10 TV series I've enjoyed this year

Looking for something new to watch?

Hello there!

While I watched some not-so-great shows this year (maybe I should make a list of shows to skip?), others were quite worthwhile, some of which had a lasting impression on me. Here are 10 of them if you are looking for a series to binge.

Some remarks, first: (1) They were not necessarily all released in 2023. Some of them had new seasons this year, and others I just happened to catch up with recently. (2) They aren't in any order or ranking.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Prime Video)

I'm still watching this one, so we will see how it progresses. So far, so good.

Adapted from Holly Ringland's bestseller, this story explores family bonds, domestic violence, and how women cope with its aftermath. Sigourney Weaver is June, the grandma of the main character in the title, Alice Hart. June opens her house to Alice after she becomes an orphan through traumatic circumstances.

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)

I feel like I'm always recommending Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but here it is again. The fifth and final season was released this year and honestly, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is one of my favorite shows ever. If you still haven't seen it, go watch it. Like now.

It tells the story of a rich Jewish housewife in the 1950s who begins a comedic career after finding out that her husband cheats on her with his secretary. I wrote about Mrs. Maisel what seems like a lifetime ago after the release of the fourth season:

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is consistently...Marvelous!

Arcane (Netflix)

I know animation is not everyone's cup of tea, which honestly makes me frustrated because it's a worthwhile medium to tell engaging stories. Based on the game League of Legends, Arcane can still be enjoyed without having ever played the game, which was my case.

It's surprisingly interesting in terms of its themes, depth, and overall storyline despite being clearly aimed at the gamer audience. It is certainly entertaining and has great visuals. It tells the story of a city divided by the haves and have-nots and two sisters who grew up in poverty and tried to survive the violence geared toward the poor.

Upright (Prime Video)

Upright was my latest "What to Binge”. It was an enjoyable surprise. The fucked-up middle-aged man who has his life changed by a young teenager is a well-known trope. Still, I truly enjoyed watching Upright. It mixes this trope with the fun and absurdity of road trip movies while not shunning larger issues such as family struggles and dealing with death. Set in Australia, this series has only eight thirty-minute episodes and is as bingeble as possible.

Fleishman is in trouble (Disney+)

This show was recommended to me by Disney+ algorithms for a year, but the thumbnail sadly, really put me off it. (Side note: Disney+ and Amazon Video both have awful UX and should learn from Netflix).

Anyway, it's a captivating and entertaining show based on a book with the same title. It is about parenthood, divorce, midlife crises, and much more. You can read more about it in this text I wrote:

Our main markers of success won't make us happy

Beef (Netflix)

I know I said I was not ranking here but Beef was certainly my favorite original show this year. It is pretty fantastic, the characters, the actors, the story, the visuals. You should check it out if you haven't.

It revolves around two strangers fighting each other. This keeps escalating because both refuse to let go and confront their real problems. I also wrote about Beef in a full text:

All we want is to connect

Mo (Netflix)

Stories about people living in other countries, immigrants, and refugees are my soft spot. Mo is about a Palestinian family that fled to the US as refugees. Despite the difficulties, this is not a sad series at all.

Mohammed (Mo) is trying to live a dignified life in the country he has lived in since eight years old, but life keeps throwing curve balls in his direction. You can learn more about it in this post I published in March:

The tyranny of meritocracy

Daisy Jones and The Six (Prime Video)

Daisy Jones and The Six is a fictionalized mockumentary about a fake band from the 1970s called Daisy Jones and The Six. The series tells the story of the band's successes and the reasons behind their breakup. It is as if you are watching a band documentary which was a clever way to almost make you believe the band was real.

Read my full review here:

Daisy Jones & The Six

The Bear (Disney+/ Hulu)

After a heartbreaking loss in his family, a young chef comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. Its fast-paced approach and over-the-edge stress portrayed in the show took me and everyone else by surprise. Having enjoyed success in the first season, The Bear has launched its second season this year. I wrote about the first season last year:

How we avoid feeling by hiding behind work

The Lying Life of Adults (Netflix)

Last but not least, this short series based on the novel by Elena Ferrante of the same name is also worth a watch. I still can't believe the main actress had never acted before this.

The Lying Life of Adults tells the story of Giovanna, a teenager trying to reconnect with her estranged aunt. While piecing out why her aunt was considered a bad woman by her family she finds herself becoming more and more like her aunt.