Television in 2024 felt different. Things slowed down. You could feel broadcasters and streaming platforms straining to deliver the volume of shows we’ve been accustomed to and the heavy reliance on making shows out ‘existing IP’ made a lot of the output feel lazy, stale and lacking in creativity. That said, they were, as there always are, a ton of shows worthy of being named ‘The Best TV of the Year’ and this is that list. Even a couple based on that pesky IP turned out far better than they’re premise had led us to believe they would.

Fargo (January 2024, Prime Video/FX)

Fargo has always been brilliantly unpredictable but the fifth season managed to match the heights of the first and second seasons which are quite rightly held in high regard. Juno Temple was magnetic as Dot, a woman just trying to live a quiet suburban life with her daughter and dopey husband who can’t escape her past. Perhaps because it was set the closest to our time (November 2020) it felt the most timely and real of anything that Fargo had done before but also maintained the zany nature we’d come to expect from a series that can take its characters anywhere. When it is finally revealed who Dot is and why she is so desperate to keep her true identity to herself the series unwraps into something truly special. Dark, funny and scary Noah Hawley’s unique take on the Cohen Brothers’ world always feels fresh but these characters in particular feel cut from something entirely different. Arriving to little fanfare on Prime Video late last year, it’s perhaps little wonder that Fargo’s fifth season was barely mentioned at the time and very little sense but that’s just the way of this new streaming era we live in and in no way a reflection as to how good the season was. Even if you’ve not seen a second of the past seasons this one is a brilliant entry point into the genius of Noah Hawley and a reminder of what a talent Juno Temple is when she’s given such a meaty role.

True Detective: Night Country (January 2024, HBO/Sky Atlantic)

The fourth season of HBO’s dark crime anthology was incredible. New showrunner  Issa López drew on the themes that the series had become synonymous with and brought something new, exciting and unpredictable with her. We’re in the fictional Alaskan Town of Ennis on the last day of proper sunlight in December before it disappears for good. Detective Liz Danvers (a brilliantly no-nonsense Jodie Foster) is called in when the town’s scientific research centre, normally a hub of activity run by its entirely male staff is found strangely deserted along with the discovery of a human tongue. The discovery of the tongue is of particular interest to cop-turned-trooper Evangeline Navarro (the utterly captivating Kali Reis) who is convinced it belongs to a native woman who had her tongue removed after she was killed for protesting the town’s main source of income – the mine. Danvers is dismissive but the pair end up working together when it appears there could be a link. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis were electric together and the story was so well told that the week between episodes was only just bearable. Where other seasons within the series have felt dark and depressing,  López understood how to use her version of darkness – the everlasting night, to feed into a wider of story of how people cope in such a harsh environment, the way Indigenous people are treated and how two women come together to solve a brutal case. A tremendous cast of interesting side characters including Brit actors Christopher Eccleston, Finn Bennett and Fiona Shaw helped to make this one of the most exciting shows of the year.

Big Boys (January 2024, Channel 4)

In the current spate of “identity” comedies – where the creator is highlighting an issue from their own life through a fictionalised version of themselves – Big Boys still rises above the crowd. Telling the story of creator Jack Rooke’s university years, and focusing on mental health of fictional, newly “out” Jack and his best friend, troubled wide-oy Danny, Big Boys made a huge impact with its first season. With Jack, Danny and their closest friends – prickly Scot Corrine, and LGBTQ leader Yemi – returning to uni after a summer of fun, the show followed their maturing lives, and the new challenges they faced. While uni life and Jack’s disastrous dating exploits through the laughs, a car-crash foray into “lad mag” working world for Danny and Corrine, Jack’s cousin Shannon’s pregnancy, and his mum’s attempts to reenter the world of dating showed the beating heart of Rooke’s story. While Danny’s mental health issues took a backseat this season, grief was moved more centrally as we saw flashbacks to Jack’s late father’s illness and final days. Both heartbreaking and life-affirming, Big Boys runs that balance of pain and laughter better than any other sitcom out there, and muses effectively on the vitality of love and support from family – whether chosen or by blood. 

