21 TV Shows That Were So Amazing, Brilliant, And Even Heartbreaking, It's What Made Them The Best Of 2023 (So Far)

Chuck Hodes / Hulu / FX

The Bear was easily one of my favorite shows of 2022 — heck, it topped my list of favorite shows — and somehow the series managed to outdo an already perfect first season with Season 2. The new season picks up with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Syd (Ayo Edebiri), and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they work tirelessly to transform The Original Beef of Chicagoland into a top-tier, must-eat-at restaurant. What made The Bear  Season 2 so great was its ability to keep moving the story forward while also focusing on supporting characters in perfect TV episodes, namely in "Forks," which centers on Richie. 

HBO

Everyone's eyes were on the final season of Succession to see if this amazing TV series could stick the landing, and to me, it did. What made this final season so great was its ability to upend expectations and have THE shocking moment happen in the third episode, "Connor's Wedding." This sent Succession on an incredible stretch of final episodes that leaned into its strengths and gifted us with some of the best TV moments of 2023.

Liane Hentscher / HBO

For me, The Last of Us might be one of my all-time favorite adaptations of any piece of media. The show's ability to honor the video game in so many ways — don't even get me started on how hard I cry over Ashley Johnson's role in Episode 9 — but also build upon the story, like with Bill and Frank's relationship, and allow the actors playing these iconic roles to make the characters their own. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey became such a formidable duo as Joel and Ellie and they delivered award-worthy performances both in scenes together and on their own.

Liam Daniel / Netflix

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story upended all of my expectations when it came to how well a Bridgerton spinoff could work. In fact, I feel confident saying this might be the best season to date of a Bridgerton series. With a strong story and writing by Shonda Rhimes coupled with India Amarteifio and Corey Mylchreest's incredible chemistry, Queen Charlotte created a breathtaking story with a Bridgerton character we all thought we understood. It's also one of the shows to make me cry the hardest this year because of the final moments between Charlotte and George in the finale.

Gilles Mingasson / ABC

Abbott Elementary remained one of the best comedy series in the first half of 2023. While we're very early in the show's (hopefully) long run, the cast will easily go down as one of the best comedy ensembles in recent memory. Abbott Elementary Season 2 built upon everything Season 1 expertly laid down and leaned into the strengths of its cast, brilliant comedy, and more, to create another incredible TV season. From guest stars like Taraji P. Henson to the will-they-won't-they relationship between Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams), Abbott Elementary remained a highlight in early 2023.

Peacock

Creator and director Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne created something special with Poker Face in 2023. The series, which follows Charlie (Lyonne) traveling across the US solving murders, brought back the TV format popularized by Columbo, aka a reverse detective story, for a new generation. With amazing guest stars week after week and another award-worthy performance from Natasha, Poker Face hooked everyone from the start. Each episode felt like a perfectly constructed play and it was just exciting to tune in every week and see how Charlie would solve each murder mystery.

Natalie Seery / Hulu

A bit of an underrated gem from the first half of 2023, Extraordinary deserves more love. Created by Emma Moran, the series is set in a world where people gain superpowers when they turn 18, however, Jen (Máiréad Tyers) never got hers. When I say this show had me laughing so hard, I truly mean it. If you love British comedy, this should be your next binge-watch because even though it came out way back in January, I am still thinking about it now. 

Amazon Freevee

Jury Duty became the greatest underdog TV story of 2023 and it gifted us with Ronald, probably one of the most wholesome humans on Earth. The show chronicles the inner workings of serving on a jury in the US, with the catch being everyone is an actor except for Ronald, who thinks he's really serving on a jury. The perfect blend of reality TV and a brilliantly crafted comedy, the show leans on Ronald's charm and good nature to create one of the most endearing shows in recent memory.

Beth Dubber / Apple TV+

When I watched this show, I wholeheartedly told people that Jason Segel has now been at the center of three of my favorite TV shows of all time — Freaks and Geeks, How I Met Your Mother, and now Shrinking. The series follows Jimmy (Segel), a therapist who is trying to gain control of his life again following his wife's death a year ago. Alongside Jason, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Lukita Maxwell, and more give such funny and nuanced performances as they bring such a great ensemble filled with complex and captivating characters to life.

Netflix

Beef is a great example of a show that perfectly utilized the limited series format to tell a concise and profound story. The show follows Danny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong), two strangers whose paths cross after they get into an explosive road rage incident. Leaning on award-worthy performances from Steven and Ali, what made Beef so great is that it somehow managed to ride the perfect line between absolute chaos, hilarious dark comedy, and a cathartic exploration of human relationships. However, with all of the strengths Beef presents, it's also linked to the allegations around star David Choe, which can't be ignored.

HBO

Another incredible TV series that came to an end in the beginning of 2023, Barry remained one of the best shows to go back and forth between absolutely jaw-dropping moments and dark comedy perfectly. Bill Hader was fresh off of Saturday Night Live when Barry began and I think it's safe to say he proved just how versatile of an actor and writer he really is. The story came to a close with a literal bang and brought to an end a series that is somehow still underrated and also one of the best shows in recent memory.

