12 TV shows we can’t wait to watch in 2024

With the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes lasting for months, most of the 2023 fall television schedule was disrupted as creative and actors stood united on the picket lines. But now that both groups have reached agreements with studios — the WGA deal was reached in September and SAG-AFTRA ended its strike in November — shows are gearing up for their returns next year. And many series that had their premieres pushed back are finally arriving.

After spending the last few months watching reruns and binging older series like “Suits,” we are more than ready to add multiple new series to our must-watch lists. January 2024 promises to deliver a highly-anticipated new show almost every week and more will follow in the next two months.

From superhero series to crime dramas, comedies and reality television shows, there’s something for every television fanatic arriving in the new year. But which ones are worth watching?

Take a look at TODAY.com’s top picks for the most anticipated shows of 2024, and their premiere dates, below.

“Echo”

Premiere date: Jan. 9, 2024 on Disney+ and Hulu

Disney+ will soon add another show to its growing list of Marvel Studios series with “Echo.” The miniseries is much darker than some past MCU shows and received a TV-MA rating, warning viewers to prepare for bloody fights and intense scenes.

The trailer gives a taste of what fans should expect as it begins with Vincent D’Onofrio’s character, a crime lord known as Kingpin, brutally attacking a man in an alley. The rest of the clip mostly focuses on Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, played by Alaqua Cox. Echo, who was first introduced in “Hawkey” and is deaf, is adopted by Kingpin and raised to be a violent killer. Now an adult, Echo wants to confront her past and reconnect with her biological family.

“Criminal Record”

Premiere date: Jan. 12, 2024 on Apple TV+

In this London-based crime drama, Peter Capaldi (“Doctor Who”) and Cush Jumbo (“The Good Fight”) play two detectives with different definitions of justice and the truth. One day, Jumbo’s character, Detective Sergeant June Lenker, receives an anonymous phone call about an old murder case. The caller shared details that do not match the confession Capaldi’s character, Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty, heard when he worked the case years prior. As June digs deeper and tries to discover the truth about the murder, Daniel cautions her to leave it alone. When she refuses to trust him and forget about the case, the two become enemies.

“True Detective: Night Country”

Premiere date: Jan. 14, 2024 on HBO

After a five-year break, the anthology crime drama is returning with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis starring as the lead detectives on the case. Foster and Reis play detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro who work in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. The two — who were on good terms before a mysterious incident six years ago fractured their relationship — are assigned a case about eight men who disappeared from a research station. They were later found “frozen solid,” as Liz says in the trailer, and it seems the case is connected to the rift between Liz and Evangeline. Based on the trailer, “Night Country” will also introduce some psychological horror elements to the story.

“Death and Other Details”

Premiere date: Jan. 16, 2024 on Hulu

Mandy Patinkin leads this murder mystery series as Rufus Cotesworth, “the world’s greatest detective,” according to the show’s official synopsis. Rufus is aboard a luxurious Mediterranean cruise when one of the travelers is murdered. Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), one of the passengers on the ship, immediately becomes the prime suspect. Although she has a strained relationship with Rufus, she must team up with him if she wants to clear her name. Meanwhile, Rufus needs to use his detective skills to figure out who on the massive ship is a killer. Lauren Patten, Rahul Kohli, Angela Zhou, Hugo Diego Garcia, Pardis Saremi and Linda Emond also star.

“The Bachelor”

Premiere date: Jan. 22, 2024 on ABC

Joey Graziadei is a teaching tennis pro looking for love. After getting his heartbroken on Charity Lawson’s season of “The Bachelorette,” Joey is back and ready to find his soulmate. In a voiceover for Season 28 of “The Bachelor,” host Jesse Palmer promises that Joey’s journey will be “the most romantic season in ‘Bachelor’ history.” There will also be plenty of drama, of course. In one part of the trailer, a woman confronts another contestant and says, “You need to grow up, b----!” But, the most dramatic moment is saved for the final few seconds. The clip shows Joey standing alone and sobbing on proposal day. “What happens in the end is an unprecedented, shocking first in ‘Bachelor’ history,” Palmer teases. Based on Joey’s tears, this could be the best “Bachelor” season in years.

