Top TV Shows of 2023: Expert Reviews and Rankings

Our experts review the seven best TV shows of 2023, including Happy Valley season three, which delivered a powerful ending with its quality plotting and refusal to take the easy road; Netflix's anime miniseries Pluto, which stands out for its meticulous character development and philosophical questions about consciousness evolution; the final season of HBO's Succession, praised for its finely drawn characters and audience's investment in the flawed Roy siblings; Netflix's Life on Our Planet, a beautifully realized historical biography of life that highlights Earth's biodiversity and long evolutionary timescales; Swarm, an Amazon Prime horror-comedy that explores obsessive fandoms from a black female perspective; and The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic series that surprises and challenges audiences with its clever adaptation and unexpected additions to the story. Additionally, The Woman in the Wall, a BBC gothic thriller, delves into the painful nature and legacies of Magdalene laundries, making it essential viewing.