Well, we're finally here. I'm finally revealing my picks for the best shows of 2024.
And I watched a lot of shows to get here. In July, I gave you my picks for the best and worst from the 30 shows I had watched so far. Then last month, I gave you a preliminary list of the best and worst when I hit 44 shows streamed in 2024.
As the end of the year approaches, the count now reads 53 shows watched so far. That's just over a show a week, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel like a chore at times. Thankfully, most of the shows I watched were at least decent if not downright good. Of the 53 shows I watched, only 18 I wouldn't recommend you watch, and only 9 were downright bad.
So without further ado, here are my seven best — and seven worst — TV shows of 2024. For more recommendations, check out my colleague Rory Mellon's picks for the best (and worst) movies of 2024. He saw 105 movies this year so believe me when I say it's a comprehensive list. And if you're sick of all the streaming price hikes, here's 3 free streaming services to help with your budget.
My 7 favorite shows of 2024
7. 'English Teacher
"English Teacher" stars Brian Jordan Alvarez as Evan Marquez, an openly gay teacher at Morrison-Hensley High School in the Austin, Texas suburbs. And while you'd think that'd be the focus of this comedy-drama, it's not. The show is much too clever for that. It isn't preachy and takes care to skewer both the left and the right on the political spectrum.
Nor is the show afraid to touch just about any subject. There are episodes centered on football players discovering drag, open relationships, gun safety training in schools and more. And while Alvarez is brilliant in the show, it's Sean Patton as the conservative gym teacher Markie that honestly steals the show. "English Teacher" is the best comedy I've seen in years, probably since season 2 of "Hacks." Don't sleep on this show.
Stream now on Hulu
6. 'Ripley' (Netflix)
If I've potentially underrated a show on this list, it's "Ripley." This limited series adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is one of the most beautifully shot shows I've ever seen, which is all the more impressive that it's entirely in black-and-white. And Andrew Scott is phenomenal as the titular Tom Ripley, a con man who goes to Italy to find an old classmate for cash.
But I have to ding it for the first two and a half episodes of the show. I understand that these are set-up episodes, and therefore somewhat necessary, but they weren't arguably boring. The good news is that once the moment of the show happens in episode 3 (no spoilers!) the remaining five-and-a-half episodes will have you on the edge of your seat the rest of the way. It's the best limited series I've seen this year, and it's a must-watch for anyone who wants to watch the best shows of 2024.
Stream now on Netflix
5. 'The Day of the Jackal' (Peacock)
If this show held my attention any less, it'd be behind "Ripley" on this list. But from the moment Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place" kicked on in the show's opening scene, I was hooked.
"The Day of the Jackal" is a modern reimagining of Frederick Forsyth's acclaimed 1971 spy thriller novel. In this iteration, "The Jackal" is played by Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne and his performance as the mysterious renowned assassin is excellent. As is the performance of Lashanna Lynch, who plays the MI6 agent tasked with hunting "The Jackal" down.
But unlike the 1971 book or the famous 1973 film adaptation, this version adds layers of depth to the titular contract killer. So go watch the entire first season now, and then read my interview with the show's executive producers where we discuss five things to know about the season 1 finale, season 2 and more.
Stream now on Peacock
4. 'Tokyo Vice' season 2 (Max)
"Tokyo Vice" was a show that initially did not catch my eye. And apparently, it didn't catch the eye of a lot of people, because HBO canceled it following the end of season 2. But this crime drama is excellent and I binged the whole series within two weeks. Don't let this show's cancellation scare you off either, as it manages to complete the story it started in season 1.
The show is set in 1999 Tokyo, Japan and is based on the real-life experiences of journalist Jake Adelstein, an American reporter for a Japanese publication (played by Ansel Elgort in the show). Elgort's performance is fine as Adelstein, but the Japanese cast members of "Tokyo Vice" steal the show. Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri, a veteran detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is fantastic, as is Sho Kasamatsu as Akiro Sato, the young enforcer in the Chihara-kai yakuza clan who Jake befriends in season 1.
Ayumi Tanida though, is the star of the show. He plays Shinzo Tozawa, leader of the Tozawa yakuza. He's a periphery character in season 1 but gets promoted to the villain of season 2 and his performance is incredible from start to finish, hitting his apex in episode 8, "The Noble Path."
Stream now on Max
3. 'Slow Horses' season 4
Despite having a down year, "Slow Horses" season 4 is still one of the best shows I've watched all year. Its formula of Gary Oldman naturally playing Jackson Lamb as a flatulent, aged, but mentally and verbally sharp spymaster does not fail. Nor does sticking to a brisk six episodes, though this was the first time the show's pacing finally started to wobble.
