ll come across a pair of actors who have so much on-screen chemistry, you can practically feel it radiating between them. Adam Brody and Kristen Bell can count themselves as one such duo — and thank goodness because, like with any rom-com, their new series, Nobody Wants This, thrives on said chemistry.
Inspired by creator (and online personality/Favorite Daughter co-founder) Erin Foster’s real life, the show chronicles the love story between Joanne, a spunky, unfiltered podcaster who is direct and goes after what she wants, and Noah, a routine-driven modern-day rabbi who is used to playing it safe and considering others in his decision-making. They’re not at all similar yet somehow they hit it off, and they fall hard and fast — in a way that will make you giddy as you watch their story unfold. But their differences are vast, and, eventually, the couple have to tackle them head on — while many people in their lives are not-so-subtly hoping they fail.
While there is room for improvement — see the thoughtful critiques about the show’s portrayal of Jewish women — the swoon-y romance rules all. It’s refreshing to see an actual adult relationship portrayed in a mature way — Noah listens! They communicate in meaningful ways! They don’t break up every other episode over silly misunderstandings! — even if it can feel like a fantasy. And for Season 2, they’re bringing on experienced showrunners Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan (who both worked on Girls) to work alongside Foster to hopefully make the show even better.
I will probably never forget the crushing disappointment of Game of Thrones’ final season. But even with that in the back of my mind, I decided to give House of the Dragon — a prequel series chronicling a civil war that tore apart Daenerys’ once almighty Targaryen family nearly two centuries earlier a chance. To my total shock, the show hooked me: the fantasy, dragon-filled world was transportive; stars Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), and Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen) turned in winning performances; and the inaugural season introduced a number political and dramatic chess pieces that built up plenty of intrigue for the seasons to come. It wasn’t a perfect season of television, but it did enough to get people clamoring for more.
And I remain glad that I decided to watch House of the Dragon because Season 2 was even better. Following the death of King Viserys, the battle between “Team Black” (those loyal to Viserys’ firstborn child, Rhaenyra) and “Team Green” (those loyal to Aegon II, Viserys’ eldest son from his marriage with Alicent) for the Iron Throne is officially on. This season gave us interesting character development (Alicent and Rhaenyra realizing they’d broken their friendship beyond repair and thrust their land into war over a misunderstanding was devastating), unexpected twists (see: Alicent offering to sacrifice her son for peace in the finale), and better-than-ever dragon battles (who can pick between the deadly Battle at Rook’s Rest and the world-shattering Red Sowing?). My brain says to proceed with caution when it comes to exploring this world on screen, but my heart is all the way in.
In the battle for the best comic book cinematic universe, Marvel has long reigned supreme. But DC’s latest entry, The Penguin, proves that it’s finally found its footing in the gritty crime noir that distinguishes itself from its polished competitor.
Colin Farrell reprises his role as Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, the righthand man in the Falcone crime family who, after the death of his boss Carmine Falcone, schemes and angles for his own self-advancement to kingpin. His rise is threatened by the return of Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), a presumed serial killer recently released from mental hospital Arkham who has her own plans to rule the criminal underworld. DC blurs the line between heroes and villains, and a nearly unrecognizable Farrell gives Penguin the needed backstory to humanize the character, no matter how vile his actions. Cristin Milioti, probably best known to millennials as The Mother in How I Met Your Mother, also gets to show off her acting chops by commanding every scene she’s in so that you’re never quite sure what’s lurking behind those wide eyes of hers. Milioti also received a first-time Golden Globe nomination for her role.
The HBO limited series is set in the same universe as Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the masked protector of Gotham City, and serves as a precursor to 2027’s The Batman: Part II. If you’ve been debating on whether it’s worth jumping into the DC Cinematic Universe, The Penguin will have you fully opt in.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith the TV show may have been inspired by the 2005 film of the same name (starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, before their tumultuous relationship dominated headlines), but co-creators Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane (a writer on Glover’s dramedy Atlanta) had something different in mind. Instead of a bombastic, sexed-up tale about two competing super assassins who just so happen to be married, the series puts marriage — and all the work that goes into making a relationship work, even if it’s fake — at center stage. Glover and a scene-stealing Maya Erskine star as John and Jane Smith (not their real names obvi), two strangers who work at a top-secret spy agency that requires them to go undercover as a married couple. It isn’t long before the two develop actual feelings for each other, making their jobs a lot more dangerous and their lives much more complicated.
