By 
Geek culture on television has a more storied history than you might realize. The Dark Knight himself made his small screen debut well before he entered multiplexes with 1989’s Batman. The Twilight Zone planted the science fiction flag on TV before the invention of the first handheld calculator. And that’s not even to get into the Star Trek of it all.
Still, while comic books, space operas, and fantasy epics got themselves comfy in cinemas, TV was largely content to pursue smaller budget pastimes like sitcoms, cop procedurals, and talk shows throughout much of the medium’s history. That all began to change with the launch of the streaming era. And now, if our list of the best TV shows of 2024 is any indication, the geeks have well and truly inherited the episodic earth once again.
TV was fit-to-bursting with geek-friendly storytelling in 2024. From quality superhero spinoffs (The Penguin, Agatha All Along) to ambitious genre animations (Arcane, Invincible) to heady sci-fi book adaptations (Silo, 3 Body Problem), it didn’t take much effort to find nerdy bliss in the TV world this year. Combine that with the more “traditional” cable efforts like Shōgun, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Interview with the Vampire, and we had ourselves a recipe for another calendar turn of televisual excellence.
These are our choices for the best TV shows of 2024 from a North American perspective. You can also find our selections for British TV excellence here. NOTE: In the interest of getting you this list in time for some holiday watching, we’re publishing in advance of several late-December releases like Squid Game season 2. Those will be considered eligible for our 2025 list next year.
25. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Available on: Max (U.S.)
You only get one shot at an ending. Unless, of course, you are Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David. The final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm works so well because it never once hides where it’s going. Even the most casual fan can sense what the series is building up to – a do-over of the reviled Seinfeld finale that David penned – but that doesn’t make the journey any less pleasant.
David has his cake and eats it too this time around. Season 12 operates as both a collection of solid Curb episodes and a series of goodbyes for the “characters” we’ve come to cringe at so much. By the time you get to the finale, you’re equal parts excited to see how David atones for endings past and confident that he’s going to get the job done. – Alec Bojalad
24. Nobody Wants This
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
The show may be called Nobody Wants This, but as one of Netflix’s most popular shows this year, it seems like a lot of people actually did want this romcom starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. When sex and relationship podcaster Joanne (Bell) meets hot Rabbi Noah (Brody) at a party, sparks fly despite their glaring differences. They fight their feelings at first, but soon come to realize that their initial attraction could lead to something real and meaningful for both of them.
The chemistry between Bell and Brody is unreal, but they aren’t the only standouts in this series. The supporting cast is just as phenomenal, adding very real stakes as Joanne and Noah’s friends and family – many of whom have their doubts about their relationship. Nobody Wants This is an incredibly realistic take on what it’s like to date in adulthood – the ups and downs, the joy and the heartbreak. It reminds us that love can come into our lives when we least expect it. – Brynna Arens
23. The Legend of Vox Machina
Available on: Prime Video (U.S. and U.K.)
Adapting a Dungeons & Dragons campaign into a TV show can’t be an easy task, and yet once again Critical Role has managed to condense hours of gameplay into an epic and compelling 12-episode season. There are some differences between the campaign and the story we see in The Legend of Vox Machina season 3, but every change has been for the better, making this show so much more than just a retelling of Critical Role’s first campaign.
All of the emotional story beats remain intact. But even if you aren’t familiar with Critical Role or the original campaign, The Legend of Vox Machina is still a hilarious, fun fantasy with epic stakes. The animation has only gotten better, and this merry band of misfits makes it easy to spend hours with them and their adventures. – BA
22. Bridgerton
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
Though it’s hard to beat the steamy chemistry of season 2’s couple Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) certainly gave them a run for their money this season. With the added tension of Penelope’s secret identity as the ton’s lead gossip Lady Whistledown, their friends-to-lovers story is full of compelling conflict made even richer by their long history.
The side plots woven throughout their blossoming romance are also worthy of note, with Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Violet (Ruth Gemmell) finding potential love matches of their own. Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) is also eager to avoid being married off to a man three times her age, leading her to make some…interesting choices. Really my only complaint about season 3 is that there’s not more of it. – BA
21. The Bear
Available on: Hulu (U.S.), Disney+ (U.K.)
The third season of FX and Hulu’s culinary megahit was rightly criticized for being…well, a bit boring. While the first two seasons of this (controversially classified as a) comedy operated at the typical breakneck speed associated with restaurant kitchens, the third outing slows things down to let its characters finally catch their breath. The end result was an imperfect year of television that nevertheless remained a truly entertaining and enlightening experience.
