The 10 TV Shows You Need to Watch and Stream From 2024

4. Interview with the Vampire, S2 (AMC+)

Here’s a Season 2 that didn’t suck. In its sophomore year, AMC’s already-sterling adaptation of Anne Rice’s vintage vampire novels bit even deeper into the source material, finding fresh blood in its relationships and genre tropes. The result is one of the increasingly rare book-to-TV adaptations that makes you feel like you’re experiencing the story for the first time, even if you just completed your umpteenth re-read.

Across eight emotional episodes, showrunner Rolin Jones and his crack writing team wind down the journey of tragic vamp Louis—beautifully played by Jacob “Grey Worm” Anderson—and his doomed love stories with eternal romantic partners Lestat (Sam Reid) and Armand (Assad Zaman), as well as surrogate daughter, Claudia (Delainey Hayles). At the same time, Season 2 judiciously deploys storylines and shout-outs from within Rice’s larger Vampire-verse, giving the series plenty of room to grow as it closes one book and opens another. (The currently-shooting third season will bring The Vampire Lestat to your screen of choice sometime in 2025.) Not all vampire yarns are built to last—Moonlight, anyone?—but this iteration of Interview scores an A positive. — E.A.

3. Fantasmas (Max)

If you’re looking for something more surreal and absurd, look no further than Fantasmas on Max. The half-hour comedy series was created by and stars comedian and former Saturday Night Live writer Julio Torres. It centers on Torres—who plays himself as he searches for a missing golden oyster earring—and the people he meets along the way.

Each episode focuses on a different, outrageous scenario. Other actors who guest star in the show include Bowen Yang, Aidy Bryant, Julia Fox, Paul Dano, Steve Buscemi, Emma Stone, and more. The show premiered in June and might’ve flown under the radar when the second season of House of the Dragon aired the same month. So if you want something that still has fantastical elements (and the occasional weird creature), takes itself less seriously, and is a quick watch, Fantasmas is your show. — Saleah Blancaflor

2. Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

The premise of Baby Reindeer doesn’t sound like a formula for a global hit: a struggling Scottish comedian deals with a stalker and sexual abuse. But Richard Gadd’s show—which didn’t fit neatly into any one genre—got people talking in a way few others have, breaking into Netflix’s top 10 most popular English-language series of all time within two months of its release in April. Baby Reindeer was groundbreaking for shifting the narrative about stalking and abuse, shining a light on these experiences from a male perspective and exploring uncomfortable truths about psychological trauma.

Beyond the screen, it sparked controversy for claiming to be a true story, with the woman who inspired the stalker character bringing a defamation lawsuit against Netflix. Baby Reindeer started a debate about what’s fact versus fiction and what duty storytellers have to the truth – questions that creators will be grappling with for a long time to come. — Brittaney Kiefer

1. The Penguin (Max)

While the DCU has released many TV series, none have matched the undeniable impact of The Penguin. Just scroll on TikTok and watch the hundreds of Sofia Falcone edits for yourself.