There has been an incredible amount of quality programming in 2024, and it’s that time of year when the team here at Screen Rant puts together our list of the best TV shows of 2024. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the entertainment industry last year, TV hasn’t disappointed. After an impressive variety made upScreen Rant’s best TV shows of 2023list, the new year continued strong through 2024. There may have been lulls and fewer options early in the year due to delays from last year’s strikes, but that didn’t prevent the emergence of stellar titles.
While some of the 2024’s best shows have been highly-anticipated since their announcement (looking at you,Fallout), others completely flew under the radar. With a mix of revivals, reimaginings, live-action adaptations, reality shows, and more, there was truly plenty to choose from. After creating the team’s list of the year’s highlights, Screen Rant tallied the results to present the top 25 shows of 2024.
For even more TV recommendations, be sure to check out the15 Best TV Shows Of 2023and10 Best New TV Shows To Watch On Streaming Right Now.
Summary:Conan O’Brien Must Gofollows the late-night hostas he visits new friends met through his podcast,Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan. Diving deep with listeners from around the globe, the film showcases the humor and connections forged between host and guests.
For fans of Conan, seeing him channel his irreverent comic nature into meeting (and re-meeting) people across the world is reason enough to watch this new installment in the genre. The opening voice-over by Werner Herzog promising chaos is a perfectly pitched reminder that this isn’t your usual travel show while also foreshadowing the affectionate parody of the genre that will follow.
Conan O’Brien Must Gois best when it’s not really about what it claims to be. It’s not just a travel blog show (of which there are enough), it’s a funny, warm celebration of people, with a host who knows exactly how to get the best out of them.
Summary:The Acolyteis a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
2024 was a strange year forStar Wars, with Leslye Headland’sThe Acolytebecoming incredibly controversial. That’s a real shame, because there’s so much there to commend it - not least unforgettable fight choreography, unlike anything we’ve seen in the franchise before. The dynamic between Amandla Stenbergy and Manny Jacinto is electric, so fresh and new, while Lee Jung-jae delivers an intense, emotional performance as Master Sol.
At heart,The Acolyteis an attempt to push the boundaries of Star Wars by exploring the dark side itself. It doesn’t quite pull it off, but the ambition is remarkable.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofThe Acolytehere.
Summary: Created by Scott M. Gimple and Danai Gurira,The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Livepicks up some time after Michonne departs from the original series, as she searches to be reunited with her lover, Rick Grimes. Meanwhile, Rick finds himself amid another war between the living and the dead.
Bringing back original star Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and MCU actor Danai Gurira as Michonne to create a potent leading duo, the spinoff lived up to its title by proving there is life inThe Walking Dead’s creaking bones yet.
With only six episodes and two characters to worry about,The Ones Who Livedistilled itself down to what everyone loved about The Walking Dead in the first place - keen human drama, gory-as-hell zombie action, and Rick effin' Grimes. Episode 4 wasThe Ones Who Live’s jewel in the crown. “What We” offered an isolated tale of love, loss, and limbs - a perfectly tense and strangely humorous payoff after years of waiting for Rick and Michonne to find each other.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofThe Ones Who Livehere.
Summary:The Boysis a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing ona group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
Released amid an increasingly volatile political backdrop,The Boysopted to walk straight through the fire in season 4, spinning a thinly-veiled election parallel that cut close to the bone.The Boyssuccessfully maintained its traditional high standards, delivering another round of raucous super-powered bombast. From Billy Butcher’s tentacle twist to a nightmarish Spider-Man parody,The Boysseason 4 defied the odds by somehow finding boundaries it hadn’t already pushed.
Season 4 was not perfect - sluggish pacing and an ill-advised doppelganger story marred an otherwise powerful run. Nevertheless, Hugh Campbell Sr.’s tragic death, the excellent additions of Firecracker and Sister Sage, and the unforgettable-no-matter-how-hard-you-try superhuman centipede scene ensuredThe Boys’ penultimate season hit new heights as it plumbed new depths of depravity.
Summary:Blueyis an Australian animated kids' show centered on a family of talking dogs. Bluey is a female Australian Blue Heeler Cattle Dog, and together with her sister Bingo, Mum, and Dad, Bluey always finds herself in the middle of an adventure.
2024 saw theBlueyempire grow with three bundles of very funny “minisodes”, as well as the debut of third part of season 3 in January on Disney+. But the year will be remembered by fans for the release of “The Sign”.
A 28-minute special released alongside two other episodes in April, the heartbreaking episode shows the Heelers on the verge of moving house, and is easily some of the most profound, emotionally evocative storytelling of any TV show ever. That it comes in an animation about talking dogs is still shocking, but there’s no way to get around the factthatBlueyis just very, very good.
