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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The best TV shows of 2024 so far are led by Shōgun, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Fallout, The Sympathizer, Hacks season 3, and The Bear season 3. Add X-Men ’97 for animation and Ren Faire for documentary television. This is a January–June snapshot, not a final ranking.
Critics did not produce one objective order: the cited lists differ on whether they include returning seasons, documentaries, animation, or only new series. The most useful way to choose is by viewing need—historical epic, limited series, thriller, comedy, genre adaptation, or nonfiction—while checking current platform availability separately.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Shōgun (The Asian Saga) | $24.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Shōgun, Part One (The Asian Saga) | $13.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Novels of Asian Saga Series 6 Books Collection Set By James Clavell(Shogun, Tai-Pan, Gai-Jin,... | $59.22 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Shōgun, Part Two (The Asian Saga) | $13.35 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
James Clavell's - Shogun (1980) - Complete Series | $34.96 | Buy on Amazon |
Key takeaways
- Shōgun, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Fallout, The Sympathizer, Hacks season 3, and The Bear season 3 form the strongest all-around shortlist.
- Metacritic’s midyear ranking required at least seven critic reviews and gave Baby Reindeer an 88 Metascore, the clearest critic-score leader among the featured shows.
- Fallout is the easiest entry point for viewers who want fast genre television, while Shōgun is the strongest recommendation for an immersive historical drama.
- Hacks season 3 and The Bear season 3 reward viewers who have watched earlier seasons; Fallout, Ripley, and Baby Reindeer work as more accessible starting points.
- X-Men ’97 is the standout animation choice, and Ren Faire is the best documentary wildcard on this list.
How was this list of the best TV shows of 2024 so far chosen?
The best TV shows of 2024 so far are best understood as a midyear snapshot of series that premiered or began a new season between January 1 and June 30, 2024. That window is narrower than a retrospective of the complete television year: Metacritic used the first-half period for its new-show ranking and required at least seven critic reviews, while The A.V. Club used a cutoff extending from January into mid-June. Metacritic’s midyear methodology therefore should not be treated as an objective final ranking.
The sources also measure different things. Some lists emphasize new series, others include returning seasons; some focus on scripted television, while others include documentaries and animation. The recommendations below combine critic consensus with practical viewing advice: tone, commitment, accessibility, formal ambition, and whether a show requires prior seasons.
#1 Best Overall
| Show | Best for | Format and commitment | Start here? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shōgun | Historical epic and political intrigue | Ten-episode first season; subtitles and close attention recommended | Yes |
| Baby Reindeer | Psychologically difficult limited series | Seven-episode dramedy | Yes, if the subject matter is suitable |
| Ripley | Controlled visual thriller | Eight-episode black-and-white thriller | Yes |
| Fallout | Accessible science fiction and dark comedy | Eight-episode genre series | Yes |
| The Sympathizer | Literary, political, and historical drama | Seven-episode limited series | Yes, for patient viewers |
| Hacks, season 3 | Character comedy and workplace conflict | Returning season | No; begin with season 1 |
| The Bear, season 3 | Intense ensemble drama-comedy | Returning season with a reflective, fragmented structure | No; begin with season 1 |
| X-Men ’97 | Serialized superhero animation | Animated continuation | Usually; familiarity with the original helps |
| Ren Faire | Character-driven documentary | Three-part nonfiction series | Yes |
What is the best TV show of 2024 so far?
Shōgun is the best all-around recommendation for viewers who want a serious, immersive television drama. FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel combines political strategy, warfare, cultural collision, language, visual scale, and emotionally consequential performances.
The series is especially notable for shifting the center of gravity toward Japanese characters and perspective instead of treating the English outsider as the only important viewpoint. The Television Academy’s discussion of the production identifies the series as an adaptation of Clavell’s novel and highlights its effort to recreate the story with a Japanese point of view. The Television Academy’s feature on Shōgun’s creative team provides useful context for that adaptation choice.
Shōgun is a strong fit for viewers who enjoy historical drama, political intrigue, prestige television, subtitles, and slow-burning tension. The series is violent and asks viewers to keep track of names, alliances, and political relationships, so it is not ideal as a background watch.
Read the source material: James Clavell’s Shōgun novel is the book behind the series. The novel offers a companion experience with more interiority and historical sweep, but it is not a required prerequisite and should not be assumed to match the television adaptation scene for scene.
