Summer is always a good time to relax, recharge, and reflect on the first half of the year. When it comes to entertainment, the middle of the calendar features some of the best programs on the docket. From Hulu’s The Bear to brand new series on Apple TV+, there’s no dearth of material to dive headfirst into while soaking up the sunshine on a lazy day in the coming months.
Just because the best is yet to come doesn’t mean there hasn’t been great TV so far in 2024, though. As we turn the corner and begin the second half of the schedule, it’s important to look at the best TV shows of 2024 (so far) to make sure folks have consumed all the best stuff streaming and cable television have to offer!
Hacks (2021)
Hacks is the best buddy-comedy on TV right now, and it’s not even close. The legendary Jean Smart whips her lines at the speed of a firecracker as she spars with Hannah Einbinder in this comedy-drama about two female comedic talents who help and hurt each other’s cause on a professional and personal level. The third season upped the stakes as Smart’s Deborah Vance pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a talk show host.
Masters of the Air (2024)
If you’re a fan of Band of Brothers, The Pacific, or any other of the famous World War II stories that have littered the big and small screen for decades, Masters of the Air will be right up your alley. Austin Butler and Callum Turner show up strong in this brutal but honest depiction of air warfare during the height of battle. More than just violence and gore, Masters of the Air resembles its forebearers with a deep look at the historical ramifications of the people affected by the war.
Shōgun (2024)
Shōgun is a story about the fight for power in 1600s Japan after an English sailor arrives on the shores of the country with unknown intentions. Based on a book by James Clavell, the FX spectacle has been praised as one of the greatest examples of prestige drama on TV in the last decade. The series oozes a creative aura that exhibits how much the writers, directors, and actors cared about forming a memorable program for every person who gives it a chance. The subtitles and slow storytelling require patience, but it will result in a satisfying payoff for most people.
The Boys (2019)
While getting criticized for repetitive plotting and stale character arcs, The Boys fourth season keeps all of the overwhelming satire and foul language in fans faces. Diehard viewers wouldn’t want it any other way! Eric Kripke continues to up the stakes as Homelander gains more power and completes his transformation into one of TV’s greatest villains. The upcoming fifth season was just announced to be the last one for the Prime Video superhero series.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
While not for those who want their TV shows to be bright and cheery, Baby Reindeer is a captivating thriller that flips gender norms upside down. A writer who thinks he’s developed a solid friendship with a woman at a bar can’t believe the lengths he has to go to when she stalks him mercilessly every moment after their first meet-up. Jessica Gunning is brilliant as the creepy woman tracking down the protagonist, bringing a new look to a horrifying situation.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024)
The Walking Dead was unlike anything on TV back in the early to mid-2010s. When the series became overwrought with filler and overdue for cancellation, some of the best actors left the program. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live brings back fan favorites Rick and Michonne for a resolution to their character arcs and one more look at what happens to the world after the conclusion of the original series.
INVINCIBLE (2021)
Invincible rises above the mess of superhero gluttony on TV with sharp writing, dense characters, and excellent voice work by Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons. The second season finished strong this Spring with young Mark Grayson taking his next step into being a hero while battling his inner morality and the soured legacy of his father, Omni-Man. Still, a little more attention to detail on the animation side of things would make the third season just as good as the first. These episodes certainly served their purpose as a bridge for bigger things to come.
Sugar (2024)
Apple TV+ has become well-known for taking chances that other streamers won’t. Sugar is the latest example of the company taking a genre and putting a spin on well-worn tropes to great effect. This Colin Farrell vehicle possesses a lot of mystery pizazz and fun action as a detective goes through a roller coaster of plot lines and twists to uncover the truth behind a disappearance.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Most people who watched Seinfeld in the 1990s never expected creator Larry David to follow up that masterpiece with yet another one, but Curb Your Enthusiasm manages to carve out its own unique lane while even surpassing David’s previous work in some cases. The final season of Curb was a resounding success that featured some of the series’ best episodes and jokes, and it closed out the story in a way befitting of its offbeat humor.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Featuring the creative talents of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from Game of Thrones, 3 Body Problem is exactly the type of exhilarating, unique drama that Netflix has come to feature on its streaming airwaves so often. This adaptation of the Chinese novel updates the apocalypse story for a new generation as scientists grapple with the profound impact of alien lifeforms never before seen or thought to exist. Jovan Adepo and Liam Cunningham are standout actors in the show, and it will return for a second season and third season at a later date.
