The year is almost over and it’s time to choose the favorite TV shows of 2023! As it’s been the case for the last few years, there was a lot of content available and it’s impossible to watch them all. So I’m listing my favorite shows (either series or limited series) released this year taking into consideration the ones I have been able to watch.

10 – The Diplomat

After years of watching Keri Russell playing a Russian spy in The Americans, it was exciting to hear that she would be playing a legitimate government official on a show created by Debora Cahn, who was behind great political shows (i.e., The West Wing, Homeland). There’s political intrigue, relationship drama, some thrilling moments, and a great cliffhanger!

9 – The Other Two

While its third and final season got way more absurd and presented a very heightened version of reality, The Other Two still made me laugh incredibly hard. Watching Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke Dubek (Heléne Yorke) try to make it in the entertainment industry has been a joy. Not to mention the sharp commentary not only on Hollywood, but on society as a whole.

8 – The Gilded Age

Ah, The Gilded Age! The closest to a soap opera currently disguised as a prestige drama on HBO! Is the soup going to be spiked? Will Aunt Ada (Cynthia Nixon) ever be happy? Will Mrs. Russell (Carrie Coon) ever be considered a part of New York society? Season 2 had all of these questions and many more in episodes where nothing really seems to happen but, by the time they’re over, you’re ready for more!

7 – Love & Death

Based on a true crime that took place in Texas in 1980, Love & Death is a gripping miniseries where Elizabeth Olsen shines as Candy Montgomery, the housewife who committed a brutal murder. The whole cast is really good, especially Jesse Plemons, and the show is effective in telling the story through Candy’s point of view.

6 – Loki

Arguably the only good content Marvel released in 2023, Loki manages to be as intriguing as its first season, albeit a bit harder to follow. However, Tom Hiddleston is the best actor Marvel currently has who truly understands and portrays his character in a compelling way. Owen Wilson does a good job as Loki’s first real friend and Ke Huy Quan was also a great addition to the cast.

5 – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

After years of following Migde (Rachel Brosnahan) trying to become a famous stand-up comedian, season five shakes things up and travels back and forth in time, showing us what finally happened to her and all other characters in the show. The best relationship still is the one she has with Susie (Alex Borstein), and they’re given a great ending. After a disappointing season four, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel found a clever and satisfying way to really end the show.

4 – Poker Face

Poker Face takes the murder mystery genre and turns it on his head. It’s a “how will they get caught” kind of show instead of a “whodunnit”. This is because Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is a cocktail waitress with the enviable ability to tell when someone is lying. Because of that gift, she’s able to help solve a few crimes while trying to untangled herself from a messy situation she got into. The format does get a bit tiring if you binge the episodes, so it’s better to have a one-episode-per-week approach to fully enjoy this show!

3 – Only Murders in the Building

Speaking of murder mysteries, Only Murders in the Building gets even bigger in its third season, thanks to the additions of Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd as guest stars. Still, the main trio is what makes this show so funny, especially Martin Short. He’s one of the few comedians who makes me laugh out loud with almost every single one of his lines. Also, while it is weird that so many murders keep happening in the same building and its residents just seem unbothered, the show is so entertaining that I have no problem with that!

2 – The Crown

After an underwhelming season five, The Crown found its way back for its sixth and final season. It was a clever idea to split the season in two parts, with the first four episodes dedicated to concluding Princess Diana’s (Elizabeth Debicki) story before turning the focus back to Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton). While there’s also episodes emphasizing Prince William’s (Ed McVey) growing importance in the family, as well as his relationship with Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) when they were both at university, the final episodes are a great tribute to the late Queen. While The Crown tries to present arguments both pro and against the monarchy, the final episode was a touching summary of the Queen’s life and of the woman she used to be before ascending to the throne. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll definitely get emotional with the way it ended.

1 – Succession

It’s hard to remember the last time an episode of a TV show shocked me so much in real time. I guess that’s how fans of Game of Thrones must have felt every week, since it had many twists and turns. It’s usually tougher to do that with regular dramas that don’t involve either fantastic elements nor violent situations on a regular basis. But episode three (“Connor’s Wedding”) of the fourth and final season did just that. It had me on the edge of my seat and I was so emotionally invested by the time it was over that I couldn’t fall asleep. It just goes to show how well written, directed, and acted Succession was. The whole season left the audience desperately waiting for the next Sunday to arrive so we could see who would finally succeed Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as the CEO of Waystar. Now that is over, we can only reflect on its haunting and devastatingly real end.

Here’s to more exciting shows in 2024!