Consequence Staff
December 10, 2024 | 9:00am ET
Consequence’s Annual Report continues with our list of the Best TV Shows of 2024. Also check out our 25 Best Movies of 2024 list, and check back all month for more about the best music, film, and TV of the year.
Our 2024 Annual Report is presented by Amazon Music. You can also hear our Annual Report podcast, featuring our interview with TV Performer of the Year Anna Sawai. Sign up here for three free months of Amazon Music Unlimited, including over 100 million songs in HD sound, the largest catalog of top ad-free podcasts, and now your favorite audiobooks from Audible. Submit proof of signupherefor a chance to win a Bluetooth headphone bundle.
2024 was a year that belonged to smaller TV shows, especially as the industry sought to recover from the WGA/SAG/AFTRA strikes that overwhelmed 2023. That’s not to say what aired lacked for spectacle — there were plenty of massive battles and epic betrayals to behold. But some of the most powerful stories were razor-focused on the world in microcosm: the daily lives of teachers, the behind-the-scenes of the financial industry, the struggles of an aspiring punk band.
Even in this post-Game of Thrones world where showrunners still sometimes insist on saying that they’re not making TV, they’re making “[blank]-hour movies,” the best television soars when it remembers to put its characters first. This year we had more than 25 amazing examples of that in action; the number listed here just happen to be the ones that we’ll remember best.
Read on for our full list of the 25 Best TV Shows of 2024, and compare which entries carried over from our mid-year Best TV Shows of 2024 (So Far) list. You can also check out our playlist of songs from each series after seeing what’s at No. 1, or by heading to here.
— Liz Shannon Miller
Senior Entertainment Editor
25
Created by: Julio Torres
Cast: Julio Torres, Martine Gutierrez, Tomas Matos, Joe Rumrill
Network/Platform: HBO
Julio Torres is one of the most exciting comedic voices to emerge in recent years, and so getting to see him express his singular point-of-view across six episode of off-kilter comedy was a true treat. Replete with amazing guest stars, it's hard to say that Fantasmas featured too much of a plot, per se. But it was a beautifully made, vibrant, and deeply funny opportunity to experience the world through Torres's eyes. — L.S. Miller
24
Created by: Zach Hadel, Michael Cusack
Cast: Michael Cusack, Zach Hadel, Marc M.
Network/Platform: Adult Swim
The number of niche memes that both snuck their way into Smiling Friends Season 2 and came out of Smiling Friends Season 2 is astounding, but distilling the series down to "the meme show" does it a massive disservice. Sure, creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack have a deeply online sense of humor, but the series is simply too creative, well-animated, and hilarious for that to be its defining quality. The first season won over fans with its bizarro world, and its second batch of episodes proved that it's only going to get wilder from here. — Jonah Krueger
23
Created by: Jemaine Clement
Cast: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Kristen Schaal
Network/Platform: FX
There's a bit of a caveat with this show's placement on this list: as of writing, no one's seen what will be the series finale, bringing the story of Staten Island's most beloved vampires to a close. However, in what we've seen of the show's final season, the top-notch cast proves their enduring commitment to the silliest highs and heartfelt lows. Their mastery with improv is only matched by the show's remarkable production values, which prove invaluable when exploring the corporate world for the first time or pulling off a truly epic Warriors homage. However this show ends... it will be missed. — L.S. Miller
22
Developed by: Eric Kripke
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie
Network/Platform: Prime Video
If we were ranking this list based on how much an established show pissed off a sizable portion of its audience, The Boys Season 4 would be a shoo-in for the top slot. But if we had to guess, they wouldn't want it any other way — just check out their For Your Consideration ads. The latest season from the dark superhero satire took even grander swings at their targets (dangerous demagogues, the intoxication of mass hatred, performative acts of corporate progressivism), and they weren't exactly pulling their punches before. It might appear to have "gone woke" to some, but The Boys is simply dialing into its ultimate message as the series nears its conclusion. — J. Krueger
21
Created by: Jac Schaeffer
Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Debra Jo Rupp, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Okwui Okpokwasili, Patti LuPone
Network/Platform: Disney+
While it doesn't live up to the extremely high bar set by WandaVision, Agatha All Along breathed some desperately needed life into what has otherwise felt like a dismal chapter for the MCU. With Kathryn Hahn at the center, it would take a lot to mess things up, and thankfully this delightful ensemble of witches kept things fun and interesting throughout. Toss Aubrey Plaza absolutely dripping with seduction into the mix and we had no choice but to keep returning week after week. – Mary Siroky
20
Created by: Meredith Scardino
Cast: Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry
Network/Platform: Netflix
