2023 has been a complicated year for television already, to say the least. As of this writing, the industry itself is in a state of flux, and with a writers strike ongoing and SAG now poised to join, it’s unclear what that will mean for the future of TV not just for the remainder of this year but in the years to come. That said, we wouldn’t have television shows at all without the creative parties who not only pen important scripts but are present on set for crucial last-minute changes — as well as the actors who bring their words to life in front of the camera. As we recognize some of the best that the small screen has offered us so far in 2023, we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize all the contributions behind-the-scenes to make these shows happen, and none of it would be possible without writers.
Halfway through the year, there are certainly many more shows we could name as worth watching — even whittling down this list was a struggle! From brand-new miniseries like A Small Light to returning seasons of hit shows like Yellowjackets, from comedy to drama and everything in between, here are our picks for the top 25 TV shows of 2023 so far.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary has been a smash hit since it first debuted on ABC and Season 2 has only solidified its place as one of the best workplace sitcoms of all time. From creator Quinta Brunson, the series follows a group of teachers working at an underserved and underfunded elementary school in a predominantly Black neighborhood in the Philadelphia suburbs. Over the course of Season 2’s 22 episodes, Janine (Brunson) and her fellow teachers fight to keep Abbott from becoming a private charter school all while dealing with hilarious hijinks, chaotic field trips, ever-evolving trends, and heartfelt lessons for (and from) their students. Season 2 also sees Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) dance along the edge of their will-they-won’t-they, slow-burn romance, which always keeps us coming back for more. In addition to Brunson and Williams, Abbott Elementary features a cast of all-around excellence in Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chris Perfetti, and William Stanford Davis. — Samantha Coley
A Small Light
It may come as a surprise to many readers, but Disney+’s National Geographic hub is the home of one of the best series to debut in 2023. NatGeo may be better known for its nature documentaries and topical specials, but its historical drama A Small Light is undeniably one of the best projects it has produced in recent memory.
The eight-episode limited series tells the harrowing true story of Miep Gies (Bel Powley), who was an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things during World War II. Despite current efforts to remove books about Anne Frank’s short—and tragic—life from curriculums, most people know about the Franks’ time hiding in the annex before the Nazis murdered most of them at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Few people, however, know about the lives of those that helped to protect them for as long as they did, despite unfathomable personal risks. Miep, alongside her husband Jan (Joe Cole), was part of a network of “helpers” who saw the horrors playing out around them and chose not to turn a blind eye. While Miep’s work as a secretary for Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) plays a large role in the plot of A Small Light, the series finds its emotional anchor in the relationship between Miep and Jan. What starts out as a marriage of convenience blossoms into something very real and beautiful.
One of the more compelling aspects of Miep’s story is her friendship with Tess (Eleanor Tomlinson), who, unlike Miep, has chosen to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being wrought by the Nazis around them. While her actions are partially driven by self-preservation, they also stand as a neat reminder that those with privilege should use them to help others and not just themselves. While there is joy and laughter and life on full display throughout A Small Light, it never strays too far from reminding its audience that there are people, still today, looking to snuff out those aspects of life. For that alone, A Small Light is easily one of the best and most relevant series of the year. — Maggie Lovitt
Barry
Man, that maniac Bill Hader really stuck the landing with Barry. Building to a final dark punchline which brought the story of the hitman who wanted to be an actor to a close in stunning fashion makes this achievement of a series even more remarkable. It is hard to think of a show as uncompromising and bleak as this that could still manage to be uproariously funny. To close with an episode where you could burst out laughing in surprise at one moment and then feel sick to your stomach the next was something the show was always just so damn good at.
