BLANK’s Best of 2024
TV Shows & Comedy Specials
10. Landman
This show drove me crazy a couple times per episode, but the miscues were nothing Billy Bob Thornton couldn’t fix with his every appearance on the screen. He’s still the best leading man in TV when it comes to the over-the-top, charming, jerk role after stints as the type on “Fargo” and “Goliath.” That’s why his turn as Tommy Norris, the no-excuses fix-it-man for a huge oil company in the boomtown of Midland, Texas, works so well.
When he’s onscreen, this show shines. Any time he’s not onscreen, there’s usually something gratuitous and unbelievable going on, but the other characters are likable enough for audiences to stick around until it’s Thornton’s turn again. While some of the subplots are obtuse (especially those surrounding Norris’ son Cooper), the theme of the show remains interesting throughout, and most of the cast does a good job of playing what is written for them. Demi Moore and Jon Hamm are criminally underused, while more focus is placed on Ali Larter (Angela, Norris’ wife) and Michelle Randolph (his daughter Aynsley) and their physiques, but the season finale presents hope for a promising season two. There are also a couple of very surprising cameos, one of which fans of the NFL will not see coming. – Rusty Odom
9. Girls5Eva
This is the smartest comedy on TV right now. The jokes are so dense and fast that the show practically demands rewatching to get every little morsel. The third season of “Girls 5 Eva” saw the show move from its home on Peacock to Netflix. Having more eyes on the new platform, they’ve done a great job continuing the series without a hiccup.
The sitcom follows a short-lived girl group from the late ‘90s trying to make a resurgence. The show has a relentless pace and packs jokes into every scene of every episode. There aren’t many dramatic moments, as this is an unapologetically pure comedy. The world needs a few more of these. This one sets a very high bar. – Zac Fallon
8. Hacks
What started as a classic odd-couple formulaic comedy has evolved into a genuine conversation about exploring the nuances of cancel culture from two perspectives that seem to be the most at odds with it: the old and the young. In season three, Ava (played by Hannah Einbinder) and Deborah (Jean Smart) navigate some problematic jokes that surface from Deborah’s past in a way that evolves past pitchforks and angry mobs. “Hacks” starts a conversation about how we got here in comedy and where to go from here. This season is also more heavily peppered with rising stars Paul W. Downs and the hilarious Megan Stalter as Deborah’s agent and assistant to ensure there’s no shortage of hijinks. This is a comedy, after all. – Rocko Reynolds
7. Somebody Somewhere
The third and final season of “Somebody Somewhere” cements its place as one of the most authentic shows ever made. Bridget Everett shines in this semiautobiographical gem set in her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, as each character navigates life’s challenges with humor, resilience and heart. The series celebrates queer culture in small-town America, balancing life’s messiness and heartbreak with moments of pure joy. Its exceptional cast brings each character to life, emphasizing the importance of support and connection in overcoming struggles. The finale delivers a perfect ending, wrapping up themes of friendship, family, religion and the search for peace in imperfection. “Somebody Somewhere” isn’t just another HBO show; it’s a deeply human reminder of the beauty in life’s imperfections, and it’s one that will make you laugh, cry and see the world a little differently. – Matt Miller
6. Shogun
At face value, “Shōgun” seems like a daunting undertaking. It is a historical drama set in a foreign land with unfamiliar customs and political structures, and most of the dialogue is in Japanese. Despite this, “Shōgun” became a word-of-mouth sensation, gathering over 9 million streams in its first week. The success is largely due to the details. By nailing the little things, producer Hiroyuki Sanada (who also stars as Toranaga) allows the audience to focus on the interpersonal dramas and political intrigue that make the show tick. This attention to minutiae not only makes the show accessible and entertaining, but it also allowed Sanada and company to break awards records, winning 18 Emmys and shattering the previous record of 13 for a single season of a television show. – Daniel Britt
5. Abbott Elementary
Still one of the best network comedies, “Abbot Elementary” finished its third season and started its fourth in 2024. The show is established well enough now to not waste any more time on exposition or explaining its characters. Viewers know this school staff very well by now, and it lets the show explore some more nuanced plotlines than in previous years.
Relationships develop, and we see more of the world outside school than before. It still takes the time to tell standard schoolyard stories involving things like ringworm outbreaks and school plays, but the expanded world keeps the show fresh. New crossover episodes between “Abbott Elementary” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” show that this network sitcom is doing all it can to keep the spark alive. It’s working. – ZF
4. Presumed Innocent
I’m a sucker for shows and movies that feature someone named “Rusty” in a prominent role. And I’m also a sucker for projects that my fellow “October Sky” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal is involved in. OK, maybe we aren’t “co-stars” per say, considering that my role as an extra can only be identified on the DVD version with a pause and a laser pointer. Still, it was cool being on set with the future star. He was super extra cool at the time, and he has since gone on to land many big roles, but I hadn’t seen anything that he was in that I loved in quite some time.
With “Presumed Innocent,” he is perfectly cast, as is the rest of the ensemble. His take on Rusty Sabich is a brutal one. It’s not often that a prosecutor is accused of a crime, much less murder, but that’s exactly what happens in this Apple+ original series. It’s akin to “Perry Mason” with racier content, and the end result produced my favorite drama of the year. It’s worth purchasing the service for a month, and if you do that, be sure to give “Slow Horses” a look, as well. The latter would be on this list, but our voting crew has regretfully fallen a few seasons behind. We have vowed to catch up throughout the course of 2025, so expect it to return to this list next year.
