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Who is a god of TV? Who has magical chemistry? And who deserves to be lightning-bolted for bad behaviour? Here are Guardian readers’ best shows of the year
(Netflix) My favourite show of 2024. It seems to be a rarity in TV that a singular vision survives the creation by committee process. But in Ripley, Steven Zaillian gives us stylish black-and-white cinematography that’s usually reserved for the artiest of arthouse cinema. We get a meticulous mise-en-scene that makes every crime scene a puzzle for the viewer to dissect. And, most importantly, we get incredible central performances from Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn. This truly felt like a labour of love and for me surpasses both the source material and the previous film adaptation. For those eight hours, I was utterly transfixed. It also helps that for the first two episodes I didn’t realise I had subtitles turned off, so thought it was an intentional decision to avoid translating the Italian. It’s a testament to the quality of the show that I didn’t question that, and went with it. Harry Schofield, 30, London
(Netflix) Every character is perfect, the script is delicious and the story so compelling and watchable that I didn’t want it to end. The chemistry between Bell and Brody is magical; I believe I watched them fall in love. It was refreshing to watch what felt like a real, grownup relationship, with relatable issues and important conversations. It was particularly refreshing to watch a man step up when a woman needs him to. I hope there’s a second series because these characters and relationships deserve more exploration and development. The brother and sister, in particular. If so, I’ll be watching it again. Rachel, 37, Cambridge
(Peacock) The Day of the Jackal with Eddie Redmayne is smart and suspenseful. My wife and I couldn’t help rooting for him in spite of the collateral damage of innocents. We loved that his antagonist was a woman and she certainly held her own on screen. Trying to balance her home life and work life as the tracker of a highly specialised international assassin could have fallen into other stereotypes in films, but it didn’t. Andrew, 32, France
(Netflix) Kaos had the right level of madcap mayhem and alignment to the Greek Myths to keep us entertained from the get-go. Jeff Goldblum is superb in it, as is the rest of the cast. I hope there’s a lightning bolt headed the way of the people who decided to axe it after just one season! David Phillips, 49, Nottingham
(Prime Video) I love this show and anyone paying attention knows that it’s a masterpiece. Not only is the cinematography amazing, but it’s a very lyrical and rich story, very true to Tolkien. I actually started my Tolkien journey with season one in 2022. The original trilogy never appealed to me as they felt like action movies. After I watched season one, I started reading the books. The amount of art they produce in this show is overwhelming, from costume and prosthetics, practical effects, brilliant cinematography, superb acting to the soundtrack. If you deep-dive, you’ll know that the show is truly a love letter to Tolkien. His themes are all there: friendship, fellowship, mortality, loss, industrialisation, anti-authoritarianism. I can’t wait to see more of what McKay and Payne have cooked up for us! Sarah, 36, Brazil
(BBC Two/iPlayer) After a terminal diagnosis, what a life Kris Hallenga had; a living “fun-eral”; a death of her choosing; a joyous memorial. Moving, inspiring and beautiful. Both Kris and her twin sister Maren are still saving lives. David Moon, 60, Northumberland
(BBC Two) This series is so good it might actually be a second series that’s better than the first? But not just that. It’s hilarious, moving and truly joyous, with a huge slap of biting social commentary. Amazing performances all round (including a cameo from Bolton Museum). My standout moment? Lin reading her prize-winning poem Never Give a Hamster Matches. Sophie Willan is a god. Emma Chaplin, 53, Wirral
(Prime Video) I initially ignored it when it first debuted, thinking it would be a disappointing adaptation of the video game franchise, which I loved. Then I got a text out of the blue from my ex-girlfriend, who always enjoyed watching me play the games on Xbox so many years ago, insisting that I must watch it, because it wasn’t only faithful to the original games, but also added so much more to the story. And boy she was right about that. Tony, Dorset
(BBC Two) It has to be Solar System with Brian Cox for his wonderfully clear explanations of mindblowingly complex science. It reawakened in me the fascination with space from my childhood. And in a time of democratic backsliding and huge spanners in the works against fighting climate breakdown, it was almost reassuring to put into perspective how tiny we are in the universe, but also to remember that we need to care for our planet. Tom Urry, 36, Bristol
(BBC One/iPlayer) I loved Ludwig. It’s funny and entertaining on the surface, with a dark undercurrent running through the series. I’m so pleased it’s been commissioned for a second series! Sarah, Hampshire
(Netflix) Great, larger than life stuff. While it may not be serious and thought-provoking, it was great entertainment, engaging and at times laugh out loud. Each episode brought new surprises and it didn’t fall into a lull. A real cut above the average Netflix series. Jo, 50 Devon
(Apple TV+) Slow Horses, by a country mile. Mick Herron’s brilliant spy books have been given the adaptation they deserve with a never-better Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas leading the top class cast. They’ve managed to dodge awards so far, but I expect a clean sweep next year. Imagine John le Carré with a sense of humour, a hangover and a blocked toilet. Martin Johnson, 50, Weston-super-Mare
Ripley to The Rings of Power: your top TV of 2024
