Top Ten Shows of 2024

List by Luke Werckman

Logo Design by Carley Hinton

With the rise of streaming services, people don’t have to visit a theater to see a new release. However, those platforms are not just for exciting blockbusters, they also feature an extensive catalog of shows. In 2024, amazing shows that have been absent for years released new seasons, like Arcane and Invincible. This year also introduced amazing shows that are just getting started, with examples being Shōgun and Fallout. In 2024, I watched 36 seasons of various shows, so here is a list of my top ten.

10. Abbott Elementary Season 3: [9/10]

Abbott Elementary has been my favorite sitcom of the decade and its third season is no exception. Although the writing and acting strikes cut this season’s episode count in half, there were still enough laughs and great character moments to make up for it. The overarching storyline for this season is a different direction from the previous ones. However, the conclusion was incredibly predictable, but it was still satisfying nonetheless. Aside from the show creator Quinta Brunson’s writing, the strength of this show in terms of its heart and humor comes from the entire cast. The whole cast is hilarious, but the standout is Janelle James’s Principal Ava Coleman. James often has the most memorable and funny moments, whether it be because of an insult aimed at Brunson’s Janine Teagues or a compliment toward herself. A complaint I’ve started to form is that the show is relying a little too much on its celebrity cameos as some of them feel more like a crutch to surprise people than a clever idea. Despite that, Abbott Elementary is still an amazing example of how a network television sitcom can still be high-quality in the age of streaming services.

9. House of the Dragon Season 2: [9/10]

Even though I still have not made the time to watch Game of Thrones, I still love House of the Dragon. The politics, dialogue and actions that are made by the families in Westeros are as compelling as ever. The main conflict of the show forces characters to choose sides or betray their own, making it incredibly engaging to watch unfold. The actions and scale of the show is still grand, with the fourth episode having one of the best battles in the series so far. The first half of the season was particularly strong as this season hit the ground running from where the first season left off. However, the second half created some issues that held this season back from being higher on my list. The first is Daemon’s storyline where he spends most of the season having nightmares in a castle, which gets old after an episode or two. The other is that the finale feels more like a trailer for the next season than a conclusion to this one. Even though these complaints should bring down this show for me more, the rest of it is so well done that I was able to look past it and focus on where the story went next.

8. Shrinking Season 2: [9/10]

Shrinking is a wholesome comedy, but has some bleak moments in it. Jason Segel’s Jimmy is a therapist whose wife has recently passed away. He uses unconventional methods to treat his clients that in a roundabout way help him as well. Having a little edge to the show, while still being comforting is what makes this a stand out amongst other comedies. The first season was great, but this one improves upon it significantly. Aside from a higher episode count, giving more screen time and story to the supporting characters, such as Ted McGinley’s Derek, who is still a scenestealer like he was before, but now has more of a role in the conflicts that surround him. Harrison Ford shines even more as Paul, as his struggle with a developing Parkinson’s disease was beautifully played out over the course of these twelve episodes. There were some pacing issues in the middle of the show, but having more episodes was still a benefit. Shrinking is another great comedy for Apple and I can only hope it reaches the success and attention of their last big comedy, Ted Lasso.

7. The Diplomat Season 2: [9/10]

Political thrillers can often feel repetitive, especially in a show format, as so many are released every year. Out of the ones currently running, The Diplomat stands out. Starring Keri Russel as Kate Wyler, the show follows Wyler as she juggles her new position as the U.S. ambassador in the United Kingdom and her shaky marriage with her attention-seeking husband who was a former ambassador. This second season begins after the cliffhanger ending of the first season, as the international turmoil grows more complicated for Wyler. After the first episode, it took a few more to become really exciting, but by the end of the third episode, The Diplomat started to become so much more than its previous season, despite less episodes. The last two were especially engaging thanks to the additional reveals and the inclusion of Allison Janney as the U.S. Vice President Grace Penn. The dialogue is what makes this show a league above other thrillers, along with the relatable characters. The cherry on top was that the season finale ended with an even better cliffhanger. The Diplomat is one of the more underrated shows currently on Netflix and should not be lost in its endless library of political dramas.

6. X-Men ’97 Season 1: [9/10]

One of the shows that I completely misjudged based on a first look was X-Men ‘97. In an age of nostalgia, one that Marvel has lately been relying too much on, I assumed that this show’s existence was purely for that reason. Admittedly, I was way off as X-Men ‘97 delivered one of the best projects that Marvel has put out. What first caught my attention was how well animated the show is as the 3-D aspects combined with the bright colors of the original cartoon forms a unique style that is a treat to watch. The action scenes also make this a visual feast as the show cleverly uses the team’s abilities in ways that haven't been displayed on-screen in the multiple decades. In terms of the story and characters, although there was some awkward pacing in the middle episodes, once the show reveals how it has matured with its fans, the quality of the writing shines. The themes of prejudice and discrimination are still at the core of the X-Men, and the dialogue elaborates on these complex emotions through powerful monologues. The fusion of stylish animation, soap-opera conflicts, real-world issues and inventive action scenes are what makes X-Men ‘97 one of Marvel’s best in the last few years.