Though the show’s ambitious premise often results in clashing tones and ideas — most episodes, for example, are centered around a mission, but you never really fully understand what that mission is — Glover and Erskine bring it. John and Jane fall fast and hard, and the actors bring an easy, engaging rapport to their dynamic, whether they’re lavishing in the honeymoon phase or navigating an emotion-fuelled argument. It’s especially great to see Erskine, one of the brilliant and hilarious stars of Pen15, show off a new side of her talents. In my mind, that’s more than enough to accept this mission. And it seems that people agree: the series was nominated for 16 Emmys (Michaela Coel even picked up one for her guest appearance) and, more recently, was nominated for three Golden Globes. It’s also been renewed for a second season — but it’s taking an anthology-style approach. Instead of Glover and Erskine, a new couple will be the focus of the story, with Anora breakout Mark Eydelshteyn confirmed to be taking on the male lead.
Four seasons in, Quinta Brunson’s Emmy-winning comedy Abbott Elementary has more than proven itself to be appointment viewing. The sitcom about Philadelphia public school teachers is consistently clever and funny, and when you sit down to watch a new episode, you can be confident you’re in for an entertaining time with characters who feel like they’re your friends. All that alone is enough to earn Abbott a spot on this list.
At the end of its third season, the show did something bold: let the two characters, Janine (Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams), who have constantly flirted with each other but refused to admit their true feelings for years, finally get together. That one act has changed the entire dynamic for Season 4, which is currently airing. We’re still getting the same, reliable show we’ve loved for three seasons with fresh life breathed into it, and Abbott hasn’t missed a step. This is the show you turn on regardless of what mood you’re in because it is always a delight. And fans still have so much to look forward to as Season 4 continues, including an anticipated crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
When Hacks debuted in 2021, I (along with many others, including the people who have, so far, bestowed 48 Emmy nominations upon it) immediately fell in love with the comedy series. Following legendary Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and wry millennial writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as they must find a way to work together despite their many differences, the Max series is singular in its sharp tone and point of view, offering a layered, nuanced, and — most importantly — hilarious look at what it means to be a (white) woman navigating a challenging and creative industry (and how this changes depending on your generation) that also happens to be dominated by men. But, beyond that, the show crafted an authentic, lovable (albeit sometimes toxic) relationship between Deborah and Ava, who push to make each other better and show that they care.
Season 3 carried on in that same tradition, building upon where things left off. After filming a hit standup special, Deborah has fired Ava to force her out of her comfort zone and into new career opportunities. The duo spent a year apart, during which Ava has been thriving as a staff writer on a buzzy show, while Deborah has become even more famous thanks to the blockbuster success of her special. But — and if you’ve seen this show before, you already know this — the duo is incredibly codependent, so it wasn’t long before they found a way back into each other’s lives and surprisingly settled into a drama-free relationship. But it’s the finale that cemented Season 3’s status as Great with a capital G: (spoiler!) Wounded by being overlooked for (and lied to about) a promotion, Ava blackmails Deborah into getting the job she deserves in a fiery scene that is both heartbreaking and exhilarating. It’s a daring creative move that sets the show up to reach even higher highs, and I cannot wait.
When I first heard that Netflix was making a new TV series based on romantic drama One Day, I’ll admit that my first thought was: Why would anyone put themselves through that again? I’ve both read the 2009 bestselling novel by David Nicholls and watched the 2011 film adaptation (starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess), and — spoiler alert, I guess? — had my heart shattered into tiny pieces as a result. And if you, like me, have experienced either story, you also know that tears are basically inevitable.
