The State of the Art: Television 2024

Playing catch-up with TV has never been more complex. Attempting to keep pace with currently-airing shows, while simultaneously trying to find time for shows from the past that I haven't been able to get to yet would be challenging enough, but then you also have to consider that there are shows I watch by myself, shows I watch with my husband, and shows I watch with my friends, which all have to be watched at particular times. I've officially given up on trying to get to everything, and sadly, there are tons of critically-acclaimed or friend-approved shows that'll just never get a slot on the packed schedule.

Fortunately, several of the shows I did make time for this year were terrific. In fact, everything that got a grade in the A range is a 2024 show. Also, a lot of the shows I watched flipped the script in interesting ways. A sitcom that's actually a tense drama. A murder mystery that's actually a comedy. A cartoon with extremely adult themes. A story about the frustrations with bureaucracy that's absurd and surreal. And sitting atop the pile, a show that managed to be heartfelt, funny, cute, serious, had unsurpassed world-building, and also...made me hungry.  

I don't watch a lot of anime, so Delicious in Dungeon came out of nowhere. Ostensibly, it's about a very RPG-ish party that explores a local dungeon in the usual hopes of treasure. Their motives change when one of their members gets taken by a dragon, and the rest have to (literally) dig deeper to get her back. Along the way, they meet a new member who introduces the concept of staving off hunger by eating the monsters they defeat. Half D&D, half Julia Child, it's really surprising that a show that can often be so silly is also really great at telling stories and building characters. 

Let's get to the year's full list!

Delicious in Dungeon (Season 1) (2024) (A)

X-Men '97 (Season 1) (2024) (A-) 

Agatha All Along (Season 1) (2024) (A-)

Fantasmas (Season 1) (2024) (A-)

The Afterparty (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
Kevin Can F**k Himself (Seasons 1-2) (2021-2022) (B+)
What We Do in the Shadows (Seasons 5-6) (2023) (B+) 
Minx (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
Dead Boy Detectives (Season 1) (2024) (B+)

Girls5Eva (Season 3) (2024) (B)

Harriet the Spy (Season 2) (2023) (B)

Severance (Season 1) (2022) (B)

The Franchise (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Abbott Elementary (Season 3) (2024) (B)
Only Murders in the Building (Season 4) (2024) (B)

The Great British Baking Show (Season 15) (2024) (B)
The Big Door Prize (Season 2) (2024) (B)

The Boyfriend (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Extraordinary (Season 2) (2024) (B)

Party Down (Season 3) (2023) (B)

Bob's Burgers (Season 14) (2023) (B)
Exploding Kittens (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Modern Family (Season 1) (2009) (B)

The Bear (Season 2) (2023) (B)

Ted Lasso (Season 2) (2021) (B-)

One Punch Man (Season 1) (2015) (B-)

Mob Psycho 100 (Season 1) (2016) (B-)

Modern Family (Season 2) (2010) (B-)

Sunny (Season 1) (2024) (C) 

Death and Other Details (Season 1) (2024) (C)