From feudal Japan to post-apocalyptic America, from an animated comic book adaptation to a retelling of a horrifying true story – here are the 10 best new series of the first half of 2024 according to our team.
In the first half of 2024, a plethora of bright and extraordinary new series hit the small screens. This includes another costly adaptation of 'The Three-Body Problem', the third military multi-part series from the duo Tom Hanks-Steven Spielberg, and even the return of the lewd bear Ted.
Our editorial team has selected the most interesting new series, in our opinion, and ranked them. Can you guess who came out on top?
Disclaimer: Domestic series are not included in this list; we have dedicated a separate article to them:
10th place – 'X-Men '97'
It's no secret that the MCU has been suffering lately without good, quality projects. And perhaps Kevin Feige should turn his attention to X-Men '97 and pick up a few tricks.
The animated series not only hit the nostalgia button but also qualitatively complemented the original. It also turned into a drama. In an era of constant reboots, X-Men '97 became a breath of fresh air. 'X-Men' took the best (the classic opening, of course, and the animation) and gave the audience more adult characters and more serious themes. But the main thing is that it was based on a good, solid story—a story that made the audience fall in love with long-familiar characters all over again.
Cameras, Easter eggs, and references do not overshadow or derail the plot. The theme of the struggle for peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants is still a priority. And we also returned to those versions of mutants that have not yet been decently adapted to the screen. And we realized again that dozens of heroes, time travel, and alternate dimensions can never be shown on the big screen as they can in an animated series.
To sum it up briefly, the creators simply let the X-Men be the X-Men. And they didn't miss.
9th place – 'Baby Reindeer'
, as they say, was a hit! If a good part of the projects in our ranking had a reserve of audience expectations even before release, and some even had the most famous source material, then the popularity of 'Baby Reindeer' is not so easy to explain.
The series 'Baby Reindeer', the author's project of comedian Richard Gadd, is undoubtedly the main hit of Netflix this spring. What else, besides the frightening fact of autobiography, can this show surprise with —
Open materialThe autobiographical project of British comedian Richard Gadd is a true gem of 'new sincerity'. An extremely intimate mini-series in every sense about the consequences of abuse and self-hatred can rightfully be called one of the main streaming dramas of our time.
Without a doubt, this work is not easy or pleasant, and it speaks to the viewer in a corresponding language. The new Netflix hit resembles a session of shock therapy, brilliantly written, directed, and performed. However, I wouldn't rule out that after going through it, you might want a lobotomy.
8th place – 'Fantasmas'
In this sketch series (there's no other way to describe it), we peek inside the mind of screenwriter and director Julio Torres, known for his work on SNL. This mind is non-standard, fantastical, whimsical, sometimes wildly funny, and somewhat reminiscent of Michel Gondry's vision.
Each episode transitions from one absurdist sketch—for example, a parody of 'Alpha', in which the father of the family has an affair with an alien—to another—depicting the daily life of a fading video blogger. And the central storyline revolves around the search for a lost earring that resembles the main character's birthmark in shape. Absurd? Absolutely! But how fascinating it is to watch!
Perhaps this is the most unconventional, bright, and memorable project of this half-year, reminding us that the spirit of series like 'Man Seeking Woman' is still alive.
7th place – 'Solo Leveling'
'Solo Leveling' deserves a spot in the top if only because it is the most hyped new title of the first half of the year. And in general, why should a list of the best series be without anime? Well, we (specifically I) think it shouldn't. Especially since this story about a super-weak hunter boy who suddenly gets the ability to level up, although not without flaws (like completely empty NPC characters), captivates from almost the first episode and holds interest until the very end.
The adaptation of the very popular manhwa is still only introducing its world and its mechanics, but in the future, it awaits even greater popularity (perhaps even on the level of 'Jujutsu Kaisen'). At least, the potential for this exists. Let's hope that A-1 Pictures will use it. For now, 'Solo Leveling' intrigues and makes us look forward to the continuation, while we perform our boring daily routines in life.
6th place – 'The Gentlemen'
If you expected from 'The Gentlemen' the same style or parallels as from the 2019 film of the same name by Guy Ritchie, I hasten to disappoint you. These are projects of different calibers, but the series turned out no less engaging. And it definitely deserves its place in Netflix's top of the year, at least.
It's witty, stylish, and fun. This is how one wants to see the crime genre with a unique British flavor. The hero Theo James unexpectedly inherits a secret drug empire from his father, complete with all the beloved underground labs. He is joined in running the business by Kaya Scodelario, who fortunately avoids the role of an unnecessary romantic interest or unjustified sex scenes. On the contrary, her character, with a very strong personality, skillfully waltzes through intrigues and stupid male actions.
Great music, splashes of blood, unexpected plot twists are also present. We are immersed in the world of organized crime using all the techniques. The balance of humor, drama, and Brits on screen has succeeded again.
