Hello one and all, and welcome back to Moose Droppings—the newsletter that you forgot you subscribed to. I’m here today to tell you about my favorite TV Shows of 2023. This list is pure, unfiltered, objective, fact. What you read here is what the voters for the Emmy’s, SAG/AFTRA, and the WGA will consider when they vote for their awards and consider who to include in their next projects. I know, it’s crazy. Who knew a newsletter with 20+ subscribers could have so much influence?
Honorable Mentions
Let’s get a few things out of the way. TV fell off a cliff in June. The last few years, we’ve been treated to a never-ending stream of shows and this year it just…stopped. For those paying attention to the entertainment industry, this was a long time coming. A writers and actors strike loomed over the spring sprint of Emmy hopefuls, while Wall Street started to demand actual profits from companies who run streaming services. Throw in a more conscious consumer and you’ve got the perfect situation for a TV slump.
This year, as of the time of this writing, I watched 55 TV shows. Of those 55, I finished 31 of them. Some notable duds for me were the third and final season of Ted Lasso, Ahoska, and 1923 (which featured a sub-plot so bad that it would make a Hallmark Christmas movie look like prestige TV). Some notable hits were The Last of Us, Fargo Season 5, and Gen V. The following ten shows, however, were a cut above the rest:
Top 10 TV Shows of 2023
10 - Hijack
Sometimes you just need a great show that pretends like it’s doing something new but really it’s just an updated British version of 24. I loved keeping up with this from week to week over the summer. Hijack had great twists, engaging characters, and a great performance from Idris Elba. What more could you ask for?
9 - Slow Horses (Seasons two and three)
Slow Horses is a special show that features Gary Oldman farting, smoking, and downing noodles for what I can only imagine is a very solid Apple-backed paycheck. This show is so good though, it’s tightly written and flows really well each week. It’s always a delight and you're left wanting more at the end of each season. The best part though? You could jump in at any season and you wouldn’t be missing huge plot points. Slow Horses is TV at its absolute best!
8 - The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Mike Flanagan’s final Netflix series was ambitious, horrifying, and delightful. Each episode adapted a poem or short story by Edgar Alan Poe, while also maintaining an overarching narrative that was loosely based on Poe’s own “The Fall of The House of Usher.” Flanagan is in a class of his own when it comes to Horror and this was his finest show since Midnight Mass.
7 - BEEF
I wrote about Beef earlier this year. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong’s performances really stuck with me, and the needle drops in the show were perfect. I’ll always welcome a swing at trying to convey how anxiety and depression have wormed their way into each of our lives, especially when it is also hilarious to watch.
6 - How To With John Wilson (Season 3)
Ever wondered how to find a bathroom in New York City? John will be there for you, for about five minutes. From there, it’s anyone’s guess where he will actually take you. Every episode is its own adventure filled with the zaniest people you may ever come across. One episode somehow finds its way into a club that meets once a year for their annual Vacuum show, where they show off their Vacuum collections. Another episode featured a group that gets together each month to watch James Cameron’s Avatar. No, I’m not making any of this up.
5 - Full Circle
Steven Soderbergh, the man who brought us the George Clooney-led Oceans movies, has a unique skill in that he knows how to make a solid contemporary TV show or movie. Full Circle starts off as a kidnapping mystery but slowly turns into an incredible indictment of capitalism. I can’t recommend it enough.
4 - Reservation Dogs (Season 3)
The fuckin rez dogs had me tearing up and laughing for the whole series and this season was no exception. How often do we get shows like this? (not often, if ever)
3 - The Bear (Season 2)
Folks, The Bear is too good. Only this show could take a gruff character like Richie (aka Cousin) and have him belt out Taylor Swift with absolutely no shame. Just watch for yourself:
2 - Barry (Season 4)
Bill Hader’s bizarre assassin-dramedy turned into one of the most creative and cinematic shows I’ve ever seen. Supposedly, Bill wants to get into making movies now, including horror. I can’t wait to see what he does after this astounding show. Oh, and Henry Winkler is incredible as always.
1 - Succession (Season 4)
A media personality that I love called Succession, “the perfection of prestige TV.” Succession was a show loosely based on some of the media's most elite families (most notably Rupert Murdoch and his children). Succession did what most shows can never do, and that is create characters that felt real. Kendall Roy easily could be on Twitter/X right now posting about how we need to end the patriarchy, and I don’t think any of us would bat an eye. The last thing I’ll say is that Succession knew when to be funny and when to take the wind out of you, and they always threaded that line perfectly. I honestly can’t think of a better show I’ve watched in the last 10 years—Succession is up there with the best of the best.
The Last Drop
Last week a trailer debuted on YouTube. This trailer broke the record for most views in the first 24-hrs of a video being uploaded, which was previously held by Mr. Beast (aka Jimmy Donaldson). Additionally, the song that this trailer featured saw a 36,000% increase in listening on Spotify. So what the heck generated this much interest? The new Grand Theft Auto, of course. To be fair, it’s an awesome trailer. If it’s already doing numbers like this I can’t wait to see what we end up getting in 2025.
That’s all for now Substackers. I’m working on seeing the rest of the movies from 2023 that I wanted to see this year. Keep an eye out for my favorite movies of 2023. Until then, stay sassy!