Summary
2024’s best dramas have begun to question the limitations of the standard streaming model which has become accepted in the entertainment industry, suggesting that the future of TV dramas could be bright. Audiences may be tiring of the same old drama shows, but 2024 has brought some new inventive twists to the genre. Shows likeBaby ReindeerandTrue Detectivehave sparked conversations with their unorthodox approaches. This is reminiscent of the heyday of network TV dramas, when shows created a collective cultural moment.
There has been plenty of variation in 2024’s best TV dramas, from historical dramas likeShōgunandMasters of the Airto crime shows likeRipleyandTokyo Vice.The streaming era has created more shows than ever before, and this intense competition has produced some outstanding dramas. It takes a lot to leave a mark with so many competing shows coming out, but the best dramas of 2024 prove that good storytelling will always cut through.
15 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of 2024
Sci-fi television has never been stronger, & the best shows of 2024 have made this even clearer with their amazing characters & innovative stories.
Under the Bridgeis a strange blend of fact and fiction. Although it unravels the true story of the murder of Reena Virk, it fictionalizes and imagines a lot of its narrative, making it a unique entry into the true-crime genre.Under the Bridgerevolves around two intense performances from Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough, but the rest of the cast are just as important in creating the forbidding atmosphere of the small town where Reena disappears.
Under the Bridgedoes a valiant job of cutting through the noise and presenting a portrait of human cruelty.
Under the Bridgefollows many of the familiar beats of a crime drama, but the context of the real-life case hangs heavily over the show. Reena Virk’s case has been dissected multiple times by true-crime enthusiasts all over the world.Under the Bridgedoes a valiant job of cutting through the noise and presenting a portrait of human cruelty that stays sensitive to its real-life victim throughout.
One Dayfollows two people as their lives intertwine over the course of 20 years. It’s uncommon for a Netflix limited series to have 14 episodes, but the adaptation of David Nicholls' romance novel needed enough room to explore Em and Dex’s relationship in detail. It’s the details that makeOne Daysuperior to most other romance shows, as the chemistry between Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall creates a realistic and absorbing story.
One Dayuses its unconventional structure to explore the wide chasm between people’s dreams and the reality they come to accept. In love and life, Em and Dex are repeatedly forced to compromise and make do.
One Dayuses its unconventional structure to explore the wide chasm between people’s dreams and the reality they come to accept. In love and life, Em and Dex are repeatedly forced to compromise and make do, but this makes their journey even more beautiful and complete. Since each episode takes place in a different year, the characters change rapidly, along with their clothing and their surroundings, but their deepest hopes and fears remain the same.One Dayis a timeless and universal story.
Based on Heather Morris' best-selling novel,The Tattooist of Auschwitzexplores the incredible true story of two Jewish prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp who find solace in each other’s company despite their horrific circumstances. The transition from book to screen isn’t without a few issues, butThe Tattooist of Auschwitzis undeniably affecting, and its attention to detail presents a frighteningly realistic depiction of the concentration camp.
Although it is deeply upsetting at times,The Tattooist of Auschwitzis a story about the resilience of the human spirit and the power of solidarity in adversity. The two greatest tools in the show’s repertoire are the outstanding cast and the original score from Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve. These elements allow the show to stand out from similar Holocaust dramas.
Ripleyisn’t the first adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’sThe Talented Mr. Ripley,but it’s confident enough to chart its own course rather than trying to imitate everything that came before it. The black-and-white photography isRipley’s most immediate bold choice, and this creates a dramatic chiaroscuro effect which highlights Tom’s obsession with the works of Caravaggio as he tries to forge a new life for himself in Italy.
Ripleyisn’t for everybody, but people who click with its unusual visual flair and its methodical pace will be richly rewarded with an intoxicating story of obsession and deceit.
Ripleyisn’t for everybody, but people who click with its unusual visual flair and its methodical pace will be richly rewarded with an intoxicating story of obsession and deceit.Andrew Scott plays Ripley as a reptilian sociopath seeking his next mark, which contrasts other versions of the character as more affable and two-faced. By the end of the series, the focus shifts toward the investigations of Inspector Ravini, andRipleymorphs into a compelling film noir detective story.
Richard Gadd is a British comedian, but his autobiographical dramaBaby Reindeerdoesn’t deliver many laughs.Baby Reindeeris based on Gadd’s own experiences as a victim of stalking, and there are entire episodes which pass by without so much as a chuckle. As well as telling the unfamiliar story of a woman stalking a man,Baby Reindeertakes an unflinching look at sexual assault in the entertainment industryand the subsequent shame felt by survivors.
