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As an entertainment writer at Esquire, I watch an ungodly amount of television. On any given day, I’ll be glued to my computer, checking out true-crime, drama, and comedy series. You know that show you keep getting ads for? I’ve watched it. After the countless hours I’ve spent in the streaming wars this year, I have to say: The best series of 2024 have been based on true stories.
The year started off strong with Masters of the Air, about young Air Force members who helped defeat Nazi Germany. Then we saw Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, a juicy retelling of one of New York’s most infamous scandals. After Feud came Genius: MLK/X, an equally thoughtful and entertaining examination of the civil rights movement. And do I even have to tell you about Shōgun? What can I say? It’s been a great year for educational TV.
Below, we’ve rounded up the year’s best television shows based on true stories (so far). There’s still time for more to premiere, of course. Until then, these are the series that caught our attention and deserve yours.
1
Shōgun
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Shōgun isn’t technically a true story, but the series is based on real historical figures and events. If you’re not familiar with seventeenth-century Japan, this is a great place to start. Set in 1600, the show centers on Lord Yoshii Toranaga, a daimyo whose life is upended when an English sailor named John Blackthorne is shipwrecked in Japan. The result? An epic power struggle that plays out on FX and Hulu. When you’re finished watching, check out the James Clavell novel that inspired the show.
2
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
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Truman Capote will always be remembered as the king of gossip. Feud: Capote vs. the Swans explores a tumultuous point in his life, when he published a little story called “La Cote Basque, 1965” in Esquire. The text—though fictional—spilled his friends’ darkest secrets and destroyed his social standing in New York’s high society. Capote vs. the Swans unpacks one of the biggest feuds of the decade.
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3
Genius: MLK/X
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People often paint Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X as enemies, but that’s not the full picture. The two civil rights leaders had different methods for liberation, but their mission was the same. Genius: MLK/X explores their formative years as young activists and the experiences they shared, which prompted their involvement in the civil rights movement. Even if you’re well-versed in American history, you’ll surely learn something new.
4
Manhunt
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Everyone knows what happened to Abraham Lincoln, but have you ever wondered what happened to John Wilkes Booth? Manhunt depicts the search for Booth after he killed the sixteenth U.S. president. Described as a “conspiracy thriller,” Manhunt connects Lincoln’s death to a lesser-known political struggle to preserve his plans for reconstruction after the Civil War. The miniseries is based on the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer.
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5
Baby Reindeer
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Baby Reindeer is difficult to watch, but it still deserves your attention. Richard Gadd stars as a fictionalized version of himself: a lonely bartender who’s stalked by one of his patrons. Due to the show’s stark depiction of intimidation and assault, Baby Reindeer became one of Netflix’s most-discussed series this year. It’s the type of show that sticks with you long after the finale, especially when you remember that it’s all based on a true story.
6
Masters of the Air
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Masters of the Air follows a group of young Air Force members during WWII. Their mission is to help defeat Nazi Germany and liberate Europe. As the war wages on, the men band together to protect themselves in the sky as well as the civilians down below. Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, and Anthony Boyle star on this series, which was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. After watching, you can learn more by picking up its inspiration: Donald L. Miller’s book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys.
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7
Under the Bridge
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Under the Bridge chronicles the death of Reena Virk—a fourteen-year-old girl who was attacked by her friends in 1997. The series is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book of the same name. Riley Keough stars as Godfrey, a writer who takes an interest in Reena’s story and works with a local detective (Lily Gladstone) to understand what happened. We were huge fans of this series, but we’d recommend tuning in with a box of tissues. You’re going to need them.