5. Invincible Season 2: [9/10]

The big names of DC and Marvel are becoming increasingly divisive among fans because of their disappointing recent releases. However, I think Invisible can be a good palate cleanser, as it can exist without needing to connect to a larger universe. That being said, the return of this adult-animated series was very bumpy as the delayed release strategy and some unfinished plot threads can give fans a bad taste at first. However, looking back on it, this season had so much quality work that these flaws can be forgiven. The animation has improved since the first season, which makes the almost three-year wait feel worth it. The storylines are branching out more as Mark Grayson, voiced by Steven Yeun, has to face much larger threats. I was worried when I heard that this season was going to include a multiverse as it is an overplayed inclusion in film and tv lately, especially with comic books. Fortunately, Invincible manages to make the idea feel fresh enough and the villain Angstrom Levy, voiced by Sterling K. Brown, was a great addition to the show. Otherwise, this season delivers the shocking twists, brutal fights and personal drama that made this series amazing in the first place. With more seasons on the way, I cannot imagine that Invincible won’t continue to be a standout for both animated and comic book shows.

 4. Shōgun Season 1: [9/10]

When I first saw advertisements for Shōgun, what initially drew my attention toward it was the level of production being done for a series focused on samurai warriors in feudal Japan. What kept my engagement was the quality of writing that mostly maintained through its ten-episode season. This is even more impressive given the fact that most of the dialogue is in Japanese, which was new to me because I rarely watch non-English speaking entertainment. After an episode or two, the foreign language aspect didn’t even cross my mind. Although the show does not deliver as much action as the commercials led me to believe, I was still heavily invested in the politics between factions and the relationships between characters. Watching characters betray the trust of others or maneuver themselves out of a difficult situation was impactful and kept me guessing what would happen next. Every episode usually ended with a big cliffhanger that made the wait for each episode feel longer. The story started to meander toward the start of the second half, but it eventually picked up. Shōgun is an expertly-crafted show that has remained in my top five throughout almost all of 2024.

3. Arcane Season 2: [9.5/10]

After waiting three years for a follow-up, season two of Arcane was definitely my most anticipated show of 2024. Even with all that time passing, this season delivered pretty much everything I wanted. I will say, I wish that this season was stretched out with more episodes or even split into two seasons as the pacing was too quick, but even with that, the plot and characters were as top-notch as ever. There are so many moments that I would put above the first season, but I wish there was more breathing room for these scenes. With it being the final season, Arcane goes all out in terms of the blending of animation, emotional voice acting and powerful music. The relationship between sisters Vi and Jinx is still as compelling as before and takes some interesting turns midway through the show. Besides the two leads, some characters start taking control of the show as the season progresses and everyone gets some sort of satisfying or heartbreaking moment by the end. Arcane as a whole is one of the best animated series ever made and I can only hope the creative team behind it will use this animation style on more projects. Still, as good as this series was, I will not be playing League of Legends.

2. Fallout Season 1: [9.5/10]

You never quite know what you will get with a video game adaptation into a film or series. You could get incredible hits like with The Last of Us and Arcane, or complete duds such as Resident Evil and Halo. Fortunately, Fallout lands on the former side. Although I am a frequent gamer, I did not have any experience with the Fallout games before watching the show. Without having much knowledge going into it, I could still understand how authentic the show was when it came to how this post-apocalyptic wasteland operates. The series is so true to the experience of the games that one character even addresses the tendency to get sidetracked by smaller objectives in an open world. In terms of structure, the writing expertly finds ways to connect the three protagonists, despite them having different objectives and arriving from distinct backgrounds. The three leads are played by actors Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten and Walton Goggins and all of them make their characters fun to watch. It could have been easy for one of the three to be less interesting than the others, but the actors and writers made me care about all three equally. Fallout is an amazing show and its characters, world-building and quirky sense of humor allows it to stand out among other game adaptations and apocalyptic stories.

1. The Penguin Season 1: [10/10]

Back in 2022, I was excited to see director Matt Reeves' interpretation of Batman and his city of Gotham in the film The Batman. So naturally, I was anticipating a further exploration of this world in this spinoff show that takes place right after the movie. Little did I know that showrunner Lauren LeFranc planned on doing much more than make a supplementary piece with her show The Penguin. Even though this is a comic book show, it doesn't feel like it. Instead, it feels like a crime drama that so happens to take place in the fictional city of Gotham. The show focuses on Oz’s rise to power and his past. I commend the show for not trying to make Oz a hero or a misunderstood villain, but yet I was still rooting for him. The true highlights of the show are the performances, mainly Colin Farrell’s transformative one as Oz Cobb and Cristin Milioti’s complex portrayal of crime rival Sofia Falcone. The Penguin is not only one of the best comic book shows ever, but up there as one of the best shows in the last decade, which is why this is easily my favorite show of 2024.

Full list of 2024 shows I saw:

36.The Umbrella Academy Season 4

35.Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 1

34.The Acolyte Season 1

33.Outer Banks Season 4

32.Knuckles Season 1

31.Echo Season 1

30.What If…? Season 3

29.The Bear Season 3

28.Dune: Prophecy Season 1

27.Reacher Season 2

26.Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 1

25.Hazbin Hotel Season 1

24.Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1

23.Secret Level Season 1

22.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

21.The Bad Batch Season 3

20.Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1

19.My Adventures with Superman Season 2

18.Agatha All Along Season 1

17.Mr. & Mrs. Smith Season 1

16.True Detective: Night Country Season 4

15.The Boys Season 4

14.Only Murders In The Building Season 4

13.Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1

12.Creature Commandos Season 1

11.Baby Reindeer Season 1

10.Abbott Elementary Season 3

9.House of the Dragon Season 2

8.Shrinking Season 2

7.The Diplomat Season 2

6.X-Men ’97 Season 1

5.Invincible Season 2

4.Shōgun Season 1

3.Arcane Season 2

2.Fallout Season 1

1.The Penguin Season 1

The opinions expressed in columns are not reflective of Backdrop magazine.