The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
Brad Falchuk’s first showrunning venture away from the purview of Ryan Murphy is The Brothers Sun, a fun action/comedy/family show that features a captivating Michelle Yeoh at its very center. There are far worse—and far less fun—ways to spend a couple hours. The show unfortunately has already been canceled by Netflix—but it’s still enjoyable even when viewed just as a limited series.
True Detective: Night Country (HBO)
Depending on who you’re talking to, HBO’s True Detective: Night Country is either Season 4 of the True Detective franchise, or an entirely new show, a spin-off starting anew. All things considered, it’s kind of semantics and doesn’t really matter, but for the purposes of this list, we’re going to include it.
Night Country is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, where the men stationed in a secretly-funded location for research suddenly disappear. Local law enforcement officers played by Jodie Foster and newcomer Kali Reis step in to solve a mystery, which may or may not be connected to long-running local cold case. The show has a dark, brooding aesthetic, but it’s the performances of the leads that really draw us in. Reis is an energetic and exciting performer, and—let’s be real—Jodie Foster in a dark psychological crime thriller has never steered us wrong before. The Silence of the Lambs for life.
Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks once again reunite as producers of a TV limited series of war, brotherhood, and incredible visual spectacle. The show follows the story of the 100th Bond Group—also known as the “Bloody Hundreth”—and both their tragic and triumphant adventures through the WWII theater. The story features incredible visuals and even better acting, led by a cast that includes Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, and Anthony Boyl, among others.
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Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine take a new approach to the hit 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith with this action-packed, super clever, and very engaging Prime Video dark comedy. It may not have the same star-powered punch as the film (which, if you haven’t watched it in a while, does have incredibly charismatic stars, but otherwise barely has a plot), but it’s actually a better product overall. Glover and Erskine both shine, and the guest stars—including Paul Dano, Parker Posey, John Turturro, and more—are episodic highlights. One of the best, and most fun, shows of the year, by far.
Shōgun (FX)
FX is not playing around, people. The long-in-the-works samurai epic (based on James Clavell’s book of the same name, previously adapted as an NBC miniseries in 1980) is absolutely fantastic, a big-budget story that uses that budget in all the best ways, looking incredible, and featuring top-notch acting, but perhaps most importantly, coming to play with some seriously fantastic writing that spans several languages; some of the best parts of the show come in the moments where Mariko (Anna Sawai) is translating the words of John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis). Led by a cast that features Hiroyuki Sanada (a martial arts legend who audiences may recognize from Bullet Train, Westworld, or Avengers: Endgame), Shōgun is probably the best show overall to land in 2024 so far.
Manhunt (Apple TV+)
Based on a thrilling true story, Manhunt is an adaptation of the nonfiction book of the same name and follows the 12-day hunt for John Wilkes Booth that came in the immediate aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The cast is led by Tobias Menzies as Edwin Stanton, Anthony Boyle (who also appeared in Masters of the Air) as Booth, and Hamish Linklater as Lincoln.
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X-Men ’97 (Disney+)
This is another one where we don’t have to make it too complicated: the beloved ’90s X-Men animated series continues just a few decades later with X-Men ’97. The original voices and creative forces largely returned from that original product, and, as detailed in a Men’s Health interview with producer Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios made ’97 a major priority—and it shows. It’s a nostalgic, delightful treat for any fan of Professor X’s squad.
3-Body Problem (Netflix)
Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is based on the bestselling hard sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, and while the book may seem, at times, to be rather unadaptable, the team of showrunners (including the Game of Thrones team of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with True Blood writer Alexander Woo) did an admirable job bringing everything together. 3 Body Problem makes some major changes from the source material, but ultimately comes together in a brisk, exciting sci-fi adventure that works on the back of ambitious visuals and writing and a fun, game cast that includes the likes of Eiza Gonzalez, Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham, Rosalind Chao, and more.
Anyone looking for a fun, realistic look at what first contact with an alien race would really be like is in for a treat; 3 Body Problem ultimately plays as half extremely intense sci-fi, half tension-filled political thriller, and 100% a good time. Season 2, thankfully, will continue the story.
The Gentlemen (Netflix)
The Gentlemen comes from writer/director Guy Ritchie, and is based on his 2020 movie of the same name, but not a prequel or a sequel; rather it essentially does a do-over from the film (think The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II) from a different perspective, slightly changing some things, and largely for the better—the show is a blast. The cast is led by Theo James, and also includes Giancarlo Esposito and Ray Winstone, among others.
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Ripley (Netflix)
The world of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley comes to Netflix in the form of the new series Ripley, shot in black-and-white and starring Andrew Scott, coming off arguably the high-point of his career as the lead in 2023’s fantastic All of Us Strangers. The series is distinctly different from 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, but also fantastic in its own right—which says a lot, considering that such a fantastic film sets a high bar. But with Scott in the lead role and the series entirely written by Steven Zaillian (The Night Of, Gangs of New York, The Irishman, among other great projects), Ripley manages to shine.
