On my personal blog, I made a list of almost 20 programs, either series or TV movies that I absolutely loved this past calendar. Boiling them down into this list wasn't that difficult. There were some shows that I really enjoyed and actually went back and re-watched or actively sought out new episodes every week. The following were my absolute favorites.
10. SUPERMAN & LOIS: SEASON 4 (CW) - Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch respectively portrayed the titular characters, and they were my favorite iterations since Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Warner Bros. is about to do another big budget version, that of Superman (2025) in July, so it will be interesting to see how David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan inhabit the roles, but it will take a lot to top Hoechlin and Tulloch's performances because they're pitch perfect. The writing is top notch. Comic book fans might not be impressed with the super-hero aspects, but the more human and down-to-Earth aspects are superb. The premise is what if Clark Kent aka Superman were a father to two teenage boys. Yes, there are super-hero aspects like multiverse and Bizarro, but what's memorable is seeing Superman dealing with problems he can't punch like cancer or biased journalism.
9. YOUNG ROYALS: SEASON 3 (Netflix) - Most people would probably name the other show on the same streaming service, centering on a teenage queer romance, that of Heartstopper (2022). That series might be more relatable to your average Gen Z viewer. This series could be more like a Muppet Babies version of The Crown (2016). The melodrama of it all might be a turn off, but the series handles all the interpersonal relationships incredibly well.
8. HOW TO DIE ALONE (Hulu) - Natasha Rothwell is a comedic actress and writer who is known for her role in HBO's Insecure (2016) and HBO's The White Lotus (2021) for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She was a supporting player in those projects, but this series has her front and center. Rothwell anchors this series in a way that we rarely get to see, dealing with issues that are rare. In a lot of respects, it's a workplace comedy, centering on workers at an airport, which makes it rather unique just for that, but Rothwell being who she is adds an element that also makes it stand apart and above.
7. FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST (Peacock) - It's insane that this story hasn't been adapted into a feature film or something until now. In the fall of 1970, during the night of Muhammad Ali's comeback fight, an armed robbery of money and valuables in the amount of six and possibly seven figures went down involving African Americans who were obviously wealthy Black individuals. Kevin Hart is a producer and star. It seems as if it's a dramatic television vehicle for the popular comedian but creator and writer Shaye Ogbonna really crafts a compelling and really thrilling series. Director Craig Brewer was likely the one to bring in the big names like Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard.
6. COBRA KAI: SEASON 6 (Netflix) - If anyone knows about the journey this series has experienced, you can't help but be impressed. Originally, the show premiered on YouTube in 2018, as a sequel to the hit franchise of The Karate Kid (1984). It caught on so well with fans and critics going crazy over it. The second season was even more well received that Netflix picked it up and was able to promote it so well that it got nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. It never won but it keep getting recognized for its stunt coordination. The show really is all about martial arts in very fun ways. Each season up until now has been 10 episodes, but this final season is getting 15 episodes, split into three parts. Five episodes were released in July 2024, almost marking the franchise's 40th anniversary. The next five episodes were released in November and the final five episodes will be released in February, 2025. It preludes what will be the sixth theatrical film, coming out the following May called Karate Kid: Legends (2025). The show has done an incredible job building up the characters both young and old that I'm really curious to see how they wrap it all up.
5. TOKYO VICE: SEASON 2 (Max) - So many people enjoyed Shōgun (2024), but there was another predominantly Japanese cast series that played in 2024, and that was the second season of this show. Some people have been critical of the non-Japanese and specifically White protagonist, but this show gives incredible space to its Japanese cast and doesn't short change them. Given that I personally work in the news business, I was more taken with this series, which is centered on a journalist. However, Ken Wantanabe, Rinko Kikuchi and Sho Kasamatsu are given such great characterizations that I can't stop thinking about them.
4. THE BROTHERS SUN (Netflix) - Michelle Yeoh has been busy since winning the Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). It includes being in one of the biggest films of the year, which will probably bring her back to the Oscars, that of Wicked (2024). It seems as if this series was mostly overlooked and forgotten. It never topped the charts unlike other Netflix shows, but it was probably just as good as Cobra Kai, if not better. It's very much a Chinese martial arts, action comedy. It probably would be the source of satire for something like Interior Chinatown (2024) on Hulu, but, at the end of the day, this series made me feel for the characters a lot more than even that Hulu series. Sam Song Li who plays Bruce Sun, the younger child of Yeoh's character, and Justin Chien who plays Charles Sun, the older child of Yeoh's character, are really great as two brothers with opposing views about family and career. As they deal with a crisis in their family and potentially their family-business, it's compelling to see how the two handle it.
3. THE BEAR: SEASON 3 (FX) - Christopher Storer has crafted what is probably the most artistic and beautiful series of the year. The acting, cinematography and editing are on another level when it comes to this show. The craft is undeniable and Jeremy Allen White's performance is undeniable, as he's won the Golden Globe, the SAG Award and the Emmy Award twice for each and back-to-back for each. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is also a revelation. He won the Emmy Award twice and back-to-back as well. Ayo Edebiri had done things before this show, but this show is what really put her on the map and she adds so much. The rest of the supporting cast is the absolute best. This series does have the best ensemble on television, period. People complain about it not being a comedy, but there is no definition that says a comedy has to have a certain joke count or certain structure. Not every comedy has to be the same and humor is subjective.
2. AMERICAN SPORTS STORY: AARON HERNANDEZ (FX) - There have been several documentaries about the titular NFL player who was convicted of murder. It was a huge story about a decade ago. This series, executive produced by Ryan Murphy who famously created the Emmy-winning series about another NFL player accused of murder, that of The People v. O. J. Simpson (2016). This series only seemed like a perfect project for him to produce. Josh Andrés Rivera portrays Aaron Hernandez and he gives an amazing performance about a conflicted young man, pulled between his father's expectations and his own desires that he struggled to keep secret. He was certainly a victim of toxic masculinity and the lure of the street or thug life. It's a really good character study taking us behind the curtain of a salacious, tabloid story.
1. MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY (Netflix) - This was a huge hit on Netflix. it topped the charts and brought in tons of viewers. It might not have been as critically acclaimed, but it was a buzz on the Internet and was everywhere on social media last year. Its star, Cooper Koch, was also everywhere on the Internet and social media. His talent and superb performance in the fifth episode was surely what got him his Golden Globe nomination and will hopefully get him his Emmy nomination. What turned me onto the show, other than Ryan Murphy being executive producer, is the casting of Nicholas Alexander Chavez who plays Lyle Menendez, a total spoiled brat. Chavez is an Emmy winner for his role on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital (1963). Like with the Aaron Hernandez show, it's a compelling look into the minds of killers.