I'll stick to shows that aired for the first time in 2023
From Best to least Best:
Poker Face; IMHO it's a Masterpiece from front to back. Incredible soundtrack, beautifully shot, funny and suspenseful. It elevated the story of the week episodic format to high art. Rian and natasha just knock it out of the park 10/10
Beef; a unique look at obsessions and stress and the toll they take on relationships. The snowballing effect of every event will leave your jaw on the floor, but the characters are balanced and nuanced and their actions never felt out of place. 9/10
The Last Of Us; I love the games and have played both thru multiple times. This added some absolutely incredible character development to people that weren't overly fleshed out in the game and I love the twist on how the sickness spreads. Truly tho, there just were not enough zombies in this zombie show, which as the show progressed made it stranger and stranger. Still, the direction, cinematography and above all, the acting make it one of the greats. 8.5/10
Shrinking; It helps that I'm a Bill Lawrence fanboy, and no surprises christa miller is along for the ride, but jason segal is the perfect actor for Bill's direction and the story of grief is a refreshingly mature take for his style of comedy. 7.5/19
The Crowded Room; Wow, I could not believe how much sticking with this show paid off. I think the big reveal takes 4 or 5 episodes to happen so it felt like just an odd story about why this psychologist was taking such an interest in tom holland's case. but holy shit, once it gets going it doesn't stop, and holland's range was on show in a big way. If you've got 10 hours to spare, give it a crack. 7/10
Jury Duty; pleasant surprise. The side characters steal the show, but they feel like real people, and marsden just didn't hold punches in a hilarious way. heartwarming end, and will definitely watch a season 2. 7/10
Hello Tomorrow!; okay, hear me out. If you look at this show through the lens of a character study of a deadbeat dad trying to reconnect with his son and ignore all the retrofuturistic space stuff, then you might actually enjoy it. You never stop feeling stressed for jack, and he becomes more and more of a sympathetic character as time goes on. It's a solid 7/10 for me and I'm very eager to see what happens season 2.
From Most Disappointing to least disappointing:
Krapopolis; Dan Harmon being attached I guess doesn't guarantee a hit like I thought it did. The characters grew on me, so I'm more hopeful for season 2 than I am for Strange planet, but it definitely takes pole position for most disappointing, despite having a higher rating (because I had much higher hopes for it). 6/10
Strange Planet; same as above, Harmon's presence is felt but it's beyond lacklustre. It's fine, but I doubt I'll watch season 2. 5/10
I'm usually about 12-24 months behind everyone else when it comes to new releases, but there's a tonne of 2023 shows I still want to watch. There's other shows I watched that aired this year, but they fall in the obscure middle lol. Also, Silo will make it on my list towards the top, but I haven't finished it yet so didn't think it fair to rate/rank.
Beef, The Last of Us, The Bear, Platonic, and Shrinking were all fantastic. For new season of older shows, Reservation Dogs, Barry, Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and Invincible. Good year for tv.
I tried Loki season 2 but fell off after a couple episodes, it just couldn’t keep my attention. In general, new shows related to existing IP are disappointing (Marvel and Star Wars mainly). I want to see more unique stories, I’m tired of seeing the same old things rehashed with slightly different characters. I need to watch the new season of Doom Patrol though, it is one of my exceptions to my superhero fatigue (along with Invincible and Spiderverse movies).
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