5th place – 'Dark Matter'
What new can you tell us about multiverses when we have Marvel and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'? Plus a bunch of projects about physicists and doppelgangers. Not to mention the trivial Schrödinger's cat from the first episode. But watching which world lies behind the next door that the hero Joel Edgerton opens, and what awaits him there, turned out to be almost as interesting as whether he will return to his family.
The first two episodes are dedicated to exposition, and they have such a slow and monotonous rhythm that you don't immediately want to give it a chance and continue watching. Plus, the protagonist's naivety is even a bit annoying. However, soon the pace changes, and the plot becomes so captivating that it's quite difficult to tear yourself away. Fans of science fiction and philosophical puzzles definitely shouldn't pass this by.
4th place – 'Monsieur Spade'
This mini-series is a loose continuation of 'The Maltese Falcon', the cult novel by Dashiell Hammett and its 1941 film adaptation. At the helm of the new project is Scott Frank, the showrunner of 'The Queen's Gambit', and one of the most sought-after authors in Hollywood, who has written screenplays for 'Minority Report', 'Gravity', and 'Logan'. Incidentally, from the latter, the story framework of a lone hero on retirement becoming a 'father' to a barely acquainted girl has migrated to the new AMC series. Spade himself was entrusted to Clive Owen ('Closer', 'The Knick'), who has been seen less frequently on screen in recent years.
The case prepared for him is an order of magnitude more twisted than the search for the falcon statuette in the old film. In a small French town, a mass murder of nuns occurs, and a boy appears in the vicinity, whom some call nothing less than 'Mahdi' (in Islam, 'the chosen one', the last successor of Muhammad). These events turn the picturesque provincial backwater into a battlefield between foreign intelligence agencies, agents of the Holy See, Algerian rebels, French revanchists, and money-hungry adventurers.
The result is a completely wonderful retro-detective story with a French flavor, which, despite the complexity and tragedy of some of the themes raised by the creators, still remains a rather heartfelt spectacle.
3rd place – 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'
Few believed in the success of the live-action adaptation of the cartoon 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'. There was already a failed feature-length version by M. Night Shyamalan. The announced cast did not inspire confidence and generated a lot of memes on the internet. The creators of the original, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, left the project midway 'due to creative differences'. How could one not be skeptical? However, after the successful adaptation of 'One Piece', the trust rating for Netflix jumped a bit.
Having lost some of the childishness and spontaneity of the original, the 2024 series still managed to prove that it deserves a chance. Most of the actors perfectly transferred the characters of the original characters into the live-action version: you unconditionally believe in the chemistry between Zuko and Uncle Iroh (which cannot be said about Katara, who neither hit the chemistry nor the charisma). The music and visuals are on point. And even the flaws in the form of mixing plots from different seasons look concise and harmoniously fit into the story. So, we await the continuation.
2nd place – 'Fallout'
The success of Fallout against the backdrop of other video game adaptations, such as The Last of Us, confirms that this direction has a great future on television. The creators of the series, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, successfully managed to adapt the original game universe, preserving its spirit, which kept gamers glued to the screens and attracted new viewers.
In Fallout, the contrast between the exaggerated version of Cold War-era America and the harsh reality of the post-apocalypse, between vault dwellers and brotherhoods, is brilliantly conveyed. Human nature and essence in all its manifestations.
The show managed to build several plot branches at once—each character has their own path, and it's interesting to follow them. Naive Lucy, stern Maximus, and the unscrupulous mutant Ghoul found their audience, demonstrating depth, tension, and multifaceted characters.
Fallout is one of the best video game adaptations ever created. There are many elements of humor, tragicomedy, western, surrealism, and road movie. It's no wonder the show was immediately renewed for a second season. We'll return to the Wasteland.
1st place – 'Shōgun'
Probably, there is nothing more obvious than the first place in our series top of the half-year. 'Shōgun' intrigued from the moment of its announcement and continued to do so until the premiere. When the release happened, all doubts vanished: before us was a true diamond from the world of series. Critics and viewers unanimously shouted about a new masterpiece, but for many it was still a surprise that a drama about feudal Japan became so popular. In fact, it perfectly showed the fatigue from the same old Hollywood chewing gum.
At the end of April, the first season (and we still hope it's the last) of the series 'Shōgun' concluded on FX and Hulu, becoming a real hit and a pleasant surprise
Open materialThe creators of the show took a risk, bet on authenticity and careful development of every aspect, and they didn't miss. Despite the fact that for most of the runtime, the characters don't even speak English (which is rare), the project still attracted a lot of viewer attention.
'Shōgun' is a dramatic, meditative, brutal, and grandiose series with magnificent acting performances. It will definitely collect a whole bunch of awards in the award season (very deservedly), and its success has guaranteed it a continuation (not entirely necessary, but let's hope it's worthy).
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