For those who are unfamiliar with "Slow Horses," it stars Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, a washed-up MI5 agent who oversees Slough House. This nondescript building is the wayward home for what others in the agency not-so-lovingly call "The rejects," many of whom are admittedly incompetent or damaged to some degree. And that includes River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), though his espionage pedigree makes him a more competent spy than most of his cohort. His grandfather David (Jonathan Pyrce) was an MI5 legend during the Cold War and his father ... well, you'll have to watch season 4 to learn about that. Watch all six episodes now, including "Hello Goodbye," which is one of the best episodes of this show ever.
Stream now on Apple TV Plus
2. 'Industry' season 3
"Industry" started as a drama revolving around a group of young new hires at the investment bank Pierpoint in London. But as the show has grown, the cast has changed accordingly, with some members joining, some leaving and some portraying characters moving into new roles.
This season, Rob (Harry Lawtey) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) are still at Pierpoint, whose trading floor in London is led by Eric (Ken Leung), whose been promoted to partner at the bank. But things take a dramatic turn fast, as a botched IPO of Lumi, a new energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harrington), entices Pierpoint's former rising star Harper (Myha'la) to short the company into oblivion.
This show is addicting, and once you start watching you won't be able to stop. In any other year, it'd be the clear top show and it was the best HBO show of the year. Just brace yourself for the season finale, which was originally intended as a potential series finale in case the show wasn't picked up for season 4 — which thankfully it was.
Stream now on Max
1. 'Shogun' season 1 (FX/Hulu)
It may not come as a shock if you read my previous two rankings articles, but "Shogun" is the best show of 2024. It was incredible. It'll be remembered in the same breath as shows like "Breaking Bad" or "Game of Thrones." It's frankly been a spiritual successor to the latter in a way that "House of the Dragon" has failed to do so. The verbal jousting, scheming characters and world-building are top-tier. Like early "Game of Thrones" episodes, it excels when its cast throws jabs at each other from across the room rather than when they attack each other with swords.
That said, there is still combat in "Shogun" season 1 and it's also well-executed. is great. It's tough to knock the show for anything of substance. Obviously, you need to watch the whole show but pay special attention to the episode "Ladies of the Willow World." It's the best episode of TV I've seen all year. Watch it now, then get ready for season 2 in 2026 (hopefully).
Stream now on Hulu or Disney Plus
My 7 worst shows of 2024 (so far)
Full disclosure: Since I last wrote about the best and worst shows of the year, there still haven't been any shows worse than the seven I laid out in that article. Or at least, there haven't been any that I've seen.
That's not to say everything has been amazing. There have been some shows I've seen that were "meh," like "Bad Monkey," which I'm still struggling to finish. Some shows have been funny but left me unconvinced that they were actually good. like "Tires." And some just infuriated the heck out of me but ultimately weren't technically bad, like "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2. Honestly, "Futurama" season 12 came really close to making this list, but ultimately, I'd probably watch it on repeat before I watch "Star Wars: The Acolyte" again.
So the blurbs below are largely unchanged from my most recent rankings, which you can check out here. Just know that I still very much think these shows are not worth your time to watch.
7. 'Star Wars: The Acolyte' (Disney Plus)
If any show were to make a surprise rankings jump as I had time to sit with it, it was probably "Star Wars: The Acolyte." Don't get me wrong, I didn't like the show, I don't think I'll ever like the show, but I do like certain things it did. I like that it tried to potentially do new things in terms of storytelling. I like that it's a story about how the good guys aren't always good, and that perspective is everything. And the lightsaber battle in episode 5 is one of the best lightsaber battles in any "Star Wars" show or movie.
But for all the talk of this being disconnected from the Skywalker Saga, it isn't. It doesn't really manage to be the detective show it was billed as, and it just was not well written, let alone well executed. Manny Jacinto's performance as the Sith warrior Qimir is probably the sole thing about the show that worked, and we didn't get nearly enough of him. Instead, we got a bad episode (episode 3) that we then had to watch again from a slightly different perspective (episode 4). Not great.
Stream now on Disney Plus
'Masters of the Air' (Apple TV Plus)
"Masters of the Air" is another show like "Star Wars: The Acolyte" where the idea was good but the execution wasn't. The limited series is the follow-up to the beloved war drama miniseries "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" but failed to recapture the magic of either.
