The best new TV shows of 2023, from ‘The Last of Us’ to ‘Beef’

HBO had the best show of the year in “Succession,” and probably the worst in the Sam Levinson-The Weeknd collaboration “The Idol,” which proved just how boring (supposedly steamy) sex and nudity can be.

HBO had the best show of the year in “Succession,” and probably the worst in the Sam Levinson-The Weeknd collaboration “The Idol,” which proved just how boring (supposedly steamy) sex and nudity can be. In between, there was a whole lot of good TV and even more mediocre stuff, complicated by writers and actors strikes that forced networks and streaming services to juggle schedules to ensure that the programming spigot didn’t run dry. Among new shows, including both continuing and limited series, there was an eclectic roster of highlights, as well as some programs that were well worth watching – Amazon’s “Swarm,” and Netflix’s “The Night Agent” and the late-arriving “Gyeongseong Creature,” to name a few – that didn’t quite make the cut. The year also proved frontloaded, with several of the best new offerings arriving during the first half of 2023. Here is that list in alphabetical order, as well as an honorable mention for an unusually rewarding year for basketball-related documentaries: ‘A Small Light’ (National Geographic/ Disney+): A heartbreaking limited series about Miep Gies (wonderfully played by Bel Powley), an ordinary young woman who found extraordinary reservoirs of courage to shield Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis. With a strong cast that included Liev Schreiber as Otto Frank, the series managed to take a story you thought you knew and make it seem fresh and urgent. ‘Ahsoka’ (Disney+): Although the series got off to a slow start and suffered from some clunky writing in the early going, the live-action version of the animated character played by Rosario Dawson not only tied into “Star Wars” history but seemed to point the way toward quadrants of the galaxy the franchise can and should explore in the years ahead. To those who would like to see “Star Wars” get back onto the big screen, “Ahsoka” served as what could become a significant bridge – a new hope, if you will.