Decider’s 26 Best TV Shows Of 2023: Shrinking, Servants, Sixes, Shadows, Succession, Oh My!

It’s starting to get repetitive to say “What a weird year for TV!” But, well… You know.

While we’re still dealing with some massive changes throughout the streaming world, thanks to the introduction of ad tiers, shifting bundles, and viewers shifting habits from prestige shows to the Blue Sky days of yore on USA, enter… Two strikes.

To be clear, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA were fighting the good fight for compensation and AI protections they deserved, and rightly won against the allied studios. But at the same time, the dual strikes completely upended the broadcast season in particular and rippled throughout the world of cable, streaming, and beyond.

While Netflix, the prime culprit in that whole “strikes thing,” was arguably the least impacted, it did mean we had a year full of upstarts, like Freevee’s surprise hit Jury Duty. And back to Netflix, Suits turning out to be one of the biggest shows of the year… Despite not airing new episodes since 2019 (don’t worry, there’s a spinoff coming). And in a rare sign of life for broadcast, The Golden Bachelor became a huge hit, as reality shows were the only ones able to air effectively (for the most part) during Strike Times.

That said? There were still more than enough TV shows to make it extremely hard to determine the best of the best… But we did it anyway! How did we do it? We’ll tell you. The staff at Decider sent in their list of TV shows that aired at least one episode between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. From there, those personal lists were weighted, culled together, and resulted in the list you see below.

So without further ado, here are the 26 best TV shows of 2023.—Alex Zalben

1. Servant

   The gripping supernatural series Servant came to an end this year, and, boy, what a way to go out. Created by Tony Basgallop and executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, the show chose to focus on the power struggle between nanny Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free) and the bed-ridden and calculating Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose) in its final season. Unlike other Shyamalan projects, Servant rewarded its audience by definitively answering who and what Leanne was, but at the same time, daring its viewers to think beyond the realm of the material world. With powerful performances from its main cast, dynamic plots, and thrilling action sequences, this Apple TV+ series celebrated genre storytelling in all its forms. Plus, the twist at the end? Brilliant! — Karen Kemmerle

   watch Servant on Apple TV+

2. Perry Mason

   Pour one out for Perry Mason, HBO’s elegant, adult, and innovative murder mystery show. In Perry Mason’s second season, a new showrunning team took what was established in Season 1 and ran wild. Unfortunately, no one outside of die-hards and TV critics tuned in for what was an incredible season of TV. HBO unceremoniously canceled the Matthew Rhys dazzler just as it hit its creative stride. Nevertheless, Perry Mason Season 2 simply was a stunner of a show. — Meghan O’Keefe

   WHERE TO WATCH PERRY MASON

3. Fellow Travelers

   Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey play star-crossed lovers in a severely homophobic era, which also includes the height of McCarthyism, the drug-fueled disco years, and the start of the AIDS crisis. Fellow Travelers is a daring and heartbreaking story about forbidden love that refuses to gloss over the icky parts of history. Premiering during a time when audiences are arguing against the need for tragic queer stories, the series proves why it’s necessary. Thousands of lives were lost, harmed, and prosecuted during the decades that the show covers. Unlike many other stories that tackle a similar moment in time, the show highlights the political action prior to the AIDS crisis that allowed for the mass death of gay men to be ignored for as long as it was. With brilliant performances from Bomer, Bailey, and the entire cast, showstopping sex scenes, and a heart-wrenching script, this show was a big, emotionally charged surprise. — Raven Brunner

   WHERE TO WATCH fellow travelers

4. Daisy Jones & The Six

   Based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book of the same name, Daisy Jones & The Six is a riveting musical drama curated specially for fans of Fleetwood Mac, classic rock, and heart-wrenching love stories. Taking place in the 1970s, the 10-episode Prime Video series follows a rock band from its rise to international fame to its eventual fall from grace when its members split up at the peak of their careers. Whether it’s the forbidden chemistry between Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) or the nostalgic element of the 1970s, Daisy Jones & The Six has no problem keeping its viewers hooked from start to finish. Plus, watching Keough — the granddaughter of Elvis Presley — stun in a musical role was just what was needed to keep the high of Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Elvis biopic going well into 2023. — Samantha Nungesser

   WHERE TO WATCH daisy jones & the six

5. A Million Little Things

   Season 5 of A Million Little Things, which aired from February through May of this year, provided a heart-wrenching ending to the ABC series that left viewers wanting more. The show’s emotional moments were rounded out by just enough dialogue, well delivered by its stars, such as James Roday-Rodriguez, Romany Malco, and David Giuntoli. Since its finale, I have longed for a new show with as much on-screen chemistry among its cast members, and love behind its premise. — Alex Vena