Sugar (Apple TV+)
Guys. It’s Colin Farrell in a detective show. Do we need to say much more? Think neo-noir throwback of sorts, but starring one of everyone’s favorite actors. We’ll get to see Farrell again later in the year on The Penguin, but Sugar almost feels like a throwback to an era of noir and detective shows that almost feels forgotten. We’re glad this show exists.
Fallout (Prime Video)
Coming off 2023’s massive hit of The Last of Us (and modest hit of Twisted Metal), Prime Video’s Fallout proved that there’s video game adaptations making for great TV is a trend that we need to take seriously. Based on the games of the same name, Fallout comes from the Westworld team of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, and stars the tremendous Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) and Walton Goggins (Justified, The Righteous Gemstones). Purnell plays a sheltered girl whose eyes are opened to the reality of their post-apocalyptic nuclear landscape, while Goggins plays “The Ghoul,” a gunslinging cowboy who’s been made immortal thanks to, well, the sick and twisted radioactive world they’re living in. The show is a fantastic mix of fun, funny, and super violent—and really all comes together at the end in a way that makes the whole thing worth it. We can’t wait for season 2.
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Franklin (Apple TV+)
The Sympathizer (HBO)
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, HBO’s The Sympathizer tells the story of a half-French, half-Vietnamese double agent who spends time on a mission in the United States as he reports back to his superiors in Vietnam; he’s loyal to the North, but he’s embedded with the South, and the United States. The show, which is co-showrun and partially directed by the fantastic Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave), is a brilliant combination of spy/espionage thriller, dark comedy, and satire about the everlasting state of how American imperialism chews up and spits out everything in its path. Hoa Xuande is a standout as the show’s lead, while Robert Downey Jr. plays the face of American imperialism in the form of multiple different villainous diplomats and figures. This is a show you won’t want to skip.
Under The Bridge (Hulu)
In her first role since the release of Killers of the Flower Moon (and since being nominated for the Best Actress Oscar), Lily Gladstone plays a local law enforcement officer alongside Riley Keough’s lead journalist. Under the Bridge is a crime drama adaptation of a horrifying nonifiction book about the murder of a young girl by a number of her peers. It’s dark subject matter, but done exceptionally well—making for some truly captivating (and depressing) television.
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Conan O’Brien Must Go (Max)
Years after ending his TBS show and announcing that he’d move to a new weekly show on Max (then called HBO Max!), Conan O’Brien finally returned to our screens this year with a new limited series called Conan O’Brien Must Go, where the legendary comedian hits the road to meet up with some fans he’s met through episodes of his fantastic podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend. Team Coco, our time has arrived.
The Acolyte (Disney+)
We’re going to be honest—The Acolyte deserved better. Was it a perfect show? No. Was it a flawed show? Very much so. Did it do some unique, fun, and creative things that stood out from the rest of what we’ve seen in the last few years of Star Wars? Absolutely. The Acolyte was set in a brand new era of Star Wars, and explored a new kind of relationship with the force amidst a series of murders, leading into the emergence of the Sith. Some of the action was super cool, and Manny Jacinto gave what should be a star-making performance. The show was unfortunately cancelled after its single season, but we won’t forget the high highs.
Clipped (FX/Hulu)
About a decade ago, one of the biggest scandals in NBA history hit the league when audio was leaked of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks; after the storm that followed, he was eventually forced to sell the team. Clipped dramatizes that story, with Ed O’Neill playing Sterling and Laurence Fishburne playing then-Clippers coach Doc Rivers. Anyone missing Winning Time—and anyone looking for a juicy dramatization of a relatively recent scandal—should have a good time with this one.
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Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+,)
Based on the 1987 novel of the same name (which was also previously adapted into a 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford), Presumed Innocent is one of 2024’s best—and almost certainly juiciest—shows. This legal thriller/mystery procedural tells the story of a prosecutor who becomes the prime suspect when his female colleague is murdered; the story is updated for our present day, so that means all sorts of text messages and modern technology wind up playing a role in the case. The lead role played by Harrison Ford in the movie here is played by a fantastic Jake Gyllenhaal, who’s joined by a tremendous supporting cast that includes Peter Sarsgaard, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, and O-T Fagbenle putting on one of the most unique accents you’ve heard on TV or in a movie in a while.
Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)
Based on Carl Hiaasen’s book of the same name, Bad Monkey is a classic Apple TV+ show—led by a charming big star (Vince Vaughn) with an easy-to-buy-into premise (a former detective becomes a health inspector and gets pulled into a wild mystery) and comes from Bill Lawrence, who’s already co-created both Ted Lasso and Shrinking for the streamer. Michelle Monaghan and Rob Delaney are also a part of the show’s impressive cast. It’s bringing a bunch of pieces that should work together together—and, surprise! It works. Bad Monkey is a ton of fun, and maybe Vaughn’s best project in years.