From its bravura first episode that featured extended flashbacks scored to Nine Inch Nails to a final outing that featured a long-coming confrontation and a terrifying review, The Bear season 3 remained its stylish, compelling self. And thanks to FX’s commitment to the traditional TV filming timeline, we won’t have to wait too long for the next entry in the adventures of Carmy, Syd, Richie, and friends. – AB
20. John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
In addition to all the brilliant joke-writing and quick-thinking improvisational skills, comedian John Mulaney’s best weapon has always been his taste. Despite being only a hair over 42 years old, the former SNL writer has a deep appreciation for the classics. Like Lenny Bruce, he wears suits for his standup specials. Like nearly every comic from the ‘80s and ‘90s, his first attempt at a scripted TV series was a multi-camera sitcom with a laugh track. Now, with this year’s John Mulaney Presents Everybody’s in L.A., he finally gets to live out his Johnny Carson Tonight Show dreams.
Everybody’s in L.A. was short lived but it burned brightly. The premise for the show was that, if every major comedian was going to be in Los Angeles for Netflix’s comedy festival Netflix is a Joke, then there should be a Netflix-hosted, L.A.-based talk show for them all to drop by. The simplicity of Everybody’s in L.A.’s setup belies just how well-written and funny this whole thing was, even over its scant six episodes. Mulaney blended his usual smart comedy with chaotic celebrity interviews, Los Angeles history lessons, and a Richard Kind as a sidetick to giggle throughout the whole thing. – AB
19. What We Do in the Shadows
Available on: Hulu (U.S.), Disney+ (U.K.)
In the fast-paced, short-lived world of modern television, it doesn’t take long to become the elder statesman of your chosen genre. In eras’ past, FX’s brilliant vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows would just be entering middle age as a comedy in its sixth season. Now, however, it’s as old as a … well, a really old thing – so old, in fact, that it is closing the coffin for good.
The final season of What We Do in the Shadows is not necessarily its best but it’s still one of the most consistently entertaining and chuckle-inducing comedies on television. This time around the Staten Island vampires get immersed in corporate culture, wrapped up in petty politics, and of course: make a gosh darn Frankenstein’s monster; or more accurately: a Cravensworth’s monster. We’ll miss WWDITS when it’s gone but no one can argue it isn’t going out on top. – AB
18. The Penguin
Available on: Max (U.S.), Now (U.K.)
When Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its The Batman spinoff The Penguin would be moving from its original Max streaming home to HBO proper (alongside Dune: Prophecy) it represented a grand sea change in how entertainment conglomerates viewed the their nerd-coded IP. If comic book stories can achieve critical acclaim in cinemas as Serious Art (TM) then why can’t they also find a home on television’s most prestigious channel? Thanks to the efforts of The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc and stars Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, WBD’s creative gamble paid off beautifully in 2024.
The Penguin falls well short of its desired “The Sopranos in Gotham” heights because few shows can comfortably reside in the same breath as the original HBO masterpiece. But this bird still flies higher than it has any right to. A heavily made up Farrell never breaks kayfabe as the waddling Oz Cobb while Milioti turns in a confident performance as one of Gotham’s unlikeliest power brokers. The Penguin not only continues the success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise, it lays the ground for more ambitious superhero work on the prestige TV network of record. – AB
17. Arcane
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
The creative team behind Arcane set an incredibly high bar for themselves with the excellent first season of the series, and with only nine more episodes to wrap up this story, they certainly had their work cut out for them with the second and final season. Unsurprisingly, however, they have surpassed expectations, giving us an epic and visually stunning end to this story.
Arcane season 2 begins right where season 1 left off and only continues to hit the ground running from there. Caitlyn and Vi team up to try and stop Jinx from causing more pain, but Vi finds that it’s harder than she thought to accept that her sister has changed. Ambessa continues to sink her claws into Piltover’s politics, hoping to gain an advantage over the mysterious forces hunting down her family. Viktor becomes Hex Jesus after nearly dying, doing his best to create a utopia for the people of Zaun. The final season of Arcane is a wild ride from start to finish, and everyone involved deserves their flowers for this beautiful, heartfelt story woven with rich lore and told through an impeccably gorgeous art style. – BA
16. The Boys
Available on: Prime Video (U.S. and U.K.)
