Outlander is among these 10 shows turning 10 in 2024

2014 saw some excellent TV shows premiere. Some of them have since come to an end, while others are still going strong.

Of course, we watch one of those turning 10 in 2024. Outlander certainly makes our list. What else is reaching double digits this year? Out of those shows, what’s still on the air, and what’s coming to an end soon?

This is a great way to find something else to watch during Droughtlander. After all, this is a long one. The list is in no particular order, by the way.

Outlander

The first on our list is the one we all know is turning 10 this year. It’s all about Outlander.

Based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, this is a show that took years to come to life. And we’re certainly not complaining when we get the quality that we have had. The first season remains a firm favorite for fans, but I will admit that Seasons 6 and 7 have been among my favorites of the entire series so far.

The story started with Claire Randall falling through time. She was supposed to be on her second honeymoon with her husband Frank Randall after World War II. After a trip to Craigh na Dun, she finds herself in 1743 and eventually into the arms of Jamie Fraser.

The series premiered in August 2014, airing the first eight episodes week after week. It then took a break until April 2015, when it returned. It was quickly renewed for a second season and then after that it was renewed for two more seasons. Now we’re waiting for Outlander Season 7B and the eighth and final season is in production.

Penny Dreadful

There are a fair few period dramas that have this milestone birthday this year. Penny Dreadful is one, and it’s a great look at various monsters from stories. These monsters were often known as the penny dreadfuls, which is where the series gets its name from.

The series follows four people from vastly different walks in life who are forced together to protect Victorian London from supernatural threats. One of those is Victor Frankenstein. Could he end up creating one of the supernatural threats, or will his monster help protect London?

The downside is the series was canceled after three great seasons. This series did spawn a spin-off Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Sadly, the sequel series didn’t quite reach the same audience or have the same tone and quality as the original series. It was good, just not as good.

Black Sails

Another period drama turning 10 in 2024 is Black Sails. This is another Starz series. In fact, Outlander’s composer, Bear McCreary, did the music for this series as well. On top of that, the Black Sails set was used for some of Outlander Season 3!

The series is set before the events of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. It’s a great look at the character of Captain Flint 20 years before we knew him in the novel. There are a few real life pirates included in the story, although the events are fictional at the heart of them.

While the series only has three seasons, it wasn’t canceled. The show came to an end in the way that it wanted, and it makes it more than worth the watch.

Z Nation

If you’re more into zombies and apocalyptic worlds instead of the past, you’ll want to turn to Z Nation. This is the next show on our list that turns 10.

The series is set three years after a zombie virus has destroyed the whole of the United States. A team of everyday heroes are looking for any way to survive as they head from New York to California. Why? Well, they have the only known survivor of this virus, and they need to get to the last viral lab that can take his blood and see if they can figure out a way to create a cure.

This series is packed with action and emotional moments. You’ll find yourself invested only to have your heart broken by some of the realistic storytelling throughout.

The bad news is the series was abruptly canceled by Syfy. It didn’t get the same fate as The Expanse in being saved, despite being worthy of it.

Power

There is another Starz series that is on this list. It’s one that has spawned a franchise that we hope Outlander will spawn as well.

Power follows James St. Patrick, who is also known as Ghost. On the outside, he has everything. He’s a wealthy New York nightclub owner who everyone wants to be. However, he has a dark secret that is threatening to come out.

He’s also a drug kingpin. He caters only to the city’s elite, and he can use his nightclub to help him do that. The flagship series came to an end in 2020, but there have been multiple spin-offs following various characters we’ve got to know throughout the series.

The 100

Dystopian futures are fun ways to look into what we could see happen. The 100 takes place centuries in the future, with a group of people living on an ark in space after nuclear war destroyed the planet. As supplies on the ark dwindle, there’s a need to get back to Earth sooner than initially expected.

The adults decide to send 100 teenagers to Earth to find out if the planet is livable now. Why teenagers? They are all imprisoned right now. On their 18th birthdays, they will either face being executed (as any adult that commits a crime faces instead of imprisonment due to resources) or be allowed to reenter society. They become the sacrifices to see if the planet’s radiation levels have dropped enough to allow for people to live.

When there, the teens learn that people did survive on Earth. Now they need to figure out how to survive the way people have learned to live over the last few centuries.

The show ended after seven seasons. It’s worth a watch, especially if you love the books the show is based on.

Salem

Do you want another period drama? Salem is the one to watch. This is set in 17th century New England, at the height of the Salem Witch Trials.

What if there were some witches in town? The series follows Mary Sibley, the wife of an ailing but wealthy town selectman. She is known as the most powerful sorceress in the town, and she leans heavily on her ageless accomplice, Tituba, to get what she wants.

When John Alden returns to Salem after years of war duty, he finds out that the town has been paralyzed by fear of witches. Mary’s plan ends up taking an unexpected turn, as she tries to protect herself and continue to follow through with her agenda.

There were three seasons of the series. Sadly, it was canceled mostly due to the linear ratings taking a dive after the popularity of the first season.

TURN: Washington’s Spies

As an Outlander fan, you likely want to watch something that involves the Revolutionary War. Well, another series that turns 10 this year is worth checking out. It’s all about TURN: Washington’s Spies.

Billy Elliot’s Jamie Bell plays a Long Island farmer who realizes that the world isn’t the way it should be. He’s done with the British soldiers coming in and ruling the area, causing problems for the people simply trying to live. So, he and his childhood friends decide to join together and create a group of spies.

They want America to become the country that we know of it as today. They want to make sure Washington wins, and that’s without Washington even asking this of the. It’s a dangerous game they need to play.

There are three seasons of the series. It did take liberties with the facts of history, but it’s a great story to follow.

Black-ish

How about a comedy series? We can easily overlook them, but there are some great options out there. One of my favorites is black-ish. This is a family comedy, bringing up a lot of differences in culture, expectations of genders, and so much more.

Dre is a Black man who struggles with his identity and culture. His wife is mixed, and his children are being raised in a predominately white neighborhood. There are discussions of racism, discrimination, and much more. At the heart of it, though, it’s about a family trying to figure out how to thrive while honoring their culture and not forgetting their past but still moving forward from it.

Most of the show is funny. There are a few episodes where there’s the threat of divorce that get extremely heavy, and I adore the writing for those episodes. This show puts the focus on what really makes a marriage work.

There are eight seasons of the series. The final season was ordered as that final season, so it does come to an end. There is the spin-off grown-ish to check out afterward.

NCIS: New Orleans

There are a lot of crime dramas out there. One that turns 10 this year is a spin-off of a spin-off. NCIS: New Orleans came off the back of NCIS, which was a spin-off of JAG, but has created a franchise of its own.

New Orleans was the second spin-off, and it starred Scott Bakula as Agent Pride. He and his team would solve the Navy and Marine crimes.

Set in New Orleans, there is a lot of jazz music involved. The series also brings some of the superstition and magical elements of the area, bringing a slightly different tone to the other versions of NCIS. To be honest, it is my favorite of the lot because of all this.

There are only seven seasons of the series. It was canceled, and rather abruptly but with another warning to create some sort of ending for the characters.