This was a bittersweet year in the world of TV. While we’ve seen the debuts of some incredible new seasons, it’s also the year we’re saying goodbye to quite a few shows that have become mainstays on my yearly list. It’s not all sad – having those shows leave only means we’ll get to fill the spots with more quality series’ next year. So without further ado, let’s get into the best shows of the year, starting with a couple of worthy honourable mentions.
Honourable Mentions
When Guy Ritchie announced he’d be bringing The Gentlemen to the small screen, all eyes turned to whether he’d be able to replicate the film’s genius. As it turns out, there shouldn’t have been any doubt – despite the series being more drawn out, it’s still just as snappy, thrilling and hilarious, with an ensemble performances that’s that over the top as you’d expect. Meanwhile, one of the greatest Aussie series’, Bump, has come to a close. Wholesome, charming and emotionally gut-wrenching, watching Bump became a yearly Boxing Day tradition, and it goes out with its strongest season yet. Next up is Fallout – the video game adaptation dropped onto the scene early in the year and impressed with its crazy, fun-filled universe that embraced the camp while delivering a mystery-packed adventure. Full of action and comedy, it’s a worthwhile watch whether you know the source material or not. Lastly, House of the Dragon made an appearance this year, but its reluctance to deliver any fulfilling payoff to the many arcs it’s developing means it misses out on a top 10 spot. It has me excited for what’s to come, but in judging this season, it just didn’t hit the mark.
#10 – Skeleton Crew (Season 1)
As it stands when this post is being published, Skeleton Crew hasn’t even finished airing yet – its finale is still yet to drop. However unless the finale is the worst 30 minutes of TV, I’m confident in giving this series the 10th position. This series has been the breath of fresh air that Star Wars needed, and I wasn’t even looking forward to this in the slightest. There’s no question Ahsoka tickled that itch for a high-quality Star Wars story last year, but The Acolyte certainly left a sour taste in my mouth. Skeleton Crew is the most fun and whimsical thing Star Wars has done in a long time – it’s like Peter Pan meets Treasure Planet meets The Goonies. It’s a vibrant kid-centric adventure that’s wonderfully joyful, adorable and full of laughs. At the same time, there’s a great narrative with an intriguing mystery that has me hoping we get to see more beyond this season. Even if you’re not specifically a Star Wars fan, this is a great point to jump in and have a blast.
(My review will be linked here once the season is complete.)
#9 – 3 Body Problem (Season 1)
In the wake of intelligent sci-fi shows dropping like flies, 3 Body Problem struts onto the scene and says “hold my beer”. This ambitious series from Game of Thrones creators Benioff & Weiss tells a story that’s both grand in scope, but also immensely character focused. The story does a lot of leaping around, drip-feeding us answers and pulling the rug from under us by taking things in crazy directions. It’s the recurring shift in story focus that makes the experience so wonderfully refreshing, but also does hold it back by being a little too jarring at times. Despite all of that, the ensemble of actors are wonderful in selling the tension and emotional weight of the narrative, and it’s packed full of edge-of-seat sequences lock you in and get you keenly anticipating the next episode. The distinct blend of science and science fiction may target a niche audience, but that audience is sure to love what 3 Body Problem is putting down.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of 3 Body Problem by clicking here.
#8 – What We Do in the Shadows (Season 6)
If you’re looking for a series that maintains its high quality across every single one of its seasons, I present What We Do in the Shadows. The mockumentary series has surpassed the film it was based on in every area from performances to comedy all the way to legacy. This final season continues that great form by bringing more of the wit-filled dialogue, hilarious comedic hijinks and chaotic character development we know and love. It doesn’t fall into the trap of having a subpar finale that plagues so many other shows. Rather than focusing on guiding the show to an ending, the season instead acts like it’s business as usual. Every episode has been written with a focus on delivering quality narratives and big laughs instead of setting characters up for a sombre goodbye. It sucks that we’ll never see the brilliance of Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, Guillermo and Colin Robinson again, but they’ve left us with six seasons of quotable scenes and memorable moments… and that’s a gift in and of itself.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of What We Do in the Shadows by clicking here.
#7 – Only Murders in the Building (Season 4)
If you told me four years ago that Only Murders in the Building (a murder mystery series that follows a similar structure in each season) would still be churning out quality content that’s not repetitive in the slightest, I’d have said you’re nuts. But that’s what we have here – this season somehow pushes the boundaries even further with a creative new murder mystery and multiple fun, campy subplots on the side. The core trio are still wonderful, bouncing off each other with clashing personalities and crazy crazy running gags. The celebrity guests do an amazing job in bringing something fresh to the season, with some of the heaviest hitters the show has seen. It’s also the most emotional the series has ever been, with fan-favourite character Sazz (Jane Lynch) kicking the bucket and Charles (Steve Martin) taking the spotlight. If next season manages to surpass this season, it may climb even higher on this list.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of Only Murders in the Building by clicking here.