Masters of The Air (January 2024, Apple TV+)

Let’s get something out of the way, Masters of the Air is the third in a trilogy which began with HBO’s Band of Brothers. Any hope that the third instalment could meet the staggering heights of that series should be immediately put to bed, but judging Masters on its own merits it’s a must. Apple TV+ shows have always looked stunning but Masters of the Air feels truly epic. The stomach-churning Ariel sequences are unlike anything I’ve seen in serialised television. It can be easy to forget you’re watching a written piece because the sequences are so affective and immersive. CWhere Masters of the Air lets itself down is in its characterisation. I can’t say I truly cared for anyone here, having two lead characters with two similar names was never anything but confusing but when it came down to it, the fact the characters weren’t as strong didn’t really matter because the action and the wider story here is something we need to see.

Mr & Mrs Smith (February 2024, Prime Video)

2024 was the year the ‘Peak TV’ bubble burst for good and you could definitely feel the slowdown. More platforms than ever but somehow less true creativity coming from each of them. In a bid to deliver shows with a built-in audience, streamers started to lean heavier on the IP at their disposal to package familiar fare with new faces. The end result was, more often than not, a show that paled into insignificance when compared to its original or something that failed to capture the magic of what made the original property so beloved. Ths was not the case with Donald Glover’s take on the noughties romcom “Mr & Mrs Smith” How could have been? Glover had already delivered one of the most inventive and constantly surprising shows of the last decade with Atlanta. His next project was never going to be an easy one.. What he managed to do with Mr. & Mrs. Smith was make that feel as original as anything he’d done before. Two strangers who work for a shady and underground company are thrown together and sent out on missions killing seemingly random people. Fun, dangerous and sexy, the show was a real pleasant surprise. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine had a palpable chemistry as two strangers thrust into the unknown. The first episode sees them tasked with following a woman with a cardboard box. They don’t know the woman, they don’t know the contents of the box and at this point, they don’t know each other. What follows is a twisty race across New York to get the box at whatever cost. Part buddy comedy, part action drama, part relationship counselling session, the show juggles a lot but handles each facet at play with impressive ease. Peak TV might be over, but Peak Spy has only just begun, with Black Doves, The Day of the Jackal, The Agency and the Granddaddy of them all, Slow Horses, jockeying for position, Mr and Mrs Smith proved itself more than capable of standing out in an overcrowded space.

Things You Should Have Done (February 2024, BBC Three/BBC iPlayer)

Lucia Keskin’s sitcom caused a bit of a stir when it debuted at the end of February, due to the actress and writer’s comedy origins starting on TikTok. However, she more than proved her place on the BBC’s commissioning slate with her off-beat comedy about a “stay at home daughter” who is forced into independence when her parents die. Featuring moments of fantasy and surreal interludes, the comedy is surprisingly sweet in its handling of main character Chi’s grief, and forays into the world at large. Selin Hizli (Am i being Unreasonable?) is stand-out as Chi’s vicious and money-grubbing aunt who believes she should have inherited Chi’s parents house.  Outlandish side characters including Chi’s driving instructor, and wet cousin, bestie Lucas flesh out the family, and give deadpan Chi something to bounce off. Oddly endearing and refreshingly original, Things You Should Have Done may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a treat for those who vibe with Keskin’s skilled writing. 

Shōgun (February 2024, FX/Disney+)

Such is the success of FX’s remake of the 1980 miniseries, that it moved from “limited series” to returning series when it was renewed for a second season, and swept the Emmys in the process. Telling the story of Englishman John Blackthorne’s arrival in 1600s Japan, the remake recentered the story around the Japanese lead characters as they engage in a battle of minds for power and land. Blackthorne is befriended by lord Toranaga, one of the 5 councillors currently in a stalemate leading the country, who are all desperate to overthrow the others to take the title of “shogun”. A complex story of religion, ritual, tradition and war-tactics, Shogun is not an easy watch – both in terms of content and due to the heavy use of subtitles – but it’s a highly satisfying one. The machinations of the Japanese lords is the riveting driving force of the plot, but the heart lies in Blackthorne’s relationships with Toranaga, and translator Mariko. Achingly bleak and beautiful, the sweeping visuals support the story of the tiny shifts that reveal the growing respect between Toranaga and his new pilot friend, and the growing love between John and married Mariko. Painful, violent, contemplative and enthralling, Shōgun is a must-watch that requires you to put your phone down, and rewards you for it in swathes.

