The 40 most exciting TV shows coming in 2024

2024 is almost here and that means it's time to look ahead at what there will be to enjoy in the world of entertainment, luckily there is quite a lot of exciting releases set to come out.

From returning favourites to exciting new dramas, comedy series and gripping documentaries, there's something for everyone on both terrestrial and streaming TV.

Read more: The most exciting movies coming in 2024 that aren't sequels, prequels or remakes

Yahoo has looked at them all and compiled a list of the 40 most exciting shows that are coming in 2024.

The Traitors UK S2 (BBC) | 2 January

The return of The Traitors has been hotly-anticipated after the first series gripped the nation. Strictly's Claudia Winkleman is at the helm as she hosts the tense reality series from the secluded Scottish Highlands. In a game of backstabbing and detection, the traitors must convince the faithfuls that they are one of them. The stakes are higher in 2024 as everyone knows how the game works. Who will you back to win?

Echo (Disney+) | 10 January

Marvel continues its quest to dominate the TV sphere with its most gritty drama yet: Echo. Focused on Hawkeye villain Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), the series follows her character as she returns to her hometown after shooting her uncle Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) in the Hawkeye finale. On the run, Maya will have to face not only Kingpin's malicious forces but also the sins of her past.

True Detective: Night Country (Sky) | 14 January

The fourth season of HBO's acclaimed anthology series sees Jodie Foster star alongside Kali Reis as detectives investigating the mysterious disappearance of eight men from a research station, and as they dig deeper into the events the more the pair have to confront their own inner demons.

Gladiators (BBC) | TBC

It's back to the 90s with the BBC's rebooted reality series Gladiators which first made its debut on our screens on ITV in 1992 with Ulrika Jonsson as host. Now father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh will host the series which sees 13 contestants compete in gruelling challenges that test their speed and strength. It will revive fan-favourite obstacle course The Eliminator but contestants will also face fresh challenges.

Expats (Prime Video) | 26 January

Lulu Wang turns her directorial eye to the small screen, presenting a moving examination of grief, guilt and motherhood in Expats. The limited series, which stars Nicole Kidman, follows a group of expats living in Hong Kong whose lives have all been touched in some way by the disappearance of a young boy.

Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) | 26 January

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks executive produce another World War II epic in Masters of the Air, a series that explores the achievements of the 100th Bomb Group of the US Air Forces during the conflict. Like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the series features an all-star ensemble cast led by Callum Turner and Austin Butler.

Love Island: All Stars (ITV2) | January 2024

The Love Island villa will welcome back fan favourites of the show to give them a second chance of finding long-lasting connections. This series is set in the stunning South African villa. Having hosted both the winter and summer Love Island series, of course TV presenter Maya Jama will return to host the show. Rumours have been swirling about which Love Island stars could be heading back into the villa.

Mr & Mrs Smith (Prime Video) | 2 February

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine step into the roles previously played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in a new take on the spy rom-com. Reinvented for television, the series follows John and Jane Smith as they agree to work for a mysterious agency and start a new chapter in their marriage.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix) | 22 February

Nickelodeon's hit animated series is being brought to life through live-action thanks to Netflix, the series will follow Aang (Gordon Cormier), the Avatar and the world's last living airbender, as he travels across the land trying to master all four elements in order to bring peace to the war-torn realm.

Shogun (Disney+) | 27 February

Disney+ adapts James Clavell's classic novel for the small screen, the remake centres on English sailor John Blackthorne who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan. There he encounters a powerful daimyo Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai) and becomes ensnared in a battle of survival.

Fallout (Prime Video) | 12 April

Welcome gamers to the latest video game to TV adaptation. Fallout is set in an alternate universe where nuclear war decimated the world after the Second World War and those that survived took refuge in fallout bunkers, two centuries later a woman, Lucy (Ella Purnell) decides to venture out into the dangerous world beyond them.

Bridgerton S3 (Netflix) | 16 May

It's finally time for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) to have their love story told in Bridgerton after their romance bubbled under the surface for two seasons. The new season of the Netflix show will be released in two batches, the first in May and the second in June.

Dune: Prophecy (TBC) | 1 September

Denis Villeneuve's Dune proved that Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel is adaptable, and this has led to a slew of spin-offs going into the works. The prequel series follows the Harkonnen Sisters and their journey to enlightenment that led to the founding of the Bene Gesserit.

