Sometimes you really just have to sit back and go, “wow, TV is really good this year.” The best TV shows of 2024 so far are a great mix of new shows, returning shows, across every genre you can think of. Anyone else surprised how well Fallout turned out to be? Or that Mr. and Mrs. Smith improved on the premise of a so-so movie?
So many things have happened in TV this year, and it’s only July! Buck came out as bisexual in Season 7 of 911. Season 7! House of the Dragon has managed to stay in the same time period for three episodes so far in its second season. A win for everyone involved. Marvel churned out its first good show in a while with Echo. Evil, a canceled TV show, keeps hitting the top of the streaming charts every week during its Season 4 run. What I’m saying is, the shows on this list are all very good, and come from a slate of so many other great 2024 TV.
Fallout
Prime Video’s adaptation of the Fallout video game series was a fantastic treatment! Fallout knocked it out of the park by creating one of the best gaming-to-TV adaptations that has ever been seen. Great storytelling, fantastically written characters, and top-notch special effects that ramped up the action in this post-apocalyptic world.
Fallout’s weaving stories pulled us into the different paths of the grander mystery, and it left us excited to see where the series goes next. For anyone who is a fan of the video game series or an action series, Fallout doesn’t disappoint. [Justin Carreiro]
X-Men 97
X-Men ‘97 is one of those rare sequels that can appeal to fans of the original X-Men: The Animated Series and attract new viewers to the storied franchise. Created by Beau DeMayo, the Disney+ cartoon continues to follow the story of a heroic team of people born with superhuman abilities known as mutants. With their leader, Professor X, these mutants form the X-Men to fight for their rights, sometimes literally, to live among others in harmony.
This series is a success story because it takes the best parts of the X-Men-related comics, movies, and television shows of the past and recontextualizes them for modern audiences. With its sublime melodramatic storylines, stellar vocal performances, and action-packed fight sequences, X-Men ‘97 proves that addressing topics such as human rights, discrimination, and self-determination will never go out of style. [Phylecia Miller]
Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives has all the makings of a great Netflix show — funny, quirky leads, supernatural mysteries, a connection to an already popular Netflix show, and that found family dynamic that drives the internet wild. But what makes it one of the year’s best so far is how much heart is in it.
A spin-off from The Sandman, Dead Boy Detectives follows two ghost detectives — Charles and Edwin — as they solve ghost crimes while avoiding one of the Endless — Death. The friendship between Charles and Edwin is what sells the shows; throw in some unrequited queer love and the show scores the right amount of angst points, too. Rounding out their detective agency are Crystal Palace, a psychic medium, Niko, Crystal’s neighbor, and their landlord, Jenny. No matter who’s in love with who, Dead Boy Detectives balances the lore of The Sandman universe while truly being its own show that doesn’t require a lot of buy in from general audience members. [Katey Stoetzel]
Elsbeth
It sounds like a 30 Rock gag: The Good Wife universe evolving from politically-charged spinoffs (The Good Fight) into … murder-mystery dramedies? But, like its titular character, Elsbeth is the shining beacon of quirky joy we all need right now.
Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) leaves behind her Good Wife lawyering to become a consultant for the NYPD, solving murders while snacking on pastries or admiring suspects’ swanky home décor. Boasting the best guest stars this side of The Bear, Elsbeth is more than an extension of The Good Wife — it shines on its own. [Claire Di Maio]
My Adventures with Superman
My Adventures with Superman continues to be one of the best — if not the best — adaptations of the hero in ages. The animation series thrives due to it’s superbly written characters, strong and dynamic voice actors, and exceptional plotting that delivers big laughs along with poignant emotional moments.