Baby Reindeer (April 2024, Netflix)

I will admit now that I wasn’t Baby Reindeer’s biggest champion but there’s no question that a deserves place here. Richard Gadd’s deeply personal story of online stalking and sexual abuse arrived with little notice but quickly became the year’s biggest word-of-mouth hit. Spending weeks on top of Netflix’s weekly charts, the show couldn’t be pigeonholed as one thing.  Part dark comedy, part memoir, part horror, rarely, does something this raw and unflinching garner a universal following, but Baby Reindeer proved irresistible. Jessica Gunning was both terrifying and vulnerable as Gadd’s relentless stalker, her performance was completely unpredictable, putting the audience in Gadd’s shoes of being unsure of when she’d turn up and what mood she’d be in. I had my issues with Gadd’s performance but Baby Reindeer delivered one of the most truly original and surprising series in recent memory, even if it’s one I’m not keen to revisit any time soon, it will stay with me.

Ripley (April 2024, Netflix)

Another show based on well-known and beloved IP that you could argue didn’t need a refresh. Tom Ripley has appeared in two movies and a radio series. The idea of resurrecting the scheming conman again seems redundant and lazy, but when Ripley arrived on Netflix, I found myself completely immersed. Shot in black and white, the whole thing was stunning. Andrew Scott is admittedly older than the other incarnations of the character, but he brings something very different to the role.  A cerebral look at this unhinged character that feels entirely fresh. Writer-director Steve Zaillian turned the material into a riveting step-by-step procedural on how to be a sociopath. The beats may have been familiar, but the journey was fuller and more well-rounded than anything that had come before. One of the most visually striking shows of the year, Ripley grabs you and won’t let go.

The Responder (May 2024, BBC One)

There was an argument, that I probably made, that The Responder didn’t need a second series. The gritty Liverpool-set crime drama from Tony Schumacher accomplished so much in the first series that it felt as if its story had been told. More often than not, series are given a second series when there isn’t enough story left to tell to warrant another six episodes, and sometimes, I’m wrong, and the second series rivals the first in terms of writing and performance. The world of The Responder is bleak and dangerous. its characters are injected with so much humanity and humour that you can’t help but root for them even when things seem at their worst. All of the characters here are caught in an inescapable pit of despair. Responding Officer Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) still doesn’t have his life in order before he’s unwittingly caught in another mess and at the mercy of a ruthless drug dealer. Add to that the father he despises is back on the scene and that his wife is back with the man who ruined his marriage, Chris has it harder than almost anyone else on television. Martin Freeman is the best he’s ever been as Chris Carson, often vibrating under the strain of stress and anger that he’s forced to live under. Rachel (the stunning Adelayo Adedayo) is still struggling with the after-effects of being in an abusive relationship with boyfriend Steve (Philip Barantini). She’s distracted at work, driving into a bush and self-harming by touching a hot iron and completely disturbed when she discovers Steve has moved on and is possibly treating his new girlfriend the same. Frantically searching for her details on Facebook she eventually finds Lorna (Izuka Hoyle) and goes to extreme lengths to keep her safe. It’s a terrific performance and a powerful way to continue Rachel’s story. Elsewhere, Marco (Josh Finan) is left literally holding the baby when the mother of his baby daughter is sent to prison. Initially clueless, it becomes the making of this once-lost young lad. Determined to make a better life for himself and his daughter, it’s Marco that has the most hopeful arch here even if he’s in constant danger of being pulled back into the only life he’s ever known. Casey (Emily Farin), is stuck. She doesn’t know a different way of life and going into a business with Jodie (Faye McKeever) initially feels like Casey could be on to the first good thing of life, if only until Jodie learns Casey’s direct involvement in her husband’s death. The majority of British drama feels stale and lacks identity. The Responder feels distinctly British, deeply rooted in Liverpool and the show has a lot to say (most of it not very good) about modern Britain.

