Awards Radar TV’s: The Best of Television 2024

As each year comes to an end, I sit down to compile my list of the very best of television. This process typically results in me realizing that even though I try to keep up, there are series that slip through the cracks. With so much incredible original content, there is simply not enough time in the day to fit in all the viewing I would like. In addition to the endless first time viewings, I also commit dozens of hours to rewatching television in preparation for interviews, features and our very popular TV Topics podcast.

Since Oscar voting concluding yesterday this seems like the perfect time to deliver the official Awards Radar Best of TV 2023. Not only, besides the ceremony, has film awards season come to an end, but as we all know Emmy season is just ready to kick into high gear. So there’s no better time to look back at the amazing television of last year as we prepare to celebrate with this year’s awards.

And what a year of television it was, with month after month of must-watch original content, some pleasant familiar returns and several favorites saying their goodbyes including Reservation Dogs, Barry, Succession, and Ted Lasso. While not everything that aired last year matched my taste, there was still something for everyone helping us through the strikes with a multitude of quality entertainment.

This year’s ‘Best of’ list marks the end of an era, opening the door for a new entry to top my list. For several years running Better Call Saul held the top spot – with good reason, it is nothing less than a masterpiece (a term I do not toss around lightly). Even if Emmy voters failed to properly acknowledge the accomplishments of Vince Gilligan, Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn and so many others, allowing the series to go 0-56 across its Emmy run, they can rest assured that I recognized it consistently.

Unfortunately, the same goes for several series you will find on my list this year, many of which have yet to earn the awards recognition they rightfully deserve (though several have). Consider making my list as a trophy on your mantle, because your work is worthy of it. Hopefully my late in the calendar year “Best of” list will firmly plant them on the voters’ Emmy radar so the people who create this spectacular content can be recognized with some tangible golden hardware. 

Narrowing the list to 10 was incredibly tough. So much so that I decided to make it a list of 12. While I picked a number 1 show, I decided to provide a roughly rank the remaining 11 – which I find incredibly tough because they all offer something different and deserve their own recognition.

And away we go…

#1 – The Bear (FX)
FX’s The Bear had such a scrumptious first course with season one (so good it was my #3 show of 2022) I was actually a bit nervous a second course would not be quite as delectable. Not only did the series come through with completely satisfying main course, season two added a long list of flavorful side dishes through the expanded exploration of the family, both the Berzatto and the restaurant fam. While doing so

Season two provided a smorgasbord of character that had me laughing, crying, holding my breath, moved and hungry for more. Instead of uninspired leftovers every episode was even more ambitious and full of unique flavors. We already anticipated incredible performances from Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, but every course served was a masterclass in character portraits; some used full episode like “Honeydew” which focused on Marcus (Lionel Boyce) as he ventured to Copenhagen to learn more about his craft and himself and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in “Forks” (my favorite episode of television last year) which added so much more depth to Cousin Richie it is impossible to hear Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” without stirring up some emotion from the character journey we witnessed in that episode.

Showrunners Chris Storer and Joanna Calo keep the delights coming with elevated supporting work by Abby Eliott, Matty Matheson, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Oliver Platt (who gives a career best performance)… let’s not forget a selection of inspired guest stars from Bob Odenkirk and Jamie Lee Curtis to the Jon Bernthal and Olivia Colman – to name a few. Many were new spices added to an already spectacular recipe only to enhance it ways we could have never expected. With so many stories to tell and characters to explore you would think that it would be overstuffed and frantic, but instead it was often quite the opposite. This season allowed viewers moments of pause, to savor the incredible feast put before them. I have watched and rewatched, enjoying it more with each visit.

Reservation Dogs (FX)  
Though I was a bit late to the game, I instantly fell in love with the series toward the end of the first season. It launched to new heights for the sophomore season, continuing to explore Indigenous culture and people in delightful and meaningful ways beyond the surface level representation of the past. The series welcomes viewers in often to just hang out with an incredible ensemble cast from young to old. Each episode takes viewers on an unexpected mix of journeys in terms of content, style and the emotions they would strike up. The mashup of tones and themes somehow work best when you would not expect them to work at all, exploring humanity from various perspectives. Whether it’s hanging out with the spirit of an ancestor who is sharing knowledge bombs from inside an outhouse or watching a group of friends open up about the unspoken pain they hold deep inside, it all simply worked. No matter the subject or the choice of delivery the series consistently did for me exactly what great art should do – it made me think… a lot; about life, death, friendship, family, grief, healing, and so much more. Ultimately though, it reinforced the fact that we need more people telling their stories and shared with everyone. Reservation Dogs was creative, risk-taking, consistently hilarious, as well as surprisingly moving and often beautiful all while told with authenticity. I will miss hanging with them. 