Despite some mounting challenges, like pregnancy, divorce, and (in Wickie Roy's case) not having a traumatic enough childhood to warrant a Behind the Music doc, Girls5eva have finally made it on tour. Only this time, road life isn't quite as glitzy and momentous as their first go around in the early 2000s. It's a strong move from the showrunners to uproot our Fab Four from their New York City homes and routines, allowing them to generate more momentum for these characters' arcs and write some of the funniest, spit-take-inducing songs on television. — Paolo Ragusa
19
Four years after Conan O’Brien left our TV screens, Max brought him back for a show-length extension of his "Conan Without Borders" segments, and it’s a goddamn riot. Conan O’Brien Must Go sees the lanky comedian traveling to the furthest corners of the Earth to visit fans of his podcast, and along the way making a right spectacle of himself in the finest ways. Whether he’s trying out Muay Thai, or living out his best Viking fantasies in Norway, Conan always finds a way to turn a no into a yes, and leverages his own brutal honesty into comedy that never takes the target off himself. It’s a balm for a dark age. — Clint Worthington
18
Created by: Nida Manzoor
Cast: Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, Aiysha Hart, Zaqi Ismail, Shobu Kapoor, David Avery
Network/Platform: Peacock
The new season of this Peacock comedy about an all-girl Muslim punk band was blessed by a cameo from Malala Yousafzai as well as some incredible covers — but in the end, it was the voices of its characters who were heard loudest. While this might be the end of creator Nida Manzoor's brilliant music-driven comedy, the way Season 2 concluded was the perfect ending for this story of a band determined to play their own music their own way. — L.S. Miller
17
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael chose to put himself — and those he loves — in the spotlight for this docu-series exploring, well, himself. Specifically, Carmichael uses HBO's money and cameras to help him process how his life has changed since coming out as a gay man in 2022, bringing along friends, family, and even partners for the ride. The results are sometimes uncomfortable, but always fearless and fascinating, especially when considered in the context of our currently divided world. — L.S. Miller
16
Created by: Mickey Down, Konrad Kay
Cast: Marisa Abela, Myha'la Herrol, Harry Lawtey, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Conor MacNeill, Ken Leung, Kit Harington, Sarah Goldberg
Network/Platform: HBO
While interesting from the jump (even to those of us who don't understand investment banking), Industry feels like it really took off in its third season. The dynamics changed as the show shifted away from the trading floor, and the introduction of Kit Harrington as the mind-bogglingly wealthy – if less business inclined — Henry Muck threw alliances out of whack. While there are many fair comparisons to the tension and betrayals of Succession, the cyclical tragedy of Eric Tao feels a bit more Don Draper. That's not bad company to keep. — M. Siroky
15
Created by: Will Smith
Cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sophie Okonedo, Jonathan Pryce, Hugo Weaving
Network/Platform: Apple TV+
In an era when new seasons of streaming shows take years to return, Slow Horses belies its title by turning out new spy capers at a steady clip. (As of writing, Season 5 has already wrapped production and should be on Apple TV+ at some point in 2025.) Fortunately, every season has proven gripping, especially as the series never shies away from shaking things up with the addition of new guest stars, including Hugo Weaving and James Callis for this most recent round. At this point, Slow Horses has proven itself as a stealthily long-lasting series — and thank goodness for that. — L.S. Miller
14
Created by: Steven Zaillian
Cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner, Margherita Buy, Maurizio Lombardi
Network/Platform: Netflix
Who is Tom Ripley? Steven Zaillian’s moody, black-and-white adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is both concerned and unconcerned with this question, which is what makes it one of the most thrilling shows of the year. A slow-burn chiaroscuro masterwork thanks to Robert Elswit’s stunning cinematography and Jeff Russo’s moody score, Ripley functions nicely as a walled-off portrait of narcissism — and, in the hands of Andrew Scott’s beady-eyed performance, a case study of a reptile you can never truly know. Because, chances are, he hardly knows himself. — C. Worthington
13
Created by: Larry David
Cast: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J. B. Smoove
Network/Platform: HBO
Larry David finally brought Curb Your Enthusiasm to an end, and he did so in the most Larry David way possible. After two decades on the air, David dug his heels into the ground and spent a season leading up to perhaps the greatest meta-joke of his career. Along the way, he said goodbye to fans with the return of familiar faces, classic misunderstandings, and even an extended arc featuring Bruce Springsteen. It's bittersweet to see one of the most consistently funny shows go off the air for good, but thank god it went out with a pretty, pretty, pretty good bang. — J. Krueger
12
Way back in Season 2, Bluey completed its transformation from an unusually good children's show into one of the best and most ambitious family sitcoms in any format. What creator Joe Brumm called Season 3 aired in four separate episode chunks from 2021 to 2024, and for our listing purposes Parts 3 and 4 both qualify. This includes the now-classic one-off "Cricket," the parental mental health two-punch of "Relax" and "Stickbird," and the powerhouse special episode "The Sign." Bluey is doing for streaming what Beauty and the Beast did for movies: expanding the possibilities of family entertainment. — Wren Graves
