In retrospect, I should have committed to Top 10 lists instead of ‘Top 5 lists for our Australian content in our Best of 2024 coverage. Sitting down and working through my picks for the Best Australian TV Series of the year, it was too easy to end up with a long short-list, and narrowing it down was quite hard. Surprisingly, as much as our local content is quite full of reality TV dating and cooking shows, there are still plenty of great shows to find on free-to-air and streaming services if cooking and dating aren’t your thing.

Here are my picks for the Top 5 Best Australian TV Series from 2024.

5.) Taskmaster Australia: Season 2 & Season 3

The second and third seasons of Taskmaster Australia were an utter joy to watch in 2024. Based on the wildly popular UK series, our take on it has the grumpy Tom Gleeson judging as ‘Taskmaster’ with his assistant, the ‘other Tom,‘ Tom Cashman. The chemistry between all is great, and each season’s cast has been great, with a mix of older Australian comedians like Wil Anderson or Peter Helliar and younger and new faces like Jenny Tian or Aaron Chen.

4.) Exposure

This Stan Original Series is hard to watch, which might be why each episode is only thirty minutes, allowing viewers the time to break from the bleak narrative if they wish. It’s a story that follows a late-20-year-old grieving the suicide of her best friend, the ways in which different people react to those types of life events and also dark secrets hidden in their past. Beautifully shot, well acted and with a firm direction that never waivers from the tone of the show, it makes for something that might not entirely be a ‘must-watch,’ as you’ll probably know if this is for you or not, but certainly one of the best Aussie series this year.

3.) Colin From Accounts: Season Two

The second season of Colin From Accounts lost nothing from the first. From the opening 5 minutes of the season premiere, in which Gordon and Ashley attempt to reclaim their dog, Colin, I knew it would be another stellar season of laughs. With the show more than delivering on that front, there was still plenty of genuine romance to be found here, as the pair of Gordon and Ash continue to be a rarity in an Australian romance series that actually works.

2.) Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee

The Australian version of Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee is one of the biggest delights you could have watched on TV this year. The spelling completions with wacky rounds and a fun cast of comedians led by Guy himself fly by each episode because of how much you’ll be laughing and smiling.

1.) Fake

As cautionary a tale as can come about dating in the modern age. Fake being based upon a true story only adds to the series’ twists and turns. As more and more odd and dark secrets are revealed as the series continues, the series performances from Asher Keddie and David Wenham are only elevated with the material. Pairing up with lead character Birdie herself, you’re best to go in with as little information as possible with this one.

Check out the rest of our Best of 2024 coverage over here now!