The official best TV show of 2024 according to Rotten Tomatoes

It has been quite the year for TV, from Netflix hits like Baby Reindeer and One Day, to reality TV moments that have left viewers sobbing.

Strictly Come Dancing made history earlier this month, I’m A Celebrity delivered the most wholesome season yet, and we still can’t forget about The Traitors final.

In the last few days alone, Outnumbered and Gavin and Stacey have both made a comeback, while we’re all waiting for Harlan Coben’s next thriller, which is set to drop on New Year’s Day.

And now, the best TV show of the year has been revealed – but it’s not really a surprise.

According to Rotten Tomatoes’ weekly guide, Slow Horses season four tops the list of Best TV Shows of 2024, with the fourth season scoring a perfect 100% score and 88% Popcornmeter with more than 500 ratings.

The latest instalment dropped on Apple TV+ in September, with Gary Oldman reprising his role as Jackson Lamb.

Slow Horses season four has been crowned the best new series this year (Picture: Apple TV+/AP)

The Harry Potter actor returned as Jackson Lamb (Picture: Apple TV+. All Rights Reserved)

The spy drama, based on Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, follows a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents working in the department not-so-affectionately known as Slough House.

After being exiled to the MI5 dumping ground department due to their career-ending mistakes, they must work to navigate the intelligence world’s smoke and mirrors to defend the country.

The fourth season saw attentions turned to Slough House agent River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) who starts his own covert investigation after his grandfather David (Jonathan Pryce) shoots an intruder to death in his bathroom.

As well as Sirius Black actor Gary, the returning cast included Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves and Rosalind Eleazar.

The fourth season saw attentions turned to Slough House agent River Cartwright, played by Jack Lowden (Picture: Apple TV+ via AP)

Jonathan Pryce plays a man who show an intruder to death in his bathroom (Picture: Apple TV+ via AP)

Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Kadiff Kirwan and The Crown’s Jonathan Pryce also returned, while Hugo Weaving, Joanna Scanlan, Ruth Bradley, Tom Brooke and James Callis joined.

Season four was critically acclaimed with Metro giving it a rare five-star rating and saying it ‘should be bigger than Line of Duty’.

And it even set a new record for Apple TV+, as the 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for season four meant the show has never dipped below 98% since its launch and is officially the streamer’s highest-rated show ever.

‘Slow Horses” remains one of the most entertaining and well-put-together shows around. The motions through which it goes are good ones,’ a New York Times critic wrote.

Slow Horses even broke a new record for Apple TV+ (Picture: Jack English/Apple TV+ via AP)

It was elsewhere branded ‘utterly brilliant’ and ‘essential viewing’, while viewers branded it ‘the best thing on TV right now’, and they weren’t wrong.

Slow Horses season 1 premiered in April 2022, with the second and third seasons following in December 2022 and November 2023.

The black comedy, which has already scored two Bafta TV awards, has also been announced for a fifth season, based on the book London Rules.

Slow Horses is available to stream on Apple TV+.

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