11
Created by: Richard Gadd
Cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, Tom Goodman-Hill
Network/Platform: Netflix
One of 2024's most unforgettable series was also maybe one of the hardest to watch, but Richard Gadd's heart-wrenching story of trauma and comedy deserved all the accolades it received this year. The degree to which this show was based on true events became a matter for the courts after its premiere, but what's not up for litigation is the remarkable performances of its cast. Jessica Gunning in particular takes on a character who could so easily be reduced to "unhinged stalker," but instead finds her inner humanity, turning what might have been a thriller into a true tragedy. — L.S. Miller
10
Written and Directed by: Issa López
Cast: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, Isabella Star LaBlanc, John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston
Network/Platform: HBO
True Detective was a known quantity prior to 2024, but it was the imagination of showrunner Issa López that gave the series new life. Night Country is still recognizably a True Detective series based on its exploration of a place as much as a crime — also, there were some detectives involved. That said, the Alaska-set season took inspiration not just from John Carpenter's The Thing, but the very real crisis of missing Indigenous women, creating a potent stew that proved the star power of Kali Reis, won Jodie Foster an Emmy, and left us excited to find out what might come next for the anthology series — and for López. — L.S. Miller
9
Created by: Lulu Wang
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi del Rosario, Ruby Ruiz, Amelyn Pardenilla, Jack Huston
Network/Platform: Prime Video
If you're going to watch just one Nicole Kidman streaming mystery drama, this is by far the best-made one to date. Set in Hong Kong, writer/director Lulu Wang devotes six episodes to a nuanced story of a family coping with the disappearance of a son, and the interconnected web of people affected by that tragedy. As good as she is, Kidman's really just one piece of the show's remarkable ensemble, much of which got an incredible showcase in the fifth episode: The feature-length "Central" explored Hong Kong through the eyes of the domestic workers serving some of the show's central characters — expats, all. — L.S. Miller
8
Created by: Quinta Brunson
Cast: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph, William Stanford Davis
Network/Platform: ABC
The sole broadcast network show on our list earned its place honestly by being genuinely funny TV, week after week, while continuing to go deeper with its characters in ways that promise a hopefully long and fruitful future. The show took on one of the toughest challenges any series can face by bringing together its core Will They/Won't They romance at the end of Season 3, letting Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) reveal themselves to be the ultimate in nerd couple goals without costing the show any momentum. What's next for the staff and students of Abbott Elementary remains to be seen, but the winning formula with which it launched just promises to get better and better. — L.S. Miller
7
Created by: Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover
Cast: Donald Glover, Maya Erskine, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Sharon Horgan, Billy Campbell, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey, Wagner Moura
Network/Platform: Prime Video
Creators Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover's barely counts as a TV adaptation of the 2005 Doug Liman film, to be honest: There are assassins, and they're in a relationship, and they're known as John and Jane Smith, and... that's about it. That actually works to the show's advantage, as Glover and Maya Erskine star in a whole new interpretation that finds a fresh angle not just on classic cat-and-mouse thriller tropes, but relationship drama in general. Yes, John and Jane don't know anything about each other when they initially embark on their partnership, but that's true for any ordinary couple, when you think about it. — L.S. Miller
6
Created by: Christopher Storer
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson
Network/Platform: FX
The third season of The Bear, the most risky and challenging yet, was packed with powerful installments, including some incredible showcases for cast members Abby Elliott, Ayo Edebiri, and Liza Colón-Zayas. And the more one considers the opening episode, "Tomorrow," the more beguiling it becomes — a 36-minute tone poem that sets a whole mood for what's to come, without feeling the need to explain further. — L.S. Miller
5
Created by: Beau DeMayo
Cast: Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, J. P. Karliak, Lenore Zann, George Buza, A. J. LoCascio, Holly Chou, Isaac Robinson-Smith, Matthew Waterson, Ross Marquand, Adrian Hough
Network/Platform: Disney+
Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to go backwards. And so it went with Marvel Animation’s most successful effort to date, a full-on continuation of the ‘90s X-Men animated series that captured a generation of latchkey kids. Blissfully, the series found a way to balance nostalgia with import, crafting a narrative that might have been rooted in its original decade, but featured plenty of relevance for today’s world.
