Ashley Bissette Sumerel’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2023

This wasn’t a typical year for TV. Though, let’s be honest, there hasn’t really been a typical year for TV in a while. 

Even with the historic strikes this year, there was still no shortage of good TV shows in various genres. Narrowing them down to favorites was just as tricky as ever, but the shows that stood out for me were the ones I couldn’t stop thinking about. 

In no particular order, here are my top 10 TV shows of 2023:

1. Shrinking

Shrinking starts off my list as the show that brought me the most joy this year. In many ways, the Apple TV+ series felt like the new Ted Lasso, but its angle was entirely different. Jason Segel’s Jimmy is a hot mess in the most endearing of ways, coping with the grief of losing his wife and learning how to be a single father to his teenage daughter, all while trying to help others with their own problems.

Harrison Ford’s character, Paul, has a dry humor that offers laugh-out-loud moments in some unexpected ways, and Jessica Williams brings an energy to the group that is unmatched. It’s a heartfelt, genuine, relatable comedy series that I can’t wait to see more of.

2. What We Do in the Shadows

I’m always captivated by shows or movies about vampires, but What We Do in the Shadows stands out for being the funniest. In the style of The Office, What We Do in the Shadows follows a group of vampires in the style of a mockumentary, and the most recent season was one of the show’s best.

The group dynamics continue to shift as Guillermo tries to earn the respect of the vampires he serves, and it changes even further when he finally takes matters into his own hands. But that happens with serious consequences, and it makes for some compelling — yet still absolutely hilarious storytelling.

This is one of the most clever comedies on TV, and though it’s disappointing that the show will end with Season 6, that fact suggests they’ll be able to end it on a high note. 

3. The Last of Us

This postapocalyptic series based on a video game grabbed me from the very beginning. The Last of Us is a show about sacrifice, found family, and impossible decisions. The bond that forms between Joel and Ellie as they travel across the United States in terrifying conditions is what drives the series and — ultimately, changes the goal. 

While there’s plenty of action, it’s really those character connections that make the show so compelling. That includes side characters as well — an entire episode focused on two characters in a flashback, for example, propels the show in an emotional way.

And while personally, I’ve never played the video game, I can absolutely appreciate that it feels like being a game while watching. 

4. For All Mankind

I wish more people were talking about For All Mankind. The Apple TV+ series tells the story of the space race and what might have happened had their been one change in history — that it wasn’t the United States of America who first put a man on the moon.

Now in its fourth season, the series is exploring what the political landscape might be like if humans created a community on Mars. As wild as that sounds, the story is told in a way that feels entirely plausible, with well-developed characters, complicated family dynamics, and relatable conflicts. 

5. The Morning Show

No other show has tackled the most timely topics the way The Morning Show has. While The Morning Show Season 2 focused on the pandemic, tracing the way events unfolded on the news in real-time, The Morning Show Season 3 took on the January 6th insurrection and the overturning of Roe V. Wade. 

While that kind of topical storytelling was tough to watch at times — it’s so soon compared the real events — it was done in a thoughtful, captivating way that affected the main characters directly. It didn’t feel forced, but instead, it seemed exactly how the events might have changed things for Bradley Jackson and Alex Levy. 

It’s no surprise the series has been nominated for several awards this year. 

6. Outlander

This was the year I finally discovered how incredible Outlander was. I binged the series from the beginning, enthralled in a way I didn’t quite expect. I knew the show’s popularity and acclaim, yet it still exceeded my expectations. Binge-watching also meant everything leading up to the new season (well, the first part of it) was fresh on my mind.

Seven seasons in, and the show remains as captivating as it was from the beginning. The time travel elements are carefully constructed, the characters are complex, and the history of it all is incorporated beautifully. 

7. The Way Home

The Way Home was this year’s big surprise, and not just for me. The casting of the Hallmark series grabbed my attention first, with Chyler Leigh and Andie MacDowell. It’s a little darker and a little more edgy than you’d expect for a Hallmark show, yet it carries the same level of comfort and coziness, even given the first season’s emotional ending. 

The mystery of the series is only part of what keeps viewers coming back. At its core, this is a family drama about reconnection and growth. And, the time travel (at least in what we’ve seen so far) takes us back to the ’90s, which is especially fun to watch when you grew up as a ’90s kid.

8. Found

Found was another big surprise this year. The new NBC drama is a different type of procedural, with each case of the week involving the search for a missing person. While the cases themselves are intriguing, it’s the characters who search for them, and the underlying mystery, that makes this show so intriguing. 

Gabi Mosely leads the team as her firm, Mosely and Associates, takes on the missing persons cases that the police won’t. A kidnap victim herself, she has a unique perspective, and everyone else on her team has a trauma that makes them want to do this type of work as well.

But the real kicker is learning about Gabi’s kidnapper, who she currently is holding captive in her basement. He’s also her secret weapon — helping her with cases thanks to his expertise. 

With the stellar performances, the mystery, and the emotional stakes for these characters, Found is a real standout amongst new dramas, and network dramas in general, this year.

9. The Rookie

While I’ve loved The Rookie since the beginning, it’s only gotten better over the years. Its lighthearted nature, despite being a police procedural, is a breath of fresh air, and the character development and relationships give the show its heart.

Sure, there’s plenty of action and the occasional hostage situation, but those elements are balanced in a way that makes The Rookie a comfort show while keeping us on our toes. I also really enjoy seeing the everyday calls police offers go on — which aren’t always glamorous. 

10. Grey’s Anatomy

Call me predictable. If you know me or have kept up with my reviews, you know I’m a Grey’s Anatomy die-hard. Even when the show is bad, it keeps me coming back, but this year, Grey’s Anatomy proved itself once again. The series re-invented itself with a new crop of interns while saying goodbye (sort of) to Meredith Grey. 

The fact that Grey’s Anatomy is able to keep re-inventing itself, now playing on nostalgia as much as it takes on new ideas and brings in new characters, is remarkable, and especially with the most recent season, it continues to tell important stories. In particular, this year, the way Grey’s Anatomy tackled Roe v. Wade was especially powerful.

The series also keeps us coming back with relationships, cliffhangers, and character development for some characters that’s continued for nearly two decades. That, to me, is really impressive. 

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What were your favorite TV shows this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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