Credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix

I honestly think my friends could start calling me “Mr. Espionage,” judging by my love for all things spy-adjacent. As such I’ve been pleased to hear of 2024 TV schedule successes in that realm with the releases of Peacock’s The Day of the Jackal reboot and Netflix’s Black Doves. Keira Knightley’s much-buzzed-about series has specifically been killing it on its home platform, however, it has already been knocked out of the top spot by its homegrown competition.

That being said, the programs that dethroned the thriller are projects I’ve either watched or have now added to my watchlist, as the field of competitors is full of winners. At the time of publication, Black Doves is fourth in Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows on the U.S. side of the library, which is still pretty good for a recently debuted show. But take a look at what’s topping the charts at this very moment, and tell me this isn’t a respectable fight:

La Palma

No Good Deed

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…

Yeah, this isn’t another case of Titanic’s extended run at the top of the 1998 box office being bested by Lost in Space; and I say that with much love for that underrated sci-fi gem. You’ve got a volcano disaster drama series, a dark comedy that brings Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano together in a dark comedy from the creator of Dead To Me, and Jamie Foxx’s triumphant stand-up return.

Even having only watched Mr. Foxx’s fantastic special presentation, I can respect this as a field of fantastic gamesmanship. Also, grounded disaster projects and dark comedies giving talent the opportunity to stretch are some sweet spots in my mind. It just feels like this is a no-lose scenario, but of course, that would depend on your own tastes in entertainment.

Turning back to Black Doves for a moment, I’m even more ready to binge this Ben Whishaw co-starring adventure during the coming holiday break. Though I will admit after reading our own Riley Utley’s wild Black Doves binging experience, I’m kind of curious how I’ll react to the very familiar voice and face of such characters as Q in Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies and Paddington Bear himself in this vastly different project.

That opportunity to see performers showing off their range and their natural talents is what makes this all so exciting though. And it seems like the three projects ahead of Black Doves tap into that idea too.

Jamie Foxx sitting at a piano smiling as he plays in Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…

As with any streaming services, sometimes it feels like it’s hard to find something to watch when other periods seem to have an embarrassment of riches. Netflix’s current lineup appears to fall into that second bucket, which means that anyone else who has time to kill in the run-up to the new year should be pleasantly surprised and easily entertained.

There’s only one place you can find Black Doves and its formidable competition, and that’s through access to a Netflix subscription. But if you’ve already finished watching all of these titles, and want to look back on Netflix’s other 2024 releases, you don’t need to go far.