2024 TV shows we're most excited about, from the return of 'Bridgerton' to new premieres like 'Fallout'

Premiere date: January 9, 2024

One of the breakout scene-stealers of 2021's "Hawkeye," Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox) gets a gritty antihero origin series.

Sure, the past few Disney+ Marvel series haven't been must-watch TV ("Secret Invasion" was a bummer), but "Echo" starts the year off strong. It follows Maya, a deaf woman, who reconnects with her Native American culture while on the run following the events at the end of "Hawkeye" where she shot "Daredevil" villain Kingpin (Vincent D'onofrio). It's also the first Marvel Studios series to receive a TV-MA rating. They're not pulling any punches here.

Expect to see more of Kingpin as the series channels a '90s comic storyline. (He's been teased in images promoting the show.) A few other familiar faces, including Charlie Cox's Daredevil, show up on the series as well, promising an entertaining watch.

Not only did the show consult members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to ensure their culture was represented accurately in the series, but many actors and crew also learned American Sign Language to showcase ASL up close on camera. — Kirsten Acuna

Premiere date: January 14, 2024

HBO's critically acclaimed anthology crime drama is back with its fourth season, which incidentally premieres almost a decade to the day season one launched in 2014.

It's been five years since the last season, which starred Mahershala Ali, aired. The series is known for its all-star main cast, and the latest outing (titled "Night Country") is no different. Jodie Foster leads the Alaska-set season, which follows her mystery behind the disappearance of eight men from a research station.

This is Foster's first starring TV role in decades, and it's set to be a thrilling one. — Caralynn Matassa

Premiere date: January 26, 2024

The upcoming American war drama based on the true story of the "Bloody Hundredth" bomber crew, starring Austin Butler and "Saltburn" star Barry Keoghan, has been in development for years. The series, executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, landed at Apple way back in 2019. Filming was derailed by COVID-19, but it will finally hit our screens this month.

As if the long lead time, buzzy cast, and major names behind-the-scenes weren't enough to ramp up the anticipation, there's also the fact that the World War II epic is expected to be one of the most expensive TV shows of all time. According to Deadline, the budget was "well north" of $200 million.

For fans of war dramas like "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," "Masters of the Air" (which serves as a companion series to those two earlier Spielberg shows) is sure to be a feast for the eyes. — CM

Premiere date: January 30, 2024

Let's be real: We're all waiting with bated breath to see how the "Vanderpump Rules" crew will keep the drama coming in the aftermath of "Scandoval," the cheating scandal heard 'round the world.

Tom Sandoval cheating on his long-term partner Ariana Madix with their friend and costar Rachel "Raquel" Leviss catapulted Madix to stardom, led to Leviss' departure from the show, and resulted in some really excellent merch opportunities for everyone involved (and even those who were not-so-involved). With both Sandoval and Madix returning for the new season, we're dying to see how the two interact when forced to share screentime.

There's also bound to be plenty of other drama to entertain us too — the extended trailer already teased a shocking revelation about a years-ago kiss that apparently happened between Scheana Shay and Tom Schwartz. We need some answers about that, stat. — CM

Premiere date: February 02, 2024

Donald Glover's spy comedy series is another one that's been in the works for years. Based on the 2005 film of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the Prime Video series is expected to take more of a comedic bent with Glover starring as John Smith and "Pen15" star Maya Erskine as Jane Smith.

When the show was first announced in 2021, it was surprising — who even spared a thought about the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" movie beyond the Brangelina of it all? — and intriguing, largely because "Fleabag" creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge was attached to play Jane Smith. However, Waller-Bridge ultimately left the project due to creative differences with Glover.

Despite that sounding kind of ominous, we're still intrigued enough by the premise and the current cast (which includes guest stars like Michaela Coel, John Turturro, and Paul Dano) to put this one on our must-list. — CM

Premiere date: February 8, 2024

Netflix has a new love story for Valentine's Day 2024.

