The 10 Best TV Shows of 2024 (2025)

The primary characters are compelling to follow, given further dimensions. The central dynamic between Magneto and Charles Xavier has always been a highlight, and in the show, putting Magneto in an uneasy alliance with the X-Men makes his character even more so. The best villains are those whose ideologies make sense, and in multiple instances, Magneto’s justification is harder to deny. The X-Men had grown up, along with its viewers, even as this animation tries to stay very true to the ethos of the 90s animation. It especially looks gorgeous when depicting the action set pieces, truly managing to bridge the gap between the imagination of the young viewers of the original series and the limited animation of that series in its later seasons.

8. The Penguin | Platform – HBO, JioCinema

Creator – Lauren LeFranc

“The Penguin” is the first instance where a true blue continuation of the movie “The Batman” begins. The show takes the strands from the film’s ending and uses them to sew a tapestry about the underbelly of Gotham City through the fan-favorite character of The Penguin (Colin Farrell reprising his role from the movie). It ultimately becomes the story of Oz Cobb navigating and maneuvering his way through the different factions of the underworld of Gotham, all to satisfy his growing lust for power as well as an unchecked ambition that is governed by an oedipal-esque devotion to his mother. While Colin Farrell’s performance deftly shuttles between soulful, empathetic, funny, yet reckless, it’s the central relationships he has with Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), his mother (Diedre O’Connell) and the animus with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) that elevate the show.

The biggest trick “The Penguin” executed is in justifying its existence independent of the universe it is operating in, as well as not going through the traditional corny route of making the complex anti-heroic character a traditionally good man. It’s a choice the movies might have taken, but the television campus allows for shows to craft stories about deeper character exploration, and perhaps this is why “The Penguin” succeeds irrespective of its connections to a comic book film or a comic book medium.

7. Ripley | Platform – Netflix

Creator – Steven Zaillian

The ideal representation of a “Ripley” adaptation would be the overall faithfulness to the tonality and amorality of the Patricia Highsmith-penned novels, with the interpretation of Ripley resembling much more of Alain Delon. It is impossible to completely capture the personal aesthetic of Alain Delon, but Steven Zaillian does the next best thing. He takes one of the best cinematographers in the business, Robert Elswit (“There Will Be Blood”), and uses him to craft vistas, showing beauty and expansiveness. But then Zaillian has the color taken out, instructing Elswit to shoot the show in stark monochrome, with chiaroscuro perfectly calibrated. The beauty of every frame bestows a level of sinister, mysterious foreboding that offsets the warmth of the color that is associated with the “Ripley” movies.

Andrew Scott plays Ripley with all the intricacy of a perfectly calibrated clock. An opportunistic, charismatic manipulator whose smile doesn’t reach up to his eyes and whose tonality can shift between genial and terse within a dime, infected with a strain of narcissism. Connecting to the character is only possible through the machinations of the plot; Hitchcockian suspense allows you to wonder whether Ripley’s luck will finally run out. It is also aided by Zaillian’s process-oriented approach, highlighting the obsession inherent within the character and the meticulousness within the show itself.

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6. Monsieur Spade | Platform – AMC +

Creator – Scott Frank

If Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade was the quintessential noir detective, depicted with acerbic temperament and dry wit by Humphrey Bogart, Scott Frank’s entire exercise here is the transposition of the noir to the French new-wave. Its noir effectively transitions itself into neo-noir right in front of the viewer, through the perspective of the character. But somehow, amidst all of that, “Monsieur Spade” is prestige television at its most elusive. It’s perhaps the density of it all, but due to the runtime, every area, every off-handed comment by the radio, the era where the show sets itself, and the world where the show belongs, matters.

