TV Shows That Will Blow Everyone Away In 2024
If you're a fan of the small screen, then you'll no doubt be aware that 2023 was a great year for TV. New arrivals such as the Amazon miniseries "Dead Ringers" and the Peacock original series "Poker Face" made big splashes, as did HBO's adaptation of the hit video game "The Last of Us." There were also new seasons of shows like "The Great," "Snowfall," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" to enjoy. You would have been forgiven for thinking that 2023 would be hard to top when the year came to a close, but 2024 is shaping up to be just as — if not more — impressive in terms of TV offerings.
2024 has already gotten off to a great start with the likes of Netflix's mind-bending sci-fi series "3 Body Problem," FX's history epic "Shogun," and Disney's animated hit "X-Men '97," a revival of the beloved '90s cartoon "X-Men: The Animated Series." There are plenty more big shows to come in 2024: HBO and Amazon both have new seasons of their current flagship shows to offer, and there's also the first long-form series from Pixar to look forward to. For more information on those shows and dozens more, read on.
Doctor Who Series 14/Season 1 - May 10
The upcoming run of "Doctor Who" is either Series 14 going by the BBC's count or Season 1 according to Disney – this will be the first season to stream internationally on Disney+. Whatever you want to call it, these upcoming episodes promise a fresh start for the long-running sci-fi series: Disney has clearly pumped some money into the show, and the increased budget is obvious from the trailer. Ncuti Gatwa is back as the 15th incarnation of the Time Lord after having made his debut in one of the 60th anniversary specials in 2023, and Russell T Davies is resuming showrunner duties.
The success of "Doctor Who" owes much to the show's ability to regularly reboot itself, and Gatwa's first full season should be an ideal jumping-on point for new viewers. That being said, there's nothing to worry about for long-time fans: The Davies-produced 60th anniversary specials indicate that the series has returned to form after the disappointments of the Chris Chibnall era. We can expect to see "adventures all the way from the Regency era in England, to war-torn future worlds," according to a press release. There will also be "incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman, and the Doctor's most powerful enemy yet."
Interview with the Vampire Season 2 - May 12
After years of false starts at multiple networks, a TV adaptation of Anne Rice's classic horror novel "Interview with the Vampire" finally premiered on AMC in 2022, dropping to critical acclaim. The first season was as enthralling as fans of the book could have hoped for, if not better. Sure, the TV show made some changes to the "Interview with the Vampire" book, like setting the story in the early 1900s instead of the 1700s, but the tweaks worked well for the most part. Many viewers appreciated how the series emphasized the queer romance between the vampires Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat (Sam Reid), a story the 1994 film shied away from.
Season 2 of "Interview with the Vampire" was announced before Season 1 had even premiered, and, after some strike-related production delays, the second season is ready to bite this May. AMC has dropped a few hints about what we can expect in the sophomore season in a press release. "Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia." The release goes on to reveal that Louis will meet Assad Zaman's Armand in Paris, and that they will engage in a love affair that has "devastating consequences both in the past and in the future."
Smiling Friends Season 2 - May 12
Adult Swim aired an episode from "Smiling Friends" Season 2, titled "Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director's Cut)," on April Fools' Day 2024, delighting fans of the series. This episode has already become a fan favorite for its loving homage to Nintendo 64-era platformers and its satire of the modern state of the video game industry. If the quality of "Gwimbly" is any indication, "Smiling Friends" is returning better than ever — Season 2 debuts on May 12.
Created by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, "Smiling Friends" follows a group of colorful creatures led by the optimistic Pim (Cusack) and the cynical Charlie (Hadel), who will do anything to put a smile on their clients' faces — they both work at Smiling Friends Inc., a company dedicated to making people smile. What can we expect from Season 2? According to a press release, "Pim, Charlie, Zongo, Allan and Glep continue their mission to bring happiness to the world, whether it's a washed-up retro video game character, a troubled marriage, or even the president of the United States."
Bridgerton Season 3 - May 16
The first two seasons of "Bridgerton" remain in Netflix's top 10 most-streamed shows of all time, and don't be surprised if Season 3 joins them when it debuts in 2024. According to Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, "Bridgerton" Season 3 is throwing fans a major curve ball. "Like Lady Whistledown, I have been keeping a secret for quite some time, and I can confirm to you all that Season 3 is Colin and Penelope's love story," Coughlan said at a Netflix event. "I have kept that secret since two weeks into Season 2."
