Best television of 2024: Why we loved these 25 shows from Shogun to Shrinking

As 2024 winds down and 2025 looms on the horizon, it's time to look back at the year that was in pop culture. We asked the For The Win staff to pick their favorite movies, music and television from the past year, and now we are sharing it with you.

The rules are pretty simple: it had to have released in the calendar year 2024. For television, just one episode had to air for the first time over the last year. To be clear, this list isn't necessarily the best of the year, they're our favorites. 

It was a really solid year for television, especially on Apple TV+ and Netflix. Let's get to our favorites.

1. Shōgun (FX)

It was incredibly refreshing — and kind of cool — to see a show that was made for an American broadcasting company to be primarily spoken in Japanese with a majority Japanese cast. Shōgun’s debut season was filled with tense drama and gripping storytelling about a 1600s English sailor becoming stranded in Japan. The acting across the board, but specifically Anna Sawai’s, was phenomenal, and I have no idea how they’ll outdo themselves for another season.

-- Mary Clarke

2. Industry (HBO)

While it was often compared to Succession because it took over HBO's primetime slot on Sunday night, I think this show is the spiritual successor to Mad Men. It's harrowing, deeply unhinged, and some of the best character work I've ever seen on TV. The showrunners capture lightning in a bottle and will take you on a ride every episode.

-- Bryan Kalbrosky

3. Bob's Burgers (Fox)

Bob's Burgers has changed as it enters its 15th season. Normally that would suggest a decline in quality. Instead, the show has opted for deeper examinations of its characters, taking on a more serious, heartfelt tone without shedding the humor that makes it one of the funniest shows on television. While 2023 may be the best example of this ("Amerlia," The Amazing Rudy"), 2024 has continued this trend with winners like "Saving Favorite Drive-In," "Colon-ly the Dronely" and "They Slug Horses, Don't they?"

-- Christian D'Andrea

4. Agatha All Along (Disney+)

After a pretty meh run from Marvel over the last few years on the television side, the studio seemed to really nail things with its Agatha series. Like Loki Season 1, this show brings you into a world that plays by its own rules and doesn't really concern itself with connecting with the rest of the MCU's massive lore. It's fantastic.

-- Mike Sykes

5. Fallout (Prime Video)

The Fallout video game series works because it's not afraid to cast a dark, cynical, but funny light on the worst impulses of human nature. Now imagine using a cast led by Walton Goggins, with a story about anti-communist (or anti-capitalist) sentiment that leads to the world's self-destruction. You get the Fallout show, a scornful and delightful slice of life in the nuclear apocalypse.

-- Robert Zeglinski

6. Shrinking (Apple TV+)

I'm beginning to think Bill Lawrence is unstoppable. Lawrence was the showrunner for Scrubs before he went on a heater at Apple TV+ with Ted Lasso, Bad Monkey and Shrinking. Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent from Ted Lasso) are also creators for the heartfelt comedy, and Segel is fantastic as the lead character, Jimmy. Goldstein joined the cast this season, playing the role of Louis, the man that caused the fatal accident involving Jimmy's wife. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and devastating and utterly hilarious. It's some of Harrison Ford's best and most vulnerable work, and there might not be a better character on television right now than Ted McGinley's Derek. If you're not watching, it's time to start.

-- Caroline Darney

7. Supacell (Netflix)

I’m a sucker for suspense dramas that sprinkle little breadcrumbs for me to pick up and try to figure out what’s going on before it all comes together. And that's exactly why this show had me glued. Add in the perspective storytelling of superpowered Black characters from London and the reason their race is relevant to the story, I’ll be back for Season 2.

-- Prince Grimes

8. The Acolyte (Disney+)

It’s a real shame that Lucasfilm decided to cancel the second season of this show, giving power to the whiny people on YouTube and X who review-bombed this show and complained about the franchise being woke while over-obsessing about the birthday of an obscure Jedi. Did everything in it work? No. Was it incredibly refreshing, interesting and fun? Hell yes. It brought us an original and compelling detective story with all new characters in the center of the frame in a previously unexplored era of the massive Star Wars universe and timeline. The final product featured some of the best lightsaber scenes in the franchise, an awesome and villainous star turn for Manny Jacinto, and a vehicle that gave fans permission to poke holes in the Jedi lore and mythology. I hope that we see Jacinto and Amandla Stenberg in more Star Wars stuff in the future, but I’m not holding my breath. At least we’ll always have these eight episodes to return to.

-- Mitchell Northam

9. Invincible (Prime Video)

It's hard for me to get over the two-plus-year gap between Seasons 1 and 2 of Invincible, but the wait was worth it. A flip on the superhero formula, Invincible already asked the tough question about what happens in a reality whether its world's Superman (Omni-Man) is evil. In Season 2, we follow Mark trying to reconcile with his father's complicated legacy. This time, he has to face down space fascists as the world's greenest hero. It's a massive character evolution worth exploring for someone who isn't nearly ready for this kind of responsibility.

-- Zeglinski

10. John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. (Netflix)

This was so perfectly weird! I loved how unafraid John Mulaney was to go off the deep end with no regard to the constraints of what TV usually looks and feels like, and I wish more late night programs were as daring, silly, experimental, and oddly informative as this one was. It was undeniably chaotic but brought me so much joy.

-- Kalbrosky

11. X-Men 97 (Disney+)

I understand that animation isn't everyone's bag. But, man. This show is IT. It might be the best thing I've watched all year long. There's all the action that comes with the original X-Men 97 series, but the stakes get higher and higher each and every episode. If you only watch one episode, watch episode 5.