In addition to Hader proving that he was a director to watch, the performances across the board were also all just outstanding. Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, and Stephen Root each made their respective characters soar even as they often sunk further into darkness. For a show about the horrors of Hollywood and performing a lie until it becomes the truth, there was something beautifully honest to be found in every single glorious frame. — Chase Hutchinson
The Bear
The Bear had one of the most exciting freshman seasons last summer. This year, it not only avoided the sophomore slump that plagues so many promising series but managed to top its stunning Season 1. The Bear Season 2 sees the staff we’ve grown to love as they prepare to open a fine-dining restaurant (that will eventually be worthy of a Michelin star if Sydney, played by Ayo Edebiri, has anything to say about it) in record time. While Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is still at the core of the endeavor (and finding romance with childhood friend Claire, played by Molly Gordon), the series wisely gives its other compelling characters more time in the spotlight, too.
Seeing favorites like Marcus (Lionel Boyce), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) spread their wings and soar in this new challenge is beautiful, and the show’s use of perfectly cast big-name guest stars to both help their journeys along (Will Poulter! Olivia Colman!) as well as give background on where they’ve come from (Jamie Lee Curtis! Bob Odenkirk! Sarah Paulson!) is masterfully done. The music drops also remain unmatched, as do the gorgeous shots of Chicago and the mouthwatering meals. Do not watch this delicious dramedy on an empty stomach, chefs. — Taylor Gates
Beef
Well, it’s a good thing that this incisive show about the ability to change by taking accountability and showing empathy rather than getting wrapped up in your ego hasn’t been undercut by the recent actions of those involved in creating it. That would leave a real sour taste in the mouth — even as it is just so good, wouldn’t it? What makes Beef one of the best shows of the year is not just its performances, though Steven Yeun and Ali Wong are remarkable in pulling off what are rather complicated characters. Rather, it is the balance the series strikes between spiraling into chaos and yet still managing to find a more sublime catharsis.
In telling the story of two seemingly opposite people who soon find themselves united in rage over a run-in in a parking lot, it teases out reflections about revenge and healing while never not just being entertaining as all hell. The more the lives of the characters unravel before you, the more it comes together in a tense tapestry of modern life that will always be one of the best series Netflix has released to date. — Chase Hutchinson
Black Mirror
With the long-awaited return of his smash-hit sci-fi series Black Mirror, creator Charlie Brooker appears determined to rethink the core identity of his own show — and most of the stories that make up the sixth and latest season have proven to be as absorbing and acute as any that have come before. Of course, Season 6 boasts a wealth of impressive talent all on its own. If you thought you knew what Schitt’s Creek‘s Annie Murphy was capable of, the meta-tastic “Joan Is Awful” will make you think again, while Josh Hartnett and Aaron Paul co-anchor one of the season’s most devastating episodes with the retrofuturistic emotional thriller “Beyond the Sea.”
More than that, Brooker seems to be wielding this latest mix of Black Mirror stories to do something he’s never done before — not only pushing the boundaries of storytelling, but expanding beyond the very genre that’s come to define this show over the years since its initial premiere. “Demon 79,” co-written by Brooker and Bisha K. Ali, skillfully toes the line between science fiction and the paranormal, “Loch Henry” takes the audience to task for our rabid and non-discerning consumption of true-crime stories, and “Mazey Day” curiously flips the script on the rise of paparazzi culture. If this is where the future of Black Mirror is headed, then the possibilities are like the show itself: bold, daring, and sure to devastate us. — Carly Lane
Daisy Jones & the Six
The Amazon Studios/Hello Sunshine miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six was highly anticipated by the legions of fans of the bestselling novel of the same name from Taylor Jenkins Reid, and living up to those kinds of expectations is always a challenging mountain to climb. And while it’s impossible to make everyone happy about the changes made to any adaptation, the pitch-perfect powerhouse performances delivered by Riley Keough as Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne showcase how chemistry quickly spirals into chaos.
