We know you already have “Only Murders in the Building,” “Shōgun,” “The Day of the Jackal” and “The Penguin” on your list of 2024’s best TV series. As great as those shows are, they don’t tell the full story of this year’s best TV. We got spectacular, standout performances from Niecy Nash-Betts in “Grotesquerie,” Lamorne Morris in “Fargo” and Myha’la in “Industry.” There were also plenty of series showcasing Black culture, families and love. As everyone gushes about “Baby Reindeer,” “Slow Horses” and “Ripley,” we want to shout out the best Black series and performances of the year. Grab your beverage of choice and toast the best TV series of 2024.
Suggested Reading
‘Cross’ - Prime Video
Aldis Hodge is captivating as the DC detective who chases down the worst serial killers, while trying to deal with his own trauma. “Cross” is not an easy watch. As great as it is, it doesn’t shy away from some of the violent acts of its criminals. If you like procedurals and can handle them being no holds barred, this definitely belongs on your watchlist.
‘Agatha All Along’ - Disney+
Amid all the talk about the future of the MCU, “Agatha All Along” reminded fans why they became obsessed with the franchise. As Kathryn Hahn’s witch led her new coven on a dangerous journey down the Witches Road, we got a kick out of Sasheer Zamata’s Jen consistently let Agatha know she was not falling for any of her lies and manipulations. Maybe that’s why she made it to the end of the road.
‘Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire’ - amc
There was so much physical and emotional devastation in Season 2 of the vampire drama, we can’t chronicle it all here. But the way Jacob Anderson drew us into Louis’ pain and turmoil was fascinating. We knew his mistakes with Lestat would eventually catch up to him in terrible ways, but at then end of the day, they’re still desperately in love with each other.
‘Genius MLK/X’ - NatGeo, Disney+
There’s no shortage of movies and TV series about Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre brought new humanity to the civil rights leaders, making them real people, not characters and legends.
‘Abbott Elementary’ - ABC
You’d think we’d be exhausted by the shenanigans of the teachers at Philadelphia’s Abbott Elementary, but the comedy has brilliant spent more time with their personal lives in Season 4, opening up a whole new lane of hilarious character development. As Gregory and Janine, as well as their colleagues, adapt to the new couple’s relationship, the show has somehow gotten funnier.
‘How to Die Alone’ - Hulu
What made the Natasha Rothwell comedy so brilliant is the way it constantly kept viewers guessing. One minute you’re breathlessly laughing at her perfect physical comedy, then the next, she’s delivering an emotional punch to the face as Mel realizes how deeply unhappy she is with her life.
‘The Boys’ - Prime Video
Just when we think we know what to expect from the chaos filled superhero series, it has Homelander brutally kill a science lab full of people and we don’t know how to process it. It’s also starting to feel like art is imitating life, which makes us uncomfortable. But it’s so good, we can’t look away.
‘The Bear’ - Hulu
First of all, “The Bear” is a drama with comedic elements. It’s time we stop pretending otherwise. Second, it’s an exceptional drama about the staff at a Chicago fine dining restaurant. The third season provided particularly fantastic performances from Ayo Edebiri as Sydney and Lionel Boyce as Marcus, who must balance working through Carmy’s chaos with their personal lives.
‘Matlock’ - CBS
Yes, “Matlock” is driven by Kathy Bates’ stellar work as Madeline, but her “harmless old lady” act wouldn’t work nearly as well without Skye P. Marshall’s Olympia as her stong-willed, yet vulnerable boss. They’re the buddy team we didn’t know we needed. Now that we have them on our televisions, we’re not letting them go anytime soon.
‘Reasonable Doubt’ - Hulu
“Reasonable Doubt” is actually three series in one. It’s a legal thriller, relationship drama and feminist empowerment anthem all at once. We may not agree with all of Jax’s choices, but Emayatzy Corinealdi makes sure we’re definitely interested to see where they go.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ - Prime Video
As usual, Donald Glover gave us the show we needed, not the one we were expecting. We thought this would be an action drama about married assassins, but turns out it was a complex relationship drama in hiding. As the missions got more elaborate and dangerous, John and Jane’s relationship got increasingly more complicated.
‘The Franchise’ - Max
If you’re a fan of any of Hollywood’s giant blockbuster franchise, you’ll love the HBO comedy “The Franchise.” It follows the crew of a low-level franchise movie as they desperately try to complete production. We cannot say enough about hilarious scene-stealer Lolly Adefope as third assistant director Dag. Seriously, we want to see her in everything now.
‘The Acolyte’ - Disney+
Amandla Stenberg is so good as twins Osha and Mae, force sensitive siblings who take opposite paths to discover their power. Her distinct, yet captivating, performances drives the mystery behind a Jedi conspiracy. Set 100 years before “The Phantom Menace,” it offered a small glimpse at an era of the “Star Wars” universe we previously haven’t seen. No matter what Disney says about how it performed with viewers, it was one of the franchise’s best series in a long time.
‘Supacell’ - Netflix
Black people suddenly getting superpowers is a scary thought for a lot of people. Exploring the conspiracy, panic and fighting that could occur made “Supacell” feel like a real story, not a sci-fi fantasy.
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