The TV year is off to a strong start, probably thanks to the 2023 writers’ strike, which delayed most of last year’s new series by a few months. Last spring, I highlighted only eight new series from January, February, and March; this time, it’s a solid 10. Here are my picks for the best new TV shows of 2024 so far.
The best new TV shows of January–March 2024
The Brothers Sun | Netflix | Comedy, drama
Bruce Sun (Sam Song Li) is living a straight life in Los Angeles when his brother Charles (Justin Chien) unexpectedly arrives from Taiwan. Bruce then learns that he comes from a family of Taipei gangsters and was sent to America by “Mama” Sun (Michelle Yeoh) to build a legit existence—but now Bruce has to join the family business. Unfortunately, the fast and funny Brothers Sun has since been canceled by Netflix.
Funny Woman | PBS | Drama
Funny Woman, based on the Nick Hornby novel Funny Girl, follows Blackpool beauty queen Barbara Parker (Gemma Arterton) on a hard road to break into the male-dominated London comedy scene in the 1960s. Contrary to the title, the six-episode Funny Woman is more of a drama than a comedy, which Arterton carries effortlessly—she’s more than just a blonde and British Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Original True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto wasn’t into it, but audiences welcomed new director and co-writer Issa López to Night Country. This time, the troubled detectives are women (Jodi Foster and Kali Reis) investigating the disappearance of an Arctic Circle research team in Alaska. The supernatural touches recall True Detective’s first season, but Night Country stands on its own.
Ted | Peacock | Comedy
It didn’t seem likely at first, but a Mark Wahlberg-free prequel with a 16-year-old Johnny (Max Burkholder) and his foul-mouthed living teddy bear is a far better—and even funnier—setting for Ted. The ’90s origin story of Ted (voiced by writer and director Seth MacFarlane) and Johnny’s unusual friendship is further boosted by the killer supporting cast of Giorgia Whigham, Scott Grimes, and Alanna Ubach.
After Midnight | CBS, Paramount+ | Comedy, game show
Years ago, Comedy Central’s @Midnight encouraged comedians of various stature to mock internet and pop-culture trends in a zero-stakes game show. CBS’ new After Midnight reboot is more significant on three fronts: It finally lets a woman (host Taylor Tomlinson) shine on late-night TV, it gives lesser-known comics a national showcase, and there’s no James Corden. After Midnight is also consistently hilarious.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Prime Video | Drama
Fans of the 2005 movie were iffy about a series remake of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine nail it with their palpable chemistry and action skills as married undercover spies. The eight-episode series takes an unexpected case-of-the-week tack, which brings in guest stars like Sarah Paulson, Ron Perlman, and Parker Posey. The cliffhanger ending suggests a second season (let’s hope).
FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel, Shōgun tells the beautiful and brutal 1600s tale of relentless Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), Englishman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), and mysterious samurai Lady Mariko (Anna Sawaiis). It doubles the length of the first 1980 miniseries (10 episodes instead of five) and multiplies the epic scale and critical acclaim, making it a must-see.
3 Body Problem | Netflix | Drama, sci-fi
In adapting the first part of Liu Cixin’s sprawling Remembrance of Earth’s Past novel trilogy, Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with The Terror writer Alexander Woo, have struck sci-fi gold with 3 Body Problem. The eight-episode series jumps between the 1960s and the present day, with an alien invasion looming. 3 Body Problem isn’t always easy to follow, but it’s worth it.
Palm Royale | Apple TV+ | Comedy, drama
Maxine (Kristen Wiig) is an outsider looking in at Palm Beach high society in 1969, and she’ll do anything to become a member of the Palm Royale country club. The show’s ’60s aesthetic is on point, and Wiig’s performance is as expectedly wacky as it is surprisingly melancholy. Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Leslie Bibb, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy, Kaia Gerber, and Carol Burnett(!) also star.
X-Men ’97 | Disney+ | Animation, drama
Saturday morning cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) is reborn as an adult drama, and the fans are here for it. X-Men ’97 smartly updates the original’s look and feel just enough for 2024. It picks up the story after Professor X’s (spoiler) death, leaving the X-Men to carry on their mission of defending mutants and the humans who hate them. Conveniently, the O.G. series is also available on Disney+.
Bill Frost has been a journalist and TV reviewer since the 4:3-aspect-ratio ’90s. His pulse-pounding prose has been featured in The Salt Lake Tribune, Inlander, Coachella Valley Independent, Las Vegas Weekly, and many other dead-tree publications (see BillFrost.tv). In addition to being a Senior Staff Writer at CableTV.com, Bill is a syndicated streaming TV columnist forSalt Lake City Weekly and other alternative weeklies, and host/producer of TV Tan Podcast. By night, Bill cranks a Flying V with his band at the bar.
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