As for “Presumed Innocent,” I thought it would be a one-and-done, but Apple sent word in July that the service’s No. 1 drama of all time would be returning for a second season with four encouraging words: “New season. New case.” – RO
3. Fallout
As a huge fan of the “Fallout” video game series, I was skeptical of the concept shifting to the small screen. The choose-your-own-adventure structure does not lend itself to television, and I was not sure that a show could match the grim humor or cartoonish retrofuturism of the games. Boy, was I wrong. Producer Jonathan Nolan (“Westworld”) seems to have a knack for making imaginative Western-ish projects. There are plenty of game references sprinkled throughout, but the show is approachable for anyone, even those who have never heard of the game series. The adventurous plot is complemented by great performances from Ella Purnell and Walter Goggins, with the latter excelling as both a vault shelter spokesman before the war and a mutated ghoul in the post-apocalyptic world he helped to hasten. Filled with wry humor and deadpan self-awareness, the finished product is an absolute blast. – DB
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David takes a victory lap with the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” David has made a career out of the stubborn and selfish characters on these shows. George from “Seinfeld” and Larry’s own character on “Curb” are sensationalized versions of the real-world Larry David.
After 11 seasons of laughing through the misunderstandings and arguments that seem to follow his character, he took one last opportunity to address a previous battle in a very unique way. It really serves as a great ending to such a long-running fixture, and it just might have rewritten history in a way. David rides off into the sunset at his best. – ZF
1. The Penguin
Set exactly one week after the end of the 2022 film “The Batman” and occupying the same universe, “The Penguin” proves it is no mere spin-off. Chronicling the rise of Oz Cobb in the ranks of the Gotham underworld, the series matches the pacing and tone of its forerunner but excels in new ways. It retains the gritty and cynical atmosphere of Matt Reeves’ noir-y Batman domain, but it does so while remaining downright fun and feeling simultaneously more visceral and more like a comic book. Colin Farrell and prosthetic makeup artist Mike Marino deserve all the praise they have garnered; you can tell that whoever is playing Cobb is acting brilliantly, but you would never guess that it is Farrell under that face. Not to be overlooked, though, is the performance of Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Perfectly cast as an out-for-revenge mobstress, Milioti steals practically every scene in which she appears and is the central focus of the best episode of the series. Ultimately, the show’s greatest asset lies where many others struggle: the ending. Without revealing any spoilers, the conclusion wraps up so neatly you could put a bow on it, all while never betraying the monstrous cores of the main characters. No one is a hero in this series, but a hero is precisely what they need. – DB
Miniseries
3. Monsters
This series played out in a 20-episode arc laden with late ‘80s fashion and even a Milli Vanilli-heavy soundtrack in a way that felt captivating and not at all cheesy. It follows Lyle and Erik Menendez (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, respectively) and their family before, during and after the horrendous murders that rocked Beverly Hills in 1989. Resentment stemming from a lifetime of psychological and physical abuse at the hands of their father (played by Javier Bardem) leads the boys to gun down their parents in their living room. Bardem plays the boy’s father/victim in such a perfectly haunting and steely style that I’m still wondering if he didn’t deserve it. This series takes a look at a case I’d long forgotten the particulars of, set to a soundtrack of one-hit wonders I’d also long forgotten, and it humanizes the perpetrators of the most horrendous crime you can commit. Not an easy task while wearing a windsuit. – RR
2. You Would Do It Too
Of the many miniseries I watched over the course of 2024, none kept me waiting for each week’s episode drop like “Tú también lo harías.” Apple+ is full of surprises, and each episode of this show carries its own new weight. The flow of the narrative is fantastic as each half-hour drips into the next with new clues. It starts with a peculiar robbery on a bus. Heroes emerge throughout the season, and misdirection renews engagement throughout. If you’re looking for a short-burn roller coaster, this thriller features just eight 30-minute bursts. – RO
1. Conan O’Brien Must Go
“Conan O’Brien Must Go” is Conan at his best: chaotic, witty and delightfully out of his element. This four-episode miniseries takes him to Norway, Argentina, Thailand and Ireland, inspired by podcast interviews with locals from each country. In the first episode, Conan surprises a Norwegian pop duo, rummaging through the bare kitchen of one of the members and hilariously roasting everything he finds before later singing on their hit song and joining them for a live performance. Throughout the series, he embraces the absurd, finding humor in every misstep and awkward encounter. The result is a parade of laugh-out-loud moments that feel fresh and (mostly) unscripted. Blending sharp comedy with cultural insights, “Conan O’Brien Must Go” is the comedian’s most entertaining work since his late-night hosting days. – MM
Comedy Stand-up Specials
1. Nikki Glaser – Someday You’ll Die
Nobody has been having as much success in the world of standup comedy lately as Nikki Glaser has. She absolutely stole the show at the roast of Tom Brady, even alongside veteran greats of the form. She hosted the Golden Globes and, most importantly, she released a killer special on HBO called “Someday You’ll Die.”
This is a well-written and well-performed special. Glaser spends the majority of the show calmly delivering solid observational and storytelling moments behind a mic stand. The show all builds to a raunchy 10-minute closer that not only serves laughs but also puts weight behind everything that comes before it. This is definitely Glaser’s best outing yet, and she was already great. – ZF