“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”

Premiere date: Jan. 31, 2024 on FX

Following the release of the first season of Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Bette and Joan” in 2017, the anthology series is finally returning with a season called “Capote vs. The Swans.” This season stars acclaimed actors Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chlo? Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald. “Capote vs. The Swans” — which is based on the book “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, and a Swan Song for an Era” by Laurence Leamer — tells the story of the fallout between Truman Capote and multiple New York socialites after he wrote personal details about their lives.

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Premiere date: Feb. 2, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in this reimagining of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s 2005 action comedy of the same name. Like the original, Glover and Erskine play married couple John and Jane Smith. However, according to Deadline, John and Jane are in an arranged marriage. The two must navigate their new relationship while also working as spies for a secret agency. Glover co-created the series and served as executive producer, as well. Variety announced that Paul Dano, Michaela Coel, Alexander Skarsg?rd, Sarah Paulson, Ron Perlman and more stars will have guest roles throughout the season.

“Tracker”

Premiere date: Feb. 11, 2024 on CBS

“Tracker” has landed the coveted spot as the only series to premiere after Super Bowl LVIII. The action drama also marks Justin Hartley’s first television role since “This Is Us” aired its series finale in May 2022. CBS has shared few details about the show so far and has only released a couple mini teasers. In each clip, Hartley’s character, Colter Shaw, looks pensive as he encounters someone that needs his help. In the show’s official synopsis, Colter is described as a “lone-wolf survivalist” who travels around the U.S. as a “reward seeker” for crimes private citizens and authorities need help solving.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender”

Premiere date: Feb. 22, 2024 on Netflix

Almost 20 years after the animated series of the same name debuted in 2005, Netflix is bringing a live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” to life. Hoping to be more successful than M. Night Shyamalan’s widely panned depiction in 2010, this version introduces Aang, played by Gordon Cormier, a 12-year-old boy who has been frozen in ice for a hundred years. In his absence, all the other airbenders have been killed and a war has begun. Aang but team up with Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley) to restore peace in the world.

“Deal or No Deal Island”

Premiere date: Feb. 26, 2024 on NBC

NBC is launching a spinoff of its early 2000s game show hosted by Howie Mandel and adding some “Survivor” elements. Mandel helped announce the new series in September with a cryptic trailer. In “Deal or No Deal Island,” hosted by Joe Manganiello, 13 contestants will travel to an unknown, private island. In the clip, Mandel said viewers should expect “bigger money” and “harrowing challenges.” According to Entertainment Weekly, players will have to find briefcases filled with different amounts of money hidden around the island. They will also battle in immunity challenges and the last player remaining will win a huge cash prize.

“Elsbeth”

Premiere date: Feb. 29, 2024 on CBS

“The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” fans will already be familiar with Carrie Preston’s scene-stealing character Elsbeth Tascioni, who is finally getting an entire series dedicated to her unique skills and idiosyncrasies. Elsbeth, who was last seen on “The Good Fight” working as an attorney in Chicago, has relocated to New York City in this new show. “Elsbeth,” which also stars Wendell Pierce as Captain C.W. Wagner, follows the eccentric attorney as she works with the NYPD as an “outside observer.” Elsbeth uses her special skills to pick up on clues at the crime scene that law enforcement might have missed. She uses them to figure out details about the crime and motive.

“Fallout”

Premiere date: April 12, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video

Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, “Fallout” is a post-apocalyptic drama that imagines a world after a nuclear war. Two hundred years after the planet was destroyed, Lucy, played by Ella Purnell, is one of many “Vault Dwellers” who live in an underground society. But, Lucy decides to leave the bunker and discover what life is like above the surface. Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) portrays Lucy’s father, Hank, and Walton Goggins also stars as a disfigured gunslinger known as The Ghoul.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com