The Last of Us (HBO)
Calling this a videogame show is a disservice to a series that affected viewers. Whether we were cringing from the thought of probing tendrils creeping into our mouths, witnessing one of the sweetest romances ever to grace the small screen, an endearing and unorthodox father/daughter story, love, loss, family, and the terror of science… exploring the core of humanity through the lens of the end of humanity. With each episode the series brought surprises, but not with the big swings, instead with its ability to be so much more than the post apocalyptic story we have grown accustomed to. The series opens with one of the most chilling moments I can recall ever seeing on television – not “zombies” or chaos and destruction, instead with a brief, calm conversation on a 1960s talk show which chilled me to the bone. That was immediately followed by a father/daughter story that had me in tears. Craig Mazin’s series (whose Chernobyl is an all-time ‘favorite’) tapped into guarded parts of me I did not want to explore – I was hooked, beginning to end.

Fargo (FX)
Returning to Fargo is always a welcome treat. Noah Hawley’s anthology series has been a pleasant surprise with each season (although season 4 was a bit of a step backwards) and season 5 was no exception, delivering one of the best seasons yet. The ‘tragedy with a happy ending’ series was as dark and filled with lush characters as fans have come to expect, led by Juno Temple’s Dot Lyons, an ass-kicking housewife with a huge heart and the TV villain of the year, played with despicable perfection by John Hamm. The season is full of surprises which I will not ruin for you here, some heart-wrenching, others heart-pounding, others heart-changing. Did I mention the magnificent cast? Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, Sam Spruell, Dave Foley, Richa Moorjani and more. After watching, be sure to check out my conversations with two of them, Juno and her on-screen husband Wayne (David Rysdahl – my guest on TV Topics), whose conversations made me appreciate the season and their performances even more. Without giving anything away, like said interviews with the cast, the season five finale was something special and connected everything before it in ways I did not expect. Brilliant!

Beef (Netflix)
This limited series seemed to come out of nowhere and made an impact on viewers (and voters) immediately. It starts as a road rage dark comedy about two unlikeable people and evolves into much more, turning everything on its head with various perspectives from the inside out and the outside in.  Two of the years’ best performances from Ali Wong and Steven Yeun would alone be worth the price of admission. Instead, what unfolds as the dominoes fall is not only end to end entertaining in a slow motion car crash fashion, it is surprisingly deep tackling themes of sexism, racism, capitalism, forgiveness and more.

Succession (HBO)
What else can you say about a show that has earned such universal praise. The final season picked the right time to go out as one more may have been too much. The dysfunctional siblings were hit with their biggest challenge yet, not from the competitors or potential partners, but from their father (the pitch perfect Bryan Cox) with a movie that was sudden and pulled the rug out from under the feet of everyone on the show. By the time this final season reached the last ten minutes of its finale, the symphony of destruction was ready to conclude and still delivered a conclusion, a coda, that strangely felt as unpredictable and completely predictable as can be all at once – the kind of finish that resonates long after.

Party Down (STARZ)
When watching the return of Starz’s cult favorite, Party Down, it feels like the party never stopped over a decade ago. The cast of previously lesser-known actors back when the show first aired includes some of the best comic actors working today Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, and Ryan Hansen. Fastwording past Covid the series picks up with our favorite catering crew a little older, not much wiser, but possibly at their funniest – and that is saying a lot. Some new additions to the cast like Jennifer Garner and Zoe Chao add to the wacky fun, but it is Marino as Ronald Donald who provides my favorite comedic performances of the year with some physical comedy that left me in stitches – all while  tapping into more emotions than a show that is this incredibly funny show should be capable of doing.

Scavengers Reign (Max)
No series surprised me more than this unassuming animated wonder from Max. The survival drama is patient in its delivery, allowing viewers to be on the ground with the human and one robot crew as they learn about the beauties and horrors of their new environment after a crash landing leaves them scattered across an uncharted planet. The stunning visuals paired with incredible ASMR-esque sound design full of every organic sound possible will have you eager to explore the world while also hesitant to learn what you will find all while driven by the human stories song the way It is psychedelic, hypnotic world-building that has so much to say without providing the answers or even the questions.

