The 10 Best Series of 2023 (by Andreas Babiolakis)
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
2023 was a good year on the small screen, despite the odds. The writers’ and actors’ strikes had some shows shoved into the new year, with a drought that made it seem like there was nothing on television at all. Of course, this comes after what can be seen as the start of the end of the Golden Age of Television, depending on who you ask, with so many acclaimed series wrapping up and other shows not knowing how to take charge whatsoever. Even so, we were blessed with a few fantastic series throughout this year, strike and all. It’s as if the Golden Age of TV is still going strong as well.
That last sentiment may be tested because we bid farewell to some magnificent shows this year (with brilliant send-offs). We also welcomed some new series that are already taking the reins alongside progressing shows that only seem to be getting better. Yes, even if it seemed doubtful for a minute, television is going to be in a good place for quite some time. In this list below, I acknowledge the strongest hellos and goodbyes, as well as the confirmations that certain series are only going to keep getting better and better. We’ll see promising adaptations, commentaries on the hostile states of civilization (either as glaring comparisons, or via warm escapism), and whatever it took for these shows to keep our eyes glued on our TVs and devices for hours. Here are the ten best television series of 2023.
10. Somebody Somewhere
We could always use more wholesome series in this world, and Somebody Somewhere stepped up from being a quaint show to being, well, a really damn good one. While giving us something to nibble on for a while (the prospect of a major wedding slowly coming together), we also get a major wrench in between two of the loveliest friends on TV; perhaps there is such a thing as too much involvement, as well as the capability of not knowing what’s best despite being besties. Of course, Somebody Somewhere is meant to be both relatable and uplifting, so things resolve quickly enough, yet nothing here feels manufactured: this is still a slice of life that understands the ebbs and flows of daily routines for everyday people. No matter where Somebody Somewhere goes from here, it likely will always get us through and through.
9. Abbott Elementary
Remember when Abbott Elementary swept every awards show? Yeah. That was before it got as good as it did in its second season. What once felt like another offspring of The Office U.S. has turned into its own beloved sitcom full of quirky, underpaid teachers, social commentary on Philadelphia and American politics, and inside jokes that have made themselves at home inside of our living rooms. What seemed like beginner’s luck for Quinta Brunson has quickly revealed itself to be a meticulously crafted comedy that always knew what it was going to be about. The best news is that, after we were tricked into thinking the first season was likely a fluke, there’s no way season 2 is all that there is to offer. As relationships strengthen and personal stories become trickier, Abbott Elementary is heading towards something truly special, especially in this old-school format of the lengthy network TV sitcom. It’s a rare time when we cannot wait to head back to school.
8. Dead Ringers
As has become customary, Dead Ringers is one of the latest miniseries adaptations of an iconic film (this time, it’s David Cronenberg’s psychological, body horror of the same name, starring Jeremy Irons). In this prolonged, gender-swapped version (Rachel Weisz fills two pairs of huge shows with ease), we get a new take on an old tale: a reflection on female rights regarding birth in a day and age when what a woman does with her body is still being challenged (ugh). Equal parts progressive and nightmarish, this version of Dead Ringers is evidence of what new ideas regarding old stories look like; it felt like a bad concept at first, but this six-part series quickly cemented itself as must-see television in 2023 for many reasons.
7. Barry
At the shocking ending of the third season of Barry, it seemed like we could finally pinpoint the direction the series would be heading for its final run. In typical Barry fashion, we were way off. Even with the occasional, rare sloppiness, Barry took us to uncomfortable places regarding its typical themes (the dangers of Hollywood, the complexities regarding psychoses, and the void that every person on Earth feels on a daily basis). By its savage finale, we’ll know Bill Hader and company’s complete thesis on the habitual chore of playing a person you’re not (yes, even non-actors do this), as well as the crux of their comparisons between the criminal underground and the entertainment industry (far beyond just the use of the term “headshot” in both worlds). While at its grimmest (there are still laughs every which way), Barry yearns for salvation within humanity by exposing the worst traits of our species.