Telling the story of the meteoric rise and crash‑and‑burn implosion of the iconic 1970s band, and drawing inspiration from Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, as well as the strife and eventual breakup of The Civil Wars, the audience gets a glimpse into how the ability to create music that works its way deep into your soul doesn’t actually (or ever) fill the holes within those whose make it. No matter how good something is or how much talent someone has, when personalities clash, lines get blurred, and drugs get involved, things turn toxic and the train wreck waiting to happen becomes inevitable. As their story is recounted directly by the band, personal truths bring unspoken feelings to light, and even though it will never fully repair the damage, it just might help to heal old wounds. Along with the stand-out performances from Keough and Claflin, the other gift this series delivered is a studio album with 11 original tracks that you just can’t get out of your head. — Christina Radish
Dead Ringers
It’s twice the Weisz in Dead Ringers, one of the wildest shows of this year — and perhaps one of the wildest shows ever made. Rachel Weisz plays a set of twins: soft-spoken and logical Beverly and outgoing and spontaneous Elliot. Though they’re very different, they have a common goal: to revolutionalize the birthing industry. It’s not an easy task when you factor in the intense codependence between the twins, made even more complicated by the arrival of Beverly’s new love interest Genevieve (played by Britne Oldford), unhinged and controlling rich birthing center donors Rebecca (Jennifer Ehle) and Susan (Emily Meade), and those pesky medical ethics Beverly’s so adamant about that stand in the way of the research Elliot wants to do. The writing, helmed by Alice Birch, is unbelievably sharp and daring, seamlessly combining wickedly dark comedy and disturbing horror elements rooted in timely and terrifying reality. Weisz gives two performances of a lifetime, holding nothing back as she dives into these twisted dynamics. — Taylor Gates
The Diplomat
I love a good political drama. From the grit and dry humor of House of Cards to the more traditional and optimistic picture of government Madam Secretary provided, it’s always fascinating when a series successfully sinks its teeth into the delicate workings of international affairs. The Diplomat’s approach offers a nice combination of the two vibes as it centers on Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), a woman who is excellent with policy but less excellent with people, as she’s thrown into the position of US ambassador to the UK in the middle of a tense time.
Man, is it good to see Russell back on the small screen again post-The Americans. She and Rufus Sewell, who plays her charming yet frequently untrustworthy husband Hal, have incredible chemistry, and their tumultuous marriage both grounds and elevates the show. The series was created by Debora Cahn, who worked on both Homeland and The West Wing, and her experience with this subject matter shines through in the confident and gripping way it unravels. The Diplomat is a polished, edge-of-your-seat thriller worthy of a watch, and sweetheart, that’s one fact that’s not effing classified. – Taylor Gates
From
A science fiction horror series with a standout performance from Harold Perrineau that again proves he deserves the world and more, FROM has become a bit of a sleeper hit this year for good reason. Telling the story of a group of people who find themselves trapped in a small town from which they cannot leave, it taps into something terrifying not just because of the dark forces lurking in the woods who come to kill at night. The real key to what makes this all work is the suffocating fear it creates that remains even when peril is not immediately present. It is a mysterious series in the vein of Lost before it, but has already become a far more macabre one that transcends any expectations you might have. Throughout all of this, Perrineau is pitch-perfect, as his character of Boyd can go from laughing at the dark absurdity of their predicament to being beaten down by the brutality of it all with grace. The character comes alive in his hands, making a world defined by death into one of the most vibrant of the year when he is on-screen. — Chase Hutchinson
Jury Duty
Between VH1’s Flavor of Love to Hulu’s The Kardashians, reality TV has come a long way since it first crawled onto the scene in the early aughts. But even with the surge of programming and streaming services dedicated to the “reality” circus we’re subjected to on a daily basis, a lot of it has remained the same. That is, until the arrival of Freevee’s very funny and refreshing series, Jury Duty, which carefully blends reality TV with a Truman Show style to its scripted writing in the guise of an educational documentary. The delightfully wholesome series from Prime Video might feel like one big inside joke lining itself up with hidden camera pranks seen on YouTube, but it strongly and most welcomely borders the heart of Ted Lasso thanks to its real-life protagonist, Ronald Gladden.
