The Best Television of 2024

Happy New Year, everyone! It was not the best of years for television, but a few things shined brightly. Here are the top from 2024. 

Notable mentions: Sugar (Apple TV+), True Detective: Night Country (HBO), House of the Dragon (HBO), Bad Monkey (Apple TV+), and The Penguin (HBO)

10
Disclaimer
(Apple TV+)

Up until the top three of the following pieces of television, each of these has some bumps amongst what should be smoother sailing. It’s the same here with Disclaimer, the Apple TV+ adaptation of the novel of the same title by Renée Knight. Yet in the hands of director Alfonso Cuarón, you cannot look away no matter how creaky some of it is. Cate Blanchett, as great as ever, plays a wife and mother forced to confront something that she would rather not think about. Leave it to Kevin Kline, returning to a convincing British accent, to keep us all on our toes. While quirky, the show’s back half finds its depth. 

9
Presumed Innocent
(Apple TV+)

It is both odd to complain about the number of reboots from this year yet have several on this very list. I get it. Chalk it up to David E. Kelley, who manages to turn Scott Turrow’s novel of the same name and the Harrison Ford vehicle from 1990 into a nail-biting, weekly legal thriller. Toss in wonderful, riveting performances from Jake Gyllenhall, Ruth Negga, and the always great Bill Camp, and viewers had a ride until the last moment. 

8
Under the Bridge
(FX/Hulu)

Under the Bridge, the evil, sad, and true story of Reena Virk, rises above true crime in many ways, though most notably maintaining most of its focus on young Reena and her parents. Whenever the show veered away from the India transplants to Canada, the ride was bumpy. But the ending made up for anything that went sideways. 

7
The Sympathizer
(HBO)

Though uneven, The Sympathizer was always entertaining, which was only in part due to Robert Downey, Jr. playing four different characters. The star, though, was Hoa Xuande who played the unnamed Captain for the North Vietnamese side of the war. HIs unreliable narrator – funny, scared, likable – served, too, to convey what Americans don’t see nearly enough: the other side. 

6
Dark Matter
(Apple TV+)

A show that could’ve been pure pulp was lifted by intense performances from its leads: Joel Edgerton played two distinct versions of his character while Jennifer Connelly demonstrated why she’s an underrated actor. The plot involves Edgerton’s physicist husband running into another version of himself. But how? Kudos to Blake Couch, showrunner and writer who wrote the novel version, for keeping all explanations reasonable and fascinating. 

5
The Bear
(FX/Hulu)

For its third season, The Bear found our favorite gang running the restaurant so well that they were finally on their feet. There are no troubles or woes in sight. Well, not quite. With a bigger shift to the internal, The Bear continued its story of Carmine and his family as well as the fictional restaurant The Bear. Though some aspects merely set up the next season, it aired two episodes that will floor viewers in their singularity as well as placement on the larger tapestry of the series. No harm, too, that Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Cousin Richie, Lionel Boyce as Marcus, Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina, and Abby Elliot as sister Sugar all used their moments in the spotlight to deepen their stories. 

4
Ripley
(Netflix)

A tale which seems as old as time, Ripley is yet another iteration of the Tom Ripley story beginning with Patrica Highsmith’s original 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. With pizzazz, confidence, and a fascinating performance from Andrew Scott, this Netflix series rose above standard reboot fare. The mood alone grabs you and does not let you go until you see how this Tom Ripley sinks or swims. 

3
Baby Reindeer
(Netflix)

Perhaps the shock of the year came in various forms and all from one show: a Netflix adaptation of a one-man, autobiographical comedy show by Richard Gaad, who also stars in the series as himself. Go in blind. It takes twists and turns, most notably the startling and beating heart at the center. Don’t let the odd name fool you. 

2
Shōgun
(FX/Hulu)

Shōgun could have easily been another exercise in “Do we need a reboot of that?” First a novel from James Clavell, then a 1980’s minseries with Richard Burton, and even a musical at one point, this Shōgun soared by widening its wings. Not only do we get the tale of a possible pirate and definite white man entering the land of 17th century Japan, but it makes clear the politics of such a foreign land, as well as spawning some fantastic memes. Shōgun became one of the year’s stellar shows with a balancing act of action and drama – the sort of personal and political blend that deft shows only grasp in the middle of their runs. Shōgun did it in its first season and gave a masterclass in character. Now let us all go and commit seppuku.

1
Somebody Somewhere
(HBO)

This diamond of a series from HBO felt magic, heartwarming, and hilarious as it faced down grief, community, the role of friendship, love, and starting anew. No show this year carried the burdensome themes of daily life like Somebody Somewhere, and it managed to do it all with grace, charm, and thoughtfulness. Though every single shot from the cameras and each word of dialogue seemed whittled down from a grand tree of perfection, it all came across as effortless, thanks to moving performances from Bridgett Everett, Jeff Hiller, Murray Hill, and the kind Tim Bagley. It was a show of love and cheering for each character came with ease, like having friends should feel. This one will be missed, but what a perfect run it had.