Top Ten TV Shows of 2024 - Silver Screen Riot

This year in television was another one for the books – and a strong argument that the small screen is still putting up a fight against the big screen for ultimate supremacy. This year featured a buffet of brilliant storytelling, ambitious experiments, and, yes, some deeply unhinged guilty pleasures. From prestige dramas to reality trainwrecks, TV in 2024 proved there was something for everyone and then some. As the era of the monoculture died down, there were still some shows that broke through across watching lines. My watchlist looked like a collision of highbrow and lowbrow chaos, and honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We had weirdo sprawling sci-fi epics like 3 Body Problem, which reminded us that humanity is often its own worst enemy, and Disclaimer, which delivered paranoia-soaked psychosexual thrills by toying with audience’s expectations. Adaptations were everywhere, but none quite as effortlessly entertaining as The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie’s swaggering return to crime-comedy, or as technically immersive as Masters of the Air, a mostly-gripping if undercooked character-wise WWII miniseries that brought viewers airborne with breathtaking realism. And then there was The Sympathizer, blurring the line between espionage thrills and cultural existential crisis with an auteur’s touch.

On the other end of the spectrum, comedies held their own. The Bear continued to stress viewers out in the most screamy, Chicago way possible with its claustrophobic kitchen drama and searing personal issue, despite falling prey to a bifurcated overarching story, leaving this usual contender for best of the year feeling less fulfilling as a whole. Hacks once again proved Jean Smart can do no wrong, even if the interpersonal drama between Deborah and Ava somewhat stagnated this go around. Larry David returned with a “final season” and “series finale” that tried to right past TV wrongs but mostly just reminded us how much we’ll miss the ultimate misanthrope on our screens if he does decide to never return to Curb Your Enthusiasm; and The Franchise might just be the most biting satire about Hollywood that Hollywood has ever produced.

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2024

International prestige crime thrillers like Slow Horses and Tokyo Vice kept us on edge with their morally messy protagonists and lingering puzzles, while True Detective: Night Country took the franchise to frigid new extremes, and Black Doves made espionage feel intimate, deadly, and impossibly chic. Over on the superhero – or antihero rather – side of the equation, The Boys was as gloriously deranged as ever though the fourth season saw diminishing returns, while The Penguin became a populist favorite for tucking Colin Ferrell under mountains of prosthetics.

But TV wasn’t all about narrative complexity and brooding antiheroes. Reality TV brought the drama, too. Australian Survivor and classic American Survivor kept proving why they’re the gold standard of the genre, while Love is Blind continued to be the petri dish of cringy romantic dysfunction we can’t stop watching. For nature lovers—or just people who enjoy screaming “What are you doing?!” at their screens—there was Arctic Ascent and Chimp Crazy, each a wild, often jaw-dropping ride through the extremes of life on Earth.

With all that in mind, narrowing down a list of the best TV shows was no easy feat. But the following 10 stand out for their sheer brilliance, ambition, and ability to leave a lasting impression. These broke through the noise and became must watch events.

10. ENGLISH TEACHER (FX)

A razor-sharp addition to the workplace comedy oeuvre, English Teacher debuted as a fully-realized gem: a gay teacher navigating the petty injustices of an Austin high school alongside an unhinged ensemble of coworkers. With standout performances—particularly from breakouts Stephanie Koenig and Sean Patton—English Teacher strikes a rare balance, feeling both refreshingly modern and somehow timeless in its execution. Creator and star Brian Jordan Alvarez’s well-honed comedic chops are on full display, delivering one of the year’s most riotously funny and genuinely unpredictable comedies.

9. PRESUMED INNOCENT (Apple TV+)

Apple TV+’s prestige procedural Presumed Innocent just rips. The perfect pulpy summertime whodunit with a real who’s who of top talent, Presumed Innocent taps into our most basic TV brain instincts: dazzling, if at times ridiculous, drama that triggers your lizard brain to immediately want to watch the next one. The ensemble here is truly unmatched: uncaged rage from Jake Gyllenhaal, a rarely-better Ruth Negga, Bill Camp operating at the peak of his talents, Peter Sarsgaard offering a ticky, nervy, and perhaps the show’s best turn, Nico Della Guardia giving pure sniveling pusillanimity, and Renate Reinsve doing what Renate Reinsve does best. There are moments that strain credulity—and some of the dreamlike detours are truly head-popping—but it doesn’t matter when this show, operating on its best instincts, can function at such a high level. Maybe 2024’s most watchable show.

8. FALLOUT (Prime)

If The Last of Us showed that video game adaptations could earn their place in the prestige TV pantheon, Fallout demonstrated they could also embrace pure, unadulterated fun. Set in a gloriously over-the-top dystopia, this tale of a vault dweller emerging from a hermetically-sealed retro-futurist bunker into a gunslinging, post-apocalyptic Wild West delivers ooey, gooey splatter-camp and genre thrills in equal measure—all while grounding it in a classical hero’s journey. The ensemble cast—led by a devilishly entertaining Walton Goggins, a magnetic Ella Purnell, and an always-funny Dave Register—kept the journey funny and fleet-footed. Bring on the next chapter.

