1. The Last of Us (HBO)

I remember being fascinated in 2019 when HBO’s Chernobyl climbed to the top of IMDB’s all-time series list and remained at number one (ahead of perennial leaders Band of Brothers, Planet Earth, and Breaking Bad) for several months. For obvious reasons, Chernobyl deserved the accolades it got and when creator Craig Mazin turned to his next project it seemed almost impossible that he could match the reception.

Impossibility wasn’t actuality when he released The Last of Us in January of 2023

Based on an incredibly successful video game of the same name The Last of Us follows two unlikely partners in a cross country mission to potentially end a destructive illness decades after a horrific outbreak leaving the world in dystopia.

There’s “zombies,” sure. There’s a horror element to The Last of Us, sure. But the show isn’t about those things…at all. It’s about the value of human connection and what the world is and what the world isn’t.

Fans of the game would say, “It has one of the greatest stories of all time,” and I would think to myself (not being a gamer at all), “How the hell does a video game have a compelling story? Let alone a great one?” They couldn’t have been more dead-on.

I honestly think that knowing nothing of the source material was beneficial to me as getting to experience The Last of Us for the first time on screen was a true gift. There was no doubt that fans of the game were left satisfied by the adaptation beyond their wildest dreams.

The ending of the first season of The Last of Us exactly matched the game (so I’m told). It’s the best ending to a series’ first season I’ve ever seen in my life. Much like the greatest series ending of all-time, The Sopranos, you will never stop thinking about it and internally debating it in your head. It’s about as perfect a first season as you could possibly conjure, and it was my favorite thing on television in 2023.

2. The Bear (Hulu)

The second season of The Bear took more risks than its stellar first season. It expanded on its deeply enriched characters behind immaculate acting. Leads Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri give sophomore season performances for the ages. The series has quickly become one of the most watched on television for obvious reasons. It’s going to maintain its place on the top shelf of the golden age of television for as long as it runs.

3. Succession (HBO)

After its first season I wrote that Succession will become HBO’s most popular series once Game of Thrones bows out. Not only did that happen, but it clearly leap-frogged Game of Thrones in the pantheon of great TV as fans frantically tried to rank it amongst the greatest series of all-time. The final season of Succession did all the things it was supposed to and it did them right. It tied up loose ends with nearly all of its main characters while desperately trying to cling to the bare bones of a plot without getting stuck in its own way. Succession will forever be remembered for its exceptional performances and its unique, twisted characters. Most importantly, its final season stuck the landing with a satisfying ending that stayed true to its chaotic nature.

4. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

When Reservation Dogs ripped off the band-aid to formally announce that its third (and arguably best) season would be its last there was a collective gasp amongst its amassed crowd of loyal fans. One of the most inspirational and moving series in recent history ended the way all shows should…on top and leaving viewers clambering for more.

5. How To with John Wilson (HBO)

John Wilson’s bizarre voyeuristic documentary about humanity in New York City came to the end of its three season run this year. It’s the most in-your-face commentary on the weirdness of behavior patterns of people you will ever find. It’s also tremendously sweet, endearing and arguably the funniest thing on television.

6. Poker Face (Peacock)

Peacock’s anthology series starring Natasha Lyonne as an amateur sleuth on the run who always seems to find her way into a murder she had nothing to do with takes a few episodes to truly set its pace. Once you’re deeply into it there’s really nothing like it on TV. Reminiscent of old school mysteries of the week, each episode creates a personality and charm of its own.

7. Beef (Netflix)

Netflix’s miniseries Beef received countless accolades for its tremendous performances and its unique story. A plot that develops meticulously over its short episodes finds heroes worth rooting for and the most genuinely awful villain imaginable.

8. A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu)

Hulu’s murder mystery about a hacker stranded in the cold mountains of Iceland is a combination of new age thriller with old school David Fincher mindbend. Another series with incredible performances and a new twist on an age old genre. Its commentary on climate change, gender stereotypes, drug abuse love and loss heavily resonates behind its solid whodunnit plot. It hasn’t finished its season yet, so I’m eager to see if it’ll stick the landing. However, five episodes in, it’s easily as good anything else I’ve seen all year.

9. Shrinking (Apple)

As Bill Lawrence was bidding farewell to Ted Lasso this year he brought Shrinking to Apple TV with a whole new slew of likable flawed characters lost and searching for purpose. Highlighted by top notch supporting performances from Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams and newcomer Lukita Maxwell, Shrinking was the brain child of not just Lawrence, but his Lasso Cohort, Brett “Roy Fucking Kent” Goldstein who acts as an executive producer and writer.

10. Dave (FX)

No series bounced back from a terrible sophomore slump harder than Lil’ Dicky’s tremendous third season of FX’s Dave. Going back to the style that made the first season so good, Dave leaned heavily on its core stars to try to adapt to a celebrity world they probably don’t belong in. An amazing crop of guest stars including Rachel McAdams and Brad Pitt brought some legitimacy to the quality of the series. If you punched out after a lousy season two, do yourself a favor and punch back in.

11. Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)

I will bring my hot take that this entire thing (including the lead) was fake with me to my grave…that being said, it’s impossible to deny how fun, sweet and endearing this series was. Flaws aside, with a premise that could truly be appreciated by anyone and an ending that paid dividends by the millions, it was impossible not to fall in love with Jury Duty.

