The best shows on Peacock right now (November 2024)

This comedy horror-thriller boasts an impressive cast that includes Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead franchise), and Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead). Set during the 1980s, Hysteria! centers around a satanic panic that has taken over the town. When a beloved quarterback goes missing, rumors are that it has something to do with the occult.

A trio of outcasts with their own metal band decide to capitalize on current events and rebrand themselves as a satanic metal band. This backfires in the worst way when the town starts to think they’re behind the disappearance. Earning positive reviews for its eight-episode season, with an 86% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and 90% audience score, Hysteria! is comedically entertaining with the right dose of horror mixed in for good measure.

All 12 seasons of this popular police procedural will be available to stream on Peacock starting September 1. Emily Deschanel is forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan and David Boreanaz is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. Together, they work to solve crimes based on human remains that are left behind. The heavy focus on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology in Bones creates a show that stands out from the pack of cookie cutter procedurals. Loosely based on stories from real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, who also serves as the show’s producer, there’s a lot the show gets right, even though it’s based on fictional stories.

Bones, the longest-running one-hour drama produced by 20th Century Fox Television, was a favorite primetime show through its run, which ended in 2017. Splitting focus between science and the personal lives of the main characters, it’s the type of show you can put on when “nothing else is on.”

Adam Pally (Knuckles) stars in Mr. Throwback as Danny Grossman, a once revered teenage basketball player. Now working as a memorabilia dealer, Danny has incurred heavy debts. Desperate to redeem himself, he looks to reconnect with his old childhood friend, who happens to be NBA star Stephen Curry, playing an exaggerated version of himself. Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live) also stars in the comedy.

Mr. Throwback is delivered in mockumentary style with themes of friendship, reclaiming and repairing the past, and the importance of second chances. The six-episode first season of the series has received positive reviews. Akos Peterbencze of The Screen calls Danny “so asinine, self-centered, and oblivious that he’s become my new favorite loser to watch on TV,” adding that there “isn’t a dull moment when he’s on screen.” Paste Magazine’s Will DiGravio calls the series “warm, resonant, and funny.”

One of Peacock’s most interesting hidden gems, We Are Lady Parts is a British sitcom with a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. The Channel 4 series centers around an all-female Muslim punk bank in the U.K. and follows their journey to success. The road, however, is paved with cultural differences as the group navigates a fraught path to stardom.

Created, written and directed by, and starring Nida Manzoor, the second season of We Are Lady Parts comes two-and-a-half years after the first season of six episodes delighted viewers. Season 2 features cameos from education activist Malala Yousafzai and comedian Meera Syal in season 2. Similarly to shows like Ramy, the series sheds light on the Muslim experience and breaks misconceptions and stereotypes by presenting a more rebellious look at those who balance their religious beliefs with modern-day personalities and sometimes questionable decisions. USA Today’s Kelly Lawler calls the show “short, pithy, and outrageously funny,” ranking it among her top five shows of 2021.

One of the first legal dramas that inspired so many that came after it, Perry Mason was broadcast from the late 1050s to the early ’60s. The story centers around the title character, played by Raymond Burr, a criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles who works to fight for justice for his often wrongly accused clients.

Earning several Emmy nominations through its run, including one for Outstanding Dramatic Series for its first season, Perry Mason rose up the ranks to become one of the most popular shows on TV at the time. It’s one of the longest-running legal dramas, having aired for nine seasons, and has continued to air in syndication. You can now stream the first five seasons on Peacock.

Fran Drescher serves as the outspoken president of the SAG-AFTRA union, and recently led the charge during the recent writer’s and actor’s strikes. But back in the ‘90s, she starred in her most iconic sitcom role as Fran Fine in The Nanny. When Fran, a Jewish fashionista with a distinctly nasal voice, takes a job as a nanny for the three children of widowed Broadway producer Maxwell (Charles Shaughnessy), the lifestyle she knew is turned upside down.

As a sitcom, The Nanny is all about the humor in Fran’s interactions with the kids and Maxwell. It’s a fish-out-of-water story as Fran acclimates to high society life. But at its heart, it’s also a story about this woman who comes from a lower-class upbringing teaching the young, upper-class children important life lessons and street smarts, things they’d likely never have learned otherwise — and certainly not in the same unconventional way. Of course, there’s also a love story as Maxwell and Fran slowly fall for one another. The Nanny is arguably one of the most underrated sitcoms of that decade, and now’s the perfect time to watch it.

Mike Judge knows the irreverent humor genre inside and out, having created popular adult animated shows like Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill, along with comedy gems like Silicon Valley and Office Space. His latest creation in partnership with Zach Woods (Silicon Valley, Avenue 5) combines the best of both animated and live-action worlds. In The Know is a stop-motion animated workplace comedy about a hypocritical, though well-meaning public radio host named Lauren (Woods). His fictional NPR show is called In the Know, and in every episode, he interviews human guests, appearing as their non-animated selves, from the real world.

His staff and crew are there to help, but they’re just as clueless as he is at times. This includes his co-executive producer Barb (Succession’s J. Smith Cameron), researcher and fact-checker Fabian (Caitlin Reilly), and college intern Chase (Charlie Bushnell). Judge himself also voices the role of Sandy, the culture critic on the show. In the Know is a comedy, but it also cleverly places a mirror in front of viewers, mocking the sanctimonious nature of many of society’s actions. Thus, while In The Know’s stop-motion-animated characters are adorably cute, there’s deeper, satirical, political commentary behind the story.

As far as reality shows go, The Traitors is up there as one of just a handful that receives overwhelmingly positive reviews. Exclusive to Peacock, the series, which has since spawned a Canadian version (which, like the American version, is based on the British series of the same name), is hosted by Alan Cumming. It’s like the party game Mafia brought to life, with players working together to eliminate others until a final winner remains. The twist is that there are traitors among the “faithfuls” and figuring out who’s who while hiding your own identity is where the mystery and strategy lies. Either the faithful will win together by eliminating all traitors and dividing the $250,000 prize pot, or the single remaining traitor will take home the money if they can fool everyone.

There are rewards, secret vote-outs, missions, and more that make The Traitors an exciting watch for those who are interested in more cerebral, less physical reality TV. While critics weren’t excited about the choice of players for season 1, which includes mainly people who have competed on other reality shows like The Bachelor and Big Brother, the drama, tension, and suspense make the series an entertaining watch. Each person brings their own unique spin and strategy type to the table.