Welcome to my 11th annual, completely subjective, end-of-year list. As always, I watched some critically acclaimed series, some soapy YA series, an unhealthy amount of true crime, and a little bit of everything in between. And after consuming 60+ series across 25+ channels and streaming services, here’s my top picks for shows, moments, and more of 2024*.
Best TV Show of 2024: HBO’s Hacks
In its third season HBO’s Hacks is still aging like fine wine. And to top off an already excellent season, Ava going from the student to the master in the final moments of the finale was “chef’s kiss”.
Best (Favorite) Show: Prime’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover’s version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is still sexy, humorous, and action packed but in a very different, more grounded, way than the movie of the same name. And it had me hooked! I loved it all – the weekly missions, the evolving relationships, the globe-trotting locations, the undercover wardrobes, and of course the performances by Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. I’m not sure what season two will bring, or who will be back but count me in.
Best New Show: Netflix’s A Man on the Inside
This pick is not recency bias, A Man on the Inside is just that damn good. Michael Schur and company really know how to strike the perfect balance between making jokes and pulling at the heartstrings. A second season renewal was much deserved.
Best Easy Breezy Viewing: Netflix’s Cobra Kai
TV is meant to be a fun escape and more than most shows, Cobra Kai understands the assignment. It has characters you can root for, a banging soundtrack, great fight scenes, the perfect note of nostalgia, and an endearing willingness to jump the shark.
Best Series Finale: Starz’s Hightown
Let’s give it up for Hightown, a show that managed to air three seasons despite flying under the radar for its entire run. And despite just having seven episodes to work with, Rebecca Cutter and co still managed to wrap up this complex character-driven show in a satisfying manner. It’s now streaming on Netflix if you missed the original run.
Best Show More People Should Be Watching: Starz’s Sweetpea
Probably any show on Starz could fit this category, but I highly encourage you to take advantage of a free trial and check out some of their original series, starting with Sweetpea. Without spoiling anything I will say Ella Purnell, who plays the titular character Rhiannon Lewis, just keeps on finding herself in series with a high body count.
Best Docuseries: The Offseason on X
If you miss the humble beginnings of The Real World, this docuseries is for you. Billed as 11 NWSL Players, 1 House, The Offseason follows the crucial few weeks leading up to preseason. Not only does it offer a candid look at the life of elite female soccer players, but it also delivers plenty of drama and laughs too.
Best True Crime Series: Hulu’s Little Miss Innocent: Passion. Poison. Prison
Is she guilty? Is she just a fall guy? Still not sure, but either way what happened to Mary Yoder was incredibly tragic and this case was wild.
Best Show That Was Canceled: Freevee’s Primo
Primo had a really solid first season filled with strong world building, character development, and humor and heart, but sadly that is all we’ll get of Rafa and his wild family despite the creative team having most of season two written before Amazon pulled the plug. It’s still available to stream on Prime and I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you’re a sitcom fan.
Runner Up: CBS’s CSI: Vegas
CBS pulled the plug at the end of the third season of the CSI’s flagship continuation CSI:Vegas, which was a bummer not just because this show was a perfectly enjoyable procedural that did well to integrate old and new characters, but also because it ended on a cliffhanger! How rude.
Best Binge Watch: Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House
Late to the party on this one, but wow wow wow – the 93% Rotten Tomatoes score is well earned. The Haunting of Hill House is one hell of a horror story that effectively addresses trauma, grief, and mental health. It’s a new annual spooky season rewatch for me.
Best Live Sports Moment: The Olympics on Peacock
I love the Olympics, but Paris and Peacock really delivered. The athletes and the competition were riveting, minus the breakdancing, and the coverage was actually super satisfying with live streams, replays, highlights, and the equivalent of the red zone. If I have to narrow it down to just one ‘best’ moment though, I’d pick the U.S Women’s Rugby team beating Australia in the final seconds of the Bronze medal match.
Best TV Magic: Apple+’s For All Mankind
While every season of For All Mankind continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, and logic, the special effects budget remains high. Do I believe that our favorite and not-so-favorite astronauts are living and working on Mars now? I sure do!
Best On-Location Cinematography: FOX’s Rescue: Hi-Surf
If you’re likewise already over winter, may I suggest tuning in to Rescue: Hi-Surf. The new FOX lifeguard drama series is set and filmed on location in Hawaii and that’s the best thing it’s got going for it. This is not Baywatch, and it’s most definitely not filmed on a soundstage in a tank. Check out this interview with DP Anka Malatynska to learn how they captured the beauty of the North Shore on land and underwater.
Best Joke / Sight Gag: Hulu’s Interior Chinatown
The ongoing Law & Order pastiche includes the lighting, score, quippy one-liners at the crime scene, and the graphics only got funnier and funner every time Interior Chinatown deployed it.
Learn “How Interior Chinatown Pulled a Law & Order With Its Visuals”.
Runner-up: Netflix’s A Man on the Inside
Also, this joke:
Best Holiday Episode or Special: ABC’s Abbott Elementary
Holding it down for the long-running tradition of sitcoms celebrating holidays. We were blessed with not one but two seasonal specials this year with episodes dedicated to both Halloween and Christmas!
Best TV Show For a Good Laugh: Peacock’s Mr. Throwback
The premise of Mr. Throwback is a bit absurd, but the show knows this and commits to the bit, which is why it works so well. Adam Pally and Ego Nwodim are as funny as expected, but Steph Curry might just be an MVP off the court as well. With just 6 episodes around thirty minutes each, this is a quick way to insert some humor into your day.
Best TV Show For a Good Cry: HBO’s Somebody Somewhere
Some shows are great for escaping everyday life, this is not one of them. You will be confronted with all the feels. My friend warned me in advance to pace myself but it’s so damn good. Somebody Somewhere is a beautifully grounded character study of grief, identity, friendship, community, and more.
Best Soundtrack: Netflix’s Girls5Eva & Peacock’s We Are Lady Parts
Both of my favorite girl groups were back this year and both brought some new bangers and earworms to the small screen including: “Malala Made Me Do It” (please watch the music video!), “Glass Ceiling Feeling”, and “Villain Era” by Lady Parts and “Tap into Your (Fort) Worth”, “Get it Off Your Chest”, and “The Medium Time” by Girls5Eva.
- Listen to the season 3 soundtrack of Girls5Eva.
- Listen to the season 2 soundtrack of We Are Lady Parts.
Best Reboot / Revival / Return: Disney+’s X-Men ’97
If you were a 90s kid, pour yourself a bowl of cereal and get seated, but not on the floor, for the continuation of this beloved Saturday morning cartoon. The X-Men are back and renewed for another couple of seasons to boot.
Best Renewal: Hulu’s Only Murder in the Building
Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez have such outstanding chemistry and comedic timing that it’s hard to not be jazzed about spending more time with these characters and the rest of the Arconia residents. Plus, this is perhaps the most feel good show about murder you can find on TV. Cheers to season 5.
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What were your favorite shows and TV-related moments of 2024? Share them in the comments section below.
*Sorry for not including Succession (again), I cannot, nor do I wish to, watch everything.