We Are Lady Parts (June 2024, Channel 4/Peacock)

Britain’s greatest all-female Muslim punk band returned for that difficult second season, which details the band’s minor success and attempts to record their first album – all while up-and-coming tribute-band-come-rivals Second Wife are snapping at their heels. With Amina in her “villain era”, she and the rest of the band wrestle with personal issues and the band’s future, as they struggle to handle their modicum of success. Manager Momtaz struggles with her ideals as a businesswoman and losing sight of her initial goals; Saira struggles with ageing (reaching the terrifying age of 30!) and the lack of security in her life; Amina struggles with dating outside the rules she set for herself; and Bisma struggles with her self-image as a mother and a black woman, as well as a Muslim. Creator Nida Manzoor always manages to tell an insightful and important story about young female Muslim identity, alongside a biting, witty take on the old “let’s make a band” tropes, with fantastic, emotional beats on the side, and season 2 encompasses it all. Amina (Anjana Vasan) carries much of the comedy on her shoulders, and does a fantastic job, especially in scenes with supportive mum (Shobu Kapoor). But the show’s strength lies in the believability of the 5 women as a band, and the absolutely on-point music they create. From their cover of Britney Spear’s Oops I Did It Again to their originals “Villain Era” and “Malala Made Me Do It” the band’s performances elevate the story beyond any other fictional band to date.

Lost Boys and Fairies (June 2024, BBC One)

With little fanfare or promotion, this BBC 3-part mini-series landed, shattering hearts, and delighting with its modern story of queer love, adoption, addiction and grief. Gabriel and Andy are a gay couple in Wales, who have been together for 8 years and are ready to adopt a child. Although initially hoping for a girl, they bond with a troubled boy, Jake, at an adoption open day. Things become complicated when Gabriel’s past drug addiction comes to light, and his own issues with his parents eat into his self-belief as a potential parent. However, that’s only the beginning of the trauma that will face the family, as tragedy befalls them and Jake’s future is shrouded in doubt.  Sion Daniel Young is show-stealing as Gabriel, in a story which explores identity (Welsh, gay, father, partner, son) in a deeply moving and heartfelt way, and focuses on the complex issues surrounding adoption and the care system.

Presumed Innocent (June 2024, Apple TV+)

It seems risky to remake a successful 90s thriller starring Harrison Ford, but as with most things Apple+ touches, their reincarnation of Scott Turow’s courtroom drama was a huge success. Starring Jake Gyllenhall in the Ford role, as prosecutor Rusty Sabich, who is blamed for the murder of his colleague and lover Carolyn Polhemus. Experienced show-runner David E Kelley took on the adaption and redressed the gender imbalance and rampant sexism of the original. Increasing the role of Rusty’s wife (in this incarnation played by Ruth Negga), giving the couple a teenage son and daughter, and gender-swapping Rusty’s police contact, give the series a more rounded 2024 feel. The thriller element of the story is expertly tweaked by Kelley, who throws in more potential suspects than the movie and keeps the audience second-guessing Rusty’s motives and honesty throughout. Gripping viewing, with a political slant that doesn’t overshadow the human story, it pulls apart marital, familial and obsessive love. Gyllenhall and Negga have fantastic power onscreen as the couple wrestles with how much they really know each other, and the sharp dialogue, and sharper court scenes, which Kelley is known for, ensure it packs a punch to the end.

The Bear ( June 2024, FX/Disney+)

The Bear Season 3 had a massive problem. The Bear Season 2 had set such a high bar of expectation that it was almost doomed before it aired. In truth, we debated whether to include the somewhat lacklustre third season on the list, but when it came down to it, we realised we were only penalising it because it didn’t live up to that incredible second season. There are aspects of that second season, us TV nerds think about regularly, but that’s not to take anything away from what this season was able to achieve. The episode ‘Ice Chips’ we saw Sugar (Abby Elliott) go into labour with her manic mother at her bedside. It was one of the most stress-inducing but strangely therapeutic episodes of the year and a great showcase for Elliott and co-star Jamie Lee Curtis. The show is at its best when it digs down into who these characters are and what makes them behave the way they do and Ice Chips explores the strained but important mother-daughter bond in a caring and draining way. Similarly, ‘Napkins’ which looked at the backstory of cook Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), was equally moving and allowed Colón-Zayas to develop a side of her character we’d not seen to this point. Where the season failed was moving the story on with the main players like ‘cousin’ Richie and ‘The Bear’ himself Carmy, but we’re hopeful the already in the can fourth season will right the low-key missteps in this slightly awkward bridging season of an otherwise gem of a show.

