The Best TV Shows of 2023

best tv of 2023
The Best Television of 2023Design by Michael Stillwell
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It's been a strong year for television. From Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford reuniting in a Yellowstone prequel to Natasha Lyonne's Columbo homage to the return of our favorite dysfunctional media dynasty in Succession, there were plenty of incredible TV shows.

Appointment television was undeniably back this year, with the return of the Gilded Age and the final season of Succession, as were sitcoms (there's simply no one doing it better than Quinta Brunson and the Abbott Elementary team). Book-to-screen, or game-to-screen adaptations, continued to deliver, remaining a staple of our TV diet—look no further than the success of The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Lessons in Chemistry, and Daisy Jones & the Six. Plus, period dramas were as good (and as sexy) as ever, with new shows like The Buccaneers, Fellow Travelers, and Queen Charlotte.

Here, T&C's best TV shows of 2023...

Succession

The hit HBO hit's fourth and final season cemented it as one of TV’s most exciting (and stressful) dramas, as it continued to grapple the central question of who’ll succeed media mogul Logan Roy—even after his death. The tension regarding what will happen to one of the world’s most powerful families kept things delightfully fraught in its final installment, and we stayed tuned in for mic-drop performances from the stellar cast and last moments with the truly unhinged billionaires they play.

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succession
Courtesy of HBO

The Crown

The final chapter of The Crown is finally here. The first four episodes feature the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed before that fateful evening in Paris in August 1997, and the back half of the season takes the House of Windsor through 2005—including the early days of Kate Middleton and Prince William's relationship. As always, The Crown is a visual treat, and a compelling drama that imagines what really goes on behind palace doors.

WATCH NOW

a person sitting on a dock
Courtesy Netflix

The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age returned this year, and it was better than ever. Season two of the sumptuous period drama detailed a battle between two high-society operas. (Yes, the opera war really happened.) It features scheming from our favorite actresses, gorgeous costumes, and more drama and romance. What more could you want in a TV show!?

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a group of people posing for a photo
Courtesy of Max

Poker Face

Rian Johnson (of Knives Out fame) made the leap into television this year, and we are glad he did. Poker Face is a case-of-the-week show starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie, a woman on the run who can detect when you're lying. Poker Face's non-traditional murder mystery structure, combined with Lyonne's charisma and the incredible guest stars (Stephanie Hsu! Ron Perlman! Dascha Polanco! Clea DuVall! Luis Guzmán!), made this a surefire hit. We're counting down the days until season two...

WATCH NOW

poker face
Courtesy of Peacock

Fellow Travelers

Showtime's period piece about the secret and very dangerous affair between two McCarthy-era G Men in Washington, D.C.—adapted from the excellent Thomas Mallon novel—is an intoxicating cocktail of romance, fear, joy, and cloak-and-dagger skulduggery. Okay, and also the duo of leading-man dreamboats, Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey. It expands the world Mallon created to tell stories about the secret lives of queer people in a perilous era, but doesn't let dread or shame ever outshine their joy. Also, it's incredibly cool looking—with sharp costumes and top-notch production design—and has a stellar supporting cast, including Allison Williams, Will Brill, Jelani Alladin, and Noah Ricketts among others.

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two men in suits
Showtime

1923

The latest entry into Taylor Sheridan’s ever-expanding Yellowstone universe meshes classic, old school western with a bit of Gatsby-eque flair, and, of course, lots of drama, making it an obvious binge-watch. Between the star-studded cast—Harrison Ford and Timothy Dalton both bring some classic cowboy vibes, but it’s Helen Mirren who really steals the show as the family matriarch, Cara—sweeping romance, and the globe-trotting action—prepare for leopards, sharks, and… well, sheep—it’s no wonder this new chapter of the Dutton family history is at the top of so many must-watch lists.

WATCH NOW

1923
Paramount+

Daisy Jones & the Six

The adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling novel was a long time coming. "It's a rare adaptation that honors the book in a really lovely way and yet also adds to it," Reid tells Town & Country. With a perfectly cast Riley Keough and Sam Claflin as lead singers Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, Daisy Jones & the Six captured what readers loved so much about Reid's novel: the drama, the romance, and, of course, the rock 'n' roll.

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daisy jones and the six
Prime Video

Slow Horses

Gary Oldman is masterful (and nearly unrecognizable) in this Apple TV+ spy thriller based on the Slough House series of bestselling books by Mick Herron. The Oscar-winning actor stars as Jackson Lamb, head of Slough House, a fictional department of the British security service where MI5 agents are banished to when they’ve royally screwed up. Though this band of misfits is sentenced to suffer indefinitely in a purgatory of menial administrative work, that wouldn’t make for good TV, would it? Beware: the hit series, now in its third season, is addicting.

