2024 has been my best year so far for keeping up with new releases of TV. Major blind spots, normally voluminous, are mostly down to shows like Ripley, Girls 5Eva, Hacks, and The Sympathizer. The first half of this year has seen a great number of limited series, dramas, and comedies, that could potentially make it to the end of year list. Note that certain shows, like The Curse and Fargo, fully belong on this list, but premiered the bulk of their episodes in 2023.

Honorable Mentions:

• Baby Reindeer
• Masters of the Air
• Sugar
• The Regime
• Under the Bridge

Special Mention: Bluey

Okay, so Bluey has only debuted three new episodes in 2024, but what a wallop those three episodes pack! First, Ghost Basket is the show at its breezy best, simply showing the Heeler family at play and having fun. Then The Sign goes for the jugular in the best way, with 28 minutes of heartfelt, layered storytelling that highlights nearly every major and minor character throughout the show’s history. It’s always tricky when a children’s show tries to extend its grasp, but The Sign shows that Bluey and its creative team knows what works best and what doesn’t. Finally, Surprise offers more valuable life lessons for kids and adults alike. It may be a while before we see more new episodes of the show, but these three entries are more than enough to hold fans of the show over until then.

Fallout

My expectations were both sky-high and lower than an underground vault for Prime Video’s version of Fallout. Video game adaptations can be hit or miss, and the source material, while open ended enough to allow for multiple interpretations, has a high degree of difficulty. Nevertheless, showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet’s Fallout managed to craft an engaging story that stuck faithfully to the games’ humor and outlook on the world. Production design, visual effects, and performances from Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Moten all work in tandem to create a weird world that comments on America’s past, present, and future, and lays the groundwork for what could be a lively and long-running series.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Did the world really need a TV adaptation of the early-aughts “classic” Mr. & Mrs. Smith? Maybe not, but Donald Glover and Maya Erskine sure as hell made their case. The extended format allows Glover – who co-created the show with Francesca Sloane – and Erskine to really dive into their characters as they navigate the world of spycraft and their relationships with each other. The show charts the rise and fall of Jane (Erskine) and John (Glover) as they carry out their fake marriage while figuring out their real feelings for each other, and jockey for supremacy in the mysterious spy world. An overabundance of otherworldly guest stars made the serialized season feel more episodic, with global locations and varied missions at stake. Whether a second season includes Glover and Erskine or not, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is an exciting series that can open new avenues for prestige television.

My Adventures with Superman

I’m generally agnostic towards most Superman properties, but I recently discovered the Max animated series My Adventures With Superman, and my skepticism mostly vanished. Though it’s only barely halfway over, the show’s second season is a perfect blend of what worked so well in the first. That is, silly antics and canonical superhero exploits. Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, and Ishmel Sahid, plus a slew of fun supporting voice performers provide a welcome bit of levity to what’s essentially an extended origin story and a romantic comedy for the Man of Steel. Much like its more demented counterpart Harley Quinn, My Adventures With Superman finds new angles into the tiresome superhero genre by leaning into these already well-known characters while deepening the Superman lore in its own unique way.

Presumed Innocent

There’s always a fear with any new AppleTV+ limited series that it will fade into obscurity, as is the case with too many of their prestigious projects with A-List stars. Thankfully Presumed Innocent, the series adaptation of Scott Turow’s novel, and the 1990 film, is a riveting courtroom thriller with captivating performances all around. Jake Gyllenhaal leads a layered cast at the tops of their games, including Bill Camp (possibly the MVP of the series), Ruth Negga, O-T Fagbenle, Elizabeth Marvel, and Peter Sarsgaard. TV veteran and showrunner David E. Kelley’s show, by its nature, isn’t exactly original, but it feels like a freshly reinvented version of a well-worn genre. It’s been a while since a series had me riveted from start to finish, delightedly unsure of what could happen next, but that’s exactly what Presumed Innocent has done.

Shōgun

Shōgun represents TV at its most epic, with large-scale productions and grand storytelling. There were early comparisons to the palace intrigue of Game of Thrones, but the show quickly and easily carved out its own unique space with indelible characters, great performances, and twisty melodrama. That the show felt authentic to its cultural and historical setting while remaining easily digestible is a testament not just to James Clavell’s novels, but in the show’s writing and directing. With talk of more Shōgun on the horizon, it’s unclear how the show will continue, but if the creative team can remain intact, we’ll surely be in for more high quality television.