Why is this big news? Well, the Netflix show is based on a series of novels by Julia Quinn. Each book follows the love story of a different Bridgerton sibling, but the tale of Colin and Penelope doesn't happen until the fourth entry. The Netflix series is skipping over the third book ("An Offer From a Gentleman," which follows Benedict Bridgerton's story) and going straight to the fourth book ("Romancing Mister Bridgerton"). Of course, this doesn't mean we won't get to see Benedict's story on screen — chances are the show will go on for quite some time.
Benedict (Luke Thompson) could take center stage in Season 4, though some fans have speculated that there will be another twist and that "Bridgerton" will skip ahead to Eloise's (Claudia Jessie) season instead. Viewers have already seen Eloise develop feelings for Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), meaning she may have to choose between the printer's assistant and Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton). Either way, "Bridgeton" will be back in 2024 — the first four episodes will drop on May 16, with the final four coming on June 13.
The Acolyte - June 4
Disney has been delighting Star Wars fans with a slew of live-action TV shows in recent years, the majority of which have gone down very well with critics. 2024 brings another exciting new adventure in the form of "The Acolyte," which is set in an unfamiliar time period: It takes place around 100 years before "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," during the High Republic, which is essentially the golden age of the Jedi.
It's initially an idyllic time where the Jedi Knights don't have to use their lightsabers to battle anyone. Of course, that doesn't last. "'The Acolyte' is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging Dark Side powers in the final days of the High Republic era," the show's official synopsis reads. "A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."
"The Acolyte" stars some familiar faces, including Dafne Keen ("Logan"), Amandla Stenberg ("The Hunger Games"), Manny Jacinto ("The Good Place"), and Lee Jung-jae ("Squid Game"). Jacinto has revealed that viewers can expect a lot of action with plenty of lightsaber battles. "If you loved that sequence with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and Darth Maul [in 'The Phantom Menace'] I think you're going to enjoy this show," he teased to Entertainment Weekly. The series will drop on Disney+ on June 4, 2024.
The Boys Season 4 - June 13
Contains spoilers for "Gen V"
The fourth season of Amazon's edgy superhero satire "The Boys," based on the comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, is arriving roughly two years after the third season. If you haven't watched it already, you might want to catch up on the first season of the college-centric spinoff series "Gen V," which sets up a virus-themed storyline for "The Boys" Season 4. In "Gen V," it's revealed that Vought has been engineering a virus that will allow them to control supes. Homelander (Antony Starr) and Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) both show up in the "Gen V" Season 1 finale, and the latter's appearance was particularly important according to "The Boys" showrunner Eric Kripke.
"For Butcher, by the time they were making the finale, we were pretty deep into breaking ['The Boys'] Season 4," Kripke told Variety. "We knew that we wanted that virus to be a pretty big part of Season 4, and we knew that we wanted Butcher to be aware of it. It seems crazy that he wouldn't be aware of it." The third season of "The Boys" revealed that Butcher only has a year to 18 months left to live after his overuse of V24, a modified version of Compound V that gives the user temporary superpowers. This effectively means the endgame is now in sight for "The Boys," so things will no doubt get real pretty quickly in Season 4. You can expect more shocking twists, more topical social commentary, and plenty of over-the-top super-powered violence in the upcoming season.
House of the Dragon Season 2 - June 16
All the controversy over the final season of "Game of Thrones" did nothing to hurt the prequel series "House of the Dragon," the first season of which broke viewership records for HBO and won the Golden Globe for best television series — drama. The epic fantasy saga of the Targaryen family returns for its second season a little less than two years later. Promotion for the series' return is hyping up fans to take sides in the queenly battle between Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). "Westeros is on the brink of a bloody civil war with the Green and Black Councils fighting for King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra, respectively," a press release reveals. "Each side believes theirs to be the rightful seat on the Iron Throne."
Those who found themselves underwhelmed by the relative lack of dragon action in Season 1 should be happier this time around, with five new dragons being introduced. One possible cause for concern: Season 1 co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik will not be returning for Season 2, but "Game of Thrones" director Alan Taylor is stepping up in his place to continue the series alongside creator Ryan Condal. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Condal will be the sole showrunner, while Taylor has been brought on board to "serve as an executive producer and to direct multiple episodes in Season 2."
The Bear Season 3 - June (TBD)
A prestige streaming series releasing new seasons annually around the same time each year is a rare occurrence nowadays, but FX and Hulu's surprise hit "The Bear" looks to be a regular fixture of our Junes for the foreseeable future — especially since they're reportedly shooting Season 3 and Season 4 back-to-back, apparently to accommodate the cast's increasingly busy schedules. "The Bear" Season 2 ended on a bittersweet note: The opening of the new restaurant was a success, but we left chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) in a bad place with his mental health and relationships.
