-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email You already have your own list of best TV shows, and who am I to disagree? Any show that makes your mood a little lighter or moves you in some extraordinary way fits that designation. But traditions must be attended to, including our annual “best of” round-ups. Regardless of the TV industry’s contraction, there are still too many outstanding shows for one person to keep up with, let alone capture in a single list.

That’s one reason every year-end list of best series has its omissions; nobody can watch everything. There are all kinds of "Best TV Series of 2024" lists, though, led by certain award magnets. FX’s “ Shogun ” is an all-around masterpiece.

“ Ripley ” and “ Baby Reindeer ” are among Netflix’s top must-sees. Apple TV+ continues to draw audiences with shows like “Disclaimer” (a favorite of my colleague Coleman Spilde), “Slow Horses” and the delightful “Loot.” HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” is the deftest revival of a dead franchise I’ve seen in a long time, and “ Dune: Prophecy ” is an elegant extension of a cinematic phenomenon.

And if you haven’t seen the “ Matlock ” update on CBS, you really should. The greatness of any work boils down to moments, scenes and details, and there are too many good ones for any list to be complete. But here are nine that keep bubbling to the surface of my memory that reaffirm what makes their season's must-sees.

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