With its soft lines and color pallete, the world continues to expand in season two, most notably with the arrival of Clark’s cousin, Kara (aka Supergirl.) Her arrival produces one of the best episodes of the series so far with “The Machine Who Would Be Empire” which exemplifies all that makes the series so wonderful. The drama ramps up but the heart and humor of the show remains the backbone. [Ally Johnson]
Interview with the Vampire
The streets of Paris are paved with blood and theatrics on AMC’s Interview with the Vampire Season 2. The iconic vampire TV series returned for another year to chronicle Louis and Claudia’s fateful time searching for the existence of other vampires. Unfortunately, they encountered a deadly troupe of performers. The second season has been a smashing success!
Everything from the tension in the present timeline to the chaos of the past has hit higher heights than ever before. Claudia’s journey to search for a family, Louis’ complex relationship with Armand, Daniel’s connection to Talamasca, and Lestat’s toxic influence are just some of the weighty plots ready to sink their teeth into your viewing time. Add this deliciously addictive series to your list now! [Justin Carreiro]
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Rebooting movies into TV shows always seems like a questionable idea. But Mr. and Mrs. Smith succeeds by throwing the audience into a whole new vibe of this spy story. John and Jane sign up to become spies for various personal reasons and are paired together as a married couple. While they carry out mysterious spy missions for an even more mysterious boss, they also have to navigate what it means to fall in love with someone they barely know.
The show crafts a narrative around relationship milestones that coincide with the spy missions they go on, giving this short season a more episodic feel to it than most streaming shows. Donald Glover’s trademark wit and comedy is infused throughout the whole show, leading to some of the year’s best gags. It’s a show that is rife with world-expanding opportunity. [Katey Stoetzel]
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary’s third season received fewer episodes than usual due to 2023’s WGA strike, but still used its time wisely. It takes a good comedy to deliver genuine laughs — the post-Oscars cold open with Bradley Cooper shines — but a great one to provide incisive commentary.
As Janine struggles to reform education policy at the administrative level, her fellow teachers experience burnout and breakups. A show that’s as much about teachers’ personal lives as the woes and wonders of teaching itself, Abbott’s big laughs and bigger hearts is a highlight of 2024’s TV so far. [Claire Di Maio]
Shōgun
Shōgun achieves something that no other television show dares to tackle. The historical drama subverts the white savior trope. Sure, the pilot episode begins with the charismatic white male protagonist, but the show moves away from him the moment he washes up on the shores of Japan. Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, Shōgun follows English sailor John Blackthorne as he attempts to establish a trade route in Japan. Yet, instead of stealing the country from the Catholic priests and merchants, the Protestant man becomes a valuable pawn for Lord Toranaga, an influential political leader with high ambitions.
Shōgun widens the lens and gives space to the characters that matter the most, such as the respectable Lady Mariko and the untrustworthy but highly entertaining Yabushige. These characters shine thanks partly to the fantastic performances by breakout stars Anna Sawai and Tadanobu Asano. [Phylecia Miller]
Baby Reindeer
Comedian and writer Richard Gadd is the creative force behind Baby Reindeer, which is adapted from his one man show of the same name. The series centers on Donny Dunn, a fictionalized version of Gadd, and the impact of a stalker on his personal life and career. Baby Reindeer is told firmly from Donny’s point of view and every creative choice plunges the viewer further and further into Donny’s head space.
As the series begins, the dynamic between Donny and Martha, his stalker, is very black and white but each episode peels back a layer of complexity in their relationship. The remarkable achievement of Baby Reindeer is continuously recontextualizing Donny’s decisions, ultimately painting a much more complicated portrait of Donny. Gadd opens up this portion of his life even when his portrayal is not always sympathetic. The result is a series that is compelling and brutally honest. [Jose Cordova]
Images courtesy of Netflix and AMC
Photo illustration by Katey Stoetzel
Katey is co-founder and tv editor for InBetweenDrafts. She hosts the “House of the Dragon After Show” and “Between TV” podcasts and can be read in various other places like Inverse and Screen Speck. She wishes desperately the binge model of tv watching would die, but still gets mad when she runs out of episodes of tv to watch.
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