Based on a novel of the same name, "One Day" follows the yearslong romance between Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall). The pair first met on the last day of university on July 15, 1988, and reunited on the same day every year after that. Each episode looks at a different July 15th as their relationship evolves or breaks apart.

The last time "One Day" was adapted into a film, it was poorly received. However, there is hope that the bestselling novel can be properly adapted with a longer runtime. Also promising is the fact that both leads are breakout stars.

Mod was amazing in "This is Going To Hurt," and Woodall was a standout star as Essex Lad Jack in "The White Lotus" season two. Together, their chemistry could blow us all away. — Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Premiere date: February 22, 2024

"Avatar: The Last Airbender," the original cartoon, is one of the best animated series of all time, and its compelling world of spirits and elemental powers felt particularly well-suited to its initial medium. M. Night Shyamalan tried to bring the beloved series into live action in a widely panned 2010 film — and in 2018, Netflix announced that it, too, was taking a stab at adapting the cartoon into a live-action television series with original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko at the helm.

For superfans, it was hard not to feel a bit excited. Was bringing "Avatar" into live action necessary? No. But was the prospect of seeing the show's vibrant characters and universe realized in live action by their original creators tantalizing? Yes.

In 2020, DiMartino and Konietzko announced that they were departing the project, saying that Netflix hadn't supported their creative decision — not exactly something that inspires confidence. First looks at the series show its attention to detail, but suggest something that feels less goofy than the original show. Only time will tell what kind of series the live action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" has decided to be — but we'll certainly be tuning in to find out. — Palmer Haasch

Premiere date: February 25, 2024

More than five years after Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) departed "The Walking Dead" in a mysterious helicopter, fans will finally learn what happened to the show's protagonist after he went missing.

Hopefully, the six-episode first season doesn't drag out a reunion between Rick and his ride-or-die Michonne (Danai Gurira) who left the main series in 2019 in search of her partner. It'd be criminal if we don't see Rick get an additional reunion with his friends, children, and the son he doesn't know he has with Michonne.

We're also excited for "Lost" alum Terry O'Quinn to join the "TWD" universe as a baddie who likely prevented Rick from returning home. — KA

Premiere date: March 21, 2024

"3 Body Problem" is a science fiction series based on Liu Cixin's book series "The Three Body Problem," created by "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and Alexander Woo of "The Terror: Infamy."

Liu's novels are an epic with an extraterrestrial focus. According to the official Netflix logline, "A young woman's fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes, five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity's history."

Early looks at "3 Body Problem" have been promising, and it's the largest scale project that Benioff and Weiss have taken on since inking a reported $200 million deal with Netflix in 2019. — PH

Premiere date: April 12, 2024

Amazon may have their own "The Last of Us" if they play their cards right with "Fallout."

Set hundreds of years after a nuclear war, the video game adaptation follows a young, naive woman (Ella Purnell) who has spent her entire life inside a fallout bunker. When she decides to go out of the bunker into the savage Wasteland, her worldview is shattered.

From the looks of the trailer, "Fallout" looks as stunning as many of Prime Video's recent epics, such as "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" and "The Wheel of Time." Great TV actors like Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, Sarita Choudhury, and Chris Parnell also star in the series.

Shows such as "Arcane," "The Last of Us," and "The Witcher" prove that video game adaptations can build new audiences if done well. "Fallout" seems ripe to be the next hit. — AA

Premiere date: May 16, 2024

Finally, our beautiful plus-size queen Penelope Featherington (played by the equally iconic Nicola Coughlan) gets to take center stage in Netflix's boldly imagined period drama. While the second season was a bit of a letdown compared to the hot and heavy affair that was season one, we have high hopes for the third season, which is set to focus on Penelope (aka Lady Whistledown) and her burgeoning romance with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

It's becoming slightly less rare for a plus-size woman to have an onscreen romance as well as a main character arc, but we're still thrilled to have the chance to watch someone with a different body type fall in love, and probably have lots of steamy makeout sessions! Here's hoping the third season keeps its focus on all aspects of Penelope's life and romantic pursuits, not just her body. — Libby Torres

Premiere date: Summer 2024

Despite the infamous series finale that preceded its arrival, "House of the Dragon" hit screens in 2022 with all the buzz and panache we've come to expect from HBO originals. It won over new fans and won back scores of "Game of Thrones" devotees, emerging as one of the best shows of the year.