We Might Regret This (August 2024, BBC Three)

BBC Three has led the way in female-centred comedies in the past couple of years, with shows such as Things You Should Have Done and Such Brave Girls, and this year they added We Might Regret This to the fold. Creator and star, Kyla Harris, plays Freya, a paraplegic artist who moves to the UK to live with her boyfriend, Abe (Darren Boyd). Abe is recently divorced from wife, Jane (the always splendid Sally Phillips) and comes with a heap of emotional baggage, as well as a 20-something son, Levi. Freya comes with her own baggage, in the form of best friend Jo, who shows up to celebrate Freya’s birthday, and doesn’t leave. Freya is struggling to find a personal assistant who can live with her, provide her essential care, but not get in the way of her new relationship with Abe. It seems like Jo might be the perfect candidate, but there’s plenty of teething problems as all parties try to define their boundaries and needs. An incredibly uplifting and realistic look at modern love and life, We Might Regret This highlights the harshities of just how much society is ill-equipped to provide a welcoming, adapted space for those with disabilities. Harris is fantastically sparky and warm as Freya, showcasing her sexuality and vitality, along with the black humour she needs to cope with life. Mixing farcical toilet-humour with brilliant character and relationship exploration, We Might Regret This ticks all the right boxes.

Colin From Accounts (August 2024, BBC Two/BINGE)

Australia’s cutest dog, and his mismatched, imperfectly-perfect-for-each-other owners Gordon and Ashley returned for their second season this year, and managed to grab the nation’s hearts all over again. Having given Colin away at the end of the first season, the pair must attempt to get him back, and come up with ever more disastrous schemes to do so. Their chaotic attempts to retrieve Colin are a mirror for the couple’s fumbling attempts to navigate their new relationship. Endlessly hilarious, both in broad, base strokes, and finer, character detail, Colin From Accounts has you longing to simply spend time with insecure trainee doctor Ash and Gen X brewer Gordon – who is straddling his identity as traditional Aussie bloke and romantic new man with increasing angst. Spending time with Gordon’s family, exploring their dynamics, and Gordon’s relationship with his abusive father, provides an extra level to the show’s already impressive folio. Creators and stars, real-life couple Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer maintain compelling, lively chemistry and keep the characters and audience on their toes, ensuring Gordon and Ashley belong on the shelf of Australia’s greatest comedy characters alongside legends such as Kath and Kim.

Slow Horses (September 2024, Apple TV)

Slow Horses is without question the most consistently entertaining show on television. It’s the best returning British drama and it is the best British show on streaming. In an era before big platforms, this could have been a massive hit for any broadcaster. Its fourth series proved all of the above, constantly challenging its audience, continuously surprising and properly funny, the fourth series was perhaps the best and most personal series yet. Putting Jack Lowden’s River Cartright and his Grandfather at the centre of things meant things felt rawer and more dangerous than they have before. Jonathan Pryce shines the former top dog at MI5 who is slowly losing his grip as old age and dementia take hold. Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb is one of TV’s greatest creation and he is far from wearing out his welcome. The fourth series just proved how strong, bold and confident the series is. Beginning with a shocking discovery and ending with a shocking demise, and a family secret revealed, the show manages to make the elevated and ridiculous world of Slough House completed grounded in reality and as a result, we care so deeply about everyone unfortunate enough to end up here.

Shrinking (October 2024, Apple TV+)

Bill Lawrence has a history of creating great ‘hangout sitcoms’. Yes, Shrinking has an intriguing premise of a shrink who uses his own grief to start giving patients brutally honest life advice, but it quickly moved beyond that and became a show full of people you just wanted to spend time with. Fortunately, we were given 13 episodes in this second season and a third is already confirmed. It’s a hard show to write about without just shouting “IT’S FANTASTIC YOU SHOULD WATCH IT” but every aspect of the show works. Jason Segal, who has made a career out of being the loveable everyman is absolutely perfect. Harrison Ford as his grumpy boss is incredibly funny and charming. It’s impossible to stop praising a show that leaves you with such a warm glow but one that also never dips into sappy or saccharin territory. If, for whatever reason, you’ve slept on Shrinking, please please start watching. You’ll be glad you did.

