2024 TV Shows: Which Ones Deserve the Top Spot in My Ranking?

With 2024 ending, it is time for the TV show year in review. I tried to keep up with more TV shows this year and managed to complete 20 different TV shows, topping last year's 15. 13 of them were new shows, while the other 8 were new seasons of existing shows. I wanted to get Squid Game Season 2 in this year but with it coming out on December 26th, I just couldn't get it in by the end of the year. There were a few clunkers this year, but most of them I felt were at least worth the time to watch. Before starting, I wanted to share a few sections of honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention: Unfinished Streaming Division

These shows were released on a streaming service that was not finished by the end of the year. It didn't feel right ranking them without a complete season but I still wanted to share some of my thoughts as I did still watch a portion of them.

1. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

This is the newest Star Wars show on Disney+. This show is essentially Star Wars meets The Goonies. I like that the show gives off this family 80's/90's movie vibe, similar to films like E.T, The Goonies and Home Alone. There are still a couple of episodes left, but so far I find this show to have a lot of heart as well as a lot of sweet moments.

2. Creature Commandos

Creature Commandos is the start of the new DC universe. It has the James Gunn style and tone to it, much like The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy. It has a lot of humor and violent moments, two things which I am on board with. There are still a couple of episodes left, but so far I like the overall tone, action sequences and story that they are going for here.

Honorable Mention: Sitcom Division

These shows are all your traditional 30-minute sitcom/comedy-type shows. Sarah and I watched all of these together as they are kind of our niche for shared interest shows. These didn't fit with the rest of the TV shows as they are not cohesive narratives so I thought it would be difficult to compare them to the shows that are more movie-like with season-long storylines.

1. Young Sheldon Season 7

This is the final season of the Big Bang Theory prequel. This show had the difficult task of tackling Sheldon's transition to Cal-Tech and the death of his father, both of which I thought was handled very well. Throughout most of the season, I thought the show kind of lost its focus on Sheldon as many of the episodes were focused on the other family members. The final couple of episodes were very emotional and well done as they show the funeral of George Sr. and how the family copes with his death. It wasn't quite as good as the other seasons but still stick the landing in the finale very well.

2. Ghosts Season 4

Ghosts is a show that Sarah and I started watching this year and caught up to where they were releasing the episodes weekly. This is a very dry-humor kind of show about a married couple that resides in a mansion with a bunch of ghosts. Each ghost is from a different time so it is a lot of fun to see them interacting with each other while also being constantly baffled by modern-day elements. There are some sweet moments but it is mostly just a bunch of ghostly shenanigans that make for a good laugh every week.

3. Abbott Elementary Season 4

Abbott Elementary is another show that we started watching and then caught up to the real-time releases. This show is essentially The Office but at a public elementary school. It has the same narrative style and humor as the office which just works well in the school setting. Each teacher has their own little quirk that makes them interesting while also supplying a lot of funny moments. It is a bit derivative of The Office with the Jim and Pam characters in Gregory and Jennette and the Michael Scott character in Ava but if it is not broken don't fix it.

4. Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage

Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage is a spin-off of Young Sheldon which is a spin-off of the Big Bang Theory so this is a spin-off of a spin-off. The show follows Georgie and Mandy as they navigate married life while raising a newborn and living with Mandy's parent. I've been a little skeptical of this show but it grows on me the more episodes that I watch. It is an old-fashioned feel-good 90's comedy. It runs like your typical family sitcoms like Full House or Friends with week-to-week family shenanigans that work out by the end. Georgie and Mandy are very fun together and it is fun to see Emily Osment in her own show after knowing her from Disney Channel.

With my honorable mentions out of the way, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 2024 TV shows that I saw.