Spade (Clive Owen) is us, in that we are bamboozled by the sheer details and convolution that presents itself as the world gets further developed, but he is also a character with a history, a hard-boiled detective, and the convolution itself becomes tiresome. Thus, even when Spade isn’t directly involved, we understand his frustrations. A man with humor as a defense mechanism so enhanced into fine art that there isn’t any other option, even as the smoking (a noir trademark) is slowly killing him until he leaves it. But within the seriousness and nuanced storytelling that comes from the handling of prestige television, Frank never forgets to let loose the sheer peculiarity of pulp, and the ridiculousness of the MacGuffin. Simultaneously a commentary and love letter to noir, this is extraordinary.

5. Shogun: Season 1 | Platform – FX, Hulu, Disney + Hotstar

Creator – Justin Marks & Rachel Kondo

“Shogun,” based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, is the second adaptation of the book and somehow is the unlikely contender of taking the “Game of Thrones” spot on the water-cooler show. Unlike the “Shogun” of the 1980s, the onus and central figures of the story are the members of the shogunate. “Shogun” is anything but simple. It’s dense, dealing with the politics of that era, both inter-politics as well as geopolitics, while also dealing with both Blackthorne as well as Toranaga’s discovery of each other’s cultures as well as their key differences.

What truly makes “Shogun” stand out are the production design and the cinematography, as well as the performances. The standouts are of course Hiroyuki Sanada as puppet-master Toranaga, Anna Sawai as quietly strong Mariko, and Tadanobu Asano as the amoral Yabushige. All these elements elevate the show, truly immersing you in that period and the world at large. It’s a tough question whether “Shogun” could have been adapted any better.

As it stands, considering the new show shifts the perspective to the ones that required it the most – the Japanese – this newer version automatically trudges ahead by leaps and bounds. However, to become a show that both pays homage to history as well as narrative closure, it somewhat loses sight of the world and the conflicts within that world (religion, the after-effects of trade). It is far more a spectacle to be admired, than a show to be loved, an expertly crafted story that needs to be savored.

4. Dan Da Dan: Season 1| Platform – Netflix, Youtube

Creator – Fuga Yamashiro, Yukinobu Tatsu (author)

“Dan Da Dan” hits you like a bolt of lightning. Immensely wacky, utterly absurd, and yet unapologetic about its humor so overtly adult it adds to the cartoonish nature of it all, the tightrope of the balancing of the different and disparate tonalities is as smooth as the variety of opponents and supporting characters both Momo and Okarun have to face in each arc. Truly what makes “Dan Da Dan” stand out is the animation by Science Saru. Kinetic, bold, and not at all afraid to completely go off rules regarding any sense of contour or scale, Saru’s vivacious animation style perfectly captures the rich and weird imagination of author Yukinobu Tatsu. Rarely does the opening theme of an anime (Otonoke by Creepy Nuts) blend so seamlessly with the content itself.

But what ultimately strikes a chord for “Dan Da Dan” is the naked nature of the emotionality within the series. This is almost a high school love story between Okarun and Momo amidst the weirdness, but in its best moments, “Dan Da Dan” manages to slow down, hitting you with moments of pathos and poignancy that can move you to tears. The brevity of those moments does take you by surprise, as does the very effective, creepy, and suspenseful nature of each of the missions.

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3. Say Nothing | Platform – FX, Hulu, Disney + Hotstar

Creator – Joshua Zettumer

If we take into account the “fictional” and all the parameters that entail a shock of dramatic license, as well as some of the features of prestige television or tentpole films, “Say Nothing” is a fictional retelling of a true story. The framework of the Price sisters, Dolorus and Marian, and, through their eyes, the lens of the IRA, become an alluring one—of radicalization of thought, of righteous anger against Northern Ireland essentially being an apartheid state in the 60s, as well as the cruelty of the response delivered by both the police and the paramilitary of the IRA. From Episode 5, where the 1972 bombing and the hunger strike begin to form, the narrative begins to show the cracks in that righteous narrative. The kidnapping of Jean Mcconville renders the shape for the profundity that ultimately comes through in the second act of the show.

