The Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2024
Photos Courtesy of ABC, FX, Prime Video, and Max
Now that we have sufficiently reflected back on the weird, wonderful, and tumultuous year TV had in 2023, it’s time to look ahead to all the best shows we can expect in 2024. In the aftermath of the writers’ and actors’ strikes over the summer, numerous shows have found themselves pushed to 2024 from their original airdates, and many of TV’s most popular staples will thankfully return after longer-the-usual hiatuses. From new shows to returning favorites, we’ve rounded up the shows we’re most looking forward to in the new year—featuring the most must-watch series you don’t want to miss.
Echo
Network: Disney+
Premiere Date: January 10
Status: New Series
Given the sheer volume of MCU shows and movies over the last few years, it’s hard to blame anyone who feels overcome by Marvel fatigue. However, even as someone admittedly worn down by this barrage of spandex-clad crusaders, Echo seems like it could offer something different. It’s the first project under the new “Marvel Spotlight” brand, which apparently aims to tell more grounded one-off stories that aren’t as tightly coupled to an overarching cinematic universe. The series follows Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), a deaf indigenous woman attempting to reconnect with her community, as she grapples with her violent past and ties to the crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). It’s a rare Disney property to receive a TV-MA rating, and while being more graphic obviously doesn’t automatically make a story more compelling, the trailer indicates that Maya’s struggles against her simmering rage and tendency to solve problems with violence could be a central conflict that makes smart use of this mature content. —Elijah Gonzalez
True Detective: Night Country
Network: HBO (Streaming on Max)
Premiere Date: January 14
Status: Returning Series
It will have been 5 years since the last installment of HBO’s True Detective once the new one airs, but that doesn’t mean fans have forgotten about the thrilling crime series. This new season stars Jodie Foster and Keli Reis as two small town Alaskan detectives. Like the first installment, opposites unwillingly attract, as the two are forced to put their heads together to uncover the mysterious disappearance of eight missing researchers. The first trailer hints at the return of the occult and almost supernatural aspects that graced the first (and best) season of the series, and we can only hope that this installment will deliver. This is the first season not to be written by Nic Pizzolatto, who turned over writing and showrunning duties to Issa López. López is best known for directing 2017’s Tigers Are Not Afraid, so a darker take on True Detective might be awaiting us. —Kaiya Shunyata
Expats
Network: Prime Video
Premiere Date: January 26
Status: New Series
While we haven’t received a trailer for Expats, an adaptation of Janice Y. K. Lee’s 2016 novel The Expatriates, we do know that the six-episode limited series is coming to Prime Video and that it’s being written and directed by Lulu Wang. It’s set in Hong Kong in 2014 and follows three American women who cross paths after a tragedy, played by Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, and Sarayu Blue, respectively. Wang’s involvement is one of the most exciting aspects of this project, as she helmed the excellent film The Farewell, a sharply written dramedy that thoughtfully explored a moral dilemma brought on by cultural differences between a young Chinese-American woman and the rest of her family. Hopefully, Expats will prove similarly incisive. —Elijah Gonzalez
Masters of the Air
Network: Apple TV+
Premiere Date: January 26
Status: Limited Series
Masters of the Air is a World War II miniseries that’s being billed as a companion piece to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, a connection evident with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks returning as producers. As implied by its title, the series follows members of the Air Force, specifically the 100th Bombardment Group, who were nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” due to the dangerous missions they were assigned during the war. The show reportedly cost north of $200 million to produce, and this hefty price tag comes across in grandiose dogfights shown in its trailer. With some exciting names attached, such as director Cary Fukunaga of True Detective fame, it will be interesting to see if this war drama can live up to the reputation of the acclaimed properties that precede it and appropriately capture the mass tragedy of this conflict. —Elijah Gonzalez
Abbott Elementary Season 3
Network: ABC
Premiere Date: February 7
Status: Returning Series
After being removed from the fall 2023 season due to the strikes, ABC’s smash-hit is finally returning to our screens in 2024. Abbott Elementary is a comfort watch in every sense of the term, and the fall TV season was bleak without it. Now that the series is back, we can’t wait to see just what kinds of school yard shenanigans our favorite teachers (and unqualified principal) get into this year. It’s been a joy to watch this series blossom over the course of its short run so far, and even though this season will return with less episodes than usual, there is still so much to look forward to from its next outing. —Anna Govert
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Network: Netflix
Premiere Date: February 22
Status: New Series
In a time of reboots and remakes, a streaming service trying their hand at an Avatar: The Last Airbender live action adaptation has been iminent. The upcoming Netflix series has thankfully cast an age and culturally-appropriate group of actors to play these iconic characters, which leads me to believe that there was a certain amount of care taken here when adapting such an iconic work of art. The series will follow Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young Avatar who, with the help of his friends, must stop the invasion of the famed and feared Fire Nation. To do so, he will have to learn to master the elements of water, earth, fire, and air, proving himself as an Avatar. We can only hope Netflix’s turn is better than the unfortunate flop that was M. Night Shyamalan’s film adaptation. Hopefully, with more episodes and a bigger budget, this new version is able to live up to its animated predecessor. —Kaiya Shunyata
Shōgun
Network: FX
Premiere Date: February 27
Status: New Series
Based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name, FX’s upcoming Shōgun miniseries will be the second time the book makes its way to the small screen. Set in early 17th century Japan, it follows the English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) as he witnesses the rise of daimyo Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) during a time of political upheaval. While fictionalized, the story is based on the real-world final days of the Sengoku period, and thanks to its depictions of these events, the novel became a best-seller that stoked worldwide interest in Japanese history. If its trailer is any indication, the series seems like it will have impressive costuming and production value that will hopefully be able to bring this period to life. —Elijah Gonzalez
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