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a poster of a group of people
Apple TV+

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso's rumored final season delivered on big, emotional beats for a last chapter. As Brett Goldstein, who stars as Roy Kent, told T&C, the final season is "fucking epic." Goldstein adds, "It feels big, the production is big, everything matters. All the stakes have raised." Though the show has been quiet on whether or not there will be a new season (or a spinoff), the ending was a satisfying conclusion to the beloved, feel-good comedy.

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ted lasso
Apple TV+

The Buccaneers

The Buccaneers is a fabulous eight-episode drama adapted from Edith Wharton's last, unfinished novel. The show follows American girls who end up in London in the 1870s, and doesn't shy away from tougher plots—though it is still deliciously escapist. "They were just young women who happened to have been born 200 years ago," creator Katherine Jakeways tells T&C. "They had different circumstances and different families, but they're young women having exactly the same fears that we have."

WATCH NOW

the buccaneers
Apple TV+

The Diplomat

Netflix's political drama starred Keri Russell, who absolutely shined as Kate Wyler, the newest U.S. ambassador to the UK in the wake of a terror attack on a British ship. Amidst the political intrigue and drama, it was fun, hot, and absolutely kept us binge-watching until that explosive ending. We're counting down the days until The Diplomat season two.

WATCH NOW

a person sitting in a chair
Netflix

The Last of Us

It has earned critical acclaim as the first successful Hollywood adaptation of a hit video game, but you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate the stellar craftsmanship of this HBO show. What, on the surface, might seem like yet another zombie apocalypse series is instead a blistering and heart-wrenching story of survival—and of the extreme lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love. None of it works without the pitch-perfect performances of Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, whose internet-breaking turn as Joel Miller has catapulted the character into the league of prestige TV’s most iconic antiheroes.

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the last of us
HBO

The Reluctant Traveler

Eugene Levy is not an adventurous person. That's what makes his new travel show, The Reluctant Traveler, so darn delightful. "The show is doing better things for me as a person because of it," Levy told T&C. "I'm coming out of the shell, a little bit. I'm still not a big traveler. Honestly, I'm not there yet. I still don't love traveling. But I think the fact that I'm trying things because of this show is actually making me a slightly more enlightened person than I was." In the eight episodes, Levy stays in some truly incredible hotels, and each episode is sure to inspire some serious wanderlust.

WATCH NOW

the reluctant traveler
Apple TV+

Abbott Elementary

This warm, charming, laugh-out-loud funny mockumentary sitcom about a group of teachers at a poorly funded Philadelphia public school became a breakout hit when it premiered in 2021, earning several awards—including three Emmys and a SAG—for its creator and star Quinta Brunson and cast (which includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, and Janelle James). The second season is just as excellent, leaning further into these beloved characters' lives while also finding ways to tackle issues like teacher shortages and the thorny topic of charter schools with characteristic empathy and humor.

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abbott elementary
ABC

Yellowjackets

Showtime's Lord of the Flies-esque series about a girls' high school soccer team lost in the Canadian woods raised more questions in season one than could possibly be answered in its finale. Fortunately for the show's dedicated citizen detective fans, Yellowjackets is back for a sophomore season, and a few new faces (including Lauren Ambrose as the adult version of Van, and Simone Kessell as adult Lottie) only help to fuel the drama in dual timelines of the girls attempting to survive in the wilderness and the women who made it home dealing with the trauma in the modern day.

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key art for yellowjackets, season 2 photo credit courtesy of showtime
Courtesy of SHOWTIME

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

The highly anticipated Bridgerton prequel absolutely delivered—with some even calling Queen Charlotte better than the original series. Starring newcomers India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest, and Arsema Thomas, the show gives a full backstory to Queen Charlotte and King George III, and characters like Lady Danbury, Brimsley, and Violet Bridgerton get their own origin tales as well. The chemistry between Amarteifio's Charlotte and Mychlreest's George is a definite highlight, and by the end of episode six, we were definitely sobbing.

WATCH NOW

queen charlotte
Courtesy of Netflix

Call the Midwife

The most heartwarming period drama on TV is back, and it couldn’t have come fast enough! For its twelfth season (yes, really) the midwives of Nonnatus House are tackling the travails of 1968, with all of the political upheaval that entails, as well as plenty of personal highs and lows (there’s even a rumor there may be wedding bells ahead for one fan-favorite nurse). Get your tissues out and prepare to happy cry, because whatever this British favorite brings us this season (don’t worry, it’s already been renewed for three more years!), you know it’s going to be good.