6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Poor Midge Maisel and her series were heading down some questionable territories in the third and fourth seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; it was as if the once-indefatigable series was unsure of where it should go next and opted for what felt like a soft reset. Instead of insisting that the show must go on, everyone on board knew to wrap up the period piece comedy once and for all and remind us of the spark the show once had and easily could have again. The fifth and final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as a result, is a poignant return to form (and perhaps the strongest the show ever was at times): a tearful farewell full of the sharp writing we adore, as well as time jumping to project what’s to come for our favourite rising stars (can’t forget Susie Myerson) and what we will miss once this series bows out for good. Way to stick the landing, Midge.
5. The Curse
Nathan Fielder wants to continue testing the limits of what constitutes as fictional television versus what is tossed out as “reality”, and The Curse is easily his most challenging effort to date. With a nine-episode tightrope walk that will test your limits before a finale that will pull not just the rug but the entire floorboard from underneath you, this dark comedy is as enigmatic as television can get. Where on Earth will the show go next? Who knows. No show was as unpredictable as the game of patience, guilt, and deception known as The Curse: an assault on how we consume small screen content, how we read the world through layers of lies, and how we chase salvation via the worst means (and thus tarnish our souls furthermore when we’re trying to be saved). It’s nice to get arthouse-esque television every once in a while.
4. The Last of Us
Five years ago, there were barely any adaptations of video games into visual storytelling releases that were worth a damn. Slowly but surely, we got the occasional release that felt like we were going in the right direction. By HBO’s The Last of Us, we have arrived: presently the best adaptation of a video game on screens both big and small. Outside of the insane pacing that is the only reason why this show isn’t even higher, The Last of Us is a brilliant, heartbreaking look at humanity’s final days as everyone is forced to fend for themselves; we see everyone from major figures and enemies to loved ones die by disease, murder, or other forms of suffering. In this world, humanity is hideous (although we’re not all that far off), but The Last of Us reminds us — amidst the blood, guts, and zombies — to find those that give us meaning again. This series is already en route to being a staple of our time if it keeps up its tonal, emotional, and character-based richness.
3. Reservation Dogs
And just like that, Reservation Dogs is over before it even began. There are entire lives ahead of our four young protagonists, and we’ve spent the whole series realizing what their fates may end up being via the narrative dedication given toward their parents, relatives, and other loved ones. Despite Reservation Dogs’ propensity to keep getting better and better, it knew when to end so as to not risk its near-perfect run. In the whole show — but especially in season 3 — we find purpose, hope, and motivation, as well as home in the least likely of places (and, sometimes, that means the very home we wanted so desperately to leave from this whole time). Of all the comedy-dramas of the past decade, Reservation Dogs’ triumph may have been one of the more quiet examples, but don’t let this fool you into thinking that the series isn’t worthwhile: it’s easily one of the best, most crucial shows of the past five years (especially after this sensational conclusion).
2. The Bear
Is season 2 of The Bear even better than the first? Yes, chef! This season dials things back a bit, turning the tense series from a bag of popcorn whose kernels are furiously exploding every second to a slow cooking feast where every second counts. We spend more time with individual characters and find out what makes them tick (or, as you can view it, we get more acquainted with the individual ingredients before we make our dish); this adds purpose and emotional stakes to each and every disaster or success. By the end of season 2, you’ll know what televised anxiety looks like through and through. The Bear is no longer one of the best shows on television right now. Given the ending of the previous reigning champ, The Bear presently is the show to watch. Go on, FX. Grace us with an entire season in a day again. You know we’re just going to eat the entire ten-course meal in one sitting and face the repercussions.
1. Succession
While what I said about Reservation Dogs above is still true, if any show knew when to call it quits at the exact right moment, it’s Succession, whose furious final season hit us with the biggest twist early on, a series finale for the ages, and so many other fantastic episodes (no episode this season was anything less than stellar). Succession’s version of “closure” is the tough acceptance that awful people will always be awful, the world will always be run by the selfish, and that this was fun to watch but it’s a real bitch to live; satires are equal parts funny and painful for a reason (because they speak the truth all too well). Not many shows end as highly, as cleverly, and as strongly as Succession did this year. It instantly became one of the greatest series of all time, so it’s perhaps a little too obvious — but well deserved — that Succession is the best show of 2023 as well. It’s sad to see the show go, but it would have been a lot sadder to watch a good thing die. Unlike the Roys and the people who do run our world, Succession actually knew when its time was up. Bravo, Succession. Bravo.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.