   WHERE TO WATCH A MILLION LITTLE THINGS

6. Fargo

   Fargo delivers a gripping plot and some killer performances in Season 5, which tells the twisty story of a housewife (played by Juno Temple with a perfect Midwest accent) whose dark past catches up with her. Jon Hamm is a villainous sheriff with Joe Keery as his sidekick son, while Jennifer Jason Leigh is instantly iconic as an icy matriarch. Fargo’s latest installment captures the original film’s sly humor and is one of the best seasons in years. — Greta Bjornson

   WHERE TO WATCH Fargo

7. Shrinking

   A lot of shows were released since Shrinking wrapped up its first season in March, so it’s a testament to just how good it is that it stayed on our Best of the Year list from our mid-year check-in to now. The Apple TV+ comedy co-created by star Jason Segel follows Jimmy, a grieving therapist who thinks the key to changing his own life after his wife’s death is to become more involved in his patients’ lives to an unprofessional degree by being brutally honest. What makes Shrinking special is the ensemble cast — yes, Jimmy is technically the main character, but the plots that follow his teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell), patient Sean (Luke Tennie), and coworkers Gaby (Jessica Williams) and Paul (Harrison Ford) are just as strong as Jimmy’s main journey and keep us invested in, and rooting for, every single character on the show. Shrinking will have you laughing out loud one minute and crying the next, thanks to its incredibly real portrayal of the ups and downs of grief. — Angela Tricarico

   STREAM SHRINKING on apple TV+

8. Poker Face

   Of course a mystery series created by Rian Johnson, starring Natasha Lyonne was going to be good. But we didn’t know Poker Face, from showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman, would be this good. From the done-in-one mysteries to the format that feels fresh and comforting at the same time, to every single guest star and interaction between Lyonne’s Charlie and the other characters, Poker Face was a 10-episode gem. — Alex Zalben

   STREAM poker face on peacock

9. Lessons in Chemistry

   Apple TV+ scored big when it landed Lee Eisenberg’s ambitious adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’ bestselling 2022 novel, Lessons in Chemistry. In a role that feels as if it was concocted in a lab specifically for her, Brie Larson plays Elizabeth Zott, a scientist-turned-cooking-show-host whose life is irrevocably changed when she meets star chemist Calvin Evans (the charming Lewis Pullman). The eight-episode limited series excels at concisely delivering deliciously dense, sweeping storylines. It’s a beautiful exploration of human connection, passion, purpose, equality, intellect, and love in many forms that expands on its source material. And it not only delivered an Office reunion in our year 2023, it also gave us one of the year’s most stunning, devastating TV episodes. — Nicole Gallucci

   STREAM lessons in chemistry on apple tv+

10. I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson

    I think there just might be no rules. I Think You Should Leave Season 3 wasn’t the most quotable of the bunch, but it still delivered tons of wackiness and laughs. The “No Rules” sketch in Episode 4 is a standout as it follows two “shirt brothers” (Biff Wiff and Tim Robinson) and their realization of the limitless potential of the world around them, brought to them by an alternative rock song. The sketch is nonsensical, but still deeply profound — just like the show’s best bits. The series continues to thrive in the “what the fuck did I just watch?” arena and reach new heights with its comedy. I mean, the season has Robinson playing a Bachelor contestant who is obsessed with ziplines. Who comes up with this shit? Regardless, it had viewers seated and entertained. What more could you want? — Raven Brunner

    STREAM i think you should leave with tim robinson on Netflix

11. The Fall Of The House Of Usher

    Mike Flanagan’s movies and shows always get dark, but usually end with some sort of message of love or hope. With The Fall of the House of Usher? Not so much. Take Succession, mix in Final Destination, and a healthy dose of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and you’ve got Fal of the House of Usher. Full of deliciously wicked performances and set pieces, it won’t feed your soul in the same way as, say, Bly Manor. But watching these rich a-holes get taken down one by one by Carla Gugino’s enigmatic entity, thanks to a plot that parallels the rise of oxycontin and Big Pharma, is extraordinarily satisfying in its own way. — Alex Zalben

    STREAM The fall of the house of usher on Netflix

12. Beef

    Beef is one of the best Netflix originals since the first season of Stranger Things. Creator and director Lee Sung Jin masterfully spun together the stories of two wildly different people: a wealthy businesswoman, played by Ali Wong, and a working-class immigrant, played by Steven Yeun, whose lives collide in a road-rage fueled incident. It’s both a quiet character study and a compelling thriller. You’ll be on the edge of your seat while contemplating the vast diversity of the Asian American experience. Plus, Wong and Yeun deliver some of their best-ever work. They’ll make you laugh and cry in spades. Beef is, without a doubt, must-watch TV. — Anna Menta