It turns out that I’m a masochist because I ended up watching the show anyway — and was totally charmed. The plot is familiar: each episode is set on the same date over a number of years (starting in 1988), and follows the relationship between Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (The White Lotus’ Leo Woodall). The pair meet on the night of their university graduation (having run in vastly different social circles), enjoy an amusing (yet ultimately failed) attempt at a one-night stand, and their lives end up becoming irrevocably intertwined in the aftermath. Because the story unfolds over 14 episodes, there’s more time to get to know both Emma and Dexter as individuals and watch their dynamic change over the years. Mod and Woodall are stars, and the show itself is tender, romantic, joyful, infuriating, and so easy to get swept up in. Dare I say it: I think it’s even better than the movie, and I am so glad it exists.
Whenever someone asks me for TV recommendations, one of the shows I bring up without fail is Pachinko. Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, the first season of the family drama was one of the best shows of 2022 (and it has the accolades, including a Peabody Award, to prove it), but got kind of lost in the glut of streaming content for casual TV viewers. And now that the trilingual series (Korean, Japanese, and English are spoken throughout) dropped its second season after a lengthy hiatus, I have a convenient excuse to talk even more about it.
Pachinko tells the story of four generations of a Korean family across multiple timelines in the 20th century. At the heart of the tale is Sunja (played as a young woman by Minha Kim and later in life by Minari Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung), a thoughtful and resilient matriarch who leaves her small-town home in Korea to move to Osaka. During this time, Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, and, as a result, Koreans were subjected to unrelenting discrimination in both Korea and Japan — something that is felt even decades later, as the show depicts — but Sunja will stop at nothing to fight for the survival of her family. Season 2 continues to explore themes of family, perseverance, love, and belonging as the timeline moves into 1945 and the impact of World War II.
Beautifully acted, written, and shot, Pachinko is a show that manages to be both sweeping yet overwhelmingly intimate. The experiences Sunja and her family live through are so specific, yet so many people will be able to see themselves in it. And don’t be surprised if the show makes you cry frequently — not because it’s sad (though it has its moments), but because every emotion within is so deeply felt that you won’t be able to help but feel them too. So, consider this a plea: please watch this show, because I adore it and need it to be renewed.
If Pachinko is the most underrated show on TV, then Somebody Somewhere is the second most underrated. Bridget Everett’s HBO dramedy is quiet and intimate, existing in little everyday moments that make up life. The show is about Sam (Everett), a woman who moves back to her hometown to care for her ailing sister, and now finds herself grief-stricken, lonely and lost in the aftermath of her death.
By Season 3, Sam is still grieving, but it’s become manageable now that she’s found a loving, accepting community and is starting to figure out how to use her own voice. But Sam is also still struggling with intense loneliness and self-doubt, having watched her people find love and fulfilment while believing these are things she will never have. What follows is a moving look at Sam learning how to love the new versions of her found family, while working up the courage to go after what she wants too. Season 3 is also the final run of the Peabody Award-winning series so you can go in knowing you’re about to experience a complete, near-perfect story.
Hollywood’s trek through video game IP for inspo continued with Fallout, and considering the Prime Video series nabbed an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series (following The Last Of Us’ nom in the same category in 2023), it’s proof that video game stories are here to stay.
A television adaptation of the longstanding franchise of the same name, Fallout is set in a fictionalized US after global nuclear war forces some humans to live underground in Vaults and the rest who survive scraping by on the surface. A century later, Lucy (Ella Purnell) is one of the Vault Dwellers thriving in a literal sheltered life, but after an attack on her vault, she’s forced to go to the surface where she sees for herself the landscape of waste and lawlessness it’s become. The series rounded out with two other leading characters: religious military group neophyte Maximus (Aaron Clifton Moten) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins), believed to be one of the oldest survivors of the original nuclear blasts. Lucy, Maximus, and the Ghoul’s paths weave and intersect as we go along for the ride unlocking the mysteries of the post-apocalyptic Wasteland.
I personally haven’t played the Fallout games, but I still found myself invested and able to follow along so rest assured, like with The Last Of Us, you don’t need to know the game to enjoy the show. But for those Fallout faithfuls, you should be happy with this adaptation and the easter eggs scattered throughout, as attested by the fans who screened with me.