Created by the producers of The Office, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, the series chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of Ronald, a solar contractor and one of the show’s only real jurors under the impression this is a real case — as hilariously ludicrous as it sounds. Of course, he is absolutely unaware that everyone around him is an actor and everything has actually been intricately staged and planned. The case features faces you might not have seen before, except for James Marsden, who plays a hysterical caricature of his movie star persona in a performance that is majorly laugh-out-loud. So much of the show’s humor lies in Ronald’s hero’s journey of leading this kooky little pack of weirdo jurors all with their own quirks, like the socially awkward inventor who makes “chair pants” known as “chants” or the ride-share driver who can’t stop talking and worrying about his girlfriend while being pursued by his flirty co-juror. Instead, Ronald is both gentle and polite, showing a staggeringly strong tolerance and level of patience unseen on reality TV to his fellow jurors. In all his interactions with them, he is decent and kind, and looks for the silver lining, never once passing judgment.
What’s so endearing about Jury Duty too is how the production maintains Ronald’s charm throughout every situation with the cast helping elevate him and keep up the illusion. Never once is the joke on Ronald, but more on the environment and his natural reactions to the situations unfolding. The nontraditional workplace comedy celebrates kindness unseen in other prank series, and it’s because of this it’s so worth watching. Bingeworthy and conceptually fresh with a ton of heart, I really haven’t laughed this hard in a long time and I loved every minute of it. — Tania Hussain
The Last of Us
For decades, gamers have watched as some of their favorite stories were turned into shells of what made these tales so great, to begin with. But with The Last of Us, creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin found just the right mixture of sticking to the original story, diverting from the game when a better story could be told, and evolving this first season into something that feels familiar, yet a wholly different experience altogether. But this adaptation also wouldn’t work without the lead performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, who add new layers and nuance to these characters that were always there, but makes these elements come to the surface in brilliant fashion.
When thinking of this season’s best television, it’s hard to not think of the excellent episode “Long, Long Time,” which deviates from the game in stunning ways in telling the story of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), or the finale, “Look for the Light,” that manages to tell the game’s story without many deviations, yet the impact is just as great as watching it the same time. In its first season, The Last of Us has set the gold standard not just for video game adaptations, but for adaptations in general. And if you thought this debut season was rough, just wait until the next one… — Ross Bonaime
Lucky Hank
Following the success of Better Call Saul on AMC, the network is sticking to that Bob Odenkirk charm for a series that has proven to be one of 2023’s best new shows. Making its official debut at SXSW before its broadcast premiere this past March, Lucky Hank finds the award-winning actor portraying a cranky and reluctant English department chairman of a low-tier college in the Pennsylvania rust belt battling a midlife crisis. With Odenkirk at the top of his game alongside a bubbly cast of characters, he is the perfect narrator for life’s madness via the lens of a disillusioned, yet wonderfully self-aware professor. Tackling the depths of existentialism and one man’s struggle with his past following deep abandonment wounds, the show is the kind of comedy-drama TV needs right now.
Though it is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Straight Man by Richard Russo, the show is in no way a cookie cutter of its source material. While it is rooted in the realism and dark humor shared by its author, showrunners Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein manage to build on those foundations for a cynical, yet accurate representation of life through the eyes of the curmudgeon, William Henry “Hank” Devereaux, Jr. Through Hank’s tragic awakening and interactions with those closest to him, we not only understand his spiral, but we see what this show is really made out of it through its affecting and poignant writing.
“The Clock” is one of the season’s best episodes and perhaps the most definitive as the series goes for the jugular with this one. Lucky Hank is a series that can be lighthearted and witty, but also very dark with dry humor. From the writing to the performances balancing salty and sweet, the show fleshes out its situations most strikingly. But as Odenkirk delivers a performance that is immensely complementary to the story, he is also supported most wonderfully by a captivating cast, brimming with nuanced honesty and sincerity in their performances, like on-screen wife, Mireille Enos, who is dynamic and absolutely enthralling as Lily Devereux. Multidimensional and whimsically lovable with a strong warmth and sadness that isn’t familiar to TV yet still feels comfortable. — Tania Hussain
Mrs. Davis
If the simple premise of Mrs. Davis — a nun who decides to take on an omniscient A.I. — didn’t succeed in hooking you at first glance, that’s OK. When we say that this is a sci-fi show unlike anything else on TV, we mean that, and there’s every possibility that this Peacock series co-created by Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez might not be everyone’s cup of genre tea. Mrs. Davis isn’t interested in doling out easy answers or convenient explanations for everything right away. What it does have to offer at the start, though, is Betty Gilpin, who plays Sister Simone with the same breathtaking range of emotional depth that made her such a breakout presence on GLOW (gone too soon!) or even 2020’s controversy-stirring flick The Hunt. Here, she brings those talents to Mrs. Davis for a wild ride involving a quest for the Holy Grail, an underground resistance group dedicated to taking down the titular A.I. known as “Mrs. Davis,” Simone’s unique relationship with Jesus himself, and more than one gruesome decapitation. Remember when we said this show isn’t like anything else on television?
