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![Favorite streaming shows of the first half of 2024 Collage of characters from Bridgerton, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Drops of God, Masters of the Air and The Sympathizer](https://aarp.widen.net/content/domzazsjx0/jpeg/1140-streamingtv-promo.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=7xsf69&w=1140&h=655)
Many of the pay TV networks and streaming services rolled out a steady buffet of new shows this year, boasting stars including Ewan McGregor as a Russian aristocrat just after the Bolshevik Revolution in A Gentleman in Moscow and Andrew Scott as the latest iteration of the grifter Tom Ripley in Ripley. We’ve also seen the long-awaited return of familiar faces such as Larry David in the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Jean Smart as a Joan Rivers–style comedian in the bold and intriguing third season of Hacks. Here are AARP’s picks for the best streaming shows of the year so far.
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![Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in "Baby Reindeer" Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in a still from Baby Reindeer](https://aarp.widen.net/content/bcwpqx83ih/jpeg/BR_101_Unit_01072_RT.jpg,BR_101_Unit_01072_RT.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,41&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=7xsf69&w=2048&h=1177)
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Netflix’s latest surprise hit is not for everyone. It begins in familiar quirky comedy land, with an aspiring comedian/bartender (Richard Gadd) being stalked by a woman (Jessica Gunning) who claims to have a high-paid, glamorous legal career. But midway through the series, which Gadd adapted from his supposedly fact-based stage play, the show takes a shockingly dark, squirm-inducing turn — as Gadd’s Donny finally confronts traumatic episodes of sexual abuse from his past that have crippled his relationships. We also learn more about his stalker, a walking avatar of the phrase “hurt people hurt people.” (A woman who claims she’s the model for the character filed a defamation lawsuit; Netflix disputes her claims.) The show can be hard to watch but harder to look away from, right up until the note-perfect final scene.
![Hugh Sachs and Golda Rosheuvel in "Bridgerton" Hugh Sachs and Golda Rosheuvel in a still from Bridgerton](https://aarp.widen.net/content/avxef570a3/jpeg/BRIDGERTON_306_Unit_00507R.jpg,BRIDGERTON_306_Unit_00507R.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,184&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=7xsf69&w=2048&h=1177)
Bridgerton (Netflix)
In its third season, Shonda Rhimes’ deliberately anachronistic period romance series still boasts many, many elaborate balls where a racially diverse cast dons elaborate costumes to dance to orchestral versions of 21st-century pop tunes — then doffs them for raunchy hookups (including a particularly steamy one in a carriage). This time, the focus is on Nicola Coughlan as curvy Penelope (the secret author of Lady Whistledown’s gossipy newsletters), who finally catches the eye of her longtime crush, Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
![Larry David in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Larry David in a still from Curb Your Enthusiasm](https://aarp.widen.net/content/gox9zuyn1n/jpeg/larry-david.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,50&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=7xsf69&w=1920&h=1103)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO/Max)
Larry David, 76, says the 12th really, truly is the final season of his HBO comedy (spread out over 24 years). He milks a lot of characteristically awkward laughs from his final swings around the golf course with his celeb buddies — including Richard Lewis, who died in February at age 76. The season focuses on David’s obnoxious girlfriend (Tracey Ullman, 64) and an escalating legal issue that culminates in a courtroom scene that echoes the widely criticized one in the 1998 Seinfeld series finale.
Where to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm
![Fleur Geffrier and Tomohisa Yamashita in "Drops of God" Fleur Geffrier and Tomohisa Yamashita in a still from Drops of God](https://aarp.widen.net/content/d4vie2clim/jpeg/Drops_Of_God_Photo_010804.jpg?crop=true&anchor=280,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=7xsf69&w=1488&h=855)
Drops of God (Apple TV+)
Apple’s newest multilingual series is a savvy heir to Succession with a Bravo-style reality competition twist. When renowned French wine expert Alexandre Léger dies, his will sets up an elaborate wine-tasting competition for his prized cellar, worth $148 million. The competitors are his long-estranged daughter (Fleur Geffrier) and his master-taster protégé (Tomohisa Yamashita). French screenwriter Quoc Dang Tran, best known for the Netflix hit Call My Agent!, has created a full-bodied winner, an absorbing drama that lingers long on the palate.
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