The first few episodes did show some promise. There were great action sequences of aerial combat. But subsequent episodes diverted from this. Some storylines didn't properly resolve and entire episodes lacked any sort of aerial combat. The reality of the situation is that the show didn't want to tell the story it was initially selling, and by the end of the show it was clear that this was largely a TV adaptation of the real-life events that inspired "The Great Escape." If they had just actually made that show instead, I might have really liked it.
Stream now on Apple TV Plus
5. 'The Sympathizer' (Max)
If you're noticing a theme, it's that I knock shows a lot for failing to live up to their potential. And there might not be a bigger example of this than "The Sympathizer." This show is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book and starred Robert Downey Jr. in multiple roles. But by the end, I was watching it just to get to the end of it. The show just never found its footing.
That said some episodes were good, particularly episodes 4-5. At times, "The Sympathizer" felt like a compelling TV show with high production value and a talented cast. But for the most part, the show was discordant, confusing and — worst of all — boring. By the end, I wasn't entirely sure what I had even watched. So while I've seen some shows this year that weren't as well made as "The Sympathizer" I've watched very few that I enjoyed less. To put it in perspective, I'd rather watch episode 5 of "The Acolyte" before I'd watch an episode of "The Sympathizer," and that's a big reason why I have it ranked lower.
Stream now on Max
4. 'Sugar' (Apple TV Plus)
Spoiler alert: I'm going to spoil the show in the next few paragraphs.
I'm sorry, but there's a choice made in this show that is critical to understanding why it's one of the worst shows I've watched this year. As I've sat with this choice more, it bothers me even more, not less. If you don't want to know, skip on to the next show in the list. Here's a link to the show in case you still want to watch it.
Final spoiler warning for "Sugar"
OK, ready? Here it goes. So, "Sugar" is, presumably, about John Sugar (Colin Farrell), a private eye in Los Angeles who is incredible at his job. He's hired to find the daughter of a Hollywood legend and the twists and turns of the case lead to a bittersweet, tragic ending.
Oh, and he's an alien.
Yes, you read that correctly. Turns out that our private eye is also an alien who is here to observe humanity but finds out that some of his fellow aliens are working with the bad guys.
Now here's the thing: either of these premises could work. The problem is it doesn't work when you do the first premise for most of the show and then the second premise for the final three episodes. The show creators may have thought this was really clever and edgy but ultimately it just wasted Colin Farrell's acting talent. This show wasn't nearly as clever as it thought it was. And yet, inexplicably, it has been renewed for a second season.
Stream now on Apple TV Plus
3. 'Palm Royale' (Apple TV Plus)
"Palm Royale" is set in 1960s Palm Beach and is a gorgeous period piece with a talented cast. But it's also completely bonkers — and not in a good way. There's a CGI whale in episode 8 and a season finale that frustratingly ended on a cliffhanger.
In fairness, I don't have a problem with many of the show's 11 Emmy nominations. They're for costumes, makeup, music, etc. and all are well deserved. But even though I love many of the talented actresses in this show, I don't see how anyone watched all 10 episodes of this show and felt it merited a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. Nor how it did enough to earn acting nominations for Kristen Wiig's uneven lead performance and Carol Burnett's supporting performance. Burnett doesn't even talk for the majority of the season. Ricky Martin is actually pretty good though, for what it's worth.
Ultimately, my disdain for this show may be my most polarizing selection here. Many people liked it, including my wife, and it has several Emmy nominations that contributed to it getting renewed for a second season. But despite all this, I still couldn't stand watching most of it.
Stream now on Apple TV Plus
2. 'Manhunt' (Apple TV Plus)
This show has to be the most boring show I've ever seen. There was little engaging about the acting performances of the show, led by Tobias Menzies as U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. I would have rather read the Wikipedia articles about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for John Wilkes Booth than watch "Manhunt."
Perhaps the show's gravest sin though, is that the show seemed more focused on lionizing Stanton than it did on the titular manhunt for Lincoln's killer. I would not recommend it to anyone, for any reason.
Stream now on Apple TV Plus
1. 'The Regime' (Max)
Have you ever asked yourself, "What if "Veep" wasn't funny?" Well, if you watch "The Regime," you'll no longer need to ask that question.
Created by "Succession" writer Will Tracy, this HBO show stars Kate Winslet as Elena Vernham, the dictator of a fictional Central European country. Winslet is one of many talented actors on this show, none of whose performances I enjoyed.
I'm not entirely sure why this show didn't work, other than it failed to lean into being a dark comedy or a gripping drama. Instead, it just portrayed the sad reality of life in an authoritarian state with an unqualified leader. Regardless, I watched the first two episodes and I still can't convince myself to watch a third.
Stream now on Max
