The Best TV Shows of 2024, So Far

“Showrunner Issa López breathed new life into the True Detective franchise at the top of this year with an icy, eerie mystery set in Alaska and starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. The series’ new stars made a great pair: each with her own dark history, one grapples with grief and another with a possible connection to the supernatural. The new installment was so successful, López has been called back for more seasons.”—Erica Gonzales, senior culture editor

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“Shõgun is a masterpiece. Hiroyuki Sanada stars in and produces this elegant adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 book, which puts a more thoughtful and deeply researched focus on the story’s Japanese characters. Set in the Edo period, the conflict between rival warlords is full of political intrigue, harsh betrayals, and sneaky alliances. But the breakout star is one leader’s dutiful translator Mariko, played by Anna Sawai in an award-worthy performance.”—EG

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“If you’re in the mood for something chaotic and unhinged, I highly recommend Baby Reindeer. The British miniseries is a master class in dark dramedy, thanks in large part to comedian Richard Gadd, who adapted his real-life story for the screen from his one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe. It chronicles his own experience being stalked by a middle-aged woman, who floods his phone with incessant texts and emails filled with remarkable typos. (Sent from my iPhone.)”—Claire Stern Milch, digital director

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“As is probably evident from my recaps, I am a very, very big fan of Industry. Since its first season, I’ve been waiting for audiences to catch on that this underrated HBO gem deserves a Succession-sized audience. A finance drama that’s as hilarious as it is gutting as it is perceptive, Industry has delivered a season 3, I believe, that’s by far the best showrunners Mickey Down and Konrad Kay have put together so far.”—Lauren Puckett-Pope, staff culture writer

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“Amidst its made-for-streaming romance-drama cohort, One Day—based on David Nicholls’ 2009 novel—stands out, hitting all the right notes as its two leads navigate heartbreak, friendship, growth, love, and loss. The pacing and brevity of each episode in the limited run perfectly encapsulates the whirlwind years between post-graduate life and middle-age adulthood. Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall are fantastic together.”—LPP

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“I was cautious about this series—not because I was protective of the Brangelina film, but because, what if it turned out to be just another mediocre, trying-too-hard-to-be-sexy spy drama? Thankfully, it is not. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s take on John and Jane Smith is relatable, funny, and smart. It’s at its best when it acutely portrays the forming (and breaking) of a couple’s relationship; the missions are just extra fun.”—EG

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“After breaking (and mending) hearts with The Farewell, Lulu Wang returned with the six-part limited series Expats. Based on the book The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee, it follows three American women living in 2014 Hong Kong whose lives are changed when tragedy strikes. Starring Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, Wang’s stunning work looks at, and challenges, privilege in its many forms.”—EG

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“Sofía Vergara makes a stunning drama debut in Griselda. The series details the arrest of Griselda Blanco and her drug-dealing life in Miami. Vergara is unrecognizable as the crime boss, and she brings life to the tense and often violent show.”—Samuel Maude, associate editor

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“In what feels like an increasingly break-neck era of television, Ripley is compellingly slow—which is not to say boring. The entrancing neo-noir adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s classic novel is a complete 180 from the beloved 1999 film, but it works on a bone-deep level. Andrew Scott, in particular, is brilliant as a charmless, unnerving Tom Ripley.”—LPP

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“Abbott Elementary is a comfort watch, but a clever one: The workplace sitcom continues to come up with new ways to be intelligent, heartwarming, and relevant with each additional season. After becoming one of ABC’s quickest and biggest success stories in recent memory, season 3 proved that the Abbott hype was—and is—more than just a fad.”—LPP

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“I will never stop urging people to watch Girls5eva. The deeply overlooked comedy, which Netflix revived after Peacock’s cancelation, follows a one-hit-wonder girl group as they reunite after a decades-long hiatus to give it another try. It’s deranged levels of funny, plus it has catchy tunes written by Sara Bareilles. In another universe, Renée Elise Goldsberry has already won several Emmys for her performance.”—EG

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“Rumors of a final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm have been circulating for years, and sadly, the time has finally come. After 12 hysterical seasons of improvised dialogue about Palestinian chicken, spite stores, black swans, and car pool lanes, Larry David officially wrapped his magnum opus with a perfectly nostalgic finale that nodded to his infamous Seinfeld ending. My life is already considerably worse without Curb in it, but I’ll always have Max.”—CSM

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“Expectations were high for David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ next series after Game of Thrones, and their sci-fi adaptation of Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem—made in collaboration with Alexander Woo—is a head-spinner of a sophomore project. Although it certainly has its flaws, the first season of 3 Body Problem is a captivating introduction to the alien-invasion tale, taking the notoriously dense source material and translating it into nuanced but digestible TV.” —LPP

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“As a dedicated fan of post-apocalyptic entertainment, I can confirm Fallout is amongst the best in this category. The show combines its futuristic plot with a captivating trio for an adventure that keeps on giving. Can we get season 2 immediately?”—Carine Lavache, senior content strategist

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“While not the best season of Shonda Rhimes’ beloved Regency drama, Bridgerton season 3 was nevertheless an enormous hit, largely thanks to the chemistry between leads Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton. (That carriage scene!) A frothy and colorful dreamscape, season 3 heightened the glamour surrounding the Netflix stalwart—and managed to pull off a few major surprises.”—LPP

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“Joey King becoming one of my favorite TV leads this season was not on my bingo card. She steps up in this World War II story about a Jewish family facing insurmountable odds, yet clinging to the hope that they might be reunited. The show is carried by the performances of each family member who portray the distinct, horrific experiences of the war. I’ll be thinking about the emotions on their faces for a long time.”—Selena Schorken, social video coordinator

“A TV series from Park Chan-wook? I was sold. This adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese spy (Hoa Xuande) who’s exiled to the U.S. at the end of the Vietnam War. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance(s) as several characters got all the fanfare, but breakout star Xuande holds his own opposite the Oscar winner. Sandra Oh is in this too.”—EG

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“After the second season of Hacks wrapped with a devastating bow, it was hard to imagine where the show would go next. The third season, which details Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) bid to become a late-night host, reunites the comedian with writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), who has become a standout contributor on a John Oliver-style talk show. The two come back together during Daniels’ hiatus and scheme to get Vance on the TV screen after 10 P.M., resulting in a hilarious and smart third season of the Max hit.”—SM

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“Although it does not go as hard as last season, The Bear season 3 still sizzles. Some of its strongest episdoes are those that don’t happen to focus on Carmy (Jeremy Allen White): “Napkins,” which traces Tina’s (Liza Colón-Zayas) backstory, and “Ice Chips,” which shows Natalie (Abby Elliott) repairing her relationship with her mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) during labor. Ayo Edebiri also shows her range as Syd faces a difficult decision.”—EG

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“Julio Torres’s mind knows no bounds. After falling in love with the gone-too-soon Los Espookys, I was glad to see him return to HBO with more surrealist humor. Fantasmas is part sketch comedy, complete with Emma Stone playing a version of a Real Housewife, Steve Buscemi playing the letter Q, Ziwe and Alexa Demie as customer service representatives; but it’s loosely woven together by Torres’s delightfully bizarre quest to find a lost oyster-shaped earring, which is somehow linked with him proving his existence. More Pirulinpinpina, please.”—EG

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