2024 in Review: The 20 Best TV Shows of the Year
Andy Williams was right to call December the most wonderful time of the year, and not just because of the holidays: It also signals the start of TVLine’s Year in Review!
Yep, if you can believe it, another year of television has nearly come and gone, and we’ll be reflecting on the good, bad and ugly of 2024 TV throughout the month of December. First up? Our picks for the 20 best shows of the year.
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It never gets easier to narrow down the year’s strongest series to just 20 picks, but after much staff debate and spirited lobbying, we’ve landed on the list below. Broadcast, cable and streaming series are all represented, and though we’ve singled out several newcomers to the TV landscape (like Disney+’s X-Men ’97 and FX’s English Teacher), we’re also acknowledging quite a few returning series (HBO’s Industry, for example) that delivered their best work yet this year.
But we won’t spoil the list any further. Keep scrolling to see our picks for 2024’s best shows — including our No. 1 pick for the best show — then drop a comment with your own favorites!
Still to come in TVLine’s Year in Review: Worst Shows of 2024, Biggest Plot Twists, Sexiest Scenes, Character Deaths That Nearly Killed Us, Shocking Cast Exits and much, much more!
20. John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (Netflix)
Tired of late-night talk shows? John Mulaney gave the stale format a much-needed shakeup with his freewheeling live experiment on Netflix. Celebrity guests like Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman were paired up with local experts to discuss Los Angeles-centric topics like earthquakes and helicopters, and the results were wildly unpredictable and hilarious. Mulaney also mixed in fun banter with sidekick Richard Kind, musical performances and a recurring cameo from a delivery robot named Saymo. “This is the weirdest show I have ever been on in my life,” Seinfeld exclaimed at one point… and we couldn’t agree more. — Dave Nemetz
19. Matlock (CBS)
You gotta feel for showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, who had to quietly listen to “Pfft! Who needs a female Matlock reboot?!” scoffs for well over a year, ahead of the CBS series’ premiere. The last laugh would be hers, though, once the Kathy Bates-led not-a-reboot hit screens this fall and, with its closing minutes, let loose with a rug pull that instantly engaged audiences and fueled one of the fall’s most-watched shows. MWBSP! — Matt Webb Mitovich
18. Girls5eva (Netflix)
This endlessly clever musical comedy moved to Netflix this year after two little-watched seasons on Peacock, and it hit a high note in its third season, as the reunited Y2K-era girl group hit the road for a bumpy cross-country tour. The pop-culture gags came fast and furious — 30 Rock fans, this is most definitely your jam — and Renée Elise Goldsberry once again delivered one of the funniest performances anywhere on TV as entitled diva Wickie. We’re holding up our lighters for an encore. — D.N.
17. Lioness (Paramount+)
Season 2 of the Taylor Sheridan-penned espionage drama has been absolutely dynamite, featuring distinctly engaging work by TVLine Performer of the Week winners Zoe Saldaña and Genesis Rodriguez, plus Nicole Kidman, Laysla De Oliveira and Thad Luckinbill. Add in a refreshingly brisk storytelling pace, high-end production details and plot twists that are emotionally (and sometimes literally) explosive, and you get the perfect Sunday afternoon thriller. — M.W.M.
16. The Bear (Hulu)
OK, so Season 3 of Hulu’s culinary dramedy was a frustrating watch at times, treading water narratively and leaving big questions unanswered. (And we wouldn’t exactly call it a comedy, either.) But even a disappointing season of The Bear still ranks among TV’s best, thanks to a wealth of superb performances and sharply observed moments of humanity. The standalone episodes that filled out Tina’s backstory and chronicled the birth of Nat’s child, in particular, made the whole meal worthwhile. — D.N.