    STREAM beef on Netflix

13. Party Down

    The third season of Starz’s trenchant cult comedy Party Down was a brilliant return to form. The niche sitcom had previously been off the air for 13 years but showed zero signs of rust, delivering a sophisticated six-episode season that deftly blended existential ennui with razor-sharp joke writing. The returning ensemble exuded sparkling comedic chemistry, and the new additions (Jennifer Garner, James Marsden, Tyrel Jackson Williams, and Zoë Chao) added a fresh new enthusiasm to the series. — Josh Sorokach

    where to watch party down

14. Abbott Elementary

    This ABC comedy series is still a breath of fresh air, even two seasons in. From Quinta Brunson’s signature earnestness to Tyler James Williams’ stoicism, the ensemble cast truly brings their characters to life in a way that still feels realistic while still achieving real character growth. Not to mention, Season 2 had many memorable moments, whether it was tackling the public school versus charter school debate or advancing the slow-burning romance that has been keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Each episode released this season left many of us wondering how Brunson continues to strike gold. — Radhamely De Leon

    where to watch abbott elementary

15. And Just Like That…

    While I personally believe nothing can live up to the original Sex and the City series, And Just Like That… has provided fans with a taste of nostalgia, as they watch ¾ of the original girl gang continue to tackle life in New York nearly 20 years after the 2004 SATC finale. Season 2 saw the development of newer characters such as Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), while also granting viewers a brief dose of Samantha Jones in the form of a finale phone call. Needless to say, I’m eager for Season 3. — Alex Vena

    where to watch …And just like that

16. Dead Ringers

    Alice Birch’s radical reimagining of David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers is hands down the series that has haunted me the most in 2023. The pitch-perfect thriller stars Rachel Weisz as co-dependent twin geniuses Elliot and Beverly Mantle. The sisters’ dreams of launching a bespoke birth center that will change obstetrics forever hits a snag when the shier Beverly finds love with a beautiful actress. Dead Ringers is a fascinating look at the horror of being a woman and an even more scathing indictment of the super-wealthy pharmaceutical empires who own America through our health care. — Meghan O’Keefe

    stream dead ringers on prime video

17. Heartstopper

    Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick’s (Kit Connor) googly-eyed romance continues in Heartstopper Season 2 which follows the Truham Grammar School teens on an adventurous field trip in Paris. The sophomore season was an incredible feat for Netflix and the cast as it brought the story to new emotional heights. In it, Charlie struggles with various life pressures and develops an eating disorder, Nick faces his homophobic brother and the prospect of coming out, and Tao and Elle navigate their changing relationship. To add to the fun, the season introduces Truham teacher Mr. Farouk (Nima Taleghani) as Mr. Ajayi’s (Fisayo Akinade) love interest. There’s something for everyone! Filled with heart, teenage buffoonery, and the glitzy backdrop of Paris, 2023’s eight new episodes of the beloved series were unforgettable. — Raven Brunner

    stream heartstopper on netflix

18. What We Do In The Shadows

    Just when you think What We Do In The Shadows has gotten as weird as it can possibly get, the show outdoes itself, as evidenced in Season 5. This year, the bumbling vampires revealed the worst urgent care imaginable, kicked off an unforgettable Pride parade, and introduced us to some of the strangest creatures we’ve seen on the show yet. We can’t even begin to predict what’s in store next season. — Greta Bjornson

    where to watch what we do in the shadows

19. Our Flag Means Death

    When Our Flag Means Death, Max’s beloved pirate rom-com, returned for a second season earlier this fall, it came back in a much darker place than Season 1 had dared to take the show until the very end. The series picked up right where it had left off, with Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) adrift with members of his Revenge crew and Ed “Blackbeard” Teach (Taika Waititi) ready to wreak heartbreak-induced havoc on the high seas. Season 2 opens with the two men still apart, so there wasn’t much “rom” to be found, and to that note, not a whole lot of “com” either. Our Flag Means Death has always worked best when Stede and Ed are in the same place, even if they aren’t on good terms, so as soon as the show reunites them and we’re back on that familiar journey, it settles back into the rhythm that made us fall in love with the show to begin with. Throughout the second season, we meet new characters, including Minnie Driver and Rachel House as real pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Reade in an unhinged partnership that holds a mirror to Stede and Ed’s own relationship, and catch up with some old friends from Season 1. Overall, Our Flag Means Death continues to be one of TV’s kindest shows, with a message that love alone won’t save you, but believing in the people you love can set them on the right path. — Angela Tricarico