"House of the Dragon" was such a success because it returned to the slow-burn character work that made "Game of Thrones" so beloved to begin with. Instead of relying on shock value for emotional impact, the spinoff's first season took time to nurture every major player, unspool their relationships with one another, and illuminate the motivations that will carry them into the next season. Buoyed by standout performances from Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and more, every moment of shock and betrayal felt earned — and smoldered with the promise of more heartache to come.

When the Targaryen civil war picks back up this summer, it will undoubtedly bring more fire and blood, as Daenerys once promised. Westerosi royals turn brutal and bloodthirsty in the quest for the Iron Throne, which, as we know, makes for great TV. But more importantly, these characters are complex, sentimental, and tormented by their deep familial bonds. That makes for TV you can't tear your eyes away from. — Callie Ahlgrim

Premiere date: November 2024

There's something to be said for how Riot Games has turned its "League of Legends" IP into something consumable by the masses. Music projects, like the stellar virtual group K/DA, are one thing — but "Arcane" is indubitably the crown jewel.

You don't have to be a fan of "League," or even tangentially familiar with it, to love "Arcane." Set in the twin cities of Piltover, the tech-forward overworld, and Zaun, its seedier underbelly, it follows a pair of sisters separated after a tragic childhood incident. There are plenty of familiar faces, if you're a "League" fan, but for newcomers, there's a brilliant new world to explore.

The show's nine-episode first-season, which premiered in 2021, laid the groundwork for some potential big payoffs in season two. Produced by French animation studio Fortiche, the painting-esque style of "Arcane" makes the show a visual marvel that's pushing the boundaries of modern animation. If you're not already on board with this one, you're going want to catch up and tune in for season two. — PH

Premiere date: TBD

Based on the bestselling sci-fi novel by Hugh Howey, "Silo" follows Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), a young engineer living in a massive underground structure in a dystopian future, as she unravels a murder and discovers the truth of her circumstances.

The series features incredible performances by Ferguson and her costars Common, David Oyelowo, and Rashida Jones, but the real draw is the complex mystery at heart of the show. And with season one ending on a massive cliffhanger (spoiler: Juliette leaves the Silo and discovers a life-altering reality) we need season two as soon as possible. (Season one premiered in 2023, and Apple TV+ has confirmed a second season is in the works, thought we don't have a release date yet.) — LT

Premiere date: TBD

News broke in December that the upcoming sixth season of FX's "What We Do in the Shadows" would be its last. And while we're honestly disappointed that we won't be able to follow the exploits of Nadja, Lazlo, Nandor, Colin, and Guillermo for longer, we're thrilled to see what the final season of the sidesplitting comedy has in store.

Mostly, we can't wait to see how the show handles Guillermo's recent, uh, transformation, and how that affects his relationship with Nandor. And as always, we expect lots of laughs from the subplots involving Colin, our favorite energy vampire, and the most dramatic couple of all time, Nadja and Lazlo. There hasn't been a premiere date set, but we'd be surprised if the show didn't end with a bang this year. — LT

Premiere date: TBD

Superhero fatigue might be a real issue for many Marvel and DC Comics projects, but the same certainly cannot be said for Prime Video's Emmy-nominated, gritty satire series "The Boys."

"The Boys," based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name, has been upping the ante and gore with each passing season since premiering in July 2019. With season four approaching sometime in 2024, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Billy Butcher, the leader of the titular rag-tag group, has months to live; Homelander, The Seven's unhinged leader, lasered a rioter to death in broad daylight to raucous cheers from his supporters; congresswoman and secret supe Victoria Neuman has been gaining political power for reasons unknown; and Annie January has ditched her Starlight costume in favor of joining the Boys. If the first teaser trailer is any indication, this will all culminate in what's sure to be a bloody, diabolical new season. — Olivia Singh

Premiere date: TBD

Just when "You" started to feel repetitive, the Netflix thriller reinvented itself in its fourth season — making the anticipation for its upcoming fifth and final season even stronger.

