Sitcoms, police and medical dramas, and talent shows, NBC has it all and is a one-stop-shop for some entertaining television series. In the 2024 season, the popular network went on to release not only new seasons of long-time fan-favorite shows, such as Chicago Med and Law & Order, but it also saw some new projects come to the small screen for viewers to dabble in.
Reba McEntire is back in action as a new tavern owner, Bobbie, in Happy’s Place, while Zachary Quinto takes on the role of Dr. Oliver Wolf, a gifted neurologist who wants the world to view his patients differently in Brilliant Minds. And The Voice was back and better than ever, with two new coaches, the eccentric Snoop Dogg and the Christmas master himself, Michael Bublé, it was one of the most competitive seasons yet. So, in case you missed it, here are some of the best shows NBC released in 2024.
10. ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ (2024) Directed By Joe Guidry
Hosted by Joe Manganiello, Deal or No Deal Island is a solid spin-off series of the well-known and popular game show Deal or No Deal. The thing is, this spin-off isn’t played in a studio. It is a reality competition show that brings a group of contestants to the Banker’s private island, an undisclosed location in the Panama island chain. There, they are tasked with physical challenges in order to get briefcases, all of which hold a dollar amount.
At the end of each challenge, the winner selects one of the other contestants to play an elimination round, a pseudo-game of Deal or No Deal with the Banker, making a good deal on their briefcase in order to avoid getting booted from the island. To win, contestants have to be the last one standing and play a high-stakes game of Deal or No Deal in order to go home with the jackpot. A strange concept that is entertaining to watch, Deal or No Deal Island takes the game and twists it into something viewers have not seen before. The pacing is a bit quicker, and the stakes are much higher, leaving contestants to deal with the fallout of taking a deal or saying “No Deal.”
9. ‘The Voice’ (2011) Created By John de Mol Jr.
A reality singing competition, The Voice features coaches, talented musical artists who select top-notch singers to join their team. The quicker is, the coaches have no idea what the singers look like; they select people solely based on their voices, pressing a button and turning around in a huge red chair when they hear something special. In the case of multiple coaches turning, it’s up to the singer to select who they want to work with. Once each team is filled, the real competition gets underway with elimination rounds and one singer coming out on top to win the prize of $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Music Group.
The competition show has seen many coaches come and go, and in 2024, the four musical artists who were selected as the team leads include Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé. The latter two are the new additions to the franchise, bringing their respective rap and pop expertise to the show. The year 2024 was the show’s 26th season, proving that it is a popular competition series fans just can’t get enough of!
8. ‘The Irrational’ (2023) Created By Arika Mittman
Starring Jesse L. Martin as behavioral science professor Alec Mercer, The Irrational dives into the world of human decision-making, body language, emotion, and psychology. A world-renowned professor in his field, Mercer helps law enforcement, corporations, and even the government dig into difficult, complex, and high-stakes criminal cases, ones that need a special eye in order to solve. With the help of his FBI agent ex-wife, Special Agent Marisa Clark (Maahra Hill), his FBI cyber-analyst sister, Kylie (Travina Springer), and his graduate students Rizwan Asadi (Arash DeMaxi) and Phoebe Duncan (Molly Kunz), Mercer uses his behavioral science expertise to get the job done.
Based loosely on the life of Duke University professor and behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s life and book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, The Irrational is a drama that brings human behavior to the forefront of cases. Namely, it investigates the concept of unconscious biases and emotional impulses humans make and how they influence a person’s decision-making, specifically dangerous decisions that might not make a lot of sense to other people. It is an interesting and complex crime drama that fans of shows such as Criminal Minds will want to think about watching, especially since the second season was just released on NBC in 2024.
7. ‘Chicago Med’ (2015) Created By Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead
The third installment of the Chicago franchise, Dick Wolf’s Chicago Med, saw its 10th season released in 2024. Viewers were brought back into the fast-paced environment in which Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s emergency department doctors, nurses, and administrators work, following their lives as they strive to save their patients in sometimes pretty innovative ways. It is a typical medical procedural, but it has Wolf’s flair for the dramatic, making it a worthwhile addition for fans of the genre.
Viewers see characters face not only the day-to-day trials and tribulations of working in an emergency department in one of the biggest cities in the United States, but also the struggles they are facing in their personal lives. The series often sees characters from other Chicago shows, too, including Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire, each showcasing the different life-saving professions seen around the city and, for those who are interested in diving into the whole world, a reason to explore the franchise as a whole!
6. ‘Law & Order’ (1990) Created By Dick Wolf
Set in New York, Law & Order is an interesting type of crime drama, bringing viewers into two different worlds. First, the series showcases the crime and the resulting investigation conducted by the New York City Police Department homicide detectives, everything that pretty much goes into finding the suspect and arresting them. The second half of the episode then brings viewers into the courtroom, watching the legal proceedings and seeing if the defendant will be found innocent or guilty.
