The Best TV Series 2023 – TOP 5 Productions
The year 2023 brought series fans new seasons of their favorite productions, as well as brand new offerings. Particularly interesting against this background are Polish ideas, which are increasingly boldly entering streaming platforms and successfully gaining a large audience. Which series did we like this year? We present our selection.
The best TV Shows of 2023
1. “Yellowjackets”
In 2023 Canal Plus aired the second season of the original and gripping series “Yellojakcets“, which is certainly worth spending a few evenings on. The plot of the production takes place simultaneously in two timelines: in 1996 and in the present. Here we learn that at the end of the 9th decade of the 20th century in the Rocky Mountains there was a plane crash of a female soccer team. Most of the passengers survived, but survival in the harsh and wild forests of Ontario proved more difficult. Decades later, several female survivors must face the trauma of the past.
“Yellowjackets” is a multi-genre and multi-level series that allows the viewer to analyze the presented story as deeply as he or she feels like it. Thus, for some it will be an interesting survivalist tale, and for others a treatise on social structures, modern crises and spirituality. Great acting, in-depth character psychology and an interesting script are just some of the qualities of this original production.
2. “Succession”
The series “Succession“, available on the HBO platform in 2023, lived to see its fourth season. It is already a classic that has a loyal audience. Awarded five Golden Globes, the production is the story of a power struggle in the wealthy and influential Roy family. The protoplast of the family, Logan (Brian Cox) is the owner of a huge media company. During a birthday party, disputes arise between the chairman’s four adult children, who are pretenders to future inheritance. And when the war for the inheritance begins, all tricks are allowed. The Golden Globes were awarded to Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook for their roles in the series.
3. “Love and Death”
“Love and Death” may not be my favorite series of 2023, but I watched it with much more interest than the record-breaking popularity and positive ratings of “The Last of Us.” For me, the latter series is an overrated and painfully boring production that simply turned out to be a dud. As for “Love and Death,” the fact-based story itself attracts viewers and keeps them in front of the screen for episodes. The case of Candance Montgomery, who in 1980 killed her lover’s wife with an axe and was later acquitted, still stirs up a lot of emotion today.
The fates of two married couples living in a small Texas town become intertwined through their joint participation in religious rituals. However, neither the pressures of the small community nor their declared membership in the local church stop the exemplary spouses from a fiery love affair that will lead to tragedy. The main roles are played here by Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons.
4. “Feedback”
A very interesting and well-made Polish series based on the novel by Jakub Żulczyk, which hit the Netflix platform in late 2023 – “Feedback“. Marcin Kania, a former rocker and alcoholic, tries to solve the mystery of his adult son’s disappearance. Many scenarios come into play: mafia hijinks, revenge, intricate family relationships. Each of the possibilities seems equally plausible, and the protagonist must hurry, because each additional hour could cost the life of his son.
Arkadiusz Jakubik’s role is another outstanding performance in his film career. The versatility of this actor seems almost limitless, and his ability to create characters that are simultaneously touching, funny and awe-inspiring deserves admiration. This is also another role after “Clangor” of a father placed in a borderline trying situation.
5. “1670”
And another on the list of the best series of 2023 is a Polish production: “1670”, which is a contemporary in a historical costume. The adventures of the seventeenth-century noble Adamczewski family is a pure satire on our reality. The world of the wealthy elite confronted with the everyday life of the working class exposes many myths and the emptiness of popular slogans. It gets at corpom, ecological fears and age-old neighborhood rivalries. The institutional Church, the famous Polish tolerance, and, of course, politics can be seen through a distorting mirror.
“1670” is a series that surprised me and really entertained me. I was sure that it would be dominated by a joke drawn with a thick line, but against all appearances there is no shortage of nuances and subtests, making this production a really intelligent, and at the same time light and funny proposition for a few evenings. The rating is further boosted by sensational acting from both the mature and younger generations. Bartlomiej Topa, Katarzyna Herman and Martyna Byczkowska are characters that should be particularly singled out.