12. Barry (HBO)

Despite feeling like a bit of a rushed sprint to the finish, HBO’s Barry stayed true to its form in its final season raising the level of anti-hero to new heights. Brilliant performances by its lead, Bill Hader as well as Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler and a host of others made for fitting finale to one of the best series of the last ten years.

13. Telemarketers (HBO)

MAX’s documentary mini series about a pair of unlikely former telemarketers looking to bring down the scam industry from the inside was an eye-opening (albeit not very surprising) delight. In particular it reminds you about how out of touch (and out of reach) politicians can be and then spins that on its head. The weird familiarity with its subject matter makes the viewer feel like they’re in on the job, and it exposes the grossness of an industry everyone already knew was completely disgusting.

14. Perry Mason (HBO)

Unfortunately the tremendous second season of HBO’s Perry Mason origin story just wasn’t compelling enough to find an audience to keep it on television. Despite that it came back stronger and more confident than its excellent first season. With outstanding performances from lead Matthew Rhys, and an under appreciated remarkable supporting case in Chris Chalk and Juliet Rylance, it’s truly a shame that it won’t be back for a third round of legal drama…but if you back-burnered it hoping to get to it at some point, you absolutely shouldn’t forget about it.

15. Swarm (Amazon)

Amazon’s based-on-a-true-story (kinda) telling about a young woman obsessed with a Beyoncé-like mega star who spans time and space doubling as a serial killer gets a majority of its inspiration from the mind of Donald Glover. An incredible performance from lead Dominique Fishback was tough to top by anyone in 2023…and her character’s transition from the first to the last episode is truly remarkable. The final episode is something that sticks with you for a long time and will definitely leave you with a sleepless night.

16. A Small Light (NatGeo)

NatGeo (I actually watched it on Disney +) had one of the most talked about original series in 2023 with A Small light…the story of Miep Gies who helped hide the Frank family during the Holocaust. An obviously difficult series to watch at times, the series was a celebration of heroism in a time when the costs were unthinkably high.

17. I’m a Virgo (Amazon)

One of the weirdest shows on TV in 2023 was Amazon’s series about a 13 foot tall man hidden by his parents from the rest of the world and what happens when he takes it upon himself to break out. The world Boots Riley creates is equally a weird as it is compelling.

18. Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark (HBO)

Marc Maron’s post-pandemic HBO special was the most personally revealing stand-up comedy show in a very long time. His stories of personal grief, loss and self-reflection made for one of the more moving performances of the year. I actually saw this performance live about a year before it aired on television and it definitely was better the second time around.

19. The Curse (Showtime)

Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie created what was one of the buzziest series of the year with The Curse. The show follows Emma Stone and Fielder as a married couple with seemingly good intentions to stimulate a downtrodden part of a small New Mexico town with their access to money and a HGTV-like television series. I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the entire series, so I’m not entirely sure what The Curse even is…but it’s as compelling as it can be, no less. Fielder slowly, but surely, has become one of the most beloved content creators for millennials and gen-xers because of his originality and commitment to thinking and being outside of the box. Safdie, coming off the polarizing Uncut Gems, transitions from writer/director to creator/star in a role that, for me, is the most intriguing part of the entire series. The jury is out for me as far as how good The Curse is or will be…but I guess that’s a discussion for 2024.

20. Party Down (STARZ)

Party Down got the reboot treatment fans of the series have been clambering about for more than a decade, and it is easily in the conversation as the best reboot for any series to date. The series matched its original humor. It naturally eases into the inevitable life progression of its characters without having to make it silly or ridiculous. It never tries to follow the cookie-cutter reboot or sequel formula of rehashing old material simply for nostalgia.

21. Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

The final season of Netflix’s most underrated series went out the same way it came in…funny, deeply emotional, and eager to satisfy its most loyal fans. One last time I’ll lobby for the award show circuit recognition of its lead actor, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan who should, without a doubt, be one of the biggest starts on the planet. As I bawled my eyes out at the final scene I realized how much I’m truly going miss one of the better “sitcoms” of the 21st century.

22. Single Drunk Female (Freeform)

Freeform’s excellent comedy about a recovering alcoholic navigating family, love, and loss was cancelled after its terrific second season. It’s a series I hope receives some sort of a redemption somewhere (I’m looking at you, Netflix), and absolutely worth you seeking out to find. Sofia Black-D’Elia’s lead performance is Emmy-worthy, and if this is truly the end of the exceptional series, I have no doubt she’ll go on to do something else equally as good.

23. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix)

Tim Robinson’s insane world of sketch comedy returned for its third round of absurd nonsense…complete with random screaming, masked pigs and “shirt brothers.” Fans of the series noted a bit of a downtick, but it still remains the best sketch comedy on TV.

24. Cunk on Earth (Netflix)

Diane Morgan’s portrayal of Philomena Cunk, a dim-witted well-intentioned investigative journalist setting out to to tell the story of the invention of the world is one of the funnier diamonds in the rough of Netflix’s sea of content. Morgan’s cynical sarcasm is the backbone of the show’s undeniable charm.