The Worst Television of 2024

TV didn't give the best year for shows, but these needed some work along the way. Here are the five worst shows of 2024.

5
Echo
(Disney+)

Echo was an evident afterthought. A spin-off of the Daredevil and Hawkeye world in Marvel, Echo hurts because all the elements were in place to have an intriguing and good time. Newcomer Alaqua Cox as the deaf Native American superhero was fine, but Chaske Spencer as her helping hand, Devery Jacobs as a cousin, and Graham Greene as her grandfather never fail when on screen. The story was to be mostly apart from the usual MCU fare, meaning it could stand alone. Yet the pace stalled often and the show only existed to expand representation first and tell a story last.

4
The Acolyte
(Disney+)

Another Disney+ show and more wasted potential. Jumping back to the era of the High Republic, a time no one has yet to see in the Star Wars franchise, The Acolyte, trite due to being more of the same as well as poorly acted, was hamstrung the most by horrible writing. So-called Star Wars fans who review-bombed it simply because it focused on a woman of color in the two leads as twins Osha and Maye were wrong. That does not make television bad. And neither does the coven of lesbian witches. (In fact, that should've made for utter fascination in this universe!) Instead, The Acolyte was poorly done: so little motivation of any characters, similar ground despite diverse actors, and some bad acting. It is as if the writers forgot they had Manny Jacinto, by far the most eye-opening character (and maybe actor?) in Star Wars this century. Not near enough of him, though, to pull this one off. It's no wonder it got canceled.

3
Eric
(Netflix)

It's no shock that Netflix ends up on the worst-of list. The streamer pumps out the good and the bad. But Eric? What a baffling piece of television. If you squint, you can see why Benedict Cumberbatch and Gabby Hoffman took on their roles. They certainly liven the episodes. But a drunken puppeteer whose son goes missing and it all leads him to talk to an imaginary friend? Even on paper, it looks like a risk in a bad way. Throw in a completely tangential plot about a gay detective who attempts to solve the case all while fitting in at New York's police department, and viewers can tell when what's on screen is inorganic. The best television of this year used diversity to tell a complete, fascinating, and human story. The worst did what Eric does here and shoehorns in characters to check boxes.

2
Lady In The Lake
(Apple TV+)

If ever a show existed that had no idea what to do with its source material, it is Apple TV+'s Lady In The Lake. In a just world, shows like this one wouldn't be trash. Yet Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram hit the bottom of the barrel with overcooked flashbacks that create confusion rather than clarity. It's the case, too, of another show more sensitive to its own vibes than it is to a compelling story. Stay away.

1
Social Studies
(Hulu)

The Hulu documentary series Social Studies promised a revealing look at current teens and how they now come of age in the digital world. That premise hints at an answer to both what ails society and also the promises to come. It's neither. Teens acting as their worst selves -- and since you were once a teenager, you know how bad it can get -- is all that's present here. Nothing made me want to jump into a canyon more.