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Is Baby Reindeer worth watching?
Baby Reindeer is worth watching if you want a compact, psychologically difficult limited series and can engage with its depictions of stalking, sexual violence, addiction, shame, and trauma. The seven-episode dramedy was created by and stars Richard Gadd and is based on events from his life and his stage play.
Metacritic ranked Baby Reindeer first among new television shows from the first half of 2024, with an 88 Metascore in 2024. Metacritic’s midyear new-show ranking records that score and its critic-review methodology. Radio Times critic Jon O’Brien called the series “This is an early contender for show of 2024.”
The show’s strength is its willingness to examine obsession, self-mythologizing, trauma, and the instability of a simple victim-and-perpetrator framework. The real-life basis requires care: viewers should not sensationalize the events or attempt to identify real people beyond what the production and its creators have publicly established.
Rank #2
Why is Ripley one of 2024’s best thrillers?
Ripley is one of 2024’s best thrillers because its suspense comes from observation, manipulation, and dread rather than constant momentum. The eight-episode adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels is written and directed in its entirety by Steven Zaillian and stars Andrew Scott.
The series’ black-and-white cinematography, architectural compositions, deliberate pacing, and controlled performances make it a particularly strong choice for viewers who value atmosphere and formal precision. Metacritic gave Ripley a 76 Metascore in 2024 in its first-half new-show ranking. Metacritic’s ranking of the best new shows at midyear supplies the score.
Ripley is a literary thriller about a con artist and a morally detached protagonist. Viewers expecting the breezier, more glamorous energy of the 1999 film may find this version slower and colder; the patience is part of the design.
Is Fallout a good video-game adaptation for new viewers?
Fallout is a good video-game adaptation for new viewers because the series tells a new story inside the game world rather than requiring knowledge of one particular game. The show combines a post-apocalyptic mystery with grotesque comedy, retro-futurist design, action, and high production values.
Variety praised Fallout for translating the games’ open-ended feeling to television while building the show around a strong ensemble led by Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins. Variety’s midyear television list discusses the adaptation’s balance of humor, scale, and game-world atmosphere.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFallout is the most accessible choice here for viewers seeking faster-moving science fiction, dark comedy, action, or a binge-friendly genre show. The series contains substantial violence and body horror. Its strength is not a faithful retelling of a single game but the creation of a fresh narrative within the established universe.
What makes The Sympathizer different from a conventional spy thriller?
The Sympathizer is a dense literary and political drama that uses espionage as a framework for examining divided identity, exile, ideology, war, and American self-image. The seven-episode series follows a half-Vietnamese, half-French communist spy after the fall of Saigon and during his exile in the United States.
Metacritic describes The Sympathizer as a mixture of cultural satire, dark comedy, historical drama, mystery, and espionage. Metacritic’s description of the series captures why the show can feel more formally ambitious and tonally unsettled than a conventional spy thriller.
The series is best for viewers who enjoy literary adaptations, unreliable narration, historical fiction, and politically demanding stories. The deliberate tonal shifts may feel uneven if you expect a straightforward espionage plot, but the divided point of view is central to the show’s purpose.
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Hacks season 3 is the better choice for sharp dialogue and character comedy, while The Bear season 3 is the better choice for viewers who want pressure-cooker workplace drama, grief, ambition, and formal experimentation. Neither season is an ideal starting point for a new viewer.
| Question | Hacks, season 3 | The Bear, season 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Central conflict | Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels pursue professional ambitions that increasingly pull them in different directions. | A restaurant team confronts pressure, family systems, grief, ambition, and the demands of building a serious kitchen. |
| Best audience | Viewers who want workplace comedy, mentorship conflict, and sharp character writing. | Viewers who want intense ensemble acting, kitchen drama, and emotionally demanding television. |
| Viewing requirement | Start with season 1 because Deborah and Ava’s professional and emotional history is cumulative. | Start with season 1 because the third season assumes the audience understands the ensemble’s history. |
| Season 3 caution | The season builds on the tension between Deborah’s late-night ambitions and Ava’s need to protect her own career. | The season is more reflective and fragmented than a straightforward plot-driven season. |
Variety’s midyear assessment describes Hacks season 3 as bringing Deborah and Ava back together around Deborah’s ambition to host a late-night show while Ava becomes more conscious of protecting her own career. Variety’s discussion of the 2024 television season supports that distinction. The Washington Post also included The Bear among its evolving best-of-2024 selections. The Washington Post’s 2024 television recommendations provides that broader context.
