Best TV Shows (2023 )

It's that time of the year when you sit up and realize yet another year has rocketed past you! 

But this year has been at least, a fairly soul-satisfying one for me, from a creative pursuits point of view. My writings are not been dead - I have finished rewriting about forty-thousand words of my previous manuscript with some solid new storylines which I think, is promising. Got a bite from an agent even! Took active participation in some writing contests, did a few nice short stories, even won an award for one of those shorts. The most soul-crushing aspect of publishing journey, which is the querying phase is on now and the agent research is in full swing now. So hey, not bad at all in terms of reviving that flagging part of my tired soul which had been caged up for like two three years past! 

So coming to the topic I wanted to write on, the Best TV Shows for this year 2023 - I will run past a few of my favorites that I finally came around to watching, not necessarily released in 2023. 

Devil's Hour ( Supernatural, Thriller) 

From the devious mind of Steven Moffat (Sherlock Holmes, Executive Producer to this) comes this twisty taut suspense thriller that follows the life of a young woman named Lucy Chambers - who wakes up exactly at 3.33 AM, a time known as the Devil's Hour with haunting dreams that make no sense to her. At the same time, Detective Ravi Dhillon is hot on the pursuit of a serial killer who has resurfaced after a long hiatus and is on a killing spree. How Lucy unravels this mystery, while discovering her bond with her son Isaac, a strange boy who doesn't show his emotions or attachments, forms the core plot of this fascinating thriller. Brilliant performances headlined by Jessica Rayne and Peter Capaldi,  this one's acute psychological horror tinged up with supernatural for the thriller fans who I bet aren't ready for this nail biting shocker. A six-part litany on a smorgasbord of domestic violence, inexplicable dissapearances, omen-meets-sixth sense horror, the burden of dementia, police procedurals and good old grey dangerous English countryside. Highly recommended. 

Yellowjackets (Horror, Thriller) 

I recently binged on this absolute doozy of a series, released in 2021 - Yellowjackets dealing with the harrowing survival story of a team of high school girls football team that gets lost in the wilderness of Ontario. The story is told in twin timelines where we see the girls go from a complicated but united football team into a bunch of warring clans, ready to go to any extent to survive the darkness in the wild. The second timeline is the present, twenty five years later where the bunch of survivors, chiefly four of them navigate their complicated middle age, all the while protecting some dangerous secrets from their time in the wild. It's edge-of-your-seat stuff right from get-go (that perfectly paced pilot episode) where we see the girls trap and murder one of their counterparts in a cannibalistic cult rituals deep in the heart of the woods they are trapped in. Sets the mood right away for this dark, doozy genre mashup that combines teenage drama, middle-age crisis, survival thriller, body horror, stinging suspense and a lot more But despite having a fantastic storyline for the teenage times set in 1996, it is actually the present in 2021 that actually had me rooting for this series. The domestic exigencies that underline the lives of four of the survivors, now in their forties and navigating failing marriages, politics, battling drug relapses and loneliness. The senior actors - Melanie Lynsky, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci - blow it out of the park with some incredible performances that draw you in. The younger actors aren't far behind and despite the teenage angst and drama that could throw you off, the darkness and the creepy sense of horror that engulfs every scene within the wilderness is very well done. Having finished season One now, I am looking around for where I can binge on the second season! Gruesome, tightly-plotted and gripping, this one's sure to keep you glued. 

Kohrra (Drama, Crime) 

A crime-series set in rural Punjab? As improbable as it sounds as a premise, Kohrra is an absolute gem of a series that unravels like a delightful puzzlebox, good old police procedural that also sifts through dysfunctional families, political ambitions, human greed and relationships. Surinder Vicky and Barun Sobti lead a talented ensemble through the hazy mists that reveals more about the landscape than it hides. 

Blue Eyed Samurai (Anime) 

A mixed-race samurai hell bent on exacting revenge in 17th century Japan? Ooh! Perfectly paced, brilliantly written and so wonderfully realized on screen, Blue Eyed Samurai was the 2023 find for me on TV. Viciously choreographed violence, stunning visuals of Japan in winter and early spring and an immersive storyline that never deviates, this is pitch-perfect watchable. 

Sanctuary (Drama) 

A series on Sumo Wrestling through the POV of a desperate kid who wants to challenge this age old sport steeped in tradition makes for an interesting watch, chiefly because of Wataru Ichinose's cocky attitude. A quintessential underdog story, it takes its time getting to where we expect the climax to land but imminently watchable as we understand this amazing traditional sport synomymous with Japanese culture. I for one, enjoyed the politics, the antics and of course, the gnarly match-ups.  

Last of Us (Horror) 

Based on the best-selling game franchise, Last of Us was everything we want in a TV Series. Zombies ( based on fungi!), an unlikely lead duo of a middle-aged man with a teenager (Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsay ) who fight the world gone crazy to achieve their mission, a perfect blend of horror and heart, a phenomenal adventure that is action packed, emotionally turbulent and equal parts harrowing and profound on its treatise about human survival in the face of odds. 

Wheel of Time, Season 2 (Fantasy) 

Realized that I have watched only a few fantasy shows this year! But this second season of Amazon Studio's magnum opus, this season is deeper and better than the creaky first installment. Building on the world in heaps, and the fascinating character study of the lead group gearing up to meet the Dark One, this one is possibly the better fantasy TV running right now. 

One Piece (Fantasy) 

Quirky, funny, heartfelt and featuring the most zaniest pirates ever to trudge across TV, One Piece is a sassy adaptation of the Manga series of the same name. Colorful adventures of one Monkey D Luffy, a cheerful optimist brat of a pirate captain, a young man setting out to collect the great treasure of all times is a romp through jolly good times and mind boggling adventures on the high seas with a crew you want to cheer till the end of the world. 

Godless (Western, Drama) 

I am a sucker for westerns, but there are so few that are actually well done and worthy enough. Godless (2017) is one of the best westerns that I have watched in recent times, period. Gripping, escalating tension, life and death stand-offs, blistering shoot outs and sweeping vistas of the mountain sunsets. Headlined by some terrific performances by Jeff Daniels, Michelle Dockery and others. If you love a good old western, then this one's recommended. 

What were your favorite shows that you watched this year ?