The Best TV Shows of 2024 (So Far)
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The 2024 television landscape is shaping up to be a strong one.
Though dual strikes shut down Hollywood last year, pushing back premiere dates and production calendars, there is still a plethora of great TV airing right now. From a new installment of Feud (Truman Capote versus his famous Swans, what could be better?) to buzzy period dramas set in wide-ranging times and places—feudal Japan (Shōgun), post-Civil War America (Manhunt), and Jacobean era England (Mary & George)—and binge-worthy contemporary dramas (The Gentleman! Mr. and Mrs. Smith!), there's no shortage of great shows to watch in whatever genre strikes your fancy.
Here, Town & Country editors share their picks for best television of 2024 (so far):
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
La Côte Basque might no longer exist, but early this year the defunct New York destination for the one percent to pick at their very expensive lunches just might have been the most talked-about restaurant in town. That’s because it was ground zero for Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, the Ryan Murphy-produced series about Truman Capote’s legendary fallout with his squad—Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, and Slim Keith—over his decision to thinly veil their secrets and publish them in a story in Esquire. The swans did not, to put it mildly, take this betrayal well. Murphy’s series employs a murderer’s row of marvelous actors, including Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Chloë Sevigny, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, among others, to portray Capote and his cohort at their best (and, more deliciously, their worst) and went all out on the design (by Mark Ricker), costumes (Lou Eyrich, with a Black-and-White-Ball assist from Zac Posen), and over-the-top drama. Is it historically accurate? Maybe not entirely, but it’s a compelling, unforgettable document of a bygone era that in many ways predicted problems of our own. Above all, it captures an iconic moment in American history with care, humor, and plenty of sour grapes, leaving a glamorous trail of breadcrumbs for the next generations. — Adam Rathe, Deputy Features Editor
Shōgun
Shōgun, FX's period drama set in feudal Japan, is perhaps the only show in the post-Game of Thrones era that has actually lived up to the historical epic hype. Adapted from James Clavell's bestselling novel, the ten-part miniseries is a riveting, multilayered tale that deftly balances political intrigue, romance, and historical drama, and unlike the aforementioned Thrones, the violence never feels gratuitous, but rather, always key to the plot. Anchored by its three leads, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, and Anna Sawai, Shōgun doesn't feels unwieldy, despite the many storylines, and though it is nearly entirely told in Japanese, English-language audiences will hardly notice. To put it simply: Shōgun is by far and away one of the best book-to-TV adaptations I've ever seen. — Emily Burack, Senior News Editor
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the TV show, doesn't share much with the 2005 film of the same name—and honestly, that's a good thing. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play married spies, yes, but for the majority of the series (no spoilers!, they're working on the same team. Glover and Erskine shine as the titular Smiths, navigating a modern-day relationship while the espionage and world travel provide a nice backdrop. Now we're anxiously waiting to find out if Mr. & Mrs. Smith was renewed for a second season because OMG, that cliffhanger. — Emily Burack, Senior News Editor
Mary & George
Starz's latest period drama, Mary & George, tells the little-known story of Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) and her scheme to gain power in court through her son (Nicholas Galitzine)'s seduction of King James I (Tony Curran). It's hot and it's fun, with gorgeous costumes and sets. Perhaps Galitzine summarized it best: "To see a really fun side of history—debaucherous, in some capacity—it's so watchable. What's not to like about it?" — Emily Burack, Senior News Editor
Ripley
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels (this season pulls from The Talented Mr. Ripley, though there are seeds of other stories woven in) Netflix’s adaptation unfolds the story of the iconic con artist’s criminal path with quintessential Italian glamour. Shot entirely in black and white, it brings not only the look but the atmosphere of mid-century Italian cinema, buoyed by a standout performance from Andrew Scott, who manages to find the broken core of the show’s titular grifter and turns what could feel like pastiche into an entirely fresh take on a well-known tale. –Lauren Hubbard, Contributor
Manhunt
