The Best TV Shows of 2024 So Far: THR Critics' Picks

What makes this series addictive is also what makes it disturbing, devastating and sometimes funny: its brutal honesty. Richard Gadd's tale of harassment and abuse spares no one, least of all his semi-autobiographical replacement. But it also finds empathy for flawed victims and struggling perpetrators – the latter played by Jessica Gunning with fierce commitment. -Angie Han

Extraordinary (Hulu)

In a television landscape full of super-powered characters, this series stands out – and not just because its protagonist, Jen (Máiréad Tyers), is the rare adult in its universe without any special abilities. Truly a coming-of-age comedy in genre packaging, the second season delves even deeper into the psyches of its characters to explore themes as relatable as sexuality and loss. -AH

A spectacle that could only come from Julio Torres, the surrealist mind behind The Espookys, Ghosts follows a writer trying to avoid being kicked out. But surreal detours – to hamster nightclubs, mermaid call centers, etc. – articulate to make a statement about our beautiful, horrible, bizarre reality. -AH

HBO's three-part documentary series about the Lone Star State is anchored by Richard Linklater's spectacular feature film, “Hometown Prison,” which deals with the death penalty and the origins of Linklater's own authorial voice. Also top-notch are Iliana Sosa's examination of the El Paso border and Alex Stapleton's examination of how black Texans paid the price for Texas' oil wealth. -DANIEL FIENBERG

Tips could have done the hack-y thing and just reset its central love-hate dynamic season after season. Fortunately, like Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder), the comedy-drama Max reached new heights in its third season, propelling both characters to the heights of their careers to highlight just how far they've come. and how far they have evolved. they never will. -AH

Much richer than Doug Liman's 2005 film, the Amazon series traces the ups and downs of a marriage – Donald Glover and Maya Erskine alternate between the ridiculous and the crude – against a backdrop of wacky action. Those expecting big set pieces were disappointed, but the series delivered smart writing, great guests, and a real insight into the fragility of relationships. -DF

Unlike the exuberance of Anthony Minghella The Talented Mr. Ripley, Steven Zaillian's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel is a chilling meditation on the untapped potential and privilege of geriatric adolescence. Andrew Scott's inscrutable main character isn't that “talented,” but he is complex, and the supporting cast couldn't be better. The main attraction, though: Robert Elswit's stunning black-and-white cinematography. -DF

Few shows this year have been as transporting as this sumptuously produced epic with a Game Of Thrones-a talent for balancing grand sweep and heartbreaking intimacy. A stellar cast, led by Hiroyuki Sanada as the noble and cunning Toranaga and Anna Sawai as his faithful translator, locate the all-too-human impulses that propel the bloody wheel of history in 17th-century Japan . -AH

The second season confirms Nida Manzoor's comedy as one of the funniest and most versatile on television. Want a love triangle? Catchy new songs, including a cowboy-inspired music video from Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai? The intersectional realities of being a Muslim woman in London in 2024? This show has you covered. Three years was a long time to wait for six new episodes! -DF

When did Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' celebration of having enough money to buy a Welsh football team become such an apt treatise on male vulnerability? How did it become such an effective film while remaining a quintessential underdog sports drama? Not clear. But the third season expanded the series' range, making room for silly star-studded pranks, inspiring character studies, and fun meta ideas. -DF

This story first appeared in the June 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.