We’re well into this trend of Hollywood adaptations of gaming IP, largely led by the success of last year’s The Last Of Us and continued with Prime Video’s Fallout (which also made our list). So why two Hollywood gaming entries on our best list? Because Arcane is easily one of the best video game-inspired TV shows (or movies, for that matter) that has ever been made.
A true example of gaming done right on the small screen, the steampunk animated series, which first debuted in 2021, returned with a major bang in the immediate aftermath of Jinx’s deadly rocket that ended any chance of peace between twin cities Piltover and Zaun. Even if you’re not a gamer, the show is compelling with its exploration of geopolitical and class divides, the beauty and danger of advanced technology, and core relationships tested whether between estranged siblings or will-they-won’t-they romances. The art alone is stunning, and if you’re still not convinced at the pedigree of the reported $250 million show, consider the voice acting chops of Ella Purnell, Hailee Steinfeld, and Katie Leung, best known as Cho Chang from the Harry Potter films.I screened Act 3 with thousands of devoted League fans hours before it debuted, and believe me when I tell you I’ve never heard a theater erupt in the way LA’s Shrine Auditorium did. And co-creator Christian Linke has already promised that more League Of Legends-inspired projects are on their way so consider this your first taste of what’s to come.
Retelling and dramatizing a part of history on TV can be tricky, but Say Nothing approaches its grave subject matter in striking fashion. Adapted from the 2018 Patrick Radden Keefe non-fiction book of the same name, the show is set in Belfast during the Troubles and specifically focuses on a group of young people who become involved with the Irish Republican Army (a militant group seeking the end of British rule). The show tracks its central characters (all based on real people) over decades, chronicling how their commitment to the organization grows and evolves, the ways in which they become radicalized, and the shocking (and often horrifying) lengths they’re willing to go to. This includes their involvement in “the Disappeared”: people who were actually abducted, murdered, and secretly buried by the IRA, leaving their families in limbo.
Say Nothing is not an easy watch — and I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for people who were connected to (or actually lived through) this era of turmoil. People who are, or have loved ones, depicted on screen have voiced their objections to the show even having been made. But the show is slick and unflinching, embracing the complex, ambiguous nature of its story and characters. One standout episode, in particular, painstakingly portrays the Price sisters (played by Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe) in a London prison (having been caught for their role in setting off a series of car bombs) on a 200-plus-day hunger strike as they’re violently force-fed by authorities to keep them alive. Ultimately, Say Nothing is an unforgettable reminder of this moment in time — and one that will stick with you long after you finish watching.
I’m a latecomer to Industry, HBO’s glossy drama set in London’s finance world. I’ve been seeing the hype around the show grow steadily since it debuted in 2020 (with a pilot directed by Lena Dunham!), but given that it essentially depicts obscenely wealthy people playing games with their money with little regard to the sociopolitical consequences, I found it too bleak and tough to get into. (It was 2020, after all.) Until now, that is. Season 3 — which has placed main character Harper (Myha’la) at professional odds with her friends at financial firm Pierpoint after starting a new job — moves at break-neck speed. Episodes burn through wild plot points so quickly, you’re out of breath by the end of one.
Character dynamics are also so well-established now, making the show stronger. Harper and fellow trader Yasmin (Marisa Abela) toe the line between ride-or-die BFFs and toxic frenemies who will undercut each other for professional gain. Ken Leung’s Eric becomes increasingly untethered as he goes through a divorce, searches for a new protégée to replace Harper, and begins to realize he’s more loyal to the company than they are to him (who can’t relate?).
But, above all, the team behind Industry isn’t afraid to take risks. The show is infused with this go-big energy, as if the people making it view it as their one opportunity to do anything they want with their storytelling. I won’t spoil the finale, but, by the end of it, the world of Industry has been so drastically altered, it’s impossible to know what next season will look like. And that’s part of the thrill.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
In ‘Dune: Prophecy,’ Women Run The World
Katie Leung Is Fully In Her Post-Harry Potter Era
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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.
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