Yahoo News 2023 in Review: 10 Hidden Gems You May Have Missed From This Year’s TV
With 500-something scripted series on TV these days, we know you’re not getting around to all of them. And if you are… uh, you OK?
Having already recounted the very best and very worst of what television had to offer this year, we’re now turning our attention to some of our favorite series from 2023 that may have missed your radar entirely, or continuously fell down your watchlist despite your best intentions. (Trust us: We get it.)
More from TVLine
All 10 of the series listed below are shows our editors enjoyed, but wish had caught fire more in the general TV discourse. Because sure, it’s fun to dissect the latest Succession episode with all of Twitter, but where’s the love for Cunk on Earth?
Keep scrolling to see our full list of under-the-radar gems, then drop a comment with your own unsung heroes of the TV year!
Still to come in TVLine’s Year in Review: The Most Dynamic ‘Ships, Scenes We’re Still Thinking About, Performer of the Year, Best First Kisses and more!
Colin From Accounts (Paramount+)
This Australian import quietly dropped Stateside on Paramount+ in November, centering on Gordon (Patrick Brammall) and Ashley (Harriet Dyer), two “single-ish, complex humans” who are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog they name Colin. Come for the sweet pup, stay for… well, the sweet pup. But also the comedy.
Where to Watch It: All eight Season 1 episodes are available to stream on Paramount+. Season 2 is now in production.
Cunk on Earth (Netflix)
Co-written and exec-produced by Black Mirror‘s Charlie Brooker — with much less dystopia, you’ll be pleased to hear — this British mockumentary finds Diane Morgan (After Life) reprising her deadpan recurring role of Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter, as she traces the history of human civilization and its greatest inventions.
Where to Watch It: All five Season 1 episodes are available to stream on Netflix. There’s currently no word on a Season 2.
Dead Ringers (Prime Video)
Rachel Weisz in dual roles! Do you need more persuasion? Well, if you do — and never saw David Cronenberg’s 1988 film of the same name — here’s the miniseries’ logline: Weisz stars as Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything, like “an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes (including pushing the boundaries on medical ethics) in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.”
Where to Watch It: All six episodes are available to stream on Prime Video.
Dreaming Whilst Black (Showtime)
Imported from the U.K., this comedy series stars Adjani Salmon as Kwabena, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step to achieving his dreams… only to be quickly confronted with the trials of balancing finances, love and his own sense of reality.
Where to Watch It: All six Season 1 episodes are available to stream on Paramount+. There is currently no word on a potential second season.
How To With John Wilson (HBO)
2023 brought How To With John Wilson to an end, after three seasons of documentarian John Wilson exploring insightful, gentle and sometimes bizarre tutorials on various topics alongside glimpses into his own life and psyche.
Where to Watch It: All three seasons are available to stream on Max.
Kaleidoscope (Netflix)
If you like your heist dramas to be a little trippy, try this one starring Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito, which spans 25 years and takes a non-linear approach to storytelling — meaning each audience member has a unique viewing experience, thanks to episodes that aren’t necessarily watched in the same order by everyone. “All viewers will eventually see all episodes, but the order in which they watch the episodes will affect their viewpoint on the story, the characters, and the questions and answers at the heart of the heist,” Netflix tells us. Intrigue!
Where to Watch It: All nine episodes are available to stream on Netflix. There’s currently no word on a potential second season.
Party Down (Starz)
Starz’s cult comedy isn’t as little-known as some others on our list, but we were disappointed to see this year’s long-awaited third season come and go without much fanfare. After 13 years off the air, where was the hoopla for the return of this gem, about a group of aspiring actors working as caterers to make ends meet?
Where to Watch It: All three seasons can be viewed with a Starz subscription, or via Hulu and Prime Video with Starz add-ons.
A Small Light (National Geographic)
This NatGeo series — which landed at No. 10 on our list of the year’s 20 best TV shows — told the story of World War II through the lens of Miep Gies (Bel Powley), a friend of the Frank family as she helped them and other Jewish refugees survive the Nazis’ rise.
Where to Watch It: All eight episodes are available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
UnPrisoned (Hulu)
Inspired by series creator Tracy McMillan’s life, this half-hour comedy — you wouldn’t guess comedy from this photo choice! — stars Scandal‘s Kerry Washington as Paige Alexander, a relationship therapist and single mom whose life is altered when her dad (The Good Fight‘s Delroy Lindo) is released from prison and moves in with Paige and her teenage son.
Where to Watch It: All eight Season 1 episodes are available to stream on Hulu. The show has been renewed for a second season.
The Way Home (Hallmark Channel)
Scoff at a Hallmark Channel series’ inclusion on this list if you must, but we were quickly captivated by this time travel drama about three generations of women in the Landry family — played by Sadie Laflamme-Snow, Chyler Leigh and Andie MacDowell — who embark on a journey back to each other after Alice (Laflamme-Snow) accidentally discovers she can time travel.
Where to Watch It: All 10 Season 1 episodes are available to stream on Peacock. Season 2 premieres Sunday, Jan. 21 at 9/8c on Hallmark Channel.
Best of TVLine
Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