20. The Acolyte

The Acolyte is easily the worst show that I saw this year. I was so excited about a Star Wars show taking place outside of the Skywalker saga but it ended up being so disappointing. The characters in this show are extremely unlikable. The show essentially vilifies every single character so that by the end. I didn't think there was enough plot to last eight episodes so many of the middle episodes felt pretty directionless and bloated. I didn't feel like the show was as terrible as a lot of people said. What soured me on the show was the last episode. The final resolution just really left a sour taste in my mouth. The show as a whole seemed like it actively resented the Star Wars franchise as it disregards canon and lore and just dumps on the things people love about Star Wars.

Score: 3/10 Grade: D

19. Knuckles

Knuckles was the first TV show edition of the Sonic franchise. The show centers around Knuckles as he attempts to find his place in the world. There are some fun elements here. Knuckles as a character has this Drax the Destroyer vibe to him where he takes things too literally that was a lot of fun. We also got more of Wade who was a humorous character in the show. The weird thing about this show is while it is called Knuckles, it is really about Wade and his father's issues. This goes so far to where there are whole episodes that Knuckles is hardly in. If you are going to call a show Knuckles, it should be about Knuckles. I also felt that the show had no driving force to the plot. Many of the episodes meander so much and the finale is just so lackluster and rushed. I was hoping this show would be fun but it just didn't have much of anything going for it,

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

18. Echo

Echo is the weakest of the Marvel Disney+ show. It was fun to have a more street-level story that showcases a different hero and culture than the rest of the MCU. I also liked that we got to see more of Kingpin as he is now officially in the MCU. It was also cool to see a deaf character being showcased. The actress who plays Maya does a great job of showcasing her emotions without actually saying anything. However, just like with most of the other Marvel shows, the ending was extremely rushed. They crammed two episodes of material into the finale so that nothing feels earned or satisfying. I also thought that the whole family and ancestor subplots were extremely underdeveloped and rang hollow in the end.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

17. Agatha All Along

Agatha All Along is the better of the two Marvel Disney+ shows though not by much. I thought that the individual episodes of the show were better than the show as a whole. I liked the spooky elements of the show. It isn't super scary but enough that it differs from other Marvel projects. I also liked the structure of the middle section of episodes where each witch has to face a unique trial which each has a different theme. I also thought the Witches Road song was very good and liked how it was apart of the show in multiple episodes. However, the show didn't win me over. The ending just didn't sit well with me as it made the whole show pointless. I also was never on board with Agatha getting her own show nor do I think the show was good enough to justify it.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

16. Dune: Prophecy

Dune: Prophecy was one of the more disappointing shows that I saw this year. I liked the Dune movies, but this show just didn't live up to the quality of those. The show looks really good. I'm always impressed by how TV shows can put out film-level episodes every week. I also liked how the show built out the world of Dune a bit more by exploring these different factions and planets. The big issue with this show is that it felt really slow until the last episode and I could never get into it. The show felt like 3-4 episodes of material stretched into 6 episodes. I also didn't find any of the characters all that likable. I didn't like the Bene Gesserit in Dune so having a whole show about them didn't do it for me. I also thought it was weird that this show takes place 10,000 years before Dune but somehow nothing has changed. The same houses are in power with the same conflicts about Arrakis and spice.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

15. Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a decent enough spy show. It is a remake of the Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie movie but they are similar in name only. I like how the show has a very streamlined story with no subplots. The show is solely focused on these two spies pretending to be a married couple. I like how each episode kind of incorporates a different aspect of married life into the spy missions. One episode is a vacation while another tackles parenting and so on. The show does a great job of showing the evolution between John and Jane and showcases their struggles as a couple. The big issue here is that the two leads don't have any chemistry together. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not but a big part of the original movie is the banter between the couple and this show just didn't have that.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

14. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

Tales of the Empire is very similar to Tales of the Jedi from a few years ago in that it is six shorts about Star Wars villains in the empire. It focuses on the lives of Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee after the rise of the Empire. Just like with Tales of the Jedi, I liked how this show gave some backstory to these two characters. I especially liked Barriss's journey into the empire. With Morgan Elsbeth, we get to see some great background on her character and how she gets to where she is in The Mandalorian. There isn't much to say about this show as it was very short but it was a fun little adventure back into the Clone Wars era of Star Wars animation.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