Additionally, the show’s character-forward focus gave fan favorites the opportunity to mature and grow and break and put themselves back together again, in ways that defied our expectations for a show ostensibly for kids. The drama felt potent and real as a result, with tragic sacrifices carrying real emotional weight for the viewers — no matter their age. — C. Worthington
4
Created by: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky
Cast: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato
Network/Platform: Max
After two years away, the return of Hacks carried some weight. The show's central characters Deborah and Ava had left off on a pretty tense — albeit earned — standstill, with the pair parting ways for what felt like the last time. But Hollywood has a funny way of rebooting stories that you'd never expect, and when our duo suddenly reunites again in Season 3, it's a reminder of what made this show so sticky in the first place.
Both Deborah and Ava have been changed by those first two seasons, there's no doubt about it now; their updated maturity and newfound success is then counterbalanced with knottier challenges and deeper plunges. Plus, Meg Stalter is back as Kayla, and she continues to be one of the most commanding, effortlessly funny performers on television — especially thanks to her complicated bond with in-show boss Paul W. Downs. Hacks continues to thrive in the way it embraces the grey areas — in characterization, in its satirical stab at the industry, and in the very notion of comedy TV. — P. Ragusa
3
Created by: Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Cast: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Walton Goggins
Network/Platform: Prime Video
While The Last of Us has cornered the prestige-drama half of the “video game adaptations are good now” narrative that’s swept film and TV the last couple of years, Prime Video’s Fallout occupies the fun, grimy, dirtbag end of that market. Adapting Bethesda’s hit post-apocalyptic Atomicpunk game series — and its pitch-black sense of humor — was no small feat, but Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan managed to maintain the games’ droll tone while still charting a bittersweet tale of mankind’s penchant for self-destruction.
Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten make for delightful babe-in-the-woods protagonists into the rough and tumble world of mechanical knights and hermetically-sealed Vaults. But it’s Walton Goggins as the hack actor-turned-melted-bounty-hunter Ghoul that runs away with the whole affair; he’s the Fallout universe distilled into a single character, a man rotted away by the vagaries and mistakes of the world and who understands every inch of its brokenness. Bring on the Season 2; I’ve got my bottle of Nuka-Cola ready. — C. Worthington
2
Created by: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Tommy Bastow, Fumi Nikaido
Network/Platform: FX
FX's reputation for excellence was reenforced by many of this year's best shows, but Shōgun was a defining series for the network as it continues to navigate its tricky position as both a cable channel and a platform within Hulu. And it achieved its success in 2024 with the sort of magic exclusive to the best of television: the alchemy of great characters, a strong story, and a fresh look at a fascinating time and place.
That said, the factor that made Shōgun truly special was how it was told from the point-of-view of its Japanese characters, prioritizing spoken Japanese over English throughout its run. As TV Performer of the Year Anna Sawai told Consequence, the translation process for the scripts "was the first time that I saw the English adapting to the Japanese, which was beautiful." The result was further proof that audiences are more comfortable than ever with subtitles — especially when the story is this good, and the results are this compelling. — L.S. Miller
1
Created by: Brian Jordan Alvarez
Cast: Brian Jordan Alvarez, Stephanie Koenig, Enrico Colantoni, Sean Patton, Carmen Christopher, Jordan Firstman, Langston Kerman
Network/Platform: FX
Nearly a decade ago, anyone who may have tuned into Brian Jordan Alvarez's brilliant web series, The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, knew that he was destined for greatness. His confident, idiosyncratic comedic voice finally takes center stage in English Teacher, the new razor-sharp satire of Gen-Z that manages to be equally hysterical and heartwarming.
Centered on a high school educator named Evan, English Teacher explores the difficulties of inspiring the next generation while balancing stories of friendship and romance, with Evan surrounded by a colorful and eclectic cast of characters. This includes Caleb Gallo alum Stephanie Koenig, a very funny ensemble of melodramatic students, and cameos from the likes of Trixie Mattel. Whatever they were doing in the writer's room under Alvarez's direction absolutely worked, and we're still waiting with baited breath for that Season 2 confirmation. — M. Siroky