With Peak TV now likely at its peak, it can be hard for any one show to make a name for itself, especially if it’s doling out some real bonkers stuff gradually and over time. Even if we don’t get another season, Mrs. Davis is exactly the kind of fearless, adventurous series we need more of when it comes to small-screen storytelling. Hopefully, more streamers will sit up and take notice, too. — Carly Lane
Muppets Mayhem
While quality content for The Muppets has dwindled in recent years, Disney+ makes this list with a surprising entry: Muppets Mayhem, the first live-action series for the famous cuddly characters since 2020’s Muppets Now. Created in part by puppeteer Bill Barretta (who also plays iconic band leader Dr. Teeth), the series is maybe the only Muppet project to focus not on Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, or any of the other leading characters from The Muppet Show, but rather on its house band: Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. In fact, it’s the first time the characters have taken center stage, and Lilly Singh’s Nora finds out just why that’s the case: the band is impossible to control in their never-ending pursuit of fun, especially when you’ve got a furry, girl-obsessed Animal on drums.
In Nora’s quest to get the band to produce an album (and not alienate everyone they know in the process), the series comes out swinging with classic Muppet humor, and is filled to the brim not only with classic Muppet Show-style cameos (featuring everyone from Paula Abdul to Danny Trejo), but with totally rockin’ music, proving that the Electric Mayhem is just as worthy of headlining as anybody else. — Maggie Boccella
Poker Face
After a successful 2022, Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne, the forces behind Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Russian Doll, united for Peacock’s Poker Face. The series, which aims to be a modern-day version of Columbo, centers around Charlie Cale (Lyonne), a cocktail waitress who has the ability to detect lies. After the murder of her close friend, Charlie hits the road, encountering new friends and foes, solving crimes, and trying to evade an angry casino boss (Adrien Brody). There’s rarely, if ever, a dull moment here, Lyonne is perfect as Charlie, a role she was born to play, and the series’ vast ensemble of guest stars allows her to work her magic opposite some of the best character actors in the business.
They don’t really make shows like Poker Face anymore, particularly as streaming has taken over. Still, Johnson and co-showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman have found a way to revive the “case-of-the-week” murder mystery series while also being able to inject his distinct voice as a filmmaker, with other standout episodes helmed by Janicza Bravo, Lucky McKee, and even Lyonne herself. — Nate Richard
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Just when we thought nothing could top “you are the bane of my existence, and the object of all my desires” in swept “I will stand with you between the heavens and the Earth” and “my heart calls your name.” While fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton had every reason to be excited about the prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, following the titular queen (India Amarteifio) and her husband King George (Corey Mylchreest), it’s safe to say that expectations were not only met but wildly exceeded.
The real challenge in Queen Charlotte was keeping the audience invested in the early days of a romance whose outcome they are already familiar with. By the events of Bridgerton, Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and George (James Fleet) no longer live together, and half the time he doesn’t even recognize his wife. But the series never lets the bittersweet ending get in the way and gives Young Charlotte and George every chance to fall in love in their own way and make their marriage work on their own, supportive terms. Pair this with rock-solid performances from a fantastic supporting cast, and Queen Charlotte has indeed left an even higher bar to clear when Bridgerton returns for Season 3. — Arezou Amin
Shrinking
On its surface, the Apple TV+ series Shrinking is a quirky comedy about a therapist feeling adrift after the tragic passing of his wife, leaving him unsure of how to connect with his patients or his own daughter while also distancing himself from his friends. But beyond that, creators Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel have woven together a heartfelt exploration of grief — with the tears, laughs, and self-exploration that can follow.
