10 Best TV Shows of 2024

by Julian Spivey
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Photo: Paramount+

10. Evil (Paramount+)
“Evil” was possibly the wildest show on television, and I’m going to miss the hell out of it. Paramount+ did us viewers both a great service and a disservice with the fourth and final season of the horror-drama, which unbelievably originated on CBS before transitioning to streaming, by canceling the show ahead of its time (obviously the disservice) but also tacking on an extra four episodes to wrap it (something most streamers/networks won’t do). The additional episodes did give the finish of one of TV’s most exciting and interesting shows of the last half-decade - where a priest (believer), scientist (nonbeliever) and psychiatrist (skeptic) try to determine whether strange cases are religious in nature or not – a disjointed, rushed feeling but at least gave us a finished story and allowed us to say goodbye to characters we loved.  

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Photo: Netflix

9. Ripley (Netflix) 
Netflix’s thriller limited series “Ripley,” based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, which has been adapted many times, may have been the most beautifully filmed show of 2024 (creator Steve Zaillian won an Emmy for directing) with its rich black and white photography and lush Italian landscapes. It also offered up one of the year's best acting performances, with Andrew Scott in the titular role as the shark-eyed con man who continuously digs deeper into a hole, committing one crime after another. Scott does so much of his acting with his eyes and facial features, giving viewers a textbook example of perfect acting without saying a word. 

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Photo: Netflix

​8. A Man on the Inside (Netflix) 
Michael Schur certainly has a sweet spot when it comes to sitcoms with a charming, lovely vibe to them – even if one of his most famous took place in Hell. One of 2024’s biggest surprises was Netflix’s eight-episode “A Man on the Inside,” which is loosely based on the 2020 Chilean documentary “The Mole Agent,” in which a private investigator hires an elderly person to infiltrate an assisted-living facility in search of a thief. Ted Danson, a first-ballot television Hall of Famer if there ever was one, takes on the titular role and gives one of the finest performances of his career in a show that is more heartwarming than funny but more than makes up for fewer laughs with plenty of heart fuzzy moments.  

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Photo: Paramount+

7. SEAL Team (Paramount+)
Few shows go out at a high level of entertainment and storytelling, especially after undergoing many changes, as Paramount+’s military drama “SEAL Team” did with cast changes and a network change. However, “SEAL Team” and its focus on the lives of Navy Seals, both on and off the battlefield, was operating at a high level in its seventh and final season, continuing to tell the valiant story of Jason Hayes and his men with episodes that could thrill you with gun battles and make you think and emotional with the ongoing war that is the mind of a fighting hero. 

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Photo: Netflix

6. Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” was one of the most courageous achievements of the year in television, and it was also potentially a star-maker for its creator, Richard Gadd. Gadd, who created, wrote and starred in the show, based it on experiences that happened in his real life as both the victim of stalking and sexual assault, as well as his career as a struggling comedian. What came out of it was an enthralling and harrowing portrayal of a man at the end of his rope, culminating in an incredible scene in which all comes pouring out of Gadd’s character while on stage at a comedy contest. Gadd won three Emmy Awards for “Baby Reindeer” for Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series. 

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Photo: Netflix

​5. Nobody Wants This (Netflix) 
Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This” is proof that TV can do a rom-com better than most movies are doing them these days. The show stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody in incredibly charismatic and charming performances as two individuals who have this great meet-cute and fall for each other despite coming from completely different worlds. Bell’s Joanne is a non-religious relationship podcaster who is open about everything, especially her sex life. Brody’s Noah is a rabbi with a great future ahead of him in his synagogue. It’s one of the funniest and most charming shows that debuted in 2024. 

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Photo: Peacock

​4. We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)
“We Are Lady Parts,” a collaboration between Channel 4 in the U.K. and Peacock in America, continues to be one of television’s best-hidden gems. The show focuses on a group of British Muslim women and the punk band they have formed. The second season shows the band – Lady Parts – struggling with newfound success, including changing managers and having a record label dictate their sound. The second season came three years after the show’s first, and there hasn’t been any news on a third season yet. Hopefully, this show will continue because I’m not ready to say goodbye to its fantastic cast of characters and incredibly witty original songs. 

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Photo: AMC

3. Monsieur Spade (AMC/Canal+)
“Monsieur Spade,” a co-production between AMC and France’s Canal+, sees Dashiell Hammett’s hero Det. Sam Spade, 20 years following the events of “The Maltese Falcon,” in a small town in Southern France, where he’s retired and living the good life until the return of an old adversary throws him back into the game. Having been a big fan of director John Huston’s film noir classic “The Maltese Falcon,” from 1941, I had a hard time believing anyone could portray Sam Spade but Humphrey Bogart, but I tell you, Clive Owen absolutely inhabits the character in one of TV’s best performances of the year. “Monsieur Spade” is a slow burn of a show that won’t be for everyone, but if you stick with it, I think you’ll be entertained. Now that it’s streaming on Netflix, more people will hopefully have a chance to check it out. 

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Photo: Apple

​2. Shrinking (AppleTV+)
AppleTV+’s “Shrinking” was TV’s best new show of 2023 and is still firing on all cylinders in its hilarious second season. The show has the best ensemble cast on TV, with every character providing belly laughs and emotional moments throughout the season. Harrison Ford and Jason Segel have been revelations, especially in the second season, with emotionally dramatic storylines that wring the humor out of life’s dark moments. 

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Photo: Max

1. Hacks (Max)
All three seasons of Max’s comedy series “Hacks” have been perfect. The third season, two years after season two, sees Ava (Hannah Einbinder) working as a staff writer on a ‘Daily Show’ type series after being let go by Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) at the end of the second season. She quickly finds herself back in Deborah’s orbit when Deborah needs help formulating material for a shot at a late-night TV show. The relationship between Deborah and Ava is always riveting, half out of love, half out of necessity. It’s a relationship Ava has always found herself on the low end of the totem pole until the fascinating season finale, in which the dynamics of their relationship change drastically. Einbinder and Smart are giving two of television’s finest performances.  

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What was your favorite TV show of 2024?