Season four easily could have been another formulaic, routine installment of the main character, Joe Goldberg, falling madly in love with a new woman and somehow evading substantial consequences for his actions (namely murder). But by the end, after thrilling plot twists and a stint in the UK as a college professor named Jonathan Moore, the status quo shifted.

Not only has Joe found love with someone who's aware that he killed people, but Kate Galvin has the wealth and resources to publicly sell his false narrative, spinning him as a hero. So the scrappy former bookstore manager with childhood trauma and a penchant for murder has rebranded, or rather, unbranded, and is Joe Goldberg again. The difference is that now, he's part of the very 1% he loathed, and has the financial means to carry out his warped brand of justice in the world. — OS

Premiere date: TBD

Fans of "The Umbrella Academy" (also known as Brellies) will have to say goodbye to the Hargreeves siblings for the definitive last time when the quirky show ends in 2024 after four seasons.

In a streaming service filled with many shows to choose from, "The Umbrella Academy" has stood out as one of Netflix's wackiest, most intriguing sci-fi series. Last season concluded with the siblings being thrust into a new timeline programmed by their father, Reginald Hargreeves, and losing their powers. The finale cliffhanger leaves much to be addressed when the show returns for season four. Plus, real-life husband and wife duo Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally will be joining the cast to undoubtedly cause some chaos as college professors. — OS

Premiere date: TBD

After a chaotic end to "The Bear" season two, fans are excited to see Carmy and the crew back in the kitchen.

The hit comedy-drama, which is much more traumatic than funny, returns to Hulu in 2024. In the previous season, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), his employees, and his sister (Abby Elliott) decide to turn their beef sandwich shop into a fancy restaurant in three months.

The team succeeds by the end of the season, so season three will likely focus on the restaurant and how they'll make enough money to stay open. That means more messy kitchen scenes.

Season two was filled with surprising cameos, including an incredible performance by Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy and Sugar's mother. Hopefully, she returns in the third season as the series explores Carmy's history. — AA

Premiere date: TBD

"Star Wars: The Acolyte" could be a new start for the franchise.

Despite having an entire galaxy and timeline to play with, Disney and Lucasfilm have been obsessed with the Skywalker Saga for too long.

Every new project is a prequel for a previously introduced character or bridges the gap between two events we already know about. Even shows that start to carve out new areas of the universe, such as "The Mandalorian," go back to the status quo within a few seasons.

"The Acolyte," the first "Star Wars" series set outside the Skywalker Saga, could be the change we need. The upcoming series is a mystery-thriller set 100 years before "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace."

A Jedi and their former Jedi master investigate a series of crimes in the final days of the High Republic era, a peaceful time before the Dark Side starts to stir trouble.

The series also has a recognizable, talented cast. Amandla Stenberg ("Bodies, Bodies, Bodies"), Lee Jung-Jae ("Squid Game"), Manny Jacinto ("The Good Place"), Jodie Turner-Smith ("After Yang") and Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix").

"The Acolyte" has all the ingredients to make people excited for "Star Wars" again. — AA

Premiere date: TBD

One of the best additions to "The Batman," Colin Farrell's getting a spinoff for his Batman villain, Penguin. Taking place a week after the events of the 2022 movie, gangsters are scrambling to seize control of Gotham City's seedy underbelly after the death of crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

One of the main people standing in the way of Penguin's rise to power will be Falcone's daughter, played by "How I Met Your Mother" star Cristin Milioti. Since the eight-episode first season is executive produced by "The Batman" director Matt Reeves, we expect it to have the same vibe as the film. The show will also star Michael Kelly ("House of Cards"). — KA