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The Last Watch of 2024: The Films and Shows That Stole My Heart This Year

by IGN’s Streaming Editor, Amelia Emberwing. Check out the last entry: Is Wicked Rushing Its Home Release?

It’s the last day of 2024 and, like most, I’m feeling all of the introspection that comes along with the closing of a chapter. There are, of course, countless reasons to be anxious about the next one but, for now, I’m choosing reflection. And, of course, putting off all of the food prep I need to do for tonight’s New Year’s Eve festivities.

Putting together my annual Top 10s — a practice most film and television critics do out of habit at this point — was difficult this year, particularly for television. Both sides of the industry have been in flux for some time, but television feels closer to a snapping point than ever. As storytellers get pushed farther and farther from the actual format, we’re seeing more and more “8-hour movies”. Readers of this column have long known my feelings on the misguided practice, but the issues facing television right now feel bigger than that. Still, I am choosing optimism. Which is, to be frank, quite out of character for me.

That optimism is due to a couple of things. Most prominently, the industry wasn’t going to rebound overnight after the strikes. I believe we will continue to see positive changes over the next few years, even if we all wish that things would happen faster. That being said, the bulk of my optimism is actually backed by data. Television will eventually snap back to being television again because, consistently, that is what viewers go back to.

Go take a look at the Nielsen charts, Samba TV, or any other ratings tracker, and you’ll see the same things over and over: Streaming originals see immediate pops, but it’s long-form legacy shows that continue to top the charts month after month. That isn’t because streaming shows are of a lesser on-screen quality — it’s because they’re being made differently. Viewers turn to television because they want to fall in love with characters. Eight episodes every 2-3 years? It just doesn’t cut it.

But I’m not really saying anything I haven’t said before. And, like always, all of those critiques and frustrations come with the caveat that there are still plenty of shows that I quite enjoy, even if streamers do need to get their houses in order when it comes to television production. With that in mind, here are my Top 10 shows of 2024.

10. The Acolyte

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

8. Fallout

7. Knuckles

6. Agatha All Along

5. The Legend of Vox Machina

4. Hazbin Hotel

3. Shrinking

2. Interview with the Vampire

1. Shogun

Some of those require no explanation. Shogun and Interview with the Vampire are unquestionably the most remarkable shows of the year, featuring incredible ensembles, stunning visuals, and impeccable stories. Knuckles made me belly laugh, as did Shrinking (though with a side of ugly crying). I’ve long been an advocate of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of…

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