Even after three seasons and a couple of spinoffs, The Boys refuses to take it easy. Season 4 feels even more relevant after the fact with its focus on a presidential election and a secret fascist plot to overthrow the government hitting closer to home than many Americans would like it to. Homelander (Antony Starr) and Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) become unlikely allies in their quest to get Supes in the Oval Office. The Boys try to track down a deadly virus that could wipe out all Supes for good. And Butcher (Karl Urban) does his best to stay sane as a V-induced brain tumor continues to give him some…unique side effects.
The Boys continues to offer smart satire on both the superhero genre and the world at large in its fourth season, while also giving us mutated super sheep, an interesting evolution of Homelander’s breastfeeding kink, and quite a few emotional and shocking goodbyes. – BA
15. Silo
Available on: Apple TV+ (U.S. and U.K.)
Set in a world where all of humanity has been forced into underground silos for their survival, Silo‘s second season finally gives us a small look at the world outside of Juliette’s (Rebecca Ferguson) silo. After being sent out to clean at the end of last season, we now follow Juliette as she journeys into a nearby silo, seemingly abandoned after an unsuccessful rebellion killed most of the population. However, Juliette isn’t as alone in this new place as she thinks she is, and soon finds out that she may have to trust the mysterious stranger Solo (Steve Zahn) if she wants to find a way back home.
Back in her home silo, a rebellion is brewing. Thousands of people saw Juliette survive outside far longer than any other person before her, leading to doubt in their leader, Bernard (Tim Robbins). The show may have expanded its scope beyond one silo, but things are just as tense and claustrophobic as ever. Despite being set sometime in humanity’s future, Silo is also unexpectedly timely as we see more and more people come together against their oppressive leadership and uncover the truth about their existence. Community is one of the most important things we can cling to right now, and this season of Silo is a great reminder of how powerful we can be when we come together. – BA
14. Invincible
Available on: Prime Video (U.S. and U.K.)
Though the momentum of Invincible’s impeccable first season was somewhat waylaid by this season’s split into two parts, season two of the series has still proven to be one of the best shows of this year. After the shocking revelation of Nolan’s (J.K. Simmons) true intentions for Earth, Mark (Steven Yeun) not only has to contend with the aftermath of losing who he thought his father was, but also with the question of how to continue his life as normal. But as Mark soon learns, life as a superhero is rarely ever normal.
From parasitic alien hive minds to an impending Viltrumite invasion to discovering his father’s secret alien love child, Mark does not have any easy go of it this season. And on top of it all, he tries to start college and maintain his relationship with Amber (Zazie Beetz). This season may not end with as jaw-dropping of a reveal as the previous one, but the storytelling, acting, and art of Invincible continues to be top-notch. – BA
13. 3 Body Problem
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
Since Star Wars first premiered in 1977, the science fiction genre has increasingly come to be associated with action and adventure more than hard science. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course! But the real heady, Asimov-ian stuff has had a hard time gaining a foothold in pop culture. That’s why it’s so remarkable that 3 Body Problem, Netflix’s biggest genre swing of the year, is full-on hard sci-fi.
That’s not to say that 3 Body Problem, based on a trilogy of Mandarin-language novels from Liu Cixin, doesn’t have its kinetic moments. In fact, the series includes one of the most thrilling and violent action sequences you’re likely to see. But more often than not, 3 Body Problem’s lead characters of scientists, government agents, and all-around problem-solvers are primarily engaged with tackling the mathematical and sociopolitical questions raised by the central three-body problem. Oh and there are aliens! – AB
12. English Teacher
Available on: Hulu (U.S.), Disney+ (U.K.)
The powers that be would have you believe that comedy is hard. Then a show like English Teacher comes along to remind us that no, it really is fairly simple. Step 1: Be funny. Step 2: Don’t be not funny. Call that an oversimplification if you must but this FX comedy truly excelled in keeping it simple, stupid.
From its self-explanatory title (you’re never going to believe what “English Teacher” is about), to its relatively small cast, to its abbreviated eight-episode run, English Teacher didn’t try to reinvent the comedic wheel. Instead creator and star Brian Jordan Alvarez used the familiarity of the series high school setting to present fun little 22-minute vignettes about what it means to be a confused teenager or an equally confused adult in 2024. English Teacher is gently political, but not preachy; sweet, but not saccharine; and above all else: very, very funny. – AB
11. One Hundred Years of Solitude
Available on: Netflix (U.S. and U.K.)