Summary:Abbott Elementaryis a mockumentary comedy series centered around a group of dedicated teachers at a struggling public school in Philadelphia. The show highlights their efforts to overcome bureaucratic challenges and underfunding, while showcasing their commitment to making a positive impact on their students' lives.
Three seasons later, and I still can’t get enough of Quinta Brunson’s workplace comedy. While Janine is obviously the anchor for the series, each cast member brings something different to the table, creating a wonderfully strange ensemble managing the mayhem at a Philadelphia public school.Abbott Elementarycontinues to effectively balance hilarious scenarios with important social commentary, especially in connection to underfunded public schools. Brunson’s series brings to light many issues that schools, students, families, and educators deal with on a daily basis.
Here’s hoping Quinta Brunson and Janine have a long career ahead of them at Abbott Elementary because I don’t ever want to graduate as a viewer.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofAbbott ElementarySeason 4 here.
Summary: In a dystopian future, men and women reside in a vast underground silo governed by strict regulations, believed to shield them from the hazardous world above. The series delves into the complex social order within the silo and the mysteries surrounding their subterranean existence.
Silofinally returned after over a year, and I’m happy to say season 2 still justifies calling the show one of the best sci-fi titles currently available. ThoughSiloseason 2’s story is split into two coinciding stories–Juliette’s adventure in Silo 17 and the growing unrest in Silo 18–it seems to be building toward something significant that will greatly impact all characters.
Rebecca Ferguson continues to be the highlight amongSilo’s cast, but the introduction of Steve Zahn’s Solo has added another mysterious layer to season 2. With the rebellion brewing, the stakes will only get higher.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofSiloSeason 2 here.
Summary:Hacksis an HBO-created comedy-drama series that follows two women, Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, a comedian and a writer, who team up to revitalize their careers. When Deborah Vance realizes she’s about to lose her Las Vegas residency for her comedy act, she is sent a new writer named Ava, who has been essentially blacklisted from career opportunities due to a tweet sent out in poor taste. Both desperate to make things work, the two partner up, filling the gaps in each other’s lives professionally and personally.
When theHacksseason 2 finale aired, many people (myself included) thought it would be just as fitting as a series finale. Renewing the show for a third season, however, was the best thing that could have ever happened.
Hacksseason 3 answered lingering questions with more humor, grace, and hijinks than previously thought possible. It culminates in a stunning season finale that completely upends Ava and Deborah’s dynamic again and in a way that ensures season 4 will hit the ground running. Deborah will be hosting Late Night - something she’s always wanted - but Ava’s lingering threat is sure to be a source of tension between the two after that shocking final scene that shows Ava has learned more from Deborah than just comedy.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofHacksSeason 3 here.
Summary:Outlanderfollows Claire Randall, a married nurse from 1945, who is transported back to 1743 Scotland. Amidst political intrigue and danger, she navigates life in the past and becomes torn between loyalty to her husband and the love for a dashing young warrior.
Outlanderreturned for the second part of the penultimate season at the end of 2024, and while many shows start to lag after a decade, Claire and Jamie continue to impress. At this point, theOutlanderstory takes place over three different eras, with time travelers wandering through each of them, and yet it doesn’t feel overly complicated. Instead, the show is marching toward what promises to be an intensely satisfying conclusion - and the route takes us through the usual glorious twists, turns, troubles, and even an episode where Jamie was presumed dead (again).
While thefinal season promises to finally answer all our questions(including what Jamie was doing in the 1940s, way back in season 1), season 7 is doing a phenomenal job of lining up the big questions.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofOutlanderSeason 7, Part 2 here.
Summary:Set in the League of Legends universe,Arcanefocuses on sisters Violet and Powder (later Jinx) as they end up on opposite sides of a growing conflict between the wealthy utopia of Piltover and its dark undercity whose citizens wish to break away from their oppressors. Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, and Kevin Alejandro star in this animated adventure.
There’s literally never been an animated show likeArcane. The most expensive animated TV show of all time, it features lavish animation and surprisingly deep and intense character arcs. What’s truly remarkable, though, is how effortlessly the story handles its deep lore; so many franchises become overwhelmed by the depth of the worlds they live in, butArcaneavoids that simply by focusing in so tightly on its stars.
The first season raised the bar impossibly high, butArcaneseason 2 somehow exceeded it, and the future of theLeague of Legendsuniverse has surely been secured.Read ScreenRant’sreview ofArcaneSeason 2 here.