When grieving therapist and widowed dad Jimmy (Segel) starts to break the rules by telling his clients what he really thinks, he walks an ethical edge that not only pushes them to make the changes that could really help them but also leads him to rediscover what matters, after experiencing life‑changing loss. Not to get too personal or turn things into a real-life therapy session, but Shrinking is a show that did something that all great shows have the ability to do, which is that it formed a connection with this viewer that helped me process some emotions that I was still sorting out from the grief of my own father’s recent passing, through laughing and crying, and sometimes crying from laughing so hard. Add in absolutely delightful performances from Harrison Ford as Jimmy’s perpetually disgruntled mentor, the charming Jessica Williams as Jimmy’s best friend and co-worker Gaby, and Christa Miller as the always-in-his-business neighbor, and what you get is a winning formula. — Christina Radish
Silo
There is nothing quite like a debut season of a series that immediately makes a name for itself, and Apple TV+’s Silo has proven to be one of the best in recent memory. A dystopian series defined by deception with a riveting Rebecca Ferguson to lead the way, it takes us deep underground where the last remaining survivors on the planet have taken up shelter. They go about their lives with little understanding of what is outside other than that they must never ask to see it. In the event that they do, they will be sent out to take a look for themselves where they will perish.
Any more story details will spoil the fun of what is a slippery show that is a murder mystery of sorts while still creating plenty of science fiction spectacle, as characters go from desperately piecing together how someone has died to saving all from annihilation without blinking an eye. Even as the ending of this first season recently upended nearly everything we had come to know, this opened up even more doors for a series that feels like it is only just getting started. — Chase Hutchinson
Somebody Somewhere
HBO’s Somebody Somewhere is a gem of a show about the love you can find with friends and family, learning to deal with grief and loss, and embracing the triumphs, even when they’re small. It’s a show made up of characters that you just want to be friends with, hang out and have a good time with, cry on the shoulder of, and hug.
In its second season, Sam (Bridget Everett) is still a work in progress and probably always will be, but that’s okay because the people in her life love her, and she’s learning to accept that and be vulnerable enough to let them in. Even if you don’t always agree with each other, when you find your people, they’ll uplift you on your journey, especially when you stumble along the way, as long as you’re willing to do the same in return. Whether it’s the friendship between Sam and Joel (Jeff Hiller), the sister dynamic with Trish (Mary Catherine Garrison) that can lead to some unexpected bonding, the wisdom shared by Fred Rococo (Murray Hill), or how they approached keeping the spirit of Mike Hagerty alive after his passing, it is the beauty of the simplicity of its small-town storytelling that truly makes Somebody Somewhere special. — Christina Radish
Star Trek: Picard
With its third and final season, Star Trek: Picard cemented itself as not only one of the best series of 2023 but one of the best final seasons of television ever. Terry Matalas stepped into the role of showrunner for Season 3 and took Picard to the next level, transforming it from a nihilistic exploration of Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) final years, into a long-awaited The Next Generation reunion that used nostalgia as a tool to tell a much larger, heartfelt story about family, friends, and legacy.
The first two seasons were excellent, but without those vital Next Generation connections, Picard felt largely unmoored from the life that Star Trek fans envisioned for him in his twilight years. Season 3 ensures that Picard can no longer run from his past—both as Captain of the Enterprise and as Locutus of Borg. When Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) reaches out to Picard for the first time in twenty years, he and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) embark on a dangerous mission that reunites them with Worf (Michael Dorn), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Data (Brent Spiner); and that brings Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) into the mix again. Matalas expertly threaded the needle with the remaining threads from Seasons 1 and 2, to not only tie up Star Trek: Picard in a neat knot but to also close out storylines from The Next Generation.