“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” These are the opening lines of Gabriel García Márquez’ classic 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. They are also the opening lines of Netflix’s ambitious 2024 TV adaptation of the work. This eight-episode series (set to receive a second and concluding season at an unknown time) is all about fidelity to Márquez’ beloved opus that chronicles 100 years of the Buendía family’s solitude in the fictional Macondo.
Long thought unadaptable due to its strange chronology and the sheer lyricism of Márquez’s magically-realistic approach, One Hundred Years of Solitude nevertheless received the Netflix treatment anyway. Thankfully for all of us, the show somehow pulls it off. This is a dense, deliberate, and joyful presentation of a largely inscrutable work. Filmed on several locations throughout Colombia with an almost entirely Spanish-speaking Colombian cast, One Hundred Years of Solitude goes about adapting a classic the right way. In the process it captures some real TV magic – realistic or not. – AB
10. Agatha All Along
Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)
WandaVision continues to be one of the few Disney+ MCU series I go out of my way to rewatch, so there wasn’t much, if any, doubt in my mind that Agatha All Along would be something special. And yet, I’m still blown away by just how incredible this series is. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer has once again told a compelling story of love, grief, and loss through the lens of pop culture. After breaking the curse placed on her by Wanda, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is compelled by a mysterious teen (Joe Locke) to gather a coven and summon the infamous Witches’ Road.
Agatha All Along is a queer, campy, witchy, spooky delight to watch, with leads Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza sharing the most chemistry the MCU has ever seen. This show and its popularity is further proof that Kevin Feige should just let Schaeffer continue to do her thing with the witchy side of the MCU. Agatha All Along is fairly self-contained, but there’s still plenty of room for more stories in this world to be told. And if they are, I will absolutely be seated. – BA
9. Fallout
Available on: Prime Video (U.S. and U.K.)
Whether you’re a fan of the video game series or going into the series almost totally blind, Prime Video’s Fallout is a delight to watch. The lore is never so overwhelming that it’s hard to follow nor does the rich worldbuilding taking place ever suffer from things being watered down to be more palatable. The world of Fallout is set in the future, after a nuclear apocalypse has ravaged the planet and left a lawless wasteland in its wake. Somehow, humanity has survived it all, but so many remnants of the old world like religious totalitarianism and corporate greed manage to survive as well, making the mistakes of the past a lot harder to escape.
The show manages to capture the essence of the games while still telling a wholly new story led by complicated characters. Lucy (Ella Purnell), a naive vault-dweller who sneaks to the surface in search of her father. Maximus (Aaron Moten) a devout squire of the Brotherhood of Steel sent on an important mission. And the Ghoul (Walton Goggins), formerly actor Cooper Howard, a fierce gunslinger who has wandered the wasteland for 200 years in search of his family, and somehow still looks hot. Their eventual alliance may be a tenuous one, but as the truth about the mysterious company Vault-Tec comes to light, it becomes crucial to their survival. – BA
8. House of the Dragon
Available on: Max (U.S.), Now (U.K.)
House of the Dragon season 2 had a lot stacked against it. From the writers’ strike impacting the scripts and what could and couldn’t be changed during filming to rumors that HBO cut their episode order mere months before filming began, it’s easier to forgive this season’s shortcomings and focus on what makes it great. And there are a lot of things that make this season great.
Despite having only a few scenes together, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) relationship continues to be a highlight of the series. This world famously doesn’t treat its women very well, and yet House of the Dragon wouldn’t be the show it is without these two at its heart. There’s also plenty of dragon shenanigans as the tension continues to build between the Greens and Blacks in their war for the throne. – BA
7. Evil
Available on: Paramount+ (U.S.)
Now that Evil is wrapped following its fourth and final season, I see its pop culture future so clearly it might as well be standing right in front of me. For as long as this Robert and Michelle King-created paranormal procedural exists on a streaming service, curious genre fans will continue to find it, watch it, love it, and then all ask the same question: “Wait, how wasn’t this a massive hit?” It’s a mystery to me as well, hypothetical future Evil-watcher.
