22 Great TV Shows You Might Have Missed in 2024
As a passionate lover of all things entertainment, I’ve had the privilege to delve into the vast ocean of streaming content this year. And oh boy, have I found some real gems! One such discovery is the British series “Diarra From Detroit,” a comic noir that left me captivated from start to finish. The lead character, Diarra, played by the brilliantly intense Nidjat Kilpatrick, embodies an indomitable spirit that’s as endearing as it is relatable.
In today’s streaming age, it’s peculiar that even in short years like 2024, there will be excellent TV shows that many people won’t discover or watch. Some overlooked gems of this year include numerous documentaries (not crime-related), British productions, and foreign series, most of which didn’t receive adequate promotion on US platforms.
Dazzling docuseries
Omnivore (Apple TV+)
In the series Chef’s Table, famed chef René Redzepi of Noma fame journeys across the world, showcasing a breathtaking visual experience. Each episode dives deep into a single ingredient—ranging from salt to tuna to bananas—to offer an intriguing exploration. Feel free to watch the entire series or hop around based on your preferences.
The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth (Nat Geo)
It’s likely you’re familiar with the Stanford Prison Experiment, where a simulated prison was established on campus and students were assigned roles as prisoners or guards. However, what you might not be aware of, more than five decades since its termination due to the deteriorating conditions within the fake jail, is how extensively its results have been disputed. Juliette Eisner’s meticulously organized three-part documentary delves into the various opinions on the study and explains why we should reconsider the conventional understanding of it.
Social Studies (FX) and Citizen Nation (PBS)
Title investigation: Social Studies – Peering into the Impact of Growing Up with Social Media
Stax: Soulsville USA (HBO) and Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (PBS)
Each of these concise, vibrant collections offers a sociopolitical perspective on a musical trend primarily shaped by Black artists, brimming with the essence of freedom. Begin in late-’50s Memphis with Stax, delving into the highs and lows of the label that spearheaded Southern soul. Next, dive into the ’70s with Disco, where we examine how race, gender, sexuality, and industry greed intersected within a fresh dance music genre, leaving urbanites glitter-adorned and eagerly waiting behind velvet ropes.
Subtitled standouts
Billionaire Island (Netflix)
“Love Island” could be rephrased as “Island of Affections.
Like Water for Chocolate (HBO)
In simpler terms, this updated TV series based on Laura Esquivel’s popular novel, “Like Water for Chocolate,” offers a more opulent and emotionally charged portrayal of love, desire, and magical cooking during the Mexican Revolution. Compared to the iconic 1992 film, it appears more deeply immersed in the politics of its time. Plus, with HBO recently confirming a second season, you can enjoy the first six episodes without worry of an unfinished narrative.
La Maison (Apple TV+)
In recent times, TV has presented several underwhelming dramatizations of real fashion designers’ lives, ranging from “The New Look” to “Halston” and “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld”. However, if you’re seeking a genuinely captivating fashion-themed series, I recommend a French language show centered around a (fictional) Paris couture house owned by a family. The story unfolds as the patriarch’s racially charged outburst goes viral, causing a crisis within the house. Similarities to “Billionaire Island” and “Succession” have been drawn, but the mood leans towards melodrama rather than the dark humor of “Succession”.
Pyramid Game (Paramount+)
Could this chilling teen drama about cyberbullying at a girls’ high school, powered by apps, be the standout Korean series of the year? It’s unlikely. However, the blend of “Heathers” and “Squid Game” elements, the cunning portrayal of the protagonist (Kim Ji-yeon), and some truly captivating performances from the young cast offer a deliciously engaging watch.
Where’s Wanda? (Apple TV+)
Indeed, this appears to be another series about a missing teenage girl, but don’t let that categorization fool you. This engaging German production steers clear of emulating shows like “The Killing,” “Top of the Lake,” or “Under the Bridge.” Instead, it offers a unique blend of dark humor, drawing on our collective fascination with such narratives. The story revolves around two anxious parents who, despite their incompetence, decide to take the investigation of their daughter’s disappearance into their own hands, adding an unexpected twist to the conventional missing-person plotline.
Wonderfully weird
Extraordinary (Hulu)
TV’s best superhero show—and it’s not close—made last year’s version of this list, and it’s back for Season 2 because I still don’t hear enough people talking it up. For those who remain unfamiliar, Extraordinary is set in an alternate-universe London where every person spontaneously develops a superpower at around the age of 18. Sadly, our heroine Jen (Máiréad Tyers, hilarious) remains tragically unenhanced in her mid-20s. While the first season of this raunchy, surreal comedy focused on her struggle to come to terms with her de facto disability, the second homes in on her fledgling relationship with a guy who can shapeshift into a cat.