Sweetpea (October 2024, Sky Atlantic/Starz)

In a year of very few original shows, Sky’s Sweetpea stands out for its originality and freshness. Starring Ella Purnell as Rhiannon, a put-open young woman, who feels invisible after a lifetime of bullying and abandonment. When her father dies it’s the final straw, and clutching his electrician’s knife, she starts to think about all the people in her life she’d like to kill – starting with childhood bully Julia. Inevitably, life throws surprises at Rhiannon (and a bus onto her beloved dog) and her plans to kill become messily unravelled – though kill she does. Her guilt becomes even more complicated when she starts investigating her own murders, in order to impress her newspaper boss and become a fully fledged reporter. Constantly surprising, Sweetpea is a fantastic vehicle for Purnell who shoulders the show lightly, and delivers powerful moments of horror and rage, as well as Rhiannon’s meeker interludes. A female serial killer is a rare enough story, but Sweetpea manages to subvert the genre further by focusing on female friendship and empowerment, in a world of male, wounded ego murderers.

Rivals (October 2024, Disney+)

Gloriously gauche, painfully vibrant, and utterly entertaining, Disney’s much-anticipated adaptation of one of Dame Jilly Cooper’s most infamous “bonkbusters” managed to exceed all expectations with its depiction of the lives and loves of Rutshire’s richest inhabitants, at the height of 80s glamour. It’s the stories of three men – TV mogul Tony Baddingham; passionate journalist Declan O’Hara; and caddish MP Rupert Campbell-Black – in the midst of the British independent TV wars. Egos are fluffed and bruised as the men fight for dominance and switch loyalties as they wrestle to come out on top in the self-aware series. Each Machiavellian twist and turn is punctuated with knowing nods and references to the era, and the 80s excess is expertly counteracted with acerbic wit delivered through the deft characterisation. Of course, central to it all is tremendous amounts of sex, as extramarital affairs abound, yet even that is offset by a romantic heart. Virtuous, ingenue Tiggy steals the heart of ladies man Campbell-Black, and – most moving of all – downtrodden spouses Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (a show-stealing Danny Dyer) find solace and joy in their growing attraction. Even if you think you’ll hate it, you’ll love it.

Alma’s Not Normal (October 2024, BBC Two)

If there is one TV show which best reflects Britain today, Alma’s Not Normal would be it. After an award-winning, impactful first season, Sophie Willan returned for a second visit to Alma and her dysfunctional family in Bolton. Though Alma has had a modicum of success as an actress, she is brought back to earth when she returns and has to deal with her mother Lin in a secure mental health unit, and her grandmother’s cancer diagnosis. Despite her circumstances, Alma is effervescent and irrepressible, and Willan creates a staggeringly moving balance which showboats the resilient nature of working class women, and the horrific circumstances that force them to be resilient.In a cast of incredible female actors, Siobhan Finneran stands out as troubled mother Lin, and Lorraine Ashbourne shines as brassy Grandma Joan, who embraces her mortality with ferociousness and wit. With a slew of comedy greats guest starring as Grandma Joan’s siblings, this second season truly pays tribute to the power of women, and points a finger at the horrifically underfunded mental health provisions in the UK. Evoking, laughter, tears and rage throughout, the season builds to a powerful crescendo of brilliance which includes the reading of a poem, “Never Give a Hamster Matches” which will live with you forever.

The Diplomat (October 2024, Netflix)

With its second season under its belt, Netflix may have truly found a West Wing successor with witty political drama The Diplomat. Starring Keri Russell as reluctant American ambassador in the UK, Kate Wyler, who is dealing with  a slew of problems – namely, an international crisis caused by a British war ship explosion; certain American government players who are grooming her for Vice Preisdency; and – most irritating – her wayward, impulsive, sometime diplomat husband Hal. Season 2 takes up immediately where season 1 left off, with the car explosion that took in Hal, two American embassy staff members, and a British MP. The fallout lasts throughout the season as Kate endeavours to find out the whos and whys or the intricate plan that seems set to tip the world into war, with the aid of CIA agent Eidra Park, and the impeccably British interference of Celia Imrie. Riveting intertwined threads baffle and enlighten with perfect timing, and the human elements are always as sticky, awkward and bombastic as politics insists, Russell is brilliant as tousled, stressed-but-in-control Kate, and Rufus Sewell shines as fly-in-the-ointment, louche husband Hal. Witty, lively and complex, The Diplomat looks to be a long-running political delight.