Prime Video

The Legend of Vox Machina remained one of the best animated series with its second season and it's largely thanks to the incredible voice cast, in particular Laura Bailey and Liam O'Brien's work in Season 2 is astounding, and a story that has been beloved since it was created with Critical Role's first D&D campaign. The second season continued to have moments of absolute hilarity and a deep sense of found family, all wrapped up in a sincere fantasy adventure. What makes The Legend of Vox Machina so great is its ability to make you laugh in one moment and then cry the next because of how well this story is laid out. In Season 2, the show delivered one of the best TV episodes in 2023 with "The Sunken Tomb," an episode that also hit just as hard during the original campaign.

Jessica Brooks / Hulu

Kathryn Hahn, Merritt Wever, and Sarah Pidgeon delivered arguably three of the most devastatingly gorgeous TV performances for me in 2023 with Tiny Beautiful Things. Based on the bestselling collection of stories from Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things follows Clare (Hahn), a struggling writer who suddenly becomes an advice columnist. The show brilliantly bounces back and forth between Clare's present-day struggles as a mom, wife, and, let's be honest, just a human, with the past events that shaped who she is today, namely the death of her mom. It's an extremely emotional TV show that really leans on the performances of Kathryn, Merritt, and Sarah in the best ways.

Apple TV+

When I say I've never yelled, "OH MY GOD, WHAT?!" so many times while watching a TV series this year, I mean it. Set in a dystopian future, Silo follows a community that exists in, you guessed it, a giant silo. When strange disappearances and murders begin taking place, suddenly Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer living in one of the lowest levels of the Silo, suddenly finds herself at the center of everything. Rebecca continues to be so good in everything she's in, and Silo might be one of my favorite performances from her to date. If you're a fan of dystopian stories, a great ensemble cast, and, well, Rebecca, this is a show you don't want to miss.

Lacey Terrell / Prime Video

Right up front, I'm going to say that Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite books of all time, so this adaptation holds a special place in my heart. I like to tell people who are fans of the book that it's a good adaptation, but an incredible TV series. Yes, there are parts of the original novel that are left out, yes, I was sad about some of those changes, but it's hard not to sit back and look at how great the show is. Lead by an Emmy Award-nominated performance from Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, the series brought the messy and entrancing world of music in the 1970s to life and it was hard not to become obsessed from the very first episode.

Niko Tavernise / Prime Video

Rachel Weisz was robbed of an Emmy nomination in 2023 and that's a hill I am willing to die on. A modern take on David Cronenberg's 1988 thriller, Dead Ringers, Rachel starred as twin sisters Elliot and Beverly Mantle in truly one of the most mesmerizing performances I've witnessed this year. The show pushed the envelope and leaned all the way into the wild ride it wanted to take its viewers on. Rachel delivers not only one, but two, standout performances that reminded me of the brilliance of Tatiana Maslany in Orphan Black. It's a shame this show didn't get much Emmy Awards love because it was one of the best limited series in 2023. Period.

Bertrand Calmeau / CBS

Network TV has changed drastically in the era of streaming, but like Abbott Elementary, Ghosts has managed to rise to the top and genuinely become one of the best shows right now. In Season 2, the series continued to embrace its incredible ensemble, led by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar, with episodes that were equal parts hilarious and wholesome. The show managed to pull off a season-long arc while also delivering smaller episodes dedicated to each of the ghosts that expanded their characters, all within the traditional network TV format. I cannot recommend a show enough if you're looking for a great 30-minute comedy filled with a lot of heart.

Sandy Morris / HBO

I hadn't watched this show until Season 2 began this year and it quickly became one of my favorites that is somehow still underrated. Led by the amazing Bridget Everett, this show filled the Schitt's Creek–sized hole in my heart. It's filled with genuine characters, relatable stories, and so much more. Somebody Somewhere not only celebrates life, but also dives into grief and loss, and how we should learn to celebrate the little moments in life. It's such a great show and one of my favorite personal discoveries of 2023.

Greg Endries / Max

The Other Two remained a god-tier comedy right until the end, and I have a feeling this will be a show that more and more people discover. With its hilarious cast and ability to create genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, The Other Two continued to have everything you want in a comedy series: strong writing, strong directing, and a strong ensemble. While the show ended with this latest season, it's a show that you can (and should) watch over and over because there will always be a joke or moment that you somehow missed the first time.

Netflix

Fresh off her award-worthy turn on The Americans, Keri Russell pulls off another gripping political TV series flawlessly with The Diplomat. While not as serious in tone as The Americans, The Diplomat still plays to Keri's strengths and what ensues is a intriguing TV series you literally can't help but binge-watch. Some of my favorite shows are political series, like The West Wing and Scandal, and The Diplomat is another great one to add to the list, namely for the amazing range of emotions Keri is able to take this character on in just a single season.

Colin Hutton / Apple TV+

I'm going to be honest, I went back and forth on whether the (probable) final season of Ted Lasso should be on this list. For me, it was the weakest of the three seasons and it felt like everything was being crammed in before the series finale. While some characters got amazing arcs, like Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), other characters' storylines fell short, like Keeley Jones (Juno Temple). Overall though, it still was a good season of TV in 2023. The finale was great and got our characters where they needed to be, even though some of the middle episodes felt rushed and a little lopsided. At the end of the day, I am going to miss the infectious good nature of Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) and the award-winning cast, which made this show one of the best.