WATCH NOW

call the midwife season 12
Ray Burmiston

American Auto

What Abbott does with the public school system, this NBC comedy does with the auto industry, except this one has a lot more bite. SNL veteran Ana Gasteyer leads an ensemble cast as Katherine Hastings, a former pharma exec who becomes the CEO of a car company, a field she knows absolutely nothing about. That Justin Spitzer, a co-executive producer on The Office, is its mastermind should give you an idea of American Auto’s tone. Though more competent than Michael Scott, Hastings and her team of executives still hilariously fumble through one PR disaster after another. The show, now in its second season, is also a rare network sitcom that dares to take on controversial topics, from culture wars and political correctness, to abortion rights and climate change. It’s a delicate balancing act, and American Auto makes it work—and, more importantly, makes us laugh.

WATCH NOW

american auto pictured american auto key art photo by nbc
NBC Entertainment

Sanditon

The third season of PBS Masterpiece's Sanditon, which is based on an unfinished novel written by Jane Austen, finds the series’ heroine Miss Charlotte Heywood, played by Rose Williams, in an Austen-ian dilemma. She and the handsome/reticent/wealthy Mr. Alexander Colbourne, played by Ben Lloyd-Hughes, have quarreled and despite their obvious mutual attraction/perfect-for-each-otherness, are no longer speaking. Sanditon faced challenges after it debuted in the U.S in 2020—at first it wasn’t renewed and when it was, a leading actor decided not to return. Even with these setbacks it found a devoted following who are very much hoping/counting on that everything will work out in the end.

WATCH NOW

sanditon
PBS Masterpiece

Transatlantic

A riveting period drama, Transatlantic is based on an incredible true story of an American journalist who helps save writers and artists from Nazi-occupied France. The casting was pitch perfect—starring Cory Michael Smith as Varian Fry, Gillian Jacobs as Mary Jayne Gold, and Lucas Englander as Albert Hirschman—and the show was a powerful reminder on how small acts can make a big difference.

WATCH NOW

transatlantic netflix
Courtesy of Netflix

The Bear

The series that made saying “yes, chef” hot. The Bear was back for more this year, continuing its nuanced, often painfully real portrayal of life in the culinary world by adding even higher highs, lower lows, an complicated personal stakes that had us all on the edge of our seats by the season finale. Never has a refrigerator door handle been more dramatic.

WATCH NOW

a man holding a knife and a plate of food with people around him
Hulu

Only Murders in the Building

Our favorite Upper West Side crimesolving trio (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) returned this year to solve a new murder mystery, about who killed Ben (played by Paul Rudd), the star of a new Broadway show. The cast also featured Meryl Streep—yes, Meryl freakin' Streep—and it kept us guessing at the culprit until the very end. We can't wait for OMITB season four.

WATCH NOW

a group of people posing for the camera
Hulu

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry was a bestselling novel, beloved by book clubs across the country. The adaptation of her book is a similar hit, with a stellar cast led by Brie Larson. "It's such a fantasy to me that I read a book and then very, very shortly thereafter I was able to work with an Oscar-winning actress who's now become a good friend and work with the loveliest and most talented crew ever to build a world," creator Lee Eisenberg told T&C. And we're so glad he did, because what an incredible show.

WATCH NOW

lessons in chemistry
Apple TV+

Shrinking

As anyone who knows a psychiatrist can tell you, sometimes therapists need just as much help as their patients. Such is the case in this Apple TV+ series starring Jason Segel as a therapist whose life is in shambles after the death of his wife. The whole cast—including a hilariously curmudgeonly Harrison Ford—shines as the show explores their own complicated issues and proves that just because you’re a mess doesn’t mean you can’t be loved.

WATCH NOW

a man with his hand on his chin and another man with his hand on his chin
Apple TV+

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Midge took her final bow this year as the show wrapped up the story of our favorite housewife-turned-comedienne. For those who have watched since the show’s first outing, getting to see Midge and Susie's dreams pay off—and what success cost them along the way—was a bittersweet and beautiful way to say goodbye to this impeccable cast of characters.

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marvelous mrs maisel
Amazon Prime Video

Our Flag Means Death

OFMD (finally!) returned to our screen for their second season this year, and not only did they live up to the promise of the first season, they doubled-down on everything that made the pirate rom-com a sleeper hit in 2022. With an outstanding cast (helmed by the superb Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby), swashbuckling hilarity, swoon worthy romance, and surprising pathos, we can only keep our (wooden) fingers crossed this one will be back for a third outing.

WATCH NOW

our flag means death
HBO

Good Omens

The first season of Amazon Prime’s adaptationof Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s beloved novel covered the events of the book in full, but its second season (inspired by Gaiman and Pratchett’s plans for an unwritten sequel) proved there was plenty more story to tell. While the plot sings (and will leave viewers anxiously awaiting a possible season three) it’s the chemistry between Michael Sheen’s book-loving angel Aziraphale and David Tennant’s beleaguered demon Crowley that will have you bingeing the whole season.

WATCH NOW

a movie poster with a couple of men on it
Amazon Prime Video

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