Sometimes it can feel like there is TOO MUCH TV… so we’re helping you focus on the ones you can’t miss
We’re halfway through 2023, so what better time to look back on some of the best television of the year so far.
So, hot on the heels of our Best Movies of 2023 list, here is our Best Shows of 2023 list. Listed out alphabetically, if you haven’t watched all of these and you’re looking for your next must-binge, here you go:
Barry, Season 4 (Sky/NOW)
What started off as a very dark comedy about an unhappy hitman (Bill Hader) who tries to become an actor, this show slowly but brilliantly warped itself into a deep dive on the very essence of humanity. Guaranteed to be the best show that most of your friends have never even heard of.
Beef (Netflix)
When two people (Ali Wong and Steven Yeun) with extreme anger issues happen to cross paths following a fender bender, they are both triggered into completely destroying each other’s lives. Arguably one of the best things Netflix has done in a long, long time.
Dead Ringers (Prime Video)
The exceptional Rachel Weisz plays identical twins in this pitch black psychological thriller about a pair of doctors who use their genius to start… well… sort of playing god. Violent, twisted and painfully tense at times, Weisz deserves all of the awards in the world for her performance in this.
The Diplomat (Netflix)
A very odd duck of a show, because it feels like the middle ground between The West Wing and… Emily In Paris? Keri Russell plays an American diplomat who is suddenly placed as the ambassador in Great Britain, and she is left to juggle a potential nuclear war and her double-crossing but adoring husband (played to slimy perfection by Rufus Sewell).
Fleishman Is In Trouble (Disney+)
When his ex-wife suddenly goes missing, a much-in-demand Manhattan doctor (Jesse Eisenberg) tries to balance his newly-single lifestyle, having to mind his kids full time, and attempting to find his missing ex. Lizzy Caplan, Claire Danes and Adam Brody fill out the fantastic supporting cast.
Happy Valley, Season 3 (Sky)
The single best reviewed show of 2023 so far, with a blindingly brilliant lead performance by Sarah Lancashire, as a small town detective close to retirement, but dragged into a murder investigation with ties directly to her own family.
I Think You Should Leave Season 3 (Netflix)
“I feel like you’re just here for the zipline.”
The Last Of Us (Sky/NOW)
A zombie show based on a video game… the odds of this being any good were severely stacked against it. But coming from HBO and the writer of Chernobyl, we got a gorgeous and horrendous look into the human soul, with two survivors (Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) of the apocalypse forced to work together to survive the horrors ahead.
Lockwood & Co. (Netflix)
Unfortunately already cancelled by Netflix, the brilliant first (and now only) season of this fantastical show was equal parts Harry Potter and Ghostbusters. Genuinely balanced between funny and scary, this will go down in history as one of the best shows that was written off way too soon.
The Night Agent (Netflix)
On the other end of the scale, a show that Netflix renewed for a season two almost immediately, was this mix of 24 and The Fugitive. Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan have incredible chemistry as the government agent and murder witness who are forced to go on the run together, with the action and plot twists coming thick and fast. Massively entertaining.
Platonic (Apple TV+)
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen used to be best friends, but after years away from each other, they reunite and quickly fall back into BFF mode. But they’re both much older and with much more responsibilities now, so will their friendship destroy the grown up lives they built for themselves? A very funny look at adult friendships in the modern world.
Poker Face (Sky/NOW)
Writer/director Rian Johnson has helped bring back the murder mystery genre with Knives Out and Glass Onion, and he does it again here with this brilliantly inventive series which sees a woman (Natasha Lyonne) with the ability to tell when someone is lying try to solve a different murder each week. Filled to the brim with amazing guest stars, half the fun is trying to figure out what tiny bit of evidence will be used to get to the truth this time.
Shrinking (Apple TV+)
After the sudden death of his wife, a therapist (Jason Segel) completely went off the rails, but is now trying to get back on track. That includes rebuilding his relationships with his daughter, his friends, and his co-workers. A heartfelt, funny, and at times heartbreaking show, with an awards-magnet performance by Harrison Ford as Segel’s sort-of-boss.
Silo (Apple TV+)
In the distant future, what remains of humanity lives entirely underground in a huge concrete silo. When the sheriff of the silo suddenly volunteers to leave the community, which means going to the scorched Earth outside and certain death, some questions begin to be raised about the very set-up of the silo itself. Rebecca Ferguson is tremendous as the new sheriff who tries to keep peace in the community while trying to unravel the mystery that could tear it all apart.
Succession, Season 4 (Sky/NOW)
We don’t really need to tell you about this, do we? It pretty much took over all of our lives for three or four months. One of the best seasons of one of the best shows ever made.
You, Season 4 (Netflix)
After the rather forgettable third season, the change of location did this serial killer thriller show a world of good. Joe moves to London, and instead of killing the folks he finds most irritating, he finds himself framed for murder, and must go full Agatha Christie to find the real killer and why he was made to take the fall.
Related links:
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Netflix announces the end of its longest running show
