The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
The 10 most anticipated TV series coming in 2023
There is too much good TV!
There’s too much TV period, which is part of the problem. There could be as many as 600 scripted series in 2023. Seriously. Granted, a lot of them will be junk or something so niche you practically have to be a member of secret society to watch them. (Remind me, do I get the Grit network? I do!)
It’s pretty much mathematically impossible to watch all you want to watch, particularly when you add in live programming like sports.
And of course there are endless libraries on streaming services of old shows you can waste hours on, although I would argue any time spent with “Freaks and Geeks” or “The Sopranos” isn’t a waste at all.
The point is, there’s a lot to wade through. This list is an attempt to help. It’s the 10 shows we’re most looking forward to in 2023. Like always, most of the premiere dates aren’t set yet, beyond sometime in 2023, so always check listings.
‘Poker Face’
Natasha Lyonne gets her own series – one created by Rian Johnson, no less. I loved the first season of “Russian Doll.” As for the second season … I loved the first season. Here she plays a woman who knows when people are lying, and uses that gift to solve crimes. It’s a new case every week and the guest list is impressive: Joseph Gordon-levitt, Stephanie Hsu, Adrien Brody and more. Sounds cool.
How to watch: Stream on Peacock on Jan. 26.
‘True Detective: Night Country’
Been awhile. The notoriously upand-down HBO series (watch the first one with Matthew Mcconaughey and Woody Harrelson) returns, starring Jodie Foster. Which, yay. She’s always great. Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) is an executive producer. It’s set in Alaska, which, OK. You had us at Jodie Foster.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On
‘Loki’
Not the best Marvel series – even after going off the rails, that honor goes to “Wandavision” – but one of the weirdest. The competing timelines could be confusing, but that was part of the point. Of course the best thing this show has going for it is Tom Hiddleston, whose goofball mix of arrogance and incompetence makes Loki the best character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On Disney+.
‘The White House Plumbers’
Ah, the Nixon administration, endless fodder for books, movies and TV series. And, you know, history. This time it’s a five-part HBO series about E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux). The excellent cast also includes Lena Headey, Kiernan Shipka and Judy Greer.
How to watch: March, on HBO.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
The animated series is a much-loved cult classic— smart, funny, moving and addictive. It tells the story of Aang, the latest in the long line of Airbenders who have mastered fire, water, air and earth. Only he’s a little boy, which leads to all kinds of trouble. Fans have waited a long time for a live-action version (the less said about 2010’s “The Last Airbender” the better). With Daniel Day Kim and Ken Leung.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On Netflix.
‘Succession’
Now we’re talkin.’ The Roy family returns for more back-stabbing and dealmaking. When last we saw them, Tom (Matthew Macfayden) was selling out his wife and the rest of the Roy kids. Where will that lead? As long as it means more Macfayden, who cares? One of the best shows on TV, which is saying something.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On HBO.
‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’
Of the many delights that “Wandavision” offered, Kathryn Hahn’s performance as the nosy neighbor who turned out to be an evil witch. Hate when that happens. But it’s fabulous that Hahn is getting her own spinoff series. A strong supporting character doesn’t always make for a great lead, but if anyone can pull it off, Hahn can.
How to watch: Winter 2023, on Disney+.
‘Masters of the Air’
“Band of Brothers,” a 10-part series
about “Easy” Company in World War II, is one of the greatest series that has ever appeared on television. “The Pacific,” about the U.S. Marines fighting there, was also really good. Both were produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks — as is this, a series about the Eighth Air Force.
The cast includes Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan; if the predecessors are any indication, this won’t disappoint.
How to watch: Spring or summer, Apple TV+.
Yet more Scooby-doo. Why does pop culture continue to return to this title, about possibly supernatural mysteries solved by those pesky kids? (The original Saturday morning cartoon was more fun when you were hopped up on Frosted Flakes, trust me.)
Good question, but the cast alone makes this animated, much more diverse version intriguing. Executive producer Mindy Kaling voices Velma; the rest of the cast includes Sam Richardson, Constance Wu and Glenn Howerton. And the mysteries are more adult. I’m in.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On HBO Max.
‘Straight Man’
So what do you do when you play a supporting character in one of the greatest TV shows in history, then star in a spinoff that is also brilliant? If you are Bob Odenkirk, after “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” you jump into another series. In “Straight Man,” based on the Richard Russo novel, he plays William Henry Devereaux Jr., the chair of a college English department. Honestly at this point he could play a literal chair and I’d watch.
How to watch: Not scheduled. On AMC.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/goodyonfilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.