Todd Stashwick’s curmudgeonly Captain Shaw may have become an instant fan favorite among fans, but Star Trek: Picard’s greatest contribution was the introduction of the next generation of The Next Generation. In the span of only 10 episodes, Matalas made it impossible to picture the future of Star Trek without wondering what sort of trouble Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton), as well as Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), might be getting up to together. Hopefully, Paramount+ will listen to the fans who want to see Star Trek: Legacy become a reality so we can see the next generation set off on epic adventures like their parents, under the leadership of Captain Seven. — Maggie Lovitt
Succession
With a spectacular series finale that finally answered who would succeed Logan Roy as Waystar CEO, Jesse Armstrong’s Succession went out on a high note to cement its status as one of the greatest shows ever. Yes, we’ll miss all the memes and power rankings, though it was so much more than that too. Succession didn’t ever play it safe, instead taking the bold swings it needed to as it revealed just how depraved all of its characters were at their core. The acting was impeccable, with Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Sarah Snook all absolutely crushing it, though the writing also never lost its edge for even a moment.
Succession was as cutting and hilarious as it was painfully revealing. There was nothing quite like it out there on television and there may never be again. With each confident step forward that it all took, it just kept pushing the story into more and more sinister depths. When it all came together, Succession proved to be one of the most honest portraits of power — no matter who won, it was all of us who lose. — Chase Hutchinson
Swarm
With Swarm, Donald Glover and Janine Nabers have created an instant icon for the slasher genre — but to reduce it to just the “slasher” label would be a disservice as the series crosses genres and narrative styles across its 10-episode run. The Prime Video series focuses on Dre (Dominique Fishback), a young Black woman who is an obsessive fan of a pop idol (who may or may not be a pastiche of Beyoncé). Set in the late 2010s, the show follows Dre as she embarks on a cross-country road trip, trying to stay ahead of her dark past while attempting to get close to her idol.
Swarm is a dark, violent show that satirizes obsessive fandom and cancel culture with a twisted sense of humor, but it’s also a deep, surreal psychological examination of a troubled and dangerous mind. The series shows Dre’s evolution from shy and awkward “best friend” to the star of her own blood-soaked story. It does this through a mix of naturalistic and highly stylized imagery, lending a dream-like quality to some of the sequences. And if that wasn’t enough, Swarm also throws in a fair amount of meta-humor, poking fun at the true crime genre and the exploitation of tragedies. This one’s for the horror fans, the Atlanta fans, and every other kind of fan there is. It’s also one hell of a ride from start to finish. — Remus Noronha
Ted Lasso
If there’s one show that’s been consistently making this list for ages, it’s Ted Lasso. While the show’s third and final season may not have lived up to everyone’s expectations, the team behind the underdog story of football and friendship once again knocked it out of the park, bringing its special brand of humor to our TVs one last time.
To watch the show come to an end is bittersweet, but in an age of one-season cancellations, it’s rare to watch a series reach its natural conclusion, and with such great fanfare from audiences: the show received a whopping 21 nominations at this year’s Emmys, including the rare honor of earning every single one of its main cast members an acting nomination over its three-season run. So, while it’ll be sad to not return to AFC Richmond in the future, Ted Lasso and his team have rightfully earned their place in audiences’ hearts, reminding us all, even when he’s not around, to be curious, not judgmental. — Maggie Boccella
Yellowjackets
After the captivating first season of Yellowjackets, in which we saw a soccer team trying to survive after a plane crash and how the survivors have evolved as adults in the modern day, Season 2 attempts to break down our preconceived notions of who these characters are. Sure, Misty (Christina Ricci and Samantha Hanratty) is still as bonkers as we all originally thought, but this season makes us reconsider the danger that was Lottie (Courtney Eaton and Simone Kessell), the power dynamics of this group in the past, the terrifying ways that the past continues to live on in these women in the present, and that no one is truly safe in this dark world created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Season 2 built out the lore and attempted to make the past and the present equally entertaining, and while that road has had its bumps, watching Yellowjackets shift and explore who these women are, the horrors they’ve been involved in, and the shared trauma they’re still dealing with, has still made this one of the most intriguing shows on television. — Ross Bonaime
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