-- Sykes

12. Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Welcome back, Adam Brody. This is exactly the type of charming, funny and delightful content we want, streamers. Make more romcoms, please.

-- Darney

13. Delicious in Dungeon (Netflix)

Delicious in Dungeon, or Dungeon Meshi in Japan, is an absolute delight of a show. The premise is quite simple: a group of adventurers go exploring in a dungeon and learn how to cook and eat the monsters they slay along the way. Of course, there is more to the story, but the way food is talked about and presented in this show is so appealing and fun.

-- Clarke

14. Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

I expected to hate this show after the first minutes but after powering through, it became immensely clear that this was a masterpiece. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this to everyone, but if you're willing to give it a chance, you'll see why this deeply exposing Richard Gadd project earned all six of its Emmy wins.

-- Kalbrosky

15. What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

Season 6 was a bit of a tribute to the show itself, featuring a handful of callbacks and several moments when it was clear the writers just wanted Matthew Berry to say things in Matthew Berry voice ("I see you know your judo well!") Even so, the final 11 episodes managed to give us Office Nadja, plenty of Doug Jones and a finale that followed from 1985's Clue with three different (fake) endings. It was a great way to finish a great show, featuring a cameo from everyone's favorite human bartender, Jackie Daytona.

-- D'Andrea

16. Black Doves (Netflix)

Netflix was in its bag this year with series. Black Doves has Keira Knightley as a spy, deep undercover as the wife of an up-and-coming British politician. As you can imagine, things get messy when the guy she's having an affair with is killed, leading to a lot of intense and deadly twists and turns. Ben Wishaw, also known as the voice of Paddington Bear, is fantastic as the reserved clean-up man. This has already been renewed for a second season, so definitely worth the watch.

-- Darney

17. Dandadan (Netflix)

Again, animation isn't everyone's bag. And anime certainly isn't. But Dandadan is just an incredibly fun series that I think everyone should watch. The premise is ridiculous — it takes the foundation of a simple girl meets boy story and flips it on its head. There are ghosts and aliens involved. Please watch this. I can't explain it any better than that.

-- Sykes

18. The Vince Staples Show (Netflix)

It’s only five episodes long, but if you’re into the dry, state-the-obvious-but-unsaid kind of humor Vince Staples has become known for almost more than his music, you’ll love this show. It’s not so much a comedy as it’s a peek into the life of a kinda-famous rapper. And the brevity of each episode that so many people complained about is a plus for someone like me who struggles to find time for TV.

-- Grimes

19. A Man on the Inside (Netflix)

This show flew a bit under the radar despite it coming from TV mastermind Michael Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreation, The Good Place) but it blew me away. Ted Danson was truly tremendous and I cried during multiple episodes. It was a funny, moving tribute to love, friendship, getting older, and also low-budget espionage cosplay.

-- Kalbrosky

20. Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

They're the rejects of British intelligence, and it is so wildly entertaining. Jack Lowden is criminally underrated, and Gary Oldman is fully in his bag. Like most AppleTV+ shows, no one is talking enough about this one.

-- Darney

21. Arcane (Netflix)

I’m not a League of Legends player but oh man, is Arcane one of the best shows of all time. You don’t have to know anything about the video game to watch the show — it’s quite separate from its source material — as the diverse cast and stunning world will keep you engaged from the first episode. Plus, the animation is GORGEOUS (perhaps the best in the medium) and will no doubt blow you away with how wonderfully detailed everything is. It’s a shame to see this chapter of the show close, as season two was the last with these characters, but I’m looking forward to seeing what corner of the world they tackle next.

-- Clarke

22. Girls5Eva (Netflix)

Netflix recently canceled this, because unless you're Squid Game, the streamer uses all the promotional power of Apple TV to advertise its shows. That's in no way a reflection of its quality. Meredith Scardino's 30 Rock roots shine in a show that packs seemingly 20 jokes in every minute. Paula Pell backs up her bonafides as one of the funniest people on the planet, but Sarah Bareilles, Busy Phillips and Renee Elise Goldsberry are right there with her. Everything works. Everything's funny. The songs are good. The show is great. ...Was great. Dammit, Netflix.

-- D'Andrea

23. The Penguin (Max)

Imagine bringing the Sopranos to the world of Batman. That's basically what this was. I usually hate villain origin stories. But this one works for me because it doesn't simply look for a way to humanize the villain its titular villain — it convinces you that he's as much of a monster as he is a man.

-- Sykes

24. My Adventures With Superman (Max)

Admittedly, I haven't always looked fondly upon the Superman character. I found the idea of Clark Kent a little too cliche and couldn't really relate to his true form the way I do with other heroes in the American comic book canon. But with its gorgeous Japanese anime style, cartoon comedy tone, and a gripping, deep narrative about a younger Superman still finding his wings, My Adventures with Superman has finally won me over. I cannot get enough of the Man of Steel anymore.

-- Zeglinski

25. Squid Game (Netflix)

If you wondered how they'd be able to recapture some of the anxiety and stress that Season 1 created, don't worry. Squid Game does a really great job in the second season of finding new ways to keep you on the edge of your seat while tackling the same type format. The first episode or so are a little slow, but things pick up and you'll fly through this seven episode season.

-- Darney

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Best television of 2024: Why we loved these 25 shows from Shogun to Shrinking