Details about the plot of the upcoming third season are scarce as of this writing, but given the high bar set by the first two seasons, we have little doubt this will be some of the best television we see all year. In an interview with Variety, White revealed that he was going to be spending time with some professional chefs ahead of Season 3 to make sure his performance is as authentic as possible. "There'll be a menu set, I believe, that's going to be for the restaurant in the third season," he said. "And I know that I'm going to start putting together that menu with different chefs and cooking and just trying to get prepared to do more of that stuff on camera."
Suicide Squad ISEKAI - July (Japan)
Every year, manga and anime fans have dozens of series to pick from in the isekai genre, centering around ordinary protagonists transported or reincarnated into fantasy worlds, often with RPG-like elements. "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" will stand out from the crowd thanks to its use of the infamous DC Comics anti-hero team, who will have to contend with being sent to a fantasy setting. Judging by the trailers, this will be quite the experience for fans of Task Force X, who have been dealt a mixed hand by Hollywood: We've seen both good (the James Gunn movie) and bad (the David Ayer movie) "Suicide Squad" media in recent years.
All the early signs are that this anime series will be a success: One of its writers, Tappei Nagatsuki, is the author of the "Re:Zero" light novels, which is among the most intelligent takes on the isekai formula. Animated by Wit Studio (the people behind "Vinland Saga" and the early seasons of "Attack on Titan"), this fresh spin on the likes of Harley Quinn, The Joker, and Peacemaker premieres in Japan this July. American release plans have yet to be announced, but with interest in anime on the rise and this show being based on American comic book characters, the wait shouldn't be too long. Until then, why not check out everything we know about "Suicide Squad ISEKAI" so far.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4 - August 8
Based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, "The Umbrella Academy" has found success as one of the quirkiest and most distinctive shows in the crowded superhero genre. It's now preparing to wrap up its tale of familial dysfunction and time-traveling wackiness with a fourth and final season — which is like running for a couple of decades in Netflix years. "The Umbrella Academy" Season 3 left viewers on a cliffhanger, with Allison Hargreeves (Emmy Raver-Lampman) resetting the universe so that all of her siblings are alive but without their superpowers.
Don't look to the source material for hints about what's next in the story — the show is already ahead of the on-hiatus comic series. However, creator Steve Blackman dropped some hints about what to expect while speaking with Netflix's Tudum. "The siblings losing their powers isn't going to be the only oddity in this timeline," he said. "There are new enemies who want to see them wiped out of existence, but how do they manage without their powers? Is there even a way to get them back? The stakes have never been greater." Season 4 will be added to the streamer's library on August 8.
The Penguin - Fall 2024
Following the release of the Robert Pattinson-led hit "The Batman" in 2022, it's full steam ahead on Matt Reeves' BatVerse. The film, which also starred Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, and Jeffrey Wright, introduced viewers to a new version of the Penguin, played by Colin Farrell in heavy makeup. His performance garnered so much praise that it wasn't long before Reeves was setting up a spinoff series based on the character. The filmmaker told Collider that the series will be instrumental in setting up the sequel to his 2022 film, adding that he's super excited about the evolution of this new universe.
Farrell has expressed his excitement about the series to Collider, saying, "I read the first episode, which is just so tasty and so unusual as the character was on the page and what Matt Reeves kind of envisioned when he was thinking of this iteration of the bang up of Oz." Farrell added that the series will be around six or eight hours long. Cristin Milioti also stars as Sofia Falcone, the daughter of former crime boss Carmine Falcone, who was killed in "The Batman." Michael Zegen will play her brother, Alberto. Clancy Brown features as Salvatore Maroni, and Michael Kelly plays Johnny Vitti. According to the teaser trailer, the series will drop on Max in Fall 2024.
Marvel Zombies - TBD
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is continuing to expand with new TV shows: "Marvel Zombies" will arrive in 2024. The animated series is based on the fifth episode of "What If...?" Season 1, titled "What If...Zombies?" The episode (which was inspired by the "Marvel Zombies" comics) depicts what happens to the MCU when Hank Pym returns from the Quantum realm with a virus that turns the Avengers into ravenous zombies.
The new series will reportedly feature zombie versions of Steve Rogers, Carol Danvers, Scarlet Witch, and Okoye, among others. They will face off against a team of survivors that includes Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi, and Ms. Marvel, who will apparently be the main character. "There are a lot of cool characters in the 'Marvel Zombies' show. And Kamala is kind of the center of the show," Iman Vellani, who will lend her voice to the character, told The Direct. "They described it to me, it's like, 'She's basically the Frodo of the story.'"