What is the best animated show of 2024 so far?
X-Men ’97 is the standout animation recommendation for viewers who want serialized superhero storytelling, ensemble character work, political allegory, and spectacle. The continuation develops the strengths of the original animated series rather than treating superhero animation as disposable children’s programming.
Rank #4
Metacritic included X-Men ’97 among its high-scoring first-half releases and described the series as a continuation that builds on what worked in the original. Metacritic’s midyear ranking is the source for that assessment. Nostalgia helps, but the show’s serialized momentum and ensemble conflicts give it appeal beyond returning fans.
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Ren Faire is the best documentary wildcard for viewers who want nonfiction with the rhythms of a workplace drama. The three-part HBO documentary follows employees competing to succeed the festival’s longtime leader, turning succession, ambition, and institutional power into a character-driven story.
Metacritic gave Ren Faire a 79 Metascore in 2024 in its midyear ranking of new shows. Metacritic’s entry for Ren Faire identifies the series as a three-part documentary and records its score. Ren Faire is particularly suited to viewers who enjoy eccentric institutions, workplace power struggles, and vivid real-life personalities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you choose what to watch next?
Choose among the best TV shows of 2024 so far by matching the show’s commitment and tone to your actual viewing mood, not by treating critic consensus as a universal order of quality.
| If you want… | Watch… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A serious historical epic | Shōgun | Political strategy, war, language, cultural collision, and immersive production design. |
| A short and psychologically intense story | Baby Reindeer | Seven episodes and an unusually direct examination of trauma and obsession. |
| A patient noir thriller | Ripley | Black-and-white visual control, literary source material, and slow-building dread. |
| Fast genre entertainment | Fallout | Action, dark comedy, body horror, and a new story accessible to nonplayers. |
| A demanding political adaptation | The Sympathizer | Unreliable narration, divided identity, satire, espionage, and historical drama. |
| A smart workplace comedy | Hacks season 3 | Professional ambition and the Deborah–Ava relationship, provided you start at season 1. |
| Intense ensemble television | The Bear season 3 | Kitchen pressure, grief, family systems, and a more reflective third-season structure. |
| Animation with serialized stakes | X-Men ’97 | Superhero spectacle combined with ensemble drama and political allegory. |
| Nonfiction workplace drama | Ren Faire | A three-part succession contest built around memorable real-life personalities. |
Where can you watch these 2024 shows?
The researched sources associate Baby Reindeer and Ripley with Netflix, Fallout with Prime Video, The Sympathizer and Ren Faire with Max, Hacks with Max, and Shōgun with FX/FX on Hulu. Platform catalogs and subscription arrangements change, so those historical U.S. platform references are not a current availability guarantee.
Check the relevant service immediately before watching. The Washington Post’s evolving list also included Apple TV+’s Sunny, but Sunny is not part of the main recommendation set here because the strongest consensus core is better represented by the shows above. No consistent, directly comparable audience or viewership figures were supplied for these series, so this article does not rank them by audience size.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best TV shows of 2024 so far?
The strongest consensus picks are Shōgun, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Fallout, The Sympathizer, Hacks season 3, and The Bear season 3. X-Men ’97 is the standout animated choice, while Ren Faire is the documentary recommendation.
What should I watch first from the best shows of 2024?
Fallout is the most accessible starting point for viewers who have not watched a 2024 prestige series or played the games. Shōgun, Ripley, and Baby Reindeer are also self-contained entry points, although Baby Reindeer requires comfort with difficult subject matter.
Are these all new TV shows from 2024?
No. The list is a midyear snapshot of shows that premiered or began a new season between January 1 and June 30, 2024. The list includes new series, returning seasons, animation, and a documentary because the cited critics’ lists use different scopes.
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Should I read the Shōgun novel before watching the show?
Yes. Shōgun is adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel, but the novel is not required before watching the series. The book provides a companion experience with additional interiority and historical sweep rather than a guaranteed scene-by-scene match.
The Bottom Line
Start with Shōgun for the strongest all-around drama, Baby Reindeer for a compact and difficult limited series, Fallout for accessible genre television, or Ren Faire for a documentary. Ripley and The Sympathizer are the most formally demanding picks, while Hacks season 3 and The Bear season 3 are best reserved for viewers already invested in their earlier seasons.
Quick Recap
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