The crimes are typically based on real headlines, with details being changed here and there. A popular series, Law & Order, aired from 1990 until 2010 before going on an 11-year hiatus. It was finally renewed in 2021, and in 2024, the crime drama released its 24th season. While new characters joined the cast, fans were pleased that District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) are still bringing down criminals on the screen.
5. ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999) Created By Dick Wolf
In 2024, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU or SVU) released its 26th season on NBC. Remaining in continuous production since the 1990s, SVU hasn’t changed its premise with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach that is clearly working. A spin-off of Law & Order, SVU follows the story of Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), formally the commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit and later the captain, and other detectives in the unit as they investigate sexually-based crimes around New York City. Ultimately, bringing perpetrators to justice through the legal system.
Like the original Law & Order series, SVU is loosely based on real crimes, bringing a fictionalized version of the events to the small screen. It is the longest-running primetime live-action series on American television, and for good reason. Each episode is magnetic, drawing viewers into the story with the energy and sophistication the franchise is known for while also digging into hard-to-hear-about crimes. It is one of those police procedural crime dramas fans of the genre should not miss.
4. ‘Found’ (2023) Created By Nkechi Okoro Carroll
Following public relations specialist and crisis manager Gabi Mosely (Shanola Hampton), Found investigates those people who are forgotten by society, people who no one is looking for, including law enforcement and the media. That’s where Gabi and her team come in. Managing the crisis management firm named Mosely & Associates (M&A), Gabi looks into mysterious disappearances with the hope of bringing people back home, even enlisting her childhood kidnapper, Hugh “Sir” Evans (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), to help her with some cases, all while keeping him locked in her basement, of course. Viewers will have to watch the series to find out what happens to him, though!
In 2024, the second season of Found was released. The procedural drama takes an intense look into missing persons and how people go about investigating the reports when there is little to go on. Led by a magnetic performance by Hampton, Found is one of those dramas people are going to want to watch, as it takes a different approach to the typical serial storytelling of crime dramas, bringing more of a character’s personal struggles into the mix while dealing with hard cases that hit too close to home for their liking. The show ensnares viewers and is one of the best crime dramas on the network.
3. ‘Happy’s Place’ (2024) Created By Julie Abbott and Kevin Abbott
Starring Reba McEntire as Bobbie, a lady who inherits her late father’s tavern, Happy’s Place is a family sitcom that fans of Reba will appreciate. After her father’s passing, Bobbie learns that she actually has a co-owner to work alongside, her half-sister, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo). The thing is, Bobbie had no idea Isabella ever existed, let alone being young and having a lot of ideas on how to improve and run the business. With that new dynamic to wrap her head around, Bobbie also has the staff to attend to, including a bartender who loves to start drama.
Set in Tennessee, Happy’s Place feels like coming home to a tone set by McEntire’s edgy personality and a place filled with friends, family, and new beginnings. It is a show about generations colliding, a keen representation of the real world, and how new ideas, while good, might be too much at once, especially when the place someone is trying to change is a neighborhood staple that regulars frequent on a daily basis. Even so, when two headstrong women are forced to work with one another, drama and comedy are bound to ensue as one tries with all her might to stick to the status quo while the other wants to streamline the workplace and modernize things.
2. ‘Brilliant Minds’ (2024) Created By Michael Grassi
A medical drama starring Quinto as the revolutionary neurologist Dr. Oliver Wolf, Brilliant Minds takes viewers on a stunning exploration of the human mind. Unlike a lot of medical dramas on television, Brilliant Minds is solely focused on mental health and the psychological implications associated with different cases. Set in Bronox General, Dr. Wolf and a team of young interns not only focus on each of their patients, but also their own mental health and relationship struggles.
Inspired by real-life neurologist and scientist Oliver Sacks’ books The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars, Brilliant Minds transcends the typical medical procedural. It dives into what makes a person human, looking into the limitations, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, and how they can wind up unlocking a sort of growth within an individual. The show is captivating and raw, a medical drama that people will actually be able to relate to as Dr. Wolf and his team look into various mental health cases and what makes the human mind tick.
1. ‘St. Denis Medical’ (2024) Created By Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin
Set in St. Denis Medical Center, St. Denis Medical takes viewers into the world of overworked and underfunded nurses and doctors. A great show utilizing a mockumentary style, the show features dedicated workers who want nothing more than to help and save every person who comes through the hospital doors. The show has an ensemble cast of characters ranging from the ambitious executive director Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and loving nurse Alex (Allison Tolman) to the cocky surgeon, Bruce (Josh Lawson) and grumpy physician Ron (David Alan Grier).
Even though it is a medical show, St. Dennis Medical juggles its premise of care and chaos with a typical workplace comedy trope to create something very special. Steering clear of the hero-doctor characters, this cast is more pragmatic, wanting to save their patients while also asking important questions that are typically forgotten in medical dramas, such as insurance. This show is a great option for anyone who wants a solid mixture of the mockumentary style found in The Office while utilizing the medical workplace comedy found in Scrubs.