13. What If...? Season 3

What If...? Season 3 was the final show I saw this year. Just like with the previous seasons, I like the premise of this show with little episodes centered around an alternate universe with one detail changed. The premise is very conducive to an adventure-of-the-week TV show like this. I also liked that this season centered around some of the newer heroes such as Falcon, Shangi Chi, Moon Knight, Riri Williams, and Kate Bishop, to give them some screentime. I thought the episodes here were fun but not as good as either of the other two seasons. The finale where all the stories get tied together was decent enough. It wasn't as good as season one but better than season two. I always thought it was cool that main of the live-action actors came to lend their voices. I think this show achieved what it was going for. It wasn't going for a big swing just an opportunity to tell some fun multiverse stories.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B+

12. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

I thought Season 2 of The Rings of Power was a step up from Season 1. I like how this season focuses on the creation of the rings of power as well as develops Sauron as a character. I found him more of an impressive villain after I saw how he planned and manipulated everything in this show. This season was also very action-packed with several large-scale battles with the one in the final episodes being very well done. It is just so fun to journey back into the world of one of my favorite franchises. I wasn't a huge fan of the handling of Galadriel as a character or the creating of false stakes for characters we know survive to the LOTR but overall I thought this was a solid second season of this show.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

11. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters took a unique approach in the monster universe and centered a show around the human characters instead of the monsters. The show does a good job of showing the impact Godzilla has on the world and how many cities struggled to recover after his rampage. We see the characters having to work through family separation, PTSD, and family secrets. These characters are much better than any characters in the movies as the show spends time developing them instead of just having them be POV characters for the monster battles. I also liked all the globe-trotting and world-building aspects of the show and the exploration of Monarch as an organization.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

10. Doctor Who

This iteration of Doctor Who is the beginning of the Disney+ era of the show. This show introduces a new version of The Doctor and a new companion in Ruby Sunday. I like the whole adventure-of-the-week structure that this show gives. There isn't an overarching story but the episodes do build to something in the finale. I thought The Doctor and Ruby Sunday were great together. Both of the characters are so excitable and likable. I also like Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor. He has a bit of a different personality than the other Doctors but still has that wry British humor that they all have. I am looking forward to seeing how the next season of Doctor Who unfolds.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

9. The Gentlemen

The Gentlemen is a new Netflix original show set in the world of Guy Richie's The Gentlemen (The 2019 Movie). The show follows Eddie Horniman after he inherits his family's estate and discovers that it is home to a huge weed empire. I thought this show was a fun quaint dry humor crime show. I liked how this show essentially took audiences through the day in the life of a drug supplier exploring different elements such as drug running, grand theft auto and other crimes. It is just funny to see this rich lord attempting to learn the ropes of the criminal underworld. Eddie and Susie are great together and play off of each other quite well.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

8. 3 Body Problem

3 Body Problem is another Netflix original show. This one follows a group of scientists who must devise a way to prevent an alien invasion. I liked how this show was a lot of a grounded take on Science Fiction. There are a lot of science and engineering aspects that are super interesting and make this show more engaging to me. This show reminds me a lot of the novels of Isaac Asimov such as Nemesis. The show also does a good job of showing how society would react to an imminent alien threat. I thought all the characters were fascinating and charismatic. This is the kind of classic Sci-Fi that I could watch a lot more of.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

7. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3

This is the final season of The Bad Batch on Disney+. This season does a great job of closing out on all of the stories of our main characters. This season had a much more focused storyline than the previous season with this story being about the rescue of Omega and the destruction of the Clone Trooper prison/lab. This season does a great job of giving this redemptive arc to Crosshair as well as growing Omega into a true leader. I also like how this show ties into elements of the sequel trilogy with Project Necromancer being a clear connection to Palpatine's return in The Rise of Skywalker. While I don't think it is as good as season 1, I think this show still does a great job of closing out the story of Clone Force 99.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