More than ever in season 4, Evil remained the platonic ideal of a monster-of-the-week supernatural TV drama. While the overarching storylines begin to come to a head (a global network of tech-savvy satanists welcoming the birth of the antichrist and thus ushering in an era of perpetual darkness yada yada yada), the series still made time for compelling weekly mysteries while enjoying time with its core trio of Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi), and David Acosta (Mike Colter). There will come a time when consumers begin to wonder why there hasn’t been an attempt at a modern X-Files. How lucky they’ll be to discover that someone had that same thought back in the 2020s and went ahead and made the thing. – AB
6. X-Men ’97
Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)
X-Men ‘97 somehow manages to capture the fun of the original animated series without being bogged down by nostalgia. It quickly becomes its own thing, and proves how much potential we’ve been missing out on from the X-Men over the years. X-Men ‘97 is like a gripping superhero soap opera, full of relationship drama, secret clones, and world-ending apocalyptic events.
Whether you’re a fan of the original or coming into the series with fresh eyes, it doesn’t take long for the show to pull you in (or for the catchy theme song to get stuck in your head). – BA
5. Industry
Available on: Max (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
When it first premiered in 2020, HBO and BBC Two finance drama Industry was seen by many viewers as the “we have Succession at home” option. That’s understandable as both Industry and its better-known HBO cousin deal with the world of the outrageously wealthy as they strive and vie to get an eensy bit richer, no matter the human cost. The comparison was usually an unfavorable one as Succession is rightly considered an all-time great HBO drama while Industry merely staggered along in its wake.
With season 3, however, Industry forged its own unique path and turned in a truly great year of television. Bolstered by the ingenious addition of Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) to an already-capable cast, Industry season 3 was more focused, angry, and pulpy. While viewers still needed an advanced business degree to understand any of the financial machinations at way, the familiar human drama never let up for a moment, culminating in a superb finale that is equal parts Bridgerton and The Godfather. – AB
4. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Available on: Prime Video (U.S. and U.K)
Taking a premise that has not only been done once, but twice before and making it something fresh and exciting is no small undertaking. And yet Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane have managed to not only make a version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith that feels new and fun – but it also leaves viewers wanting so much more.
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine’s chemistry as the titular Mr. and Mrs. Smith is electric, in both the series’ serious and more comedic moments. The generic presentation of the spy organization they work for only adds to the mystery of it all, and further emphasizes that John and Jane don’t have many allegiances beyond themselves. It all makes for an addictive, gripping spy series that proves Glover and Sloane aren’t running out of steam as a creative duo anytime soon. – BA
3. Hacks
Available on: Max (U.S.)
Hacks is one of the most reliable comedies on television. Through its first two seasons, you could practically set your watch to this Max series being both an extremely funny take on aging in the entertainment industry and the oddly affecting depiction of a codependent relationship between two women. The show’s third installment, however, might just be its best.
Hacks season 3 takes everything that already works about the show and cranks it up to new levels. At the center of it all are the remarkable performances of leads Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder as comedy superstar Deborah Vance and her young writer Ava Daniels. Alone, each performance is among the best in the medium. Together, they are a nuclear bomb of charm, tension, and pathos. – AB
2. Interview with the Vampire
Available on: AMC+ (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
Interview with the Vampire managed to avoid the infamous “sophomore slump” in its second season and is as compelling in its tale of the vampire Louis (Jacob Anderson) as ever. Even with the exit of Bailey Bass as Claudia, Delainey Hayles proved to be just as effervescent in the role, portraying Claudia’s growing loneliness and sadness with deft precision.
Lestat (Sam Reid) is very much still a commanding presence in the show as Louis deals with the guilt of both trying to kill him and not making sure the job was finished. Armand (Assad Zaman) also proves to be just as formidable a figure, though a lot more understated. The series has become even more adept at weaving its threads between the past and the present to tell the story of Louis’ life, and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here. – BA
1. Shogun
Available on: Hulu (U.S.), Disney+ (U.K.)
It didn’t take long for Shōgun to become one of the most talked-about shows of the year, nor is any of its praise unwarranted. Though many have been quick to compare the show’s gripping drama and political intrigue to Game of Thrones, I would argue that Shōgun is even better. Set in 1600s Japan, Shōgun follows Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his alliance with an English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), as several powers vie for control of Japan’s future.
The cast is incredible, from Sanada’s calculating Lord Toranaga to Anna Sawai’s strong and loyal Mariko to Jarvis’ fish-out-of-water John Blackthorne and every character in between. There is not a single performance in this show that isn’t worthy of praise. While this story may be about men’s struggle for power on the surface, the heart of the series lies in its women, who carry this conflict even more than many of the men realize. – BA
The post The Best TV Shows of 2024 appeared first on Den of Geek.