Fantasmas (HBO)
Fans have highly praised Julio Torres, known for his work on SNL, Los Espookys, and Problemista, for his enchanting sketch comedy series that depicts Torres as a versatile artist struggling to survive in a surreal, dystopian New York City. This show made it onto my personal top 10 list for 2024. Yet, when I suggest Fantasmas to others, they often confess they were unaware of Torres’ new HBO project. Now that you are informed, you can enjoy the extraordinary lineup of guest stars and appreciate its insightful observations on art in an era of surveillance capitalism.
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Amazon)
Among the growing number of adult animations, this year’s standout, which surprisingly received minimal recognition, almost slipped my memory. It’s unfortunate because it’s genuinely enjoyable. The characters, voiced by Keke Palmer and Stephanie Hsu, are space-alien surgeons who are best friends and work at the featured intergalactic hospital, performing operations on various strange life forms. The vibrant animation and a star-studded voice cast featuring actors like Kieran Culkin, Greta Lee, Natasha Lyonne, and Maya Rudolph, make for an oddly entertaining viewing experience.
The Vince Staples Show (Netflix)
The good news: Netflix has renewed this semi-autobiographical comedy from one of our most consistently fascinating rappers, which plunges down the rabbit hole into an uncanny version of Vince Staples’ Long Beach, Calif. hometown, for a second season. The bad news: The Vince Staples Show has yet to break out the way comparable, hip-hop-adjacent shows like Atlanta and Dave did. (Netflix’s midyear data dump ranked its popularity between an old season of House and an old season of The Rookie.) The best news: You can catch up quickly, seeing as the five-episode first season clocks in at well below the runtime of the average superhero movie.
Singular female leads
Diarra From Detroit (BET+)
Day by day, individuals experience being ghosted. Not many respond to this insult by wandering the streets in search of the person who abandoned them. However, Diarra (portrayed by creator Diarra Kilpatrick), the protagonist of this comic noir, is an exception. Her stubborn refusal to let go leads her on a mission to find a date who stood her up, which eventually transforms into an exploration of a crime dating back several decades. From Kilpatrick’s charming determination to a supporting cast featuring Phylicia Rashad and Morris Chestnut, Diarra From Detroit is definitely worth the cost of another streaming service subscription.
Queenie (Hulu)
In 2019, the highly praised novel by Candice Carty-Williams received a fitting television adaptation in the form of a UK comedy-drama that was both humorous and heartfelt. The captivating Dionne Brown plays Queenie, a young Jamaican British woman living in London who is grappling with multiple challenges in her professional life, love life, and family relationships.
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)
Three grueling years following its explosively entertaining inaugural season, Nida Manzoor’s British comedy featuring an all-female, all-Muslim band titled Lady Parts came back with six additional episodes. In this installment, the ladies of Lady Parts encounter challenges stemming from heightened exposure, such as a crude imitator group, while striving to produce their debut album for a record label demanding humorous Muslim tunes and political avoidance.
It’s on what streaming service?
Big Mood (Tubi)
2021 has been quite a significant year for Nicola Coughlan, the former star of “Derry Girls” and breakout performer in the third season of “Bridgerton”. While her performance in “Bridgerton” received widespread acclaim, her role in the UK’s Channel 4 drama series, where she played a complex character dealing with bipolar disorder at age 30 and grappling with the choice between medication-induced stability and creative inspiration, was less widely recognized but can be easily watched due to the free streaming service Tubi.
Boarders (Tubi)
This British series, Boarders, obtained from Tubi, revolves around five gifted Black students selected to enrich a traditional private school that’s been embroiled in a scandal. While teen dramas exploring class and racial issues are common these days, this one stands out by blending social commentary and growing-up experiences with humor and affection.
The Change (BritBox)
BritBox: BritBox isn’t limited to cozy mysteries now! From Channel 4, “The Change” features Bridget Christie as a menopausal mother who, fed up with the invisible chores she does for her family, takes off on an old motorcycle and leaves them behind. The liberating spirit of this gentle yet character-rich comedy is infectious.
The Fortress (Viaplay)
If you’re open to a series centered around themes like pandemics, seclusion, and refugee issues, don’t overlook this clever political drama. It premieres in the U.S. through Viaplay, a Nordic streaming service. The plot unfolds in a not-too-distant Norway where, after shutting its borders for years, researchers uncover a deadly bacterium attacking the nation’s primary food source – salmon. Interestingly, this isn’t the first Norwegian series on our list to revolve around the salmon industry.
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2024-12-23 16:07