6. Fallout

Fallout is a new video game adaption from Amazon Video. This show does a great job of building out the world in this post-nuclear war society. We see all of these different factions from the soldiers trying to maintain order to the wandering criminals to the vault dwellers. Each faction is so different and showcases a different area of life in this world. I like how the show gives us a POV character from each character and has them interact and learn from each other so that they can all grow in this world. Walton Goggins is as fun as The Ghoul as he just takes life as it is and has no faith or care for other people. Lucy was a lot of fun character. She starts as this naive vault dweller and slowly changes as she is more exposed to this world. This show also has this fun 50s vibe with the music and the way people talk.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy Jackson and the Olympians was one of the shows I was most looking forward to this year. I have read the books multiple times and was very disappointed in the movie. Thankfully, this show lived up to all of my expectations. The kids they chose to play the main trio were great casting. I like how this show always had forward momentum. There were never any episodes that just felt like filler. Every episode moved the story forward in some way or another. I liked how much more accurate this show was to the book. While it still changed some things, it is so much better than the film. The show also does a great job of building out the world of Greek mythology with each episode introducing some new aspect of mythology. I am very much looking forward to season 2 this year.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

4. House of the Dragon Season 2

This was another TV season that I was very excited about this year. I found this season of House of the Dragon to be much better than season one as it manages to do its own thing instead of trying and recreate Game of Thrones. I like how this whole season is about building alliances and preparing for the war in season three. We also get a lot of time with both Rhaenyra and Alicent as they contemplate whether the war is worth it. There are also a lot of great action and battle sequences in this season with a lot of fun dragon action. I also like how it isn't very clear which side is the "hero" and "villain" as both sides have valid reasons for doing the things that they do and both do some not so morale things.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

3. The Penguin

The Penguin is probably one of my biggest surprises this year. It takes place in the same world as The Batman (from 2022) and creates a more lived in Gotham City. This show does a great job of showcasing the criminal underbelly of Gotham and humanizes a lot of the people who would be considered criminals from Batman's perspective. Colin Ferrell is great as the Penguin and transforms into the role to the point where you can't even tell who the actor is. Cristin Millioti is another standout as Sofia. She is a great foil to The Penguin and is also very well-fleshed out and sympathetic. I like how this show is all about the people who are viewed as the "henchmen" as they finally get their turn in the light. This show is also great as it has forward momentum from beginning to end and makes sure every character gets some moment to shine.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A

2. The Boys Season 4

The Boys is one of my favorite TV shows so naturally, the newest season comes as one of my favorites of the year. While it is the weakest of the 4 seasons, when the other 3 seasons are as good as they are, the weakest is still very good. I like how this season gives a deep dive into individual characters. We get to see some background on characters like Frenchie and Hughey that develop them as stronger characters. I also like the self-aware humor that is in this show. The show is constantly poking fun at the current political climate and the current MCU. The show also allows us to spend a bit more time with Homelander to see how unhinged he is. Of course, the show still delivers the gruesome violence and action that makes this show so exciting. While it may not be as good as the other seasons, it is still a great continuation.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A+

1. The Bear Season 3

The Bear is another one of my favorite shows and this season continues with its greatness. As with the other seasons, this show does a great job of taking a story about a restaurant and making it a show about people and their relationships. This season gives a bit more time to Tina and Natalie with entire episodes devoted to their characters. As with the other seasons, this season does a great job of showcasing the high stress of the restaurant environment. This season also sprinkles in a lot of subtle humor and absurdity with the Falk brothers stealing just about every scene they are in. The show also does a good job of not making the episodes overly long. Each episode of this season is only about 30-40 minutes which I think is a much more appropriate length for a TV show than over hour-long episodes. While this season, isn't as good as the previous seasons with the bar being so high, it still makes it my favorite show of the year.

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A+