House of The Dragon S2 (Sky) | TBC

Game of Thrones fans were delighted when House of the Dragon proved to be a great new chapter in the franchise following the flagship show's disappointing finale. Now they wait with baited breath for the second season of House of the Dragon which will see Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) go head to head for the Iron Throne no matter what it will cost them.

The Bear S3 (Disney+) | TBC

Yes chef! Viewers are ready for another helping of The Bear and FX are only too happy to oblige. The kitchen drama will continue to follow Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his fellow chefs as they try to make a mark on the food industry with their restaurant.

Welcome To Wrexham season 3 (Disney+) | TBC

Hollywood stars and best friends Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought a football club in Wales. From Hollywood to Wales, the famous best friends took on the football club despite having no experience in 2020. Now we are into the third series of the docuseries that revealed how Reynolds and McElhenney are steering one of football's oldest clubs.

Star Wars: The Acolyte (Disney+) | TBC

The Star Wars franchise is chipping away at the TV landscape and the next series to hit Disney+ is Star Wars: The Acolyte, which is set during the High Republic era and explores what happened to lead to its downfall and for the rise of the Sith.

The Gentlemen (Netflix) | TBC

Guy Ritchie's 2019 crime drama has inspired its own TV show on Netflix, which stars Theo James and Kaya Scodelario. Not much is known about the new series yet except that it is a follow up to the film, which saw Matthew McConaughey play the head of a cast marijuana empire hidden on a rich aristocrat's estate.

Love Is Blind UK (Netflix) | 14 February

Looking for love? Nick and Vanessa Lachey take the lead as they host the social experiment where single women and men are on a quest to find love. But that's not all, those taking part have to take a huge leap of faith in the reality series as they look to fall in love and get engaged before ever meeting in person. It's been a huge success so far, getting five Emmy nominations including three for Outstanding Structured Reality Program. Series six is coming to Netflix in February.

3 Body Problem (Netflix) | 21 March

David Benioff and D B Weiss are making their big comeback after flubbing the Game of Thrones finale, and the showrunners are turning their sights to sci-fi by adapting Liu Cixin's 3 Body Problem for Netflix. The series follows astrophysicist Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao and Zine Tseng) who witnesses her father's murder during China's cultural revolution and whose actions in the 1960s has a rippling affect on society now.

Eric (Netflix) | TBC

Benedict Cumberbatch leads Eric, a new limited series that follows a father Vincent (Cumberbatch) and his desperate search for his son Edgar (Ivan Howe) and how his obsession to bring his son back leads him to become more and more disassociated from reality.

Ripley (Netflix) | TBC

Andrew Scott takes on the role of Tom Ripley in this 1960s period drama set in Italy. The series will see Ripley become embroiled in a world of deceit, fraud and murder when he is hired to convince Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return home.

Clarkson’s Farm S3 (Prime Video) | TBC

Clarkson's Farm returns for its latest series on Prime Video. Farmer Jeremy Clarkson will be tending to 513 acres of land on Diddly Squat, including woodlands and lakes, with the help of his girlfriend Lisa and fellow farmer Kaleb Cooper. If the previous series are anything to go by, it promises to be a humorous documentary about how Clarkson adapts to farm life and copes with the odd misbehaving animal.

Series 3 won't be the end as Clarkson announced there would be a follow up in a hilarious way. He said: "I have an important announcement to make and I'm going to make it in a very clever way." Then he tried to round up all the sheep to form a 'IV' - meaning four. While it didn't go according to plan, the announcement of the fourth series was great news for fans of the series.

The Boys S4 (Prime Video) | TBC

Following the events of Gen V and The Boys season 3, the show's fourth season will see Butcher (Keith Urban) and the gang learn of a deadly virus that has been developed to kill Supes, a new weapon they hope to acquire in order to take down Homelander (Anthony Starr) and the other super-powered beings for good — all the while Homelander is ready for world domination.

The Penguin (HBO) | TBC

Colin Farrell returns as The Penguin, the villain he first played in The Batman opposite Robert Pattinson. In this solo spin-off the character is reaching the upper echelons of Gotham City's criminal underworld, and he is set to become the fearsome adversary fans know and love.

