There are two kinds of great television shows: the kind that millions of people watch and talk about and those that don’t enter the mainstream cultural conversation. In the latter case, it is not a lack of merit. It’s just that not every good TV series gets its popularity.
So you’d be forgiven for missing one—if not all—of the best series that debuted in the past year. After all, with countless networks in various formats (broadcast, cable, streaming, and more) all looking to get into the original content game, there’s a lot of TV to deal with. Some of them are worse than others; some of it a lot even worse. Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work for you and taken the guesswork out of it. Below is our pick of the best TV shows you can’t miss in 2024.
After the Flood
Whatever you think After the Flood that is, maybe you’re wrong—or at least missing a big part of the series’ appeal. After a flood leaves much of the Yorkshire town of Waterside under water, police officer Jo Marshall (The Peaky Blinders‘ Sophie Rundle) is called to the parking garage, where a man’s body is found trapped in an elevator, possibly drowned. But when the authorities discover that the unknown man was killed three days before the flood, Jo will do whatever it takes to put a name to the body in the morgue. When he makes the terrible decision to enter his DNA into an ancestry database, he discovers that the man who was breathing 72 hours ago has been dead for years. For Jo, who is weeks away from giving birth, it’s a race to find the killer before the mother arrives. And, in doing so, he discovered that not all people—even those closest to him—are who they are or what they say they are. Good news for those watching: After the Flood has already been renewed for a second season.
Criminal Record
Peter Capaldi plays opposite Daniel Hegarty, a veteran detective nearing the end of an illustrious career whose legacy may be on the line. When an anonymous tipster delivers shocking information that casts doubt on the verdict in a high-profile, decades-old case Hegarty is working on, he might think he’s got it all right the first time. What he couldn’t count on was detective June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) who received the same information and was determined to retrace Hegarty’s steps, making the two at odds. The ever-charming Capaldi has found an amazing sparring partner in Jumbo. The second season has already started.
Diarra from Detroit
Diarra Brickland (Diarra Kilpatrick) is a teacher coming off a painful divorce who finally feels like she might be ready to re-enter the dating scene—or at least have a little fun on Tinder. What she didn’t expect to find was Chris (Shannon Wallace), a man with the power to fall in love with a soul. When she stops hearing all about him after one glorious night together, Diarra insists that he must be lost, as there’s no way he’s going to wind her up…right? Her closest friends are skeptical, but Diarra does everything in her power to find her man—and soon finds herself in the hands of Detroit’s most dangerous criminal. Did we mention it’s a joke? Kilpatrick is a force of nature on this BET+ series, which he created and produces (alongside Kenya Barris).
Lost Boys & Fairies
We know that the Tomatometer’s Rotten Tomatometer isn’t the last word on quality. But that means something Lost Boys & Fairies it has a perfect 100 percent (based on half a dozen critics’ reviews, but still). After nearly ten years together, Gabriel (Sion Daniel Young) and Andy (Fra Fee) decide they are ready to take the leap into parenthood. But as they officially begin the adoption process, Gabe—whose childhood was marked by the trauma of his mother’s death and a strained relationship with his homophobic father—worries that he may not be able, or even unfit, to be a loving parent. . It is a powerful, painful reminder that the bonds that bind us can break us.
The search
Even if you weren’t paying attention during your third grade history class, you probably know the basics about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the hands of John Wilkes Booth. But The search it is not about service level history; quite the opposite. It reveals the lengths to which Lincoln’s close friend and secretary of war Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) went to capture Booth. Series creator Monica Beletsky, who previously worked as a writer-producer on Fargo, Remains, Parenthoodagain Friday Night Lightshe is meticulous in his approach to getting the details right (which is sure to please any presidential history buff).
Maryland
Becca (Suranne Jones) and Rosaline (Eve Best) are once close sisters who have been separated over the years, as time, place, and circumstances have changed them both. When her mother is found suddenly dead on the Isle of Man, they must come together—however briefly—to identify her body and bring it back to Great Britain, where her father is waiting for her. Although both sisters are confused as to what their mother was doing on the island in the first place, they soon come to learn the many buried chapters of their mother’s history that brought her to this place. Jones (Sir Jack) and Best (The House of the Beast) are never better than when there are only two, sisters, for better or for worse.
Monsieur Spade
Clive Owen joins a long list of terrific actors, from Humphrey Bogart to Tom Wilkinson, to take on the role of Sam Spade—Dashiell Hammett’s famous private detective. In this case, Monsieur Spade took place in the early 1960s, two decades after the events of The Maltese Falconand Spade has decided to retire to the beautiful town of Bozouls in the South of France. But when a group of monks are brutally murdered at a nearby monastery, Spade will need to put on his detective hat once again to solve the crime.
My mother is Jane
With a voice that somehow reminds us The great oneGemma Burgess’ My mother is Jane reimagines the life of Lady Jane Gray (Emily Bader) through a somewhat supernatural lens. Of course, in this version of 16th century England, shapeshifters abound—which only enhances the glamor. However, in his heart, My mother is Jane is about the budding romance between Jane and Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel), whom Jane’s mother has arranged for her to marry. Sadly, eight episodes are all we’ll get for the series, as Amazon announced its cancellation after just one great season.
Pradeeps of Pittsburgh
It is lost star Naveen Andrews gets to use his amazing comedic chops in this hilarious tale of the American Dream gone wrong. When what appears to be an incredible business opportunity arises, the patriarch of the Pradeep family Mahesh (Andrews) moves his family from India to America, where culture shock is the least of their problems. When we meet the family, they have been living in Pittsburgh for two years—and they tell their story to government agents (Pete Holmes and Romy Rosemont) from the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, as they are. suspected of burning down the house of their rowdy neighbors (Megan Hilty and Ethan Suplee). The most amazing part of all is that the story is partially based on the real life of creator Vijal Patel.
Sugar
The small screen has been good for Colin Farrell this year, especially with the success of The Penguin. But five months before reprising his role as Oz Cobb, the Oscar-nominated actor ventured into neo-noir. Sugar. In the stylish crime drama Farrell plays John Sugar, a private investigator hired to investigate the disappearance of the grandson of a major Hollywood producer while battling his own demons. If you’ve heard anything about the show, you probably know there’s a twist (more than one of them, really). A second season has already been confirmed.
Renegade Nell
Sally Wainwright has never been known as a creator of “family-friendly” fare—unless your kids think it’s too much to watch. Happy Valley it’s a story for all ages. But that you are the creative force behind it Renegade Nell it makes sense once you watch even the first episode. After being framed for murder, Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland) becomes one of England’s most feared street women. It’s all a joke, but Nell comes to realize that the best way to clear her name is to lean into the notoriety around her and have fun with it. Harland is a joy to watch (even if you know there’s no Season 2 on the menu).
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