Make sure your subscriptions are active. You wouldn’t want to sleep on any of these.

2024 is a good year for us streaming junkies. It has given us the likes of The Sympathizer and Dune: Prophecy on HBO Max and Baby Reindeer, One Day, and Culinary Class Wars on Netflix. Even the latter’s Black Doves was riveting, thanks to a smoldering Keira Knightley.

It’s also a satisfying year for franchises. Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power premiered its second season last August—which, I daresay, is better than the first (Charlie Vickers’ Sauron is hotter than the fires of Mount Doom). Disney+’s Star Wars: The Acolyte has also been an enjoyable watch and I’m still irked that it wasn’t renewed for a second season (the world deserves more Manny Jacinto), and The Skeleton Crew has so far been a fun romp across space.

While old favorites have returned with new seasons, their latest offerings, though still good TV, don’t exactly match the brilliance of their predecessors. Case in point: The Bear season 3 and Only Murders in the Building season 4. They are, nonetheless, still enjoyable.

Any list claiming to round up “the best” of something is bound to spark debate. That said, The POST scoured the internet for what critics say are the crème de la crème of television and streaming in 2024—a few of which are also personal favorites. Here are some of them.

“Shōgun” (HBO Max)

*Shōgun* finally gets the attention it deserves after its history-making 18 Emmy awards. Photo from FX; banner photos from HBO, Apple TV+, FX, and Marvel/Disney+

I’m so happy that this show is finally getting the attention it so richly deserves after its historic 18 Emmy awards – the most ever for a single series of TV, including wins for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai for outstanding lead actor and actress in a drama series, respectively. Shogun is one of those rarities that stand out on all fronts: narrative and visual scope, acting (especially the Japanese cast), and direction. An impeccable creation through and through.

“Pachinko” (season 2, Apple TV+)

The second season of *Pachinko* is just as enthralling as the first. Photo from Apple TV+

I breathed a sigh of relief after finishing the second season. There have been far too many instances when the sequel doesn’t live up to the original, but Pachinko’s sophomore outing is just as enthralling and majestic as the first. Headlined by a talented crop of Asian actors led by Oscar-winning Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Min-ha, Lee Min-ho, and Anna Sawai (albeit in a smaller role), this sweeping historical, multi-generational saga of Koreans who left home to work in imperial Japan before WWII is TV at its finest. Rich in history, gorgeous details, and stellar acting, you wouldn’t want to miss it.

“True Detective: Night Country” (HBO Max)

Jodie Foster and Kali Reis deliver strong performances for the latest season of *True Detective*. Photo from HBO

Despite being top tier television, the first three seasons of True Detective were focused mostly on men and told their stories with a male gaze that diminished or sexualized women. Finally, Issa López turns things around with the franchise’s fourth iteration which centers on two female cops — Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, who both deliver stellar performances. Thrilling, complex, and thought-provoking, add this to your must-watch list now.

“Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)

Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman headlines this sleek and high-octane British spy thriller. Photo from Apple TV+

It took four seasons for this spy thriller to get people’s attention and I’m glad it did finally. Riding on Gary Oldman’s and Kristin Scott Thomas’ career-defining performances (and that says something given their already impressive CVs), Slow Horses is one of the best espionage series ever—and its shine hasn’t dulled a bit in its fourth and latest outing.

“My Brilliant Friend” (season 4, HBO Max)

Irene Maiorino (left) and Alba Rohrwacher play the adult versions of protagonists Lila and Lenù in the fourth season of *My Brilliant Friend*. Photo from HBO

While my heart is pleased that appreciation for underrated series like Shogun and Slow Horses have grown, I’m still dismayed at how the small screen adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s sensational Neapolitan series is still largely overlooked. The fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend is still as captivating as the first three and as faithful to the acclaimed novels as it can be. And I’ve said this so many times before and I’ll say it again: absolutely no one writes about the female experience with as much intimacy and intensity as Ferrante does.

“The Penguin” (HBO Max)

A nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell plays the titular villain in this gritty gangster drama. Photo from HBO

Another sleeper hit, this Gotham-set spin-off about the rise of the titular villain ranks among the best of gangster dramas. A nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell delivers a captivating performance as Oz Cobb, complemented by Cristin Milioti’s restrained yet commanding take on her character Sofia Falcone. Full of twists and turns, nuanced and unapologetic, The Penguin shatters your expectations of what a comic book TV show should be.

“Kaos” (Netflix)

Jeff Goldblum shines as Zeus in this reimagining of Greek mythology. From Netflix

REVIEW: Apple TV+’s ‘Sunny’ will make you laugh, cry, and ponder some of life’s mysteries

This is another one of those shows that sadly didn’t appease the renewal gods (Tokyo Vice is another, which ended with its second and final season this year). Delightfully idiosyncratic and headlined with a talented cast, Kaos is a fun reimagining of familiar characters from Greek mythology. An enjoyable watch from start to that cliffhanger of an ending that might never be resolved—I’m still praying to the gods of Olympus that Netflix reconsiders its decision to axe the show.

“Sunny” (Apple TV+)

Rashida Jones’ Suzie Sakamoto with the titular homebot. Photo from Apple TV+

Criminally underrated just like many of its Apple TV+ stablemates, Sunny is so unlike any other show I’ve watched in recent memory. This tale of a recently widowed American expat in Japan and a robot left to her by her late husband is part meditation on grief, part crime thriller, bolstered by a gripping performance from Rashida Jones. Watch if you love all things Japan.

“Agatha All Along” (Disney+)

*Agatha All Along* breathes new life to a jaded franchise. Photo from Marvel/Disney+

This WandaVision spin-off is every bit as entertaining as the 2021 critically acclaimed hit is. Elevated by Kathryn Hahn’s and Aubrey Plaza’s compelling and at times campy performances, Agatha All Along breathes new life into an already tired and diminishing MCU franchise. Equal parts silly and profound, enchanting and gleefully malevolent, it’s one of those shows I wish I could watch for the first time all over again.

“Lady in the Lake” (Apple TV+)

Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram lend star power and gravitas to this underrated series. Photo from Apple TV+

This one also flew under the radar just like Apple TV+’s other acclaimed shows (I still feel the company has to up its marketing game). Natalie Portman’s TV debut checks all the boxes: Deftly directed and impeccably acted, with a tight storyline and thrilling action scenes. It’s also a riveting murder mystery that doubles as a commentary on racism and sexual oppression. A masterful work that deserves a slot on your to-watch list.

2024 in review: From big hits to underrated gems, here are some of the year’s best TV shows