Poker Face (Peacock)
A Rian Johnson series starring Natasha Lyonne as an unlikely detective with a built-in lie detector solving mysteries of the week sounds like a sure thing – thankfully it was every bit as fun as it sounds. It is one of 2023’s easiest to consume series because of the throwback Columbo-esque feel that unleashes Lyonne to interact with a long list of impressive guest stars as she solves self-contained crimes all while on the run from a menacing figure from her past. The characters are quirky, the mysteries absorbing and Lyonne is a blast – all make for a show you’ll want to share.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)
Whenever I hear the words remake, reimaging, reboot, re-quel or whatever “re-” Hollywood wants to attach to an already beloved film or series, I cringe in fear of just how the tampering will detract from something better left alone. Halfway into the first episode all I could ask was, ‘we saw this before, right?’ Sure, the anime is stunning, the soundtrack is awesome, but why? The answer came shortly after and all I can say to those who fear the overused “re-” is RElax. Not only is this a worthy entry in the Scott Pilgrim universe, it is one that enhances what existed before it through a major shift in perspective letting us explore what used to be Scott Pilgrim’s world through the Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) – the results are refreshingly thought provoking.

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
The limited series starring Brie Larson was not always on my radar. I gave it a shot after hearing good things about it, but stopped watching halfway through the first episode. The decision was not to give up on the series, but so I could start it over, this time with my wife and daughters. After starting it, I knew Larson’s uplifting performance as hopeful scientist, Elizabeth Zott, would be one with whom they would connect – a don’t-take-no-for-an-answer fighter who battles sexism, stereotyping, the system, in addition to other personal and societal challenges in order to follow her dream. While some of the themes turned out a bit mature for them at times, Zott’s attitude provided the kind of role model I really wanted them to see – one who breaks down barriers while empowering others along the way. My daughters, both of whom dream of working in the sciences, had many questions, but also answers of their own both about the unfair treatment Zott faced and even discussions about the science of the series. Lessons had just the right mix of ingredients to watch together – inspiring characters, empowering messages, as well as moving, entertaining storytelling. Let’s not forget the outstanding art direction and one of last year’s best new theme songs – Mildred Bailey’s “Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)”, even if it is over eight years old.

Barry (HBO)
Season after season, Bill Hader’s black comedy surprised us, not only with shocking deaths and extreme violence, but also in the way it kept us consistently uncomfortable and laughing about it all throughout. The premise of Barry Berkman (Hader) a hitman who decides to join an acting class sounds like a second-tier comedy, and in the wrong hands it could have been, but through clever writing, exceptional directing, and a cast of despicable characters surround Barry you could not help but root for: Anthony Harrigan as Hank, Stephen Root as Fuches, Henry Winkler as Cousineau and Sarah Goldberg (who not only deserved more nominations, but also some Emmy gold) played well-written, complex, evolving, broken characters with such nuance it made for one of the most unique television experiences across all four seasons.

25 SERIES ALSO CONSIDERED FOR MY TOP 10 (in alphabetical order):

Abbott Elementary (ABC), American Auto (NBC), Bupkis (Peacock), The Curse (Showtime), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (Disney+), The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix), Gen V (Prime Video), Ghosts (CBS), I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix), It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+), Mrs. Davis (Peacock), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), The Other Two (Max), Our Flag Means Death (Max), School Spirits (Paramount+), Servant (Apple TV+), Shrinking (Apple TV+), Silo (Apple TV+), Somebody Somewhere (HBO), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+), Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+), Yellowjackets (Showtime), What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

AWARDS RADAR TV TEAM PICKS

In addition to my picks, the awesome Awards Radar TV team provided their selections for the best of television form 2023. Their lists are perfect reminders of how much amazing content there is out there right now. Even with my list of 35 there were still a number of selections made by the team that could have easily been on my list too. Enjoy this luxury of entertainment excess now, because with the strikes delaying production and the ever changing landscape of streaming and broadcast, it may be very different scenario going forward.

Abe Friedtanzer

Niki Cruz

Maxance Vincent

Emilia Yu (writer, co-host of The ‘Verse!)

Lucas Longacre  (writer, co-host of The ‘Verse!)

Diego Peralta

What a year! Post your favorite shows of 2023 in the comments below.