📺 Our Top TV Shows of 2024

Double Take critics Jess and Jenni list their favorite TV shows of the year

It’s that time of year again. The last-minute sprint toward the end of December is upon us—whether that means wrapping up projects, scrambling for the perfect gift, or, if you’re like us, meticulously ranking all the media you’ve consumed this year. Read on for our Top 10 TV Shows of 2024 lists, including honorable mentions, and stay tuned for next week’s podcast episode where we dive in and discuss our lists together.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Jess and Jenni’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2024

— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen

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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our unabridged list of December releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.

• Laid (Season 1) — Based on an Australian dark comedy, Laid follows a market researcher who discovers that every man she's ever dated is mysteriously dying. With her best friend, she embarks on a journey to find out why this is happening and stop the trail of deaths.
  Watch on Peacock: December 19 (all 8 episodes)

• Virgin River (Season 6) — The picturesque town of Virgin River faces new challenges and changes as Mel, Jack, and the community navigate life, love, and loss.
  Watch on Netflix: December 19 (all 10 episodes)

• Mufasa: The Lion King (Movie) — This photorealistically animated prequel explores the untold story of how Simba’s father rose from humble beginnings to become a legendary leader.
  Watch in Theaters: December 20

• Babygirl (Movie) — This erotic thriller follows a forbidden romance between a high-ranking CEO (Nicole Kidman) and a significantly younger intern (Harris Dickinson). Sophie Wilde and Antonio Banderas also star.
  Watch in Theaters: December 25

• A Complete Unknown (Movie) — Timothée Chalamet stars in this biographical drama about Bob Dylan that follows his journey through the 1960s folk scene, his transition to rock, and his complex public persona.
  Watch in Theaters: December 25

• The Fire Inside (Movie) — Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut is this biographical sports drama about professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields and her journey to the 2012 Summer Olympics. Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry star.
  Watch in Theaters: December 25

• Nosferatu (Movie) — This remake of the 1922 German horror film based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a gothic tale of obsession between a young woman and the terrifying vampire haunting her.
  Watch in Theaters: December 25

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Jess Spoll’s Top 10 Shows

It’s become something of a cliché to bemoan the overwhelming volume of forgettable content in our current TV landscape. And as I look back on 2024, what strikes me isn’t just the quantity, but the widening gulf of quality. For every beautifully crafted, original series that sparks joy in my hardened critic heart, there are dozens of algorithm-optimized offerings and glossy prestige bores.

Rather than dwell on the mediocre, I’m excited to celebrate the series that I couldn’t stop thinking about this year. Some of these had the courage to try something new in an industry that increasingly favors the familiar, while some of them tread recognizable ground but offered especially sharp character work or innovative storytelling. Some excellent shows inevitably missed the cut—and there are a few highly rated gems that I have yet to watch—but each entry here earned its place by offering something exceptional in a playing field of “good enough.”

10. Bad Monkey (Apple TV+) — Adapted by Bill Lawrence from the novel by Carl Hiaasen, this Florida Keys-set murder mystery is sun-soaked, breezy, and more zany than spooky. Vince Vaughn has never been more perfectly cast than as a suspended cop who uses his fast-talking wit and charm to weasel himself into the investigation of a severed arm that washes ashore. (Note: Apple TV+ just announced its renewal!)