15. Agatha All Along (Disney+)
The words “Kathryn Hahn in a leading role” are enough to get us watching just about anything — and Hahn, in her second turn as witch Agatha Harkness, surpassed even our highest expectations with her relentlessly funny, yet surprisingly tender, portrayal. But Disney+’s WandaVision spinoff also made room for a compelling new coven (played by one of the year’s most stacked ensembles), a promising addition to the Marvel universe (via Joe Locke’s Teen), a bittersweet love story, and more of the inventive, format-breaking storytelling that EP Jac Schaeffer first gave us in WandaVision. Should the opportunity arise, we’d gladly take another trip down, down, down the Witches’ Road. — Rebecca Iannucci
14. The Traitors (Peacock)
This Peacock gem was even more devilish and deceptive in Season 2, fixating us from the very second host Alan Cumming uttered his first theatrical lines. Buoyed by a cast of competition series all-stars, Housewives and more, The Traitors kept its marvelous, murderous premise fresh with new conceits — a poison chalice! Ekin-Su’s funeral! — that had us hooked. Cumming played his part like a pro, and with its strategy amped up to 11, the series delivered another reality thrill ride that dazzled us right on through to its final shocking moments. — Nick Caruso
13. Colin From Accounts (Paramount+)
Paramount+’s Australian import, with co-creators Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer starring as goofy lovebirds Gordon and Ashley, breathes new life into the rom-com genre with lots of genuine laughs and pleasurably low stakes. (The fact that there’s precious little plot to worry about is half the fun.) Season 2 upped the ante, as well, deepening the central romance while dipping its toe into more emotional material. It’s a low-key charmer, and we high-key adore it. — D.N.
12. Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Bridget Everett’s HBO dramedy served up one helluva swan song that was just as outrageous as it was cathartic. Sam’s growing pains were on full display as she (finally!) opened herself up to new life experiences, despite the many fears that anchored her. Her tribe of quirky Kansans helped keep her afloat, with the show’s ensemble delivering wildly heartwarming performances. From Joel and Brad’s adventures in cohabitation to Tricia’s post-divorce renaissance, Season 3 was a force, one that had us immediately missing our weekly “dinky dinks” the minute Everett sang her last tune. — N.C.
11. X-Men ’97 (Disney+)
Marvel fans waited nearly three decades for a proper successor to the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), and their patience was well-rewarded with this Disney+ standout, which not only recaptured the magic of the original show but propelled it forward with complex storytelling and beautiful animation. Picking up where its predecessor left off, X-Men ’97 pulled no punches in its 10-episode first season, telling nuanced stories about love, prejudice and power, all wrapped up in a nostalgic ‘90s vibe. It certainly didn’t hurt that most of the original series’ acclaimed voice cast also returned. At this point, all we can say is: To us, Season 2! — Andy Swift
10. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie left big shoes to fill with their 2005 spy caper, but Donald Glover and Maya Erskine proved more than capable of filling them with their Prime Video reimagining, leaning heavily into the comedy side of the action-comedy genre. Glover and Erskine had sparkling chemistry as mismatched spies John and Jane, who pretended to be married… and then fell in love along the way. A barrage of big-name guest stars and slick action scenes helped make this a mission we just had to accept. — D.N.
9. Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Now in its fourth season, the ABC comedy continues to delight us with big laughs and lovable characters skillfully portrayed by the talented cast. (Seriously, the show could build an entire episode around just one performer, and it would be hilarious.) The third season, which aired earlier this year, was among the series’ most creatively risky with Janine working for the school district, but the move paid off with major growth. And best of all, it ended with a well-earned and incredibly steamy kiss between Janine and Gregory. — Vlada Gelman
8. Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Delivering a romantic comedy that feels effortless and charming is no easy task, but the winning Netflix series about a hot rabbi and an agnostic podcaster who fall in love did just that. With genuine warmth, hilariously quotable dialogue and undeniable chemistry between leads Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This made us believe not only in love, but in the rom-com genre’s ability to still hit that swoon-worthy spot. Plus, we must applaud the show for reawakening everyone to the appeal of TV’s former Seth Cohen. — V.G.