“Say Nothing” is an extraordinary achievement in storytelling simply because of how many plot threads it juggles through without losing sight of the endgame of the series itself. In its choice to deal with the characters in their older, more contemplative, and regretful days, the show automatically adds another layer of complexity that further makes this journey more compelling. At once profound, melancholic, and paranoia-tinged, the second act becomes a story of reckoning. For the McConvilles it becomes a search for closure, while for the perpetrators, it becomes a futile search for them to reconcile their past with their conscience, or, as with Gerry Adams, not deal with it altogether. It never shies away from humanizing these characters, but it also enviously manages to ensure the empathy of the audience remains with the victims while reveling in the discomfort of following these characters.

2. Baby Reindeer | Platform – Netflix

Creator – Richard Gadd

“Baby Reindeer,” based on the eponymous play by creator Richard Gadd, details the story of a comedian named Donny Gunn (Gadd) as he finds himself being stalked by an apparent lawyer and fan, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) and how the insidious events threaten to tear his life apart. Gadd, as Dunn, initially presents himself as a pleasant man with some ground rules established that are quite weird. As a creator, Gadd is interested in the cascading nature of trauma, its manifestation, and the enhancement of self-loathing. Thus the twists and revelations dealing with sexual assault, hit like a punch in the gut because they appear as character wrinkles revealed slowly and deliberately. In fact, it’s almost as if the show, and Gadd vicariously through it, is presenting his vulnerability to the viewer.

The show works precisely because it is unafraid to make the viewer uncomfortable, to frankly speak about sexual abuse, grooming, trauma, self-hatred, and the propensity to self-sabotage, and also to be extremely funny in the process. Like Dunn’s stand-up bits, the comedy comes in fits and bursts to not only puncture the tension but, in some cases, to underline and even enhance said tension. The show by the end makes you objectively dissect the perpetrator-victim relationship between Dunn and Scott and manage to look at it through a much more empathetic and mature lens. And even as the show ends, it leaves with a vision resembling a haunted mirror and despair at the slowness of the human experience.

1. Industry: Season 3 | Platform – HBO, JioCinema

Creators – Mickey Down & Konrad Kay

The best television shows always manage to paint their characters in a corner, and the compelling part is witnessing the writers figure out how to get their characters out of those situations without compromising on what made those characters compelling in the first place. As scene-stealing and energetic as the first two seasons of “Industry” had been, this season, with the characters intentionally being separated or thrown out of their usual comfort zones, allowed the show to experiment with their depth, beyond the bluster and the determination and sheer will, or even the propensity to showcase strength as the only currency to survive in capitalism’s heartland—the corporate world.

It is sheer determination battling against the protected and limitless privilege of royalty, the immigrant experience of survival clashing against the primal need for power. The characters of Harper, Eric, and even Rishi move beyond the immigrant experience that they tout as one of the primary reasons for how their characters shape up to be and are broken down and then rebuilt again.

Yasmin meanwhile takes the audience surrogate role, and through that, we see her humanized, reckon with the predatory nature of her father, and making choices that we know are never going to fundamentally change her. But if self-preservation is the primary instinct for all these characters, all of them act in accordance with that ethos. But again, that self-preservation can backfire, and creators Down and Kay use the self-preservation of a character like Eric to make a pivot that ultimately leads to the end of an era of the show. All these produce a fascinating, raw, over-the-top, and by the end surprisingly tender and romantic saga with unique and jarring visual tonality, resulting in one of the best shows of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

These five shows miss the cut, but still rest in the crevices of my memory as remarkable experiences of storytelling of this year, and can serve as recommendations –

• Slow Horses: Season 4 | Creator – Will Smith | Platform – Apple TV+
• What We Do In The Shadows: Season 6 | Creator – Jemaine Clement | Platform – FX, Hulu, Disney + Hotstar
• Tokyo Vice: Season 2 | Creator – JT Rogers | Platform – HBO Max, JioCinema
• Barzakh | Creator – Asim Abbasi | Platform – Zee5, Youtube
• Poacher | Creator – Ritchie Mehta | Platform – Amazon Prime Video

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