Brad Winderbaum, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios, has also been talking about the series. In an interview with IGN, he said that it's going to be "pretty intense" and that it's "for sure a TV-MA show." He added: "It's trying to honor the comics. And what was so great about the comics was it not pulling its punches. That's certainly what we're going for on that project also." Bryan Andrews, director of "What If...?," is taking the reins here, too.
Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 - TBD
"Vikings: Valhalla" is returning to Netflix with a third and final season in 2024. Filming on the upcoming series was completed in Ireland in October 2022, and Season 3 is expected to be 24 episodes. A teaser trailer for Season 3 was released in 2023, confirming that the show would visit "new lands" and that Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Sutter) are all back. New characters include Maniakes (Florian Munteanu), a ruthless Byzantine general, and Erik the Red (Goran Višnjić), the notorious father of Leif and Freydís.
According to co-creator and executive producer Jeb Stuart, the upcoming season will bring closure for fans of the franchise. "When we started this project five years ago, I worked hard with this incredible cast and crew to craft a journey that we all hoped would be satisfying," Stuart told Netflix's Tudum. "Of course with real historical figures, there are always more aspects of their lives that could be explored, but it made sense storywise for our Leif, Freydís, and Harald's voyages to end with our third season. And we really cannot wait for the fans to see the conclusion of this chapter of history."
The Night Agent Season 2 - TBD
Fans of "The Night Agent" will be thrilled to know that it's coming back for a second season in 2024, Netflix has confirmed. The first season of the spy thriller follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) as he uncovers an increasingly complicated conspiracy about a high-level mole at the White House. The finale ends with Sutherland saving President Travers' (Kari Matchett) life, only to be left with a mysterious job offer.
In April 2023, creator Shawn Ryan confirmed to ComicBook.com that viewers should expect major changes in the next season. "It does not take place in the DC area, which is where Season 1 took place. So we'll be in a different part of the world exploring different characters than we had in Season 1," he teased, before confirming that the show would still be centered around Basso's character. Luciane Buchanan is also back as Rose Larkin.
Season 1 is based on a book by Matthew Quirk, but Season 2 is an original story, so viewers were really left in the dark about where it might go. However, in February 2024, set photos gave fans more of a clue about what to expect from Season 2 — they show Basso in Thailand. According to Deadline, filming also took place in New York. New cast members include Amanda Warren, Arienne Mandi, Louis Herthum, Berto Colon, Brittany Snow, and Teddy Sears, the Hollywood trade confirmed.
Squid Game Season 2 - TBD
Korean horror survival drama "Squid Game" became an instant hit on Netflix when it dropped on the platform in 2021. The show's protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), survived the twisted game show while his competitors were executed, but he's been totally changed by the experience, "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told The Hollywood Reporter. This has left the writer with an interesting way to move the show forward, saying that Gi-hun's more selfless nature pushes him toward a new mystery rather than a family reunion with his daughter. "So Season 2 is going to be about what that new Gi-hun is going to do and how things will unfold with this new kind of character," he said.
Dong-hyuk kept quiet on the particulars of what these events could be, but, in 2022, he shared with Variety that he hoped viewers could enjoy Season 2 on their screens in 2024. Speaking to Netflix's Tudum in December 2023, he revealed that the show was still on track for a 2024 release, saying, "I do have a lot on my shoulders, but I'll make sure it's worth the wait." Lee Jung-jae isn't the only returning cast member: Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo, and Wi Ha-jun are also back, and they're joined by newcomers Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, and Won Ji-an.
Creature Commandos - TBD
James Gunn and Peter Safran will officially launch their all-new DC Universe franchise in 2024. The TV series "Creature Commandos" kicks things off, the first entry in what they're calling the "Gods and Monsters" chapter. Teasing a little about what viewers can expect from the seven-episode show, Gunn tweeted: "'Creature Commandos' is an animated series. I've written all of the episodes. Something we are going to do that's a little bit different at DC is we are gonna have characters move into animation, out of animation, usually having the same actor play their voice as who plays them in live action."
"Guardians of the Galaxy" star Sean Gunn has followed his brother by also making the move to DC. He plays two characters in "Creature Commandos," G.I. Robot and Weasel. "I'm very excited about 'Creature Commandos,'" he told Polygon in May 2023. "I love the scripts. I'm about halfway through recording my part of it." Other cast members include Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Anya Chalotra as Circe, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Indira Varma as Bride of Frankenstein, Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, and Steve Agee as John Economos. While no release date has been set, Gunn has confirmed that the show is still set to drop at some point in 2024.