It’s a powerful, important show for anyone who can stomach its often upsetting content, and it has caused a considerable stir in a way that very few shows in the streaming era ever manage to do.
Richard Gadd lays his soul bare by telling thetrue story behindBaby Reindeerin excruciating detail. It can be extremely uncomfortable to watch at times, butBaby Reindeerraises a lot of important concerns about victim support and public attitudes to stalking. It’s a powerful, important show for anyone who can stomach its often upsetting content, and it has caused a considerable stir in a way that very few shows in the streaming era ever manage to do.
Tokyo Vicewas surprisingly canceledafter its second season, despite positive reviews for the HBO drama. The series follows an American reporter who teams up with a hardened detective in Tokyo to uncover the deadly secrets of the yakuza. Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe strike up a compelling dynamic as the ambitious but naive foreigner and the local cop who knows the ins-and-outs of organized crime in Japan.
With the first season’s cliffhanger resolved within a couple of episodes,Tokyo Vicegives itself ample time to poke at the hidden corners of the city, and there are plenty of monsters to be found.
HeatandCollateraldirectorMichael Mann is an executive producer onTokyo Vice,and the drama features many of his motifs, such as an obsessive male protagonist and a murky urban jungle. The second season expands the scope of the show, with two more episodes than the first season and many more bursts of kinetic action. With the first season’s cliffhanger resolved within a couple of episodes,Tokyo Vicegives itself ample time to poke at the hidden corners of the city, and there are plenty of monsters to be found.
Based on the award-winning novels by Chinese writer Liu Cixin,3 Body Problemis an ambitious sci-fi epic with enough intelligence to back up its breathtaking visuals.Game of Thronesshowrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss received a lot of criticism for the way they finally ended their HBO drama, but3 Body Problemhas been met with largely positive reviews, and it has the potential to get even better in future seasons.
With plenty more philosophical substance than the average Netflix drama,3 Body Problemlooks set for a bright future.
One thing that3 Body Problemhas in common withGame of Thronesis its large ensemble cast, but the show does an admirable job of juggling its characters and giving them all enough to do. Benedict Wong and Eiza González are two outstanding performers who seem to be able to slow everything down when the focus eventually turns toward them. With plenty more philosophical substance than the average Netflix drama,3 Body Problemlooks set for a bright future.
Each new season of True Detective is inevitably compared to the bombshell of a first season starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. Season 4, titledNight Country,may not quite reach these heights, but it still provides a fascinating mystery in its six episodes. Jodie Foster stars as Liz Danvers, a detective working in the seemingly interminable night of Alaska when a team of scientists at a nearby research center mysteriously disappear.
Night Countrymay not quite reach the heights ofTrue Detectiveseason 1, but it still provides a fascinating mystery in its six episodes.
Night Countrythreatens to spill over into the supernatural at times, but it just about keeps both feet on the ground. There are still someunanswered questions afterTrue Detective: Night Country,but this is intentional. The various unknowns reflect the murky reality that Danvers is forced to accept. Although she would like everything wrapped up with a neat little bow,Night Countryisn’t so straightforward, and this allows the finale to linger in the mind.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' first TV collaboration was the seminal HBO war dramaBand of Brothers.They followed this withThe Pacificin 2010, andMasters of the Airis their third exploration into the Second World War. Before its release,Masters of the Airdrew attention for its immense $250 million budget, but any fears were swiftly discarded soon after it arrived on Apple TV+.
Masters of the Airflaunts its budget with some spectacular scenes of aerial combat, but the show is anchored by the friendship of its two main characters.
Masters of the Airflaunts its budget with some spectacular scenes of aerial combat, but the show is anchored by the friendship of its two main characters, played by Austin Butler and Callum Turner in fine form. Buck and Bucky lean on each other to get through the war, whether they are dodging German artillery or plotting their way out of a POW camp. The show was always going to draw comparisons to Spielberg and Hanks' previous work, but there are times whenMasters of the AirsurpassesBand of Brothers.
Many reviews have heraldedShōgunas the show which could finally fill the void left byGame of Thrones.Although there are no dragons or White Walkers, the historical drama has just as much political intrigue, as different factions vie for supremacy during a contentious time in the history of Japan.Shōgunmay act as a history lesson for the uninitiated, but it manages to do so without ever slowing down too much.
Shōgunmay act as a history lesson for the uninitiated, but it manages to do so without ever slowing down too much.
Originally billed as a limited series,Shōgunis returning for two more seasons. This news has been met with cautious optimism among fans. AlthoughShōgunleft most fans wanting more, there is some concern that its immaculate first season will be hard to top. In its current state, it can be viewed as a superb miniseries, and one that achieves more in its 10 episodes than other shows manage in 10 seasons.
