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I want to preface this by saying I watched a lot less TV in 2023 than I did in 2022. And that itself was a big step-down from the amount of TV I had been watching in years prior. I'm also not ashamed to say that a lot of my TV watching this year has been background "comfort viewing" like TNG, Betty la fea, and unfortunately Below Decks. So there are a lot of shows I had been meaning to watch but never got to (Silo, Party Down, Mrs. Davis, and Beef come to mind) which might have altered my ranking (or not, given the reception to the new For All Mankind). There also weren't any knockouts that really shot to the top like Station Eleven or Andor were for me last year. But that being said, here's my list: 10: Paul T. Goldman: The Curse almost went in this spot, even though, unlike the combined thread for them, I don't think there's a huge amount of similarity. But this was the first new show of 2023 I watched, and it's one that's stuck in my head throughout the year. It was bizarre, it drew me in, it kept having newer weirder twists, it didn't outstay its welcome, and it's all true! At least 95% true. Or 80% true.... 9: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: I didn't find it as strong as season 1, but season 2 of SNW still had far more hits than misses, and I admired that the cast and crew were willing to take so many swings for the fences and go in so many different directions. With all due respect to the fans of Lower Decks (which I'm just not a big fan of, though I did like the crossover episode) this is not only the best Star Trek show since the 90s renaissance, it's the most Star Trekky-Star Trek show, if that makes sense. 8: Poker Face: I'm hit or miss on Rian Johnson and I think a little bit of Natasha Lyonne can go a long way, especially as I think she has one acting mode, so I was a bit hesitant about Poker Face, but this show really blew me away. Along with Paul T. Goldman, it really stuck to mind all year, and together they really validated Peacock as a service that makes good shows, even if not many. A few episodes didn't quite hit, but the Subway, ILM, and barbecue themed episodes are all incredible. If there's one TV related memory of 2023 that really sticks to mind, it's my wife and I visiting relatives in New Hampshire in the winter, and watching Poker Face under a blanket together at night while a fire was going and a snowstorm outside. Great memory. 7: What We Do in the Shadows: A return to form after the previous season, this benefitted from the main cast being together after so much of Baby Colin Robinson and going beyond the storylines that didn't really come together for me last year, and I give it a lot of props for actually advancing the Guillermo storyline... in a manner of speaking. The hybrid animal and TV news episodes in particular justify the season alone. 6: I Think You Should Leave: I'm not really sure what else needs to be said about this. ITYSL is more of the same, but the same is so out-there and absurd, and the overall length so short, that I am happy to keep getting new chunks of this same every few years. 5: The Bear: I missed the first season when this aired, so I watched both seasons back to back when the second one came out. Probably the best cooking-related show I've seen, and also makes for a good pairing with The Menu. I agree the first season was a bit stronger (and I'll buck the trend and say I thought the first season had episodes much more stressful than the Christmas one) but it upholds its strengths and I like the range of character stories we've gotten. Looking forward to season 3 and I think between this, Andor, and Dropout, Ebon Moss-Bachrach had a breakout 2022-23. 4: Upload: It's almost criminal how underwatched and underdiscussed this show is, especially for something from the creator of The Office (I guess Space Force kind of drained a lot of his appeal). Forget the VR afterlife concept, just for the way the show depicts the real world - a depressing cyberpunk dystopia with corporations running rampant and the escalation of subscriber services and social media isolation - makes Upload one of the best satires of our rapidly declining social fabric. Not to mention, this season gave real character development to Ingrid, and Robbie Amell and Andy Allo have some of the best on-screen chemistry of any couple on TV. 3: How To with John Wilson: While not as strong as the first two seasons, the third and final outing still allows for John to indulge in the semi-voyeuristic, but also sympathetic and genuinely curious, looks at some of the most-out there, but also under-represented, groups in society. The episodes with the Titanic conspiracy theorists and electro-sensitives were standouts. There is something not only funny, but also really calming and curious about his little films, and I honestly got more emotional at his final signoff than any other scene on TV this year. 2: The Other Two: As with Upload, I'm really surprised that The Other Two never seemed like it really found a widespread audience (I know I only started watching it because I heard Drew Tarver promote it on Comedy Bang Bang). And like cant cook creole bream said above, the revelations about working conditions on this show make it a little weird to be praising so much. But I think this was the funniest narrative show on TV (a categoryt that saves it from competing with On Cinema or ITYSL), partly because of its ability to reinvent itself every season. Every cast member really fires, even though they're mostly doing different things, and still managing to make them all meld together. But this is a show I can easily see myself rewatching again from the start, and still being just as funny each time. 1: Succession: Everyone and their cousin has written everything there is to be about this show, so I'm sure I have nothing new to add, but I'll say the final episode was more stressful than anything on The Bear while also ending on a feeling of huge relief. I do think Succession is a great demonstration that there are ways to still talk about Trump and the surrounding media environment that never mention him or feature an analog of any sort and still feel fresh. And the Musk analog seems very prescient for following how Musk has helped torch his reputation among the wider public. Overall I think the best reflection and analysis of the modern US political-media environment in contemporary pop culture. Honorable mentions: -The Consultant -The Curse -The Great British Baking Show -On Cinema -Never Have I Ever -The Rig -Servant
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Jan 15, 2024 19:27
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Television doesn’t stop.
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Feb 5, 2024 14:27
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Great job as always, Looten! It's always so fun to see these every year and you put a hero's effort into them every time. A few surprises here, both in terms of additions and rankings, but just makes me more curious about all the TV I missed in 2023. Really need to watch Beef and Silo one of these days.
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Feb 22, 2024 16:10
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