Win or Lose - TBD
"Win or Lose," created by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates and starring Will Forte and Rosa Salazar, had our interest the second it was announced because it's the first long-form streaming series from Pixar. The eight-episode series follows one week in the life of a middle school softball team preparing for a championship game, with each installment presented from a different character's perspective. The series completed post-production in July 2023 and was originally set to release in December of that year, but Disney has since delayed "Win or Lose" to an unspecified point in 2024. This was perhaps due to the expected content droughts resulting from the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Hopefully the wait isn't too much longer for this promising sports comedy, which could fill the "Ted Lasso"-shaped holes in our hearts. The early signs are certainly good — those in attendance at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival got to see the first episode of "Win of Lose" in full, and it went down very well. Co-creator Carrie Hobson puts it down to the show really leaning into Pixar's style. "There's been so many years of very realistic animation and a lot of mastery around that," she told Skwigly. "But for us, specifically, what really excited us was how we can caricature life in a very authentic way, not just being cartoony for cartoony sake, but we started calling it caricatured sincerity."
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - TBD
It always felt like something was missing when Tom Holland entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe having already semi-mastered his spidey abilities. Marvel recognized that there was still ground to cover with Peter Parker's early years, and the Disney+ animated series "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" will scratch that itch — though with a twist. When the MCU show was first announced under the title "Spider-Man: Freshman Year," it was said to take place before the events of "Captain America: Civil War." That's still the case, but if you think you know what to expect, think again.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Marvel's Brad Winderbaum revealed that the show will follow the same "pattern" established on the big screen, where Peter was met by Tony Stark and offered an internship. "But because of things that happen in the multiverse because of new, random occurrences, it's not Tony Stark who's waiting for him there," he explained. "It's Norman Osborn and that sends his life in an unexpected trajectory that collides him with many unexpected characters in the Marvel universe."
While no official cast announcement has been made yet, a copyright filing with the United States Copyright Office appears to confirm that Hudson Thames will play Peter Parker, reprising the role from "What If...?" and "Avengers: Quantum Encounter." Other cast members named in the filing are Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song as Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, and Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn. Some reports suggest the series will drop in November 2024, but it's still listed as "coming soon" on Disney's website.
High Potential - TBD
"High Potential" is an upcoming detective show starring Kaitlin Olson of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" fame as single mom Morgan, who moonlights as a private eye. Per the show's official synopsis, Morgan's talent for solving unusual crimes leads to a partnership with Karadec, a no-nonsense detective played by Daniel Sunjata. The show is based on the popular French series "HPI: Haut Potentiel Intellectuel." If it follows suit, viewers can expect Olson's Morgan to be a feisty character who stands up for herself and pushes back against authority. In "HPI," Morgan has a 160 IQ and is asked to partner with detectives to catch highly intelligent criminals.
"High Potential" is written and executive produced by the highly regarded Drew Goddard, who got his start as a staff writer on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" before going on to pen the screenplay for "The Martian" and serve as showrunner on the Netflix "Daredevil" series. Alongside Olsen and Sunjata, the cast includes Javicia Leslie as Daphne, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev "Oz" Osman, Amirah J as Ava, Matthew Lamb as Elliot, and Judy Reyes as Selena.. There's no concrete release date as of yet, but it "will debut during the 2024-2025 broadcast season," ABC confirms. TV Line predicts a Fall premiere.
Our Oceans - TBD
Netflix is set to increase its natural history coverage in 2024 — in fact, it already has, via the fascinating "Our Living World." This will be followed by another doc titled "Our Oceans." They are the latest installments in a series of documentaries produced by the streamer, including the Morgan Freeman-narrated series "Our Universe," which premiered in 2022. Two more dropped in 2023: "Life on Our Planet," and a second season of the David Attenborough-narrated series "Our Planet," which has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Our Living World," which is narrated by Cate Blanchett, hit the streamer in April 2024.
Next up in 2024 is "Our Oceans," though there's no confirmed release date for it yet. We do, however, have an official description of the series, thanks to a Netflix press release. The six-part series will explore the world's oceans, focusing on the parts that remain unexplored: "From the tropical warm waters of the Indian Ocean to the fiery depths of the Atlantic, from the unpredictable waters of the Pacific that are surrounded by a ring of fire to the freezing isolation of the Southern and Arctic Oceans, 'Our Oceans' explores the magical world of wonders that lies beneath the waves."