    stream our flag means death on max

20. Vanderpump Rules

    Hard to believe that Vanderpump Rules—a series that started as a spinoff of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills—now holds the honor of being the most-watched cable series in 2023. Well, hard to believe for the nonbelievers out there, but to Bravo acolytes like myself who have been watching these former SURvers for the past 10 years, it was only a matter of time before a reality series got the respect it was due. All it took was “Scandoval,” the name given to the cataclysmic event where “worm with a mustache” Tom Sandoval cheated on his girlfriend of almost a decade, Ariana Madix (now Broadway-bound), with their former best friend, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. The show returns for its 11^th season this January, and you know the world will be watching. — Karen Kemmerle

    where to watch vanderpump rules

21. The Last Of Us

    HBO’s adaptation of The Last Of Us breathed new life into the “zombie” genre, one that became worn out during the 2010s. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal’s critically acclaimed performances ground this tense drama, though they’re not quite the type of heroes that we typically see on television. Pascal’s character, Joel, is a bit of a curmudgeon who is tasked with transporting a 14-year-old girl across the country for a desperate shot at saving humanity. Part of Season 1’s success was that the series strived to be a faithful adaptation of the best-selling video game. But Episode 3, “Long, Long Time,” which was not necessarily part of the game, brought the show to new heights and remains one of the best episodes of television to come out this year. — Radhamely De Leon

    where to watch the last of us

22. The Other Two

    Unfortunately, The Other Two came to an untimely end earlier this year amid staff complaints against creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, but the show still went out with a memorable, touching, and hilarious final season. While The Other Two began as a lighthearted comedy, the show matured in its later episodes as it explored how dark fame and celebrity can get. — Greta Bjornson

    where to watch the other two

23. Barry

    After four sharp seasons, Bill Hader and Alec Berg’s prestige dark comedy Barry ended with a bang — or should we say it ended with so, so many bangs. Season 4’s time jump, numerous heart-wrenching twists, and an unexpected series finale may have divided longtime fans of the series, but Hader, Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, and Stephen Root’s performances remained sublime. Regardless of how you feel about the final showdowns or closing scene, there’s no doubt in my mind that the series finale will have you saying, “Oh wow.” Amidst the horrors of a hitman’s career, Barry successfully sought out humor time and time again. In the end, the Emmy-winning HBO series remains a unique masterpiece that firmly cements Hader as a profound, impossibly talented actor, writer, and director. — Nicole Gallucci

    where to watch barry

24. Succession

    To anyone who wasn’t summarily entertained by the farewell season of Succession, well, I’m sorry, but you are not serious people. The final chapter of the Roy family saga had streamers reexperiencing the bygone joy of appointment viewing as the razor-sharp series delivered an array of unforgettable scenes and buzzy “water cooler” moments. The fourth season as a whole was extraordinary television, but the final four episodes are all-timers, offering the perfect coda to a true small-screen luminary. Succession reminded us of the old HBO slogan: “It’s not TV. It’s HBO.” Thanks for the memories, Succession. You’ll always be our number one boy. — Josh Sorokach

    where to watch succession

25. The Bear

    2023 was full of standout television, but no show made me feel emotions as deeply as Christopher Storer’s critically acclaimed FX series The Bear. While watching Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and our favorite Season 1 chefs renovate their restaurant and embark on journeys of personal growth, I found myself uncontrollably sobbing, giddily smiling, anxiously shifting in my seat, and squealing with delight in a singular viewing experience; the result of a fiercely talented cast, meticulously crafted tension, and standout writing and directing. From quiet Copenhagen cooking lessons and the restorative hope of “Forks” to the familial fury of “Fishes” and a brutally bittersweet finale, The Bear’s sophomore season was another spectacular success. — Nicole Gallucci

    where to watch the bear

26. Jury Duty

    where to watch jury duty

    Who knew jury duty could be so much damn fun? Amazon Freevee’s documentary-style comedy purportedly chronicles the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of juror Ronald Gladden. The catch? The entire case is… fake. Everyone except Ronald is an actor and everything that happens inside and outside of the courtroom has been meticulously planned. Thanks in large part to the inexhaustible warmth of Gladden, Jury Duty was the surprise hit of the year. It eschewed mean-spirited cringe humor and “gotcha” moments to deliver a hilarious, feel-good reality series that stands alone in terms of ambition, innovation, and execution. 

    It’s a miracle that a show like Jury Duty even exists. With all the moving parts, the margin for error was razor-thin. But sometimes the streaming gods do us a solid. There’s no need to deliberate, Jury Duty is the best show of 2023. — Josh Sorokach