7. Shrinking (Apple TV+)
The Apple TV+ comedy has once again straddled the line between hysterical and gut-wrenching, serving up some of this year’s best performances while exploring a theme of forgiveness. Harrison Ford and Jason Segel’s exchanges never stop pushing boundaries, while the addition of series co-creator Brett Goldstein as the drunk driver who killed Tia has raised the emotional stakes and tested Jimmy and Alice more than ever. But the show always balances its tough moments with mounds of heart and humor, making for one beautiful portrait of what it means to be human. — N.C.
6. English Teacher (FX)
Brian Jordan Alvarez went straight to the head of the class with his FX freshman comedy, starring as Texas high school teacher Evan, who has to deal with whiny students, angry parents and overworked colleagues. The struggle is real, and Alvarez (who also created the series) took a refreshingly honest look at the challenges teachers face today… and somehow found humor there, too. We’re awarding this one extra credit for its deep bench of supporting players, including Stephanie Koenig as Evan’s insecure teacher pal Gwen and Sean Patton as wildly inappropriate gym teacher Markie. — D.N.
5. Hacks (Max)
The Max comedy showed zero signs of slowing down in Season 3, which immediately reunited Jean Smart’s acid-tongued comic with her former scribe Ava, delicately balancing the women’s fraught relationship and lofty career aspirations. Not only were Smart and Hannah Einbinder at the top of their games, but the razor-sharp writing explored ageism, sexism and mortality while beaming a spotlight on Deborah’s deepest insecurities. Add in the duo’s signature cutting banter and a top-notch cliffhanger, and you’ve got one of the year’s best seasons of television. — N.C.
4. Industry (HBO)
What happened to Harper after she was canned from Pierpoint? The HBO drama’s third season answered this and more, as Myha’la and Ken Leung lit up our screens with fiery performances and cutthroat takedowns. We basked in its soapier elements, too, such as Yasmin’s familial troubles, and her and Robert’s budding relationship. From Eric calculatedly destroying his boss, to Harper and Yas’ devastating blows and that wicked yacht reveal, Industry’s latest episodes were, as Eric would say, “relentless,” and the very definition of appointment TV. — N.C.
3. Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Richard Gadd’s achingly poignant autobiographical series snuck up on us like the stealth gift that it was when it arrived on Netflix in April. Equal parts edge-of-your-seat thriller, wicked dark comedy, and brutally honest exploration of trauma, the seven-episode masterpiece — which snagged a deserving six Emmy Awards in September, including for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for Gadd — was the love child of I May Destroy You and Fleabag we didn’t know we needed. — Michael Ausiello
2. Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire (AMC)
TV’s vampire craze of the 2010s may be long dead, but AMC’s increasingly delicious adaptation of Anne Rice’s timeless novels proves the genre still has plenty of bite. Season 2 shifted its setting from New Orleans to Paris, adding even more stars to its stellar ensemble cast, one already anchored by powerhouse performances from from Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Assad Zaman and Eric Bogosian. Delainey Hayles was also a revelation as Claudia 2.0, the rare example of a seamless TV recast, and Ben Daniels’ Santiago never met a piece of scenery he couldn’t absolutely devour. It could be argued that the season’s earlier episodes suffered from the absence of a presumed-dead Lestat, but the payoff of his eventual arrival was explosively satisfying, as were the myriad twists that will propel Interview With the Vampire into its most highly anticipated season yet. (Lestat in all his rockstar glory? Bring. It. On.) — A.S.
1. Shōgun (FX)
It took FX half a decade to bring this epic samurai saga back to TV… and it was worth the wait. The stunning remake boasted cinematic scale and sumptuous period detail, bringing feudal Japan to vivid life. But we were even more impressed by the human stories it told, from Hiroyuki Sanada as besieged warlord Toranaga to Anna Sawai as tragic heroine Mariko. It was a bold gamble, with complex power dynamics, a majority Japanese cast and lots of subtitles, but it paid off big time in the end, packing a massive emotional punch. (And Emmy voters sure agreed.) With its awe-inspiring scope and keen human insight, it’s our honor to name Shōgun the best TV show of the year. — D.N.
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