Say Nothing (November 2024, FX/Disney+)

Based on the best-selling ‘True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland’ FX’s adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2018 book, Say Nothing excels in its handling of the intricate and bloody memory of The Troubles. Opening with the ‘disappearing’ of Jean McConville in 1972. A widow and single mother of ten in West Belfast, McConville was abducted by a gang of masked IRA members, driven away in the back of a van, executed with a bullet to the back of the skull and was never seen alive again. Her remains were found in 2003. Until then, the only memory her children had of their mother was a purse anonymously returned to them. It contained 52 pence and her three rings. The nine-episode limited series covers a lot of ground, but it’s a rare beast that could actually be worthy of more time to tell what is a deep and complex story.  The female angle in both the original book and its adaptation provides the potential for a renegotiation of The Troubles as one marked by male-led, male-conceived violence and yet, it does not play into such easy binaries. Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe play the sisters as their younger selves and later by Maxine Peake and Helen Behan; we see the Price sisters’ evolution from an attempt at peaceful protest, advocating for Catholic emancipation, to an all-out commitment to the IRA and its cause. It’s a stunning lead performance from Petticrew that is the initial draw. Fierce, vulnerable and dedicated to the cause, the script doesn’t paint the elder Price sister as a villain but nor does it shy away from the crimes she committed. The Responder’s Josh Finan, is unrecognisable as a young Gerry Adams and Maxine Peake is fantastic as Price is in the later phases of life, a woman attending AA meetings who is haunted by some of what she did in her past. And yet, the series often feels like it’s only scratching at the surface of a story that it could take many series to truly unpack. Say Nothing still serves as a terrifying history lesson and a great character study for those involved, it’s one that will stick with you long after you’ve watched it.

Bad Sisters (November 2024, Apple TV+)

Doing rounds on the American chatshows, Bad Sisters creator Sharon Horgan openly admitted she didn’t know what a second series of her brilliant dark comedy would look like. She was told everyone loved the Garvey sisters and would watch them do anything. Horgan knew that wasn’t true and that a second series needed to match the pacing and intrigue of the first. I too was wary that we needed a second series, but, as often happens, mere moments into the first episode of this slightly shorter second series, I was proved wrong. If anything, this second series feels more unpredictable with the Bad Sisters getting into even more dangerous and precarious situations. Enter the fabulous Fiona Shaw as Roger’s interfering sister. She knows far too much about the Garvey’s past and is making her presence known at every available opportunity. Then there’s Ian, a new member of the family who might not be as squeaky clean as he first appears and the two police officers who are sniffing around again after the skeleton of JP’s father is discovered. Even with all these plots, the show never loses its ability to make you laugh and the sitersly bond that made the first so special has lost none of its spark. It is entirely possible we’ll be getting more Bad Sisters, and I for one, welcome having more time to spend with them.

Somebody Somewhere (November 2024, HBO/MAX/Sky Comedy)

This tender, sweet and laugh-out-loud comedy came to an end with its third season this year. Easily the quietest and most unassuming show to ever make it to television, Somebody Somewhere, the comedy about a woman coming to terms with the death of her sister, has been brilliant from the off. It’s final season reached new heights with both emotion and comedy. Bridget Everett shines as Sam, a woman of a certain and a certain size completely happy in her own tight-knit friendship group, but someone equally happy to not exist to the rest of the world. There were no big revelations, but a happy and content ending which felt fitting for a show which is content to be exactly what it was. There’s a tendency for TV to be BIG, and grab our attention, Somebody Somewhere didn’t take that approach, instead, it gave us a world and a set of characters we just wanted to wrap our arms around and for that, it feels even more important and impactful.

I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the site and our weekly podcast. It means the world and look forward to meeting The Best Shows of 2025!

Luke Knowles

Editor of The site.