Whatever you thought you know about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, think again. Apple TV+'s Manhunt, with its stacked cast (standout performances include Tobias Menzies as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Anthony Boyle as John Wilkes Booth) is more than a history lesson; it's a fast-paced crime thriller, and one that feels especially timely in 2024. "Overall it's very soothing to watch history and realize, 'oh, we were always on the brink,'" Patton Oswalt, who plays Lafayette Baker, told T&C. "We're living in a scary moment, but we're not living in a unique moment. We have teetered over the abyss, sometimes way farther than we're teetering right now." — Emily Burack, Senior News Editor
Tokyo Vice
Sometimes when a new show is so good, it’s hard not to worry that a sophomore season just won’t live up to the first. Tokyo Vice doesn’t have that problem. If its excellent first season introduced us to Tokyo’s glamorously seedy criminal underground, season 2 dives even deeper into this fascinating world. And though this is still very much a show about the Succession-esque machinations taking place among warring yakuza, season 2 has widened the orbit to reveal more of this complex metropolis—and its various inhabitants—in its characteristically nuanced way. — Leena Kim, Editor
3 Body Problem
This eight episode Netflix series (a second season has yet to be confirmed) is an adaptation of the Hugo Award–winning novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin that skillfully touches on beloved sci-fi tropes. There are unseen, menacing aliens, brilliant-but-flawed scientists/heroes, less-brilliant-and-extremely-flawed apparatchiks, and, of course, time travel. Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, of Game of Thrones fame, and Alexander Woo, the show offers a generous mix of action and somewhat plausible plot twists. The most engaging parts, as is often the case with sci-if, come when the show’s unlikely, everyday heroes face all of the above. — Norman Vanamee, Articles Director
The Gentleman
Though it shares both a name and an underlying concept with Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film, the creator’s Netflix series offers an entirely new perspective on the story, focusing on Eddie (Sanditon’s Theo James), the second son of a Duke who unexpectedly finds himself inheriting the family title and lands… and the illegal cannabis operation secretly running on them. Eddie tries to disentangle his family from their criminal ties with the “help” of his ne’re-do-well brother Freddy (Daniel Ings), his no-nonsense gangster counterpart Susie (Kaya Scodelario), and an ever-growing cast of wild and quirky characters worthy of any Ritchie joint—but of course, nothing’s that easy. There’s almost never a moment in the show’s fast-talking, bullet-flying, double-dealing eight episodes where the ante isn’t being upped, giving the series an addictively “let’s just watch one more” quality; perfect for your next big binge. No wonder so many fans are already clamoring for a season 2. — Lauren Hubbard, Contributor
True Detective: Night Country
Anthology series True Detective returned again this year to make us question our Alaskan travel plans. Set in small town during the region’s annual stretch of endless night, this season melds corporate corruption and supernatural dread for a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat—and sometimes jumping out of it. At the core of it all are the spectacular performances by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, who play True Detective’s signature quarrelsome cops with a stunning mix of charm and gravitas. — Lauren Hubbard, Contributor
Sugar
Colin Farrell plays John Sugar, a bespoke suit–wearing, good guy private detective in Apple TV+’s smart new crime series set in Los Angeles. It is equal parts tribute to great film noir of the past and lovely reimagining of the hard-boiled-sleuth archetype. There is a terrific supporting cast, including James Cromwell as a Hollywood producer searching for his missing granddaughter, Amy Ryan as a recovering addict former rock star, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Sugar’s mysterious partner/handler. And, just when the plot threatens to become too familiar, there’s a twist. — Norman Vanamee, Articles Director
The Reluctant Traveler
Season 2 of Eugene Levy's Apple TV+ travel show sees him travel around Europe to off-the-beaten path destinations. (Here's where he stayed.) "I really do love the show for a number of reasons," Levy told T&C. "At this point in my life it's actually doing good things for me to just have the experience, just do it, and then decide, do you like it? Do I not like it? But you can't just make up your mind without having done it, you know? So that's a good thing for me." It's a joy to watch Levy push himself outside of his comfort zone; here's hoping there are many more seasons to come in the future. — Emily Burack, Senior News Editor
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