#6 – Chucky (Season 3)
I can’t talk about this series without shedding a tear for the complete injustice that was done when it was unceremoniously cancelled. With season three of Chucky, Don Mancini did what he does best – bring the comedic, murderous chaos of the franchise into a new setting with new dynamics we’ve never seen before. The initial White House shift did feel weird, especially with how it’s a big leap from season two’s finale, but once the story got going it was just as wild, campy and blood-soaked as ever. Some of the main arcs are sidelined for much of the season, but when they make an appearance boy do they deliver. No one carries this season more than Brad Dourif and his truly maniacal performance – the man knows Chucky inside and out, and he never fails to bring the laughs and the fear. The knowledge that the Chucky franchise will continue beyond this season in the form of films is the thing that keeps me going.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of Chucky by clicking here.
#5 – X-Men ’97 (Season 1)
Talk about a series that was no where on my radar, but managed to impress with some of the best writing I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. X-Men ’97 is one of the best things to happen to the world of superhero animated properties. It may be animated, but this is no kids show – the writing of the narrative and dialogue is geared more to adults, along with the overall darker tone and serious subject matter. The dialogue is especially compelling – so often I found myself transfixed by the lengthy monologues and intelligent exchanges characters are having. It’s an action packed ride with jaw-dropping moments that has you immediately wishing you can hit play on the next episode. The character work is next-level, the animation is slick, and this is an all-round exceptional series and one of the best X-Men stories ever put to screen.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of X-Men ’97 by clicking here.
#4 – Sweet Tooth (Season 3)
With season three of Sweet Tooth, we say goodbye to one of the most charming, wholesome and beautiful shows in recent years. This is one of those shows where it’s clear there was a vision of where the narrative would go from the moment they wrote the first episode. The series has grown and evolved, and so have the characters. The tone has shifted with the narrative, getting darker as things have gotten more dire and serious for the characters. This season is tense, heart-wrenching and guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat in fear of what might happen to the characters we’ve grown to love. While the season is full of laughs and good vibes, there’s also tears aplenty to be had. It’s without a doubt one of the most riveting climaxes to a series I’ve seen – it encapsulates exactly what the entire series has been about and takes it out on a certified high.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of Sweet Tooth by clicking here.
#3 – Rings of Power (Season 2)
People will cry, people will complain, but Rings of Power is a triumphant return to Middle Earth that continues to get better. Season two managed to improve on the first by pivoting its focus away from ‘spectacle’ and more towards ‘character’. With this season centred around Sauron’s manipulative tactics used to forge the titular rings, there’s a great deal of mental warfare and riveting dialogue throughout that caught my ear. It’s darker, deeper and a lot more epic, with multiple arcs that are packed with thrills and nail-biting tension (and two arcs that are playing the long game). The season may be carried by a compelling story and phenomenal visuals, but the performances at the forefront are equally as creditable when it comes to enhancing thrills and emotional weight. There’s large scale action sequences aplenty and so much going on that has me unexplainably excited for the continuation of this story. If you haven’t started this series due to the vocal minority and perhaps too spectacle-focused first season, this is your heads up to stick with it.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of Rings of Power by clicking here.
#2 – The Penguin (Season 1)
In jostling for the top spot, The Penguin just barely misses out, but that in no way discredits the fact that this is a 10/10. The quality and production value across this entire series is off the charts, taking Matt Reeves‘ Batman universe and fleshing it out even deeper than the initial film did. This series has so much going for it that I can praise – the narrative and writing is absolutely outstanding. It moves at a lightning fast pace, packs a tonne of gripping content in each episode and thrusts the story in unexpected directions with every chance it gets. It’s dramatic, it’s emotional, it’s hilarious, and it’s riddled with tense sequences that will have your eyes glued to the screen. It’s dark, violent and gritty, showing the best and worst of Gotham City in a way that makes the streets a character just as much as the people. The Penguin himself is a fantastic character, but Colin Farrell literally and figuratively disappears into the role. He’s joined by Cristin Milioti, who puts in a career-best performance and even steals the limelight from Farrell across a number of scenes. I could praise this series for days, but I’ll save some words for the undisputed best show of the year.
Check out my spoiler-filled episode reviews of The Penguin by clicking here.
#1 – Shōgun (Season 1)
I called it way back when I watched this series in April, and I stand by everything I said – Shōgun is the best show you could possibly watch from this year. And it’s hardly subjective – this is a masterpiece on every level and the closest thing you’ll get to perfection in 2024. From the gripping, dramatic narrative and deep, compelling characters to the awe-inspiring cinematography and next-level world building, Shōgun is a triumph in every sense of the word. It’s massive in scale, yet immensely character-focused and easy to follow. Every word of dialogue is masterfully written, leading to some of the series’ best scenes being ones with characters conversing – no action, just emotion-fuelled conversations that are equally as riveting. Not only that, but the performances are Emmy-worthy across the board, with Hiroyuki Sanada leading the way with a performance that sees him have immeasurable presence with such few lines. It’s grand and cinematic on a scale that only Game of Thrones has reached, and this even surpasses it in many respects. This series is so phenomenal, that it’s been greenlit for two additional seasons despite having no more source material to build upon. Could this be worrying? Sure, but when this season has been crafted as well as it has, it’s hard to imagine a dip in quality being possible.
Check out my full non-spoiler review of Shōgun by clicking here.
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