7. BABY REINDEER (Netflix)

It’s still remarkable that Baby Reindeer became the breakout hit of 2024. This pitch-black comedy and searing personal exposé follows a prop comedian/bartender fending off an obsessive stalker while grappling with his history of sexual abuse. The result is one of the year’s most wrenching tragicomedies and a showcase for one of its most compelling new voices. Its status as a watercooler phenomenon this spring speaks to Richard Gadd’s knack for crafting inventive docufiction that’s both creatively daring and commercially appealing. A breakout unlike any other, it stands as one of 2024’s most intriguing and original television accomplishments.

6. HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO)

The first season of House of the Dragon had its flaws, as did this most recent one. Despite its clear shortcomings—sidelining Daemon in an endless B-plot, uneven character development, pacing issues, and a cliffhanger ending—this season often felt like Thrones at its best. From breathtaking set pieces—the epic throne room confrontation, the soaring dragon rider sequence, and the electrifying Rhaenys vs. Aegon clash—to quieter character moments (Larys Strong’s cursed presence is always welcome on my screen), House of the Dragon truly found its footing in its second season. It proved capable of carrying on its flagship’s legacy while confidently carving out its own path. For a season with plenty of detractors, its inclusion here is a testament to just how high the highs were.

5. MR. AND MRS. SMITH (Prime)

Anyone who hasn’t seen Mr. and Mrs. Smith might question its inclusion here, but anyone who has knows exactly why it belongs. This inspired reimagining of a familiar IP, courtesy of Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane, dared to smuggle a raw, poignant story about the challenges of sustaining a relationship into the framework of a globe-trotting spy thriller. Glover and co-star Maya Erskine shine as assassins-for-hire, with some of the year’s most stunningly captured locations serving as their backdrop. The story refused to hold the audience’s hand, forging ahead with bold narrative choices that redefined its characters and themes on an episode-by-episode basis. Easily the most surprising and thrilling knockout of 2024.

4. SHŌGUN (Hulu)

Shōgun managed that rare feat of masterful world-building that many of its contemporaries can only dream of. Although this historical fictional drama is more deeply rooted in actual history than fantasy, it still feels almost dreamlike. 1600’s Japan is straight-up otherworldly as seen through both the shipwrecked English pilot John Blackthorne’s and the viewer’s eyes. A detail-rich adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name, Shōgun explores themes of honor and duty, cultural clash, sacrifice, and forbidden relationships within its rich tapestry of political maneuvering and human drama. The standout performances from its wowing ensemble cast of Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, and Tadanobu Asano make the scene work crackle, while showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks ensure we can appreciate the richness of every detail—the breathtaking sets, the meticulously choreographed action, and the sweeping cinematography. Together, they create an epic, immersive experience that feels grand in every way. Shōgun, more than any other breakout of 2024, captured the public’s imagination and spurred watercooler conversations in a way few other debuts have recently.

3. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (AMC)

Why has the vampire, one of fiction’s most iconic monsters, become so intertwined with our collective idea of romantic fantasy? Anne Rice can certainly claim some responsibility for this union, though classic works like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla predate her work with their own dynamics of forbidden love and the allure of the supernatural—all surrounded by pools of blood. There is a certain irony in the fact that Interview With the Vampire is at once incredibly gory and macabre, yet easily the most poetic and romantic show currently on television. It feels like a relic of an already-passed era of prestige TV with its outstanding performances, notable production elements, and exquisite writing—and yet very few people seem to be watching. Thankfully, it was renewed for a third season nonetheless. Yearning, macabre, and decadent, Interview With the Vampire is like a forbidden fruit meant to be savored and swept away by. If you haven’t tucked into its devilish delights, you can thank me later for helping convert you.

2. RIPLEY (Netflix)

Shot in luminous black and white, Ripley is a lavish reimagining of Patricia Highsmith’s conspiratorial thriller, blending bold filmmaking with timeless storytelling. Deliberate yet electrifying, Ripley feels unlike anything else on television, with Robert Elswit’s stately cinematography, meticulous production design, taut editing, and chilling soundscapes amplifying the tension in this moody tale of grifter Tom Ripley, played with mesmerizing precision by Andrew Scott. Writer-director Steven Zaillian’s deliberate pacing may test impatient viewers, but this stunning retelling remains transfixing and exhilarating, thanks in no small part to a standout cast that includes Elle Fanning, Eliot Sumner, and Johnny Flynn. Though billed as a limited series, the finale leaves the door enticingly open for more chapters in this sumptuous saga.

1. INDUSTRY (HBO)

HBO’s Industry has cemented itself as the best show on television in the post-Succession era. The third season of this high-wire financial thriller from creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay soared to new heights, using its powerhouse young cast (Maria Abela, Myha’la, Harry Lawtey) to push Industry into bolder, more daring territory. What began as a cynical exploration of young London bankers—their ambitions and utter lack of inhibitions—evolved into a searing dissection of power, exposing the grueling divide between the haves and have-nots with heartbreaking, deeply unsettling precision. The breathless Rishi standalone episode—a nerve-shredding descent into chaos and anxiety—was arguably the standout hour of television this year.