The most shocking reality of the 2023-2024 television season has been the disappointed fans of typically hit shows. House of the Dragon, The Bear, and The Boys, all of which debuted new seasons in June 2024, fell short for many viewers. That may not show in their respective ratings (all three series are still in the Nielsen streaming charts weeks after their last releases as of the time publication), but fan reactions on social media and critic reviews alike show that these seasons were not up to audiences’ expectations.
But it wasn’t all disappointment. Far from it. This year has delivered some truly remarkable stories — some of which we expect will go down as not just some of this year’s best, but as some of the greatest TV ever made. With the 2023-2024 season soon coming to a close (and the 2024 Emmys around the corner on September 15), the TV Insider staff convened to select our favorite shows of the year so far and rank them. To be considered, each show had to have debuted the majority of its respective season in this calendar year. The most intriguing takeaway from our choices is that out of the 19 shows ranked below, six of them are remakes of past shows or movies — and five of those six made it into our Top 10. In a world full of remakes and reboots that don’t justify their existence, these five serve as blueprints for how to adapt previously used source material.
We’re confident in our choices, but there are some titles to which we’re giving honorable mentions: Ripley, Tracker, The Sympathizer, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Elsbeth, My Lady Jane, and Mary & George were all standouts to our team. And House of the Dragon, The Bear, and The Boys are still beloved shows in our books. But the following titles are what we feel are the best of this year on TV so far.
If there are shows currently airing you feel were snubbed, don’t worry — we’ll update this list one more time before the year is up. Whether you love our takes or hate them, or if this list helps you discover your new obsession, let us know in the comments section. We love TV, and we want to know what you love about it, too.