The Regime (HBO) | 3 March

Kate Winslet stars as the chancellor of a European regime on the verge of collapse, with the authoritarian ruler trying desperately to keep her power. Told over the course of one year, the limited series is a political thriller of a different kind. It also stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, and Andrea Riseborough.

The Sympathizer (HBO) | TBC

Another exciting drama from HBO is The Sympathizer, which marks Park Chan-wook's return to an English-language production since 2018's The Little Drummer Girl. Starring Robert Downey Jr, Sandra Oh and Hoa Xuande, the miniseries follows The Captain (Xuande), a North Vietnam spy in the South Vietnam army who moves to the US where he is tasked with spying on the community and reporting back to the Viet Cong only to feel a conflict of interest.

Industry S3 (BBC) | TBC

Industry is quickly filling the hole left behind by Succession, and the show's third season will be another exciting affair with Kit Harington joining the cast. The show follows a group of young graduates as they fight their way to the top of the financial world, no matter what they have to do to get there.

The Jinx Season 2 (HBO) | S2

The first season of The Jinx gained widespread acclaim when it was released in 2015, examining three cases linked to New York real estate heir Robert Durst, who featured in the documentary and was charged with the 2000 murder of Susan Berman as a result. HBO are now ready to release their follow-up which covers the years since the original came out and the murder trial that led to him being convicted in 2021.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) | TBC

Larry David is ready to say goodbye to, well, Larry David. Not himself of course, but the version of himself that was presented in Curb Your Enthusiasm which will be concluding with its twelfth season in 2024.

Rivals (Disney+) | TBC

David Tennant, Alex Hassell and Aidan Turner lead the cast in Disney+'s adaptation of the 1988 novel by Jilly Cooper, a series that follows the rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) that becomes something altogether bigger.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries (Disney+) | TBC

It's gone through several name changes, but the Disney+ series centred on Agather Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is set to be released in 2024. The WandaVision villain was sealed in the Darkhold by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olson) and after breaking free loses her powers, and now she is ready to get them back.

One Day (Netflix) | 8 February

David Nicholls' iconic novel is being adapted for TV, with Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall taking on the roles of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who meet on 15 July 1988 and whose love story is told on this day every year for decades.

Dating Naked UK (Paramount+) | TBC

Rylan will host the latest dating series to take the reality world by storm, Dating Naked UK. Singletons will live together in the hope of finding love - all while naked. It will play out over 10 episodes on Paramount+. Of the new series, Rylan said: "It is no secret that I love a reality TV show, but this one is going to blow your minds... Not only does it feature dating and drama, on top of that everyone will be totally starkers! You will not want to miss this – I can’t wait for you all to see."

Alien (Disney+/FX) | TBC

Noah Hawley enters the iconic franchise created by Ridley Scott with a new prequel series, which is set three decades before the 1979 film of the same name. It stars Sydney Chandler as Wendy, a woman who has the consciousness of a child, and the actor is joined by Samuel Blenkin and Alex Lawther. There is a lot of secrecy around the project so little is known about the plot apart from its basic premise.

Stranger Things S5 (Netflix) | TBC

Netflix's megahit series Stranger Things is coming to an end with its fifth season, which is expected to be released in 2024, however because of the impact of the writer's and actor's strike delaying production the show's release may well be delayed. It will follow Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the gang as they prepare to face Vecna (Jamie Campbell-Bower) after the Upside Down was unleashed in Hawkins at the end of season four.

Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+) | TBC

Ever since its cancellation at Netflix, fans of Daredevil have been calling for its return and it is finally happening with Daredevil: Born Again. Production began in early 2023 with Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio and Jon Bernthal returning as Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk and Frank Castle, respectively. However the writer's and actor's strike meant filming paused, during which time Marvel bosses decided to start over from scratch — this means it is unclear when the show will return, if it will even be in 2024.

The Franchise (HBO) | TBC

Created by Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes, The Franchise follows the challenges that a crew faces on the set of a superhero film. The series will be led by Billy Magnussen, Jessica Hynes, and Lolly Adefope.

Time Bandits (Apple TV+)

Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, and Taika Waititi are co-creating a new Apple TV+ series based on the 1981 film of the same name, which was directed by Terry Gilliam. The show will star Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck and Charlyne Yi, and it follows a group of